Digital satellite news gathering
has dramatically changed the way television news was being broadcast
earlier and is making it possible for us to watch events and reporting
from throughout the world. Wars and natural disasters unfold before our
eyes as ENG vehicles allow news reporters to begin broadcasting from
remote locations beyond a TV studio.
ENG
trucks have transitioned from the time when reporters were using films
and shifted to videotape early in the 70s. However, thereafter media
channels have abandoned videotape as well as analog land-based
transmission signals in favor of digital formats and satellite
technology for broadcasting live.
Before
the development of digital technology, analog signals were being used
to send satellite feeds which will basically wave signals. News
organizations were in a position to report from remote locations simply
because they had access to analog satellite connections. The war in the
Falkland Islands during the conflict with the United Kingdom in 1982 and
even the Gulf war in 1990 and 91 was notable examples of the way analog
satellite connections were adopted by media channels.
It
was only in the 90s which witnessed the transition from analog to
digital satellite signals because video compression improved vastly.
Digital signals are not similar to waves but a binary system which
simply signals on or off that can also be transmitted via microwave
transmission.
Discussions
with experts who authored books on satellite news gathering compared
the compressed video to concentrated fruit juices. They provided an
example of taking water away from the fresh fruit juice because it would
become easier and cheaper to transport. The consumer simply had to mix
water in the concentrate before it could be used for drinking. The
experts provided an opinion that video compression involved something
similar like removing the information from the news gathered to make it
easier for transmission. The news removed simply had to be added back to
the transmission at the receiving end. In such cases, the uncompressed
video image was not good when received at the other end but simply
conveyed a message. It was similar to adding water to the concentrate of
the fruit juice before having it.
A
compressed video does not require as much power and bandwidth like
analog signals which is a benefit because it becomes a cost-effective
alternative. Ultimately the use of analog became obsolete as news crews
from TV channels began to use digital signals for terrestrial microwave
links along with satellite links.
Europe
has transitioned to digital satellite news gathering earlier than the
US because the United States is focusing more on local news. In fact,
you can still find local stations in the US using terrