Comrex LiveShot Becomes a Fixture For Time Warner Cable Sportsnet

Time Warner Cable Sportsnet uses Comrex LiveShot to cover games for the LA Sparks, LA Galaxy, local high school sports, and other L.A. teams. LiveShot is used as a supplementary or primary tool in a substantial portion of the 350+ games that TWC Sportsnet covers annually.

“We try to keep satellite to a minimum, and one of the things I was looking for at NAB this year was a way to efficiently get return video over IP,” said Tony Sonnanstine, Senior Broadcast Engineer for TWC Sportsnet. “When I found the Comrex LiveShot, I was really excited. It’s a simple product ­ you press one button, and you’re transmitting. The return video and return audio are amazing.”

Prior to implementing LiveShot, TWC Sportsnet had used satellite to broadcast local sports and other remote games. Because the cost of satellite is high, it had become too expensive to continue to broadcast local sports in the quality that TWC Sportsnet was determined to provide, despite high local interest. LiveShot has enabled Sportsnet to cover these teams with high­quality, low­delay video.

“The delay is low, and consistent enough that we’re able to time out commercial breaks, which is a must for us,” said Sonnanstine. “And I can adjust settings remotely from my phone, which makes it easy to manage the equipment in the field.”

Comrex LiveShot delivers live, two­way, HD video and audio over a range of IP networks at latencies as low as less than 200mS. Equipped with sophisticated CrossLock VPN technology, LiveShot can make use of even the most challenging 3G/4G, Wi­Fi, and satellite networks to maintain a secure and stable connection. Weighing only 3 pounds, LiveShot is portable and designed for the most demanding field broadcasts.