TVU Networks Corporation

(Redirected from TVU Networks)

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TVU Networks Corporation
Company typePrivate
IndustryTechnology
Founded2005
HeadquartersMountain View, California, United States
Key people
Paul Shen, Chief Executive Officer
ProductsTVU Alert, TVU Anywhere, TVU AP ENPS Integration, TVU Aerial Newsgathering Pack, TVU Booking Service, TVU Command Center, TVU Era, TVU Grid, TVU Me, TVU MediaMind, TVU MLink, TVU One, TVU One TM1000G, TVU Producer, TVU Router, TVU Remote Production System, TVU Timelock, TVU Transcriber
Websitewww.tvunetworks.com

TVU Networks Corporation is a privately held technology company based in Mountain View, California.

History (Early Years)

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TVU Player was the company's first product. It was a live streaming TV viewer client that provided free live television programming worldwide. It was viewable from a PC or laptop with a broadband connection[2] until its services stopped on February 25, 2013.[3]

The company introduced its first IP-based hardware device on September 11, 2010. The TVU Pack TM8000 was a mobile news gathering backpack transmitter that allowed broadcasters to deliver a live broadcast-quality HD signal with latency of two seconds over IP, even with limited bandwidth.[4] The aggregated cellular transmission technology used in TVU Pack and other similar devices at the time provided an alternative to traditional satellite trucks, helping to change on-location live reporting for television stations.[5]

The technology behind these backpack-style cellular transmitters is commonly known within the broadcast industry as 'bonded cellular' or 'aggregated cellular'. This term refers to the synchronization of multiple circuits or connections, which work together to provide a more reliable signal than a typical consumer "wireless connection".[6] The advantage of backpack transmitters was the ability for news crews in the field to air first or exclusively.

In the two years following the introduction of the TM8000, the company released two improved iterations of the TVU Pack transmitter, the TM8100 and the TM8200.[7] With each new version of the early generation backpack transmitters, the form factor and weight were reduced and more product features were added to the software.

The company also began expanding its IP-based product line, which includes the launch of TVU Anywhere, a mobile app for news gathering that works on iOS and Android devices, and TVU Grid, a cloud-based solution for point-to-multipoint live video distribution. Gray Television was the first national station group to deploy TVU Grid at launch.[8]

History (Present Day)

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In 2015, the company rolled out its TVU One portable transmitter as the successor to the original TVU Packs. The new transmitter was 90% smaller than the first generation cellular packs, but without any reduction in performance or features.[9] TVU also entered into a partnership with the drone manufacturer DJI in the same year in which the two companies collaborated on integrating their products for drone applications.[10]

TVU has shifted its focus in recent years to the development of cloud native applications that address each phase of the broadcast workflow – acquisition, transmission, production, distribution and management. The broadcast industry had been transitioning to IP from transitional SDI with the COVID-19 pandemic accelerating the migration.[11] The need for cloud native and IP products and services in the broadcast industry is a direct result of studios moving away from traditional fixed studio hardware infrastructure to flexible anywhere remote production![12]

References

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  1. ^ "TVU Networks Expands Global Headquarters to Meet Growing Demand for IP-Video Solutions". Yahoo Finance. Retrieved 25 October 2024.
  2. ^ "Download TVUPlayer to Watch Cable TV Online on Your Computer for Free". Tech Journey. 2007-09-26. Retrieved 2022-02-02.
  3. ^ "With TVU Player gone, what are some working PC TV alternatives? - gHacks Tech News". gHacks Technology News. 2013-03-11. Retrieved 2022-02-02.
  4. ^ TVTechnology (2010-10-13). "TVU Networks releases TVUPack TM8000". TVTechnology. Retrieved 2022-02-02.
  5. ^ Dodson, Andrew (2013-03-21). "NAB To Reveal Bonded Cellular Advances". TV News Check. Retrieved 2022-02-02.
  6. ^ "News Crews Using Bonded Cellular for Broadcast Quality HD Video". ETCentric. 2011-06-03. Archived from the original on 2022-02-02. Retrieved 2022-02-02.
  7. ^ TVTechnology (2012-08-29). "TVU introduces TVUPack TM8200". TVTechnology. Retrieved 2022-02-02.
  8. ^ Staff (2013-04-01). "Exclusive: Gray Television First to Launch TVU Grid". Playout. Retrieved 2022-02-02.
  9. ^ "TVU Networks Introduces TVU One, the Compact Mobile All-in-One IP Video Transmission Solution". sports.yahoo.com. Retrieved 2022-02-02.
  10. ^ Networks, T. V. U. "TVU Networks Partners With DJI to Deliver World's First Aerial Newsgathering Pack for Live Drone Video Transmission". www.prnewswire.com. Retrieved 2022-02-02.
  11. ^ "IP and Remote Production Top Broadcast Agendas". NAB Amplify. Retrieved 2022-02-02.
  12. ^ "saas, cloud and IP adoption accelerates in 2021". TVU Networks. 2024-08-28. Retrieved 2024-10-11.