Panasonic, Dejero Partner on Bonded Cellular Video Uplink System

As part of its initiative to deliver full workflow solutions to its customers leveraging the breadth of the Panasonic product line, Panasonic System Communications Company has partnered with Dejero (Kitchener, Ontario) to offer a bonded cellular video uplink solution utilizing Panasonic’s ruggedized Toughbook branded laptop computers and Dejero LIVE+ NewsBook software.

Running on the Toughbook laptops, LIVE+ NewsBook offers a powerful yet easy-to-use newsgathering solution that enables news crews to transmit live video feeds as well as recorded/edited files back to the station.

When packaged with a Panasonic Toughbook 31, Toughbook 52 or Toughbook 53, the Dejero LIVE+ NewsBook software provides flexible bonding of any available cellular and other data networks, including Wi-Fi and even a LAN connection, to create an aggregated data path for the Dejero adaptive encoder or for file transfers. This enables:

• Live streaming of broadcast-quality video from HD-SDI camera inputs, with HD-SDI output played to air by the Dejero LIVE+ Broadcast Server.

• File transfers utilizing the bonded data links and the LIVE+ NewsBook’s store-and-forward capabilities. News crews could use this capability to upload a complete and edited video package file.

“The Toughbook/Dejero system uses the same award-winning bonding technology as our popular LIVE+ 20/20 Transmitter, a rugged standalone bonded cellular solution, as well as the same LIVE+ Broadcast Server,” said Brian Cram, Dejero’s CEO.  “To offer our customers the industry’s broadest selection of bonded cellular ENG systems, we’re expanding our technologies to a variety of platforms including the Toughbook as well as tablets, all of which will link to a common server. Panasonic is an ideal solutions partner since the company makes professional versions of these devices.”

The Panasonic/Dejero system differs from typical stand alone transmitters in that it allows the user to leverage whatever connectivity is available at a given location. Starting with the Toughbook PC’s internal Wi-Fi and 4G modems, the software can also leverage available networked LAN connections, as well as bandwidth from external radios a customer attaches to the Toughbook’s USB ports.

For example, a news crew conducting an interview in a hotel could activate the computer’s internal 4G modem, the hotel’s LAN, and a Wi-Fi hot spot on the reporter’s smart phone. The result is a higher-quality live video transmission with lower latency and sufficient bandwidth to transmit broadcast-quality video.

“Panasonic products like the Toughbook tend to find popularity in applications where a hardware failure would be most costly, such as live coverage of a breaking news story,” said Panasonic Senior Business Development Manager Michael Bergeron. “When your laptop is your transmitter, it’s worth investing in hardware designed to performed in extreme environments as well as in the industry’s proven cellular bonding technology. We are excited to begin combining Panasonic hardware with Dejero software and services, and we will be growing these offerings together with full IT support services as we roll them out.”