Ronen Artman (LiveU): “PAYG expande la producción sin riesgos”

The pay-as-you-go (Payg as you go) model and the latest news from LiveU are the backbone of this interview with Ronen Artman, VP of Marketing at the company specialising in live video production, distribution and transmission solutions.

LiveU doubles down on PAYG "Pay as you go", a model created to allow production companies to serve customers of all sizes and budgets. This system sets a Fixed cost per unit, allowing you to gain the flexibility to pay exclusively for events. This way, users can choose their right encoder for their production needs, regardless of the models LU600, LU300S or the LU800, and use them for the Required Coverage, allowing in the process helps to reduce "up to 70%" of production costs.

The LiveU packages of the PAYG model are not only restricted to the use of the Backpacks, but can be expanded by adding various optional production-oriented functions on the fly. Video return, tally light, audio connectivity or remote control of equipment IP-based solutions stand out among the solutions offered by the firm, although one system stands out above all: access to LiveU Studio, fully cloud-native IP live video production service that natively supports LRT.

In this interview, Ronen Artman, VP of Marketing, provides detailed information PAYG "Pay as you go", reviews the company's main innovations presented within the framework of IBC 2024 and focuses on the innovation as the engine of the day-to-day life of LiveU.

The great news of IBC 2024

LiveU returns from IBC 2024 with great new features, such as the new LiveU IQ solution and the redesign of LiveU Studio. How have both novelties been received and what opportunities do they bring to the sector?

The feedback has been very good for both solutions! 18 years ago, LiveU invented the union of cellular connections with LRT, and now we're revolutionizing live video streaming thanks to LiveU IQ (LIQ). Those who visited our booth in IBC, se mostraron entusiasmados al comprender como LIQ puede hacer que la producción de vídeo en directo sea fácil, accesible y más eficiente. Esto trae muchas oportunidades haciendo que el equipo de vídeo confíe de que experimentará la mejor conectividad móvil desde cualquier lugar cuando ellos deseen. Además, se agrega otra dimensión a nuestro protocolo LRT (LiveU Reliable Transport), otorgando un conjunto de conexiones celulares con mejor rendimiento en cualquier posición, intercambiando dinámicamente entre varios operadores móviles. En palabras sencillas, LRT ofrece el mejor uso de las redes existentes y LIQ utiliza las mejores redes.

LiveU Studio, la solución de producción de video en la nube, ya ha demostrado ser una opción rentable utilizada por equipos deportivos, canales de noticias o compañías de producción. La industria del deporte ha estado esperando con ansias nuevas tecnologías como repeticiones instantáneas, gráficos integrados, grabación ISO e inserción de anuncios SCTE-35. Como novedad, LiveU Studio cuenta con una interfaz completamente nueva que le permite a un operador llevar a cabo una producción completa desde un solo lugar.

LiveU Studio is a very important part of our simple production solution within the sports industry alongside our field units; It expands borders for various sports (tier 2 and 3), which were previously excluded due to economic limitations or limited resources. Built on a Remote Production Model (from the field to the cloud and from there to the audience) with high live video streaming performance, this solution is key as it is a more cost-effective option for any sports production. Even for traditional transmissions.

In the day-to-day life of producers and operators, we have witnessed a radical change in the sector in favour of backpacks. How can a solution that has been fully adopted by the industry be improved? How does LiveU work to take these solutions to the next level?

Innovation is in the LiveU DNA and we are constantly looking for ways to improve our native transmission units 5G, combining exceptional video performance with high network efficiency.

With the deployment and growth of 5G, we believe there are many opportunities for live sports production, replacing traditional methods of broadcasting with our IP technology with a better cost-benefit. In turn, it makes remote production more viable, making live broadcasts more cost-effective by reducing the transfer and transport of equipment. It is important to clarify that our solutions are not only transportable, but we also offer units that can be used to transport the connect to various cameras and are used for stadiums, mobile units or other events.

Our solutions are not only related to the transmission. The ecosystem LiveU, which is powered by cloud-hosted technology, spans the entire chain of Video Production: from contribution and production, to distribution. For example LiveU Ingest It is used to automatically record and tag story metadata. On the other hand LiveU Matrix, our cloud-native IP video distribution platform, is used by major broadcasters to distribute content around the world. At LiveU, we are constantly developing new features and tools for our entire portfolio of solutions.

