What’s New from Teradek for 2023
If you haven’t yet heard or experienced any high-performance video solutions from Teradek, 2023 is THE time to get familiar with them. From ground-breaking new transport protocol; to encoders and decoders that provide you with a reliable streaming network in remote locations, more and more professionals are turning to Teradek for their remote video streaming needs.
State of the A.R.T. Live Streaming
What is A.R.T.? In a nut shell, Adaptive Reliable Transport (ART) is an open source video transport protocol recently launched by Teradek (for a deep dive on ART, read John Basile’s recent blog on the topic: State of the ART). If you’re familiar with SRT, then you’ll be happy with ART…as the only thing you’ll lose is the latency. According to JB, “ART does a much better job with packet loss as it analyzes network and video quality simultaneously, making ART adaptive to network conditions and eliminates the need for re-transmission of lost data packets.”
Experience Uncompressed Zero-Delay Streaming with the Ranger
When I think of the ranger, I close my eyes and envision a masked cowboy taming the wild west with his friend and confidante, Tonto. Like the old Hollywood icon, Ranger strives to keep you (your transmission) confidential and secure.
Zero-Delay NOT Low-Delay
The average latency for RF-based wireless video transmission is 30.8ms. But the human eye can detect a delay as low as 13ms. That’s why Teradek claims to have designed Ranger: the only wireless video solution to achieve true uncompressed, zero-delay (<1ms) with visually lossless picture quality. Furthermore, with 6GHz support (U-NII 5), you gain access to 12, yes twelve, newly-opened RF channels, preventing interference in significant live events such as sports, houses of worship, and live concerts. .
Ranger Micro model is limited to an HD signal up to 1080p60 via HDMI or 3G-SDI and is available in three different transmission ranges: 229m/750ft, 762m/2500ft, or 1524m/5000ft. However, only the 1524m/5000ft model offers the broadcast mode for Point-to-Multipoint and Multicast-Mode workflow. The transmitter has a small LCD screen on the side with a joystick for menu control, and the receiver has either a V-Mount or Gold-Mount battery plate.
Testing in Progress
After a couple of months in the hands of a Teradek super user, the customer is so pleased they’ve budgeted for two additional Rangers in their 2024 budget.
“The Teradek Ranger performed wonderfully at our live event Friday! Its range was outstanding and your zero-latency brag is absolutely true. We were able to use it seamlessly with our analog Sennheiser wireless stick mics. The camera ops took turns using it and neither wanted to give it up.”
— Teradek Super User
Award-Winning Prism Family of Encoders/Decoders
Now in it’s fourth generation, Prism is Teradek’s flagship line of encoders and decoders provide secure, ultra-low latency (ULL) 4K HDR streaming for video contributions, distribution and collaborative decentralized workflows. Available in three use forms, a mobile, compact and rackmount unit, the Prism family has a size to suit your needs.
Prism Mobile: From Backpack to Camera Back
Teradek brands Prism Mobile as the most “resilient” bonded-cellular encoder for live remote coverage. Prism Mobile, with features like: Low-SWaP design with 864g with battery plates; two built-in 4G/LTE modems; durable, milled aluminum chassis and on-board recording; allow you to reliably stream 4K HDR video from the most challenging locations for live coverage on the go.
Teradek has chosen to move away from their popular Bond backpack and replace it with something even more portable. Now, users simply attach a Prism Mobile unit to the back of their camera and voila!, no more need to lug around an entire backpack. Currently, one of our municipal customers—who happens to be a super user of Teradek products—has been testing the Prism family over the past few months in order to transition away from their Bond backpacks. They have been in direct contact with the team at Teradek and has been invaluable in identifying any glitches and/or pitfalls with the transition. Of late, the feedback has been extremely positive, and we’ve been hard-pressed to hide the excitement of our customer over his participation in this testing process. The customer is so satisfied, they ordered five.
Prism Flex: Compact UHD, ULL Streaming 4K HDR Over IP
Teradek’s Prism Flex, replacing their Cube, is the professional’s choice for a live production multi-tool. Prism Flex gives you ultra-low latency, 4K HDR streaming in a low-SWaP form factor that fits seamlessly into any video workflow. Flex features an 11.6 oz lightweight, durable milled aluminum chassis; on-board recording; network flexibility (WiFi, Ethernet, and cellular); multiple protocols from which to use (SRT, RTMP(s) and others.
Prism RU: Scalable Rackmount Solutions
Teradek bills the Prism RU, which replaces their long-running T-Rax, as their high-density multichannel system. Flexible and extendable, Prism RU delivers 4K HDR video at scale. What do we mean? Prism RU gives you up to 4K 10-bit HDR video transmission with high-density encoding and decoding for live broadcasts from your server room, production truck, or mobile fly-pack.
Prism RU Features:
- 19″ 1RU OR 2RU durable aluminum chassis
- Independent card control (local or cloud)
- Swappable blades (encoder, decoder, and gateway)
- Multiple protocols including: SRT, MPEG-TS, and others
- Redundant power supply (built to run 24-7)
- Run up to six cards
- Manage your Prism from your phone
Best Cost-per-Codec
Prism RU yields six times the codec density for the same price of the competition. More cards on hand provide better flexibility and faster troubleshooting. If a production comes to you with a last-minute change, simply add a cold spare into your rack, and you’ll be live in seconds. Having a reserve of cards allows you to remain prepared at all times.
