Satellite Technology Feature Article
August 13, 2009
Satellite Technology, Mobile Communication Aid News Coverage
By Amy Tierney, TMCnet Web Editor
Communication technology is always evolving. And tech-savvy consumers are constantly craving the latest and greatest new gadget to help them communicate or complete their tasks faster and more efficiently.
Perhaps one group that benefits the most from these technological advancements is the news media industry. Today, journalists have access to some pretty innovative tools in the IT sector to help deliver the news.
And one rapidly emerging tool that appears to be gaining ground is satellite communications. The technology is one example of how news agencies are taking advantage of the modern-day age to deliver headlines and content in a new, faster way. And with the popularity of mobile devices, such as smartphones and netbooks, the technology easily fulfills consumers’ appetite for news on-demand.
One such player in mobile satellite communications is C-COM Satellite Systems. The company, which develops and deploys commercial grade mobile satellite-based technology for the delivery of two-way high-speed Internet, VoIP and video services into vehicles, created a range of mobile auto-deploying antennas and controllers named iNetVu.
With the iNetVu system, shown below, news agencies use mobile communications equipment to report news on the spot. Mobile units are typically vans equipped with advanced, two-way audio and video transmitters and receivers that use dish antennas that can be directed at satellites. When used in the field, the iNetVu antenna aligns itself with the press of a button to the appropriate satellite.
Satellite news gathering trucks were historically large, cumbersome trucks loaded with massive C-band dishes, single channel transmitters and multi-person crews. But with the advent of high-definition television, today's vehicles are smaller, and can be operated by one person.
But satellite communications isn’t the only thing news agencies are using. Some news agencies are leveraging the Web outright, charging users for access to read content online.
Others are going high tech. Some larger newspapers, including The New York Times, The Boston Globe, and The Washington Post, are testing wireless subscriptions of the newspapers this summer with Amazon.com’s Kindle DX. The e-book tablet offers WiFi (News - Alert) delivery of newspapers, books and other material.
The device, which lets users carry all kinds of reading material, including newspapers, in one package using a 6-inch screen, is being offered at a reduced price to readers who live in areas where home-delivery is not available and who sign up for a long-term subscription to the Kindle edition of the newspapers.
That’s not all. Some in the news media are also using the mobile Web to port real-time news feeds to cell phones and smartphones. For example, the Associated Press launched the Mobile News Network as part of its so-called “digital cooperative,” – a move to bring AP members’ information to new digital outlets. The network, as TMCnet reported, is a way for local news organizations to build revenue by introducing interactive content to younger viewers, building brands and offering news around-the-clock.
And in the news business, speed –as in being the first to break the news - is what it’s all about. Video is one IT solution that fits the bill. More and more news organizations are using video for field reporting to let viewers not only watch the news, but become a part of it.
The AP recently earned a patent for software for reporters to use to shooting video when on assignment. The so-called “SNAPfeed” application determines the amount of video compression needed for the videos that reporters shoot, and feeds it back to newsrooms for production. That can be for a TV report or video footage for a Web upload.
And if results from a recent study are any indicator, video will play a greater role in news media reporting.
Over the last month, U.S. consumers have increased their consumption of online video. According to a recent study, 26 percent of online consumers have streamed a full-length TV show and 14 percent have streamed a full-length movie, according to Ipsos MediaCT. This is more than two times the levels measured in September 2008.
“The digital video revolution is no longer centered on short clips via YouTube (News - Alert) (News - Alert); it is becoming an important distribution channel where any type of full-length video can be instantly accessed for immediate consumption without a fee,” Brian Pickens, Ipsos MediaCT senior research manager, told TMCnet.
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Amy Tierney is a Web editor for TMCnet, covering unified communications, telepresence, IP communications industry trends and mobile technologies. To read more of Amy's articles, please visit her columnist page.
