Remote production: The future of live workflows is here

Over the past few years, broadcasters have faced unprecedented pressure to minimize costs and maximize resources, all while offering more content than ever before. They had to quickly become accustomed to the new reality of live broadcast, however, the industry as a whole responded well.

One key solution that has emerged is remote TV production, powered by REMI, which has enabled broadcasters to leverage centralized and agile production teams. Let’s dive into the definition of REMI, how it has accelerated the transition to remote production, and what’s next for this cutting-edge technology.

What is REMI production?

REMI stands for REMote Integration, an advanced broadcasting approach where the majority of the production workflow is handled off site, away from the main event location. This model leverages digital video transmission to transport live audio and video from the venue to a central production facility via IP transport, fiber, or satellite.

In a REMI setup, on-site equipment includes cameras, microphones, and encoders that compress and transmit signals over a high-speed connection. These feeds are then integrated and processed at the central production facility and broadcast anywhere in the world. This type of remote TV production involves robust IP networking, real-time transport protocols, and advanced synchronization methods to seamlessly integrate live content and maintain high-quality production standards.

REMI overcomes the challenges of on-site production

On-site production is complex. Depending on the type of event, traditional production models rely on large costly mobile units comprising trucks, crew, and equipment. These trucks serve as production control studios that deliver the live production directly to downstream distribution platforms like regional sports networks (RSNs), local stations, networks, and digital or social destinations.

The configuration of hardware for live production is both time consuming and labor intensive. Even a small-scale production, such as a live news report from a remote location, can require expensive satellite vehicles and transmission trucks. Sports events like the Masters also pose logistical challenges, as coverage sprawls across the entire course and requires a lot of equipment and several production staff to deliver the optimal viewing experience. REMI video production overcomes many of these challenges.

REMI broadcasting unlocks unlimited potential

In today’s ever-changing landscape, rights holders and broadcasters are looking to efficiently monetize live events without compromising on quality. Remote TV production brings several benefits.

Lower your costs

A remote TV production model requires much less hardware on site: You only need the gear that aggregates and transmits the feed back to the central production studio. That means you not only save on CapEx, but you also need less on-site staff, which leads to significant cost reductions. Remote productions are estimated to cost approximately 20% less than traditional on-premise productions and don’t require any capital investments by the broadcasters.

Match the right workflow with the right event

One of the important lessons of the past few years is that flexibility is a critical success factor for live broadcasting. Remote TV production provides the flexibility required to create unique workflows that include anything from logistics and staffing to graphics creation, while delivering excellent viewing experiences to all audiences. Broadcasters get the capabilities that best suit the type of live event covered without being confined to a one-size-fits-all mindset.

REMI remote production opens up new opportunities

REMI remote production opens up opportunities across the board. Working from centralized production facilities with dedicated and experienced staff means that access to state-of-the-art technology and talented professionals is democratized for all industry players. It also removes geographical barriers so that correspondents, staff, and production teams can be located anywhere in the world.

Overcoming bandwidth challenges of remote video production

Executing the division of labor between on-site personnel and centralized remote teams requires reliable connectivity. Basic internet infrastructure is not sufficient to meet the quality and availability requirements for remote production broadcasts, which leads to:

• Packet loss
• ISP failure
• Delays

There are several other options for connectivity between venue and studio. Satellite transport networks have traditionally been used for their reliability and reach. However, the satellite delivery model is also unable to keep up with the expectations of greater regionalization of content and the variety of emerging distribution channels. Modern remote TV production requires increased bandwidth and improved connectivity. This is where IP-based video distribution comes into play.

IP transport delivers quality feeds

IP transport compensates for the traditional limitations of remote broadcasting. It provides faster backhaul options, making it possible to deliver high-quality and regionalized video and audio from any location. The ubiquity of the internet enables cost-effective transmission to any geographic location and destination, be it linear, OTT, or cloud platforms.

Managed IP networks overcome the limitations of the transport protocols that utilize the public internet and provide confidence, with high reliability and proactive monitoring and support. These protocols deliver live, broadcast-quality video anywhere in the world with ultra-high reliability and ultra-low latency.

In other cases, box-to-box solutions with protocols such as SRT or RIST can also enable connectivity. However, the ultimate decision for backhaul transmission depends on factors such as what is currently available at the venue, lead time, and latency requirements.

A blueprint for the future of remote TV production

Live remote production has enabled broadcasters to move their media workflows beyond hardware-based solutions that are expensive, inflexible, and closed systems. They’ve seen the benefits, which means remote TV production is here to stay. A return to traditional, on-premise production models for many — if not most — events is unlikely.

A hybrid production model, combining remote and on-site production capabilities, can cater to the needs of specific live events. LTN offers a variety of remote broadcast solutions that provide the flexibility broadcasters need to future-proof operations and maintain the cost and resource efficiencies they’ve already achieved. Contact us today to learn more about how our fully managed IP network and transformative solutions can help you maximize efficiency and revenue.