Transmission units offer a versatile and cost-effective solution compared to traditional models, but retransmissions are not without challenges, such as network congestion and complex coverage in mobility. How does LiveU work to solve these problems?

This is another area where LiveU IQ plays an important role. We are also actively developing other live video streaming IP connectivity solutions, such as private 5G and Network Slicing. For example, last year at the coronation of HM King Charles III, LiveU played an important role in the coverage of ITN, la primera transmisión en vivo en UK capaz de utilizar segmentación de red en una red pública autónoma (5GSA), auspiciada por Vodafone. También unimos fuerzas con la BBC y Neutral Wireless para aprovechar la red privada 5g autónoma de un solo uso más grande del mundo y realizar una transmisión en directo fiable y de alta calidad.

Recientemente, en la Convención Nacional Republicana (RNC) y la Convención Nacional Demócrata (DNC) en los Estados Unidos, colaboramos con Pente Networks para ofrecer una solución de red privada móvil on-demand a las emisoras, garantizando la mayor fiabilidad dentro de cada recinto.

Las oportunidades del PAYG

LiveU ha lanzado recientemente su modelo de pago por uso PAYG “pay as you go” con el objetivo de ofrecer la “flexibilidad necesaria” a productoras de todos los tamaños y presupuestos. ¿Por qué los modelos anteriores de la industria no han ofrecido esta flexibilidad?

Nuestros clientes son la prioridad número uno y estamos constantemente buscando formas de cómo ofrecerles el mejor servicio y atención para poder cubrir sus necesidades de producción.

PAYG (pay-as-you-go) ha sido diseñado para que compañías de producción puedan ayudar a sus clientes sin importar su tamaño o recursos económicos. Sea una producción con una o dos cámaras, el Fixed cost per unit It provides them with flexibility when building a solution for any of their customers, paying only for the events they produce. This means that they will have control of their own costs and can increase or decrease them as required, expanding their production capacity without risks.

We have realized that PAYG is another way to help those customers who do not have a daily use of LiveU (as journalists who cover 24/7), and thus be able to provide them with a flexible model that adapts to their needs.

How does the pay-as-you-go "PAYG" model work? Is it compatible with the increasingly popular multi-camera production models?

With PAYG, we provide the Units Needed for production with different cost-effective packages, invoicing according to the units you need. For example, imagine that tonight there is a soccer game and coverage is required for a few hours. PAYG can also be used as a Season Pass, with the flexibility that it will have seasons in which it will use more units and others in which it will be able to suspend billing since there are no events to cover.

Our Multi-camera production license model ofrece una opción con la cual nuestros clientes obtienen un paquete que cubre el uso diario de 2 a 4 cámaras, controladas desde la plataforma central de LiveU. Por ejemplo, los canales de noticias que tienen un paquete de cuatro cámaras pueden obtener una licencia y pagar por el uso de cuatro cámaras cuando lo requieran, y el resto del tiempo podrán seguir utilizándolo bajo el modelo de una sola cámara.

Flexibilidad, adaptabilidad y rentabilidad

LiveU PAYG “pay as you go” también ofrece una serie de funciones opcionales orientadas a la producción, como retorno de vídeo, tally, etc. ¿Podría explicarnos en profundidad las opciones que ofrece? ¿Es fácil activar estas soluciones dentro del plan pay as you go?

Any of our production tools can be part of the model PAYG and be used when needed, as we consider that each live production is different in terms of complexity.

LiveU tools include Video Return, which allows teams in the field to view current broadcasts and/or receive information from the teleprompter during live coverage; Audio Connect, cloud-hosted audio solutions, which allow the presenter to easily communicate with camera operators and talent in the field, or Tally Light, which makes it possible for reporters and camera operators to instantly know when they're on the air. It is also necessary to highlight IP Pipe, which allows operators to remotely control a variety of network-based equipment. All of them are easy to activate within the PAYG plan.

How can users benefit from this service? What steps should they take?

Our models of PAYG They are very flexible, as we are committed to supporting all your production needs. If you want to know more about our products or speak directly with a sales professional, you can contact us here: https://get.liveu.tv/payg-es/

Do you think the future of live video production inevitably lies in flexible models like LiveU Pay as you Go?

It depends on the Customer Type and Production. For use cases such as professional sports leagues where a solution is needed for daily coverage, interviews, and behind-the-scenes content, PAYG loses relevance.

PAYG is perfect for Live productions of specific events such as, for example, a car race or a marathon, which happen sporadically throughout the year.