AMSTERDAM, Netherlands — TVU Networks and vivo introduced a phone-sized field-production device at the International Broadcasting Convention that combines camera capture, bonded transmission, return video, intercom, graphics and cloud production in one portable unit.
TVU Pocket can use two active 5G connections and two Wi-Fi connections simultaneously. The companies say it can transmit from 4K down to 480p and work with selected DJI and Accsoon equipment.
The device is intended to give reporters and compact production teams more of the functionality normally associated with a camera, transmission pack and separate communications equipment.
A smaller field kit—and a possible safety tool
A reliable pocket-sized system could change how stations cover breaking news, sports and remote events. In some situations, a reporter or photographer could establish a professional live connection without moving a large crew or vehicle into a hazardous or congested location.
That does not make larger field systems, microwave trucks or aerial platforms obsolete. It does give newsrooms another option when the editorial need is pictures and verified information rather than an expensive production footprint.
The most important questions remain unanswered publicly: purchase price, cloud and data subscriptions, battery endurance, heat management, security and performance when mobile networks are crowded. Claims made on an exhibition floor should be tested under real breaking-news conditions before a newsroom depends on the device.
Interoperability will matter as well. Stations should determine whether video, metadata and configuration can move cleanly into existing systems and whether basic field operation continues when a cloud service is unavailable.
Source: TV Tech’s TVU Pocket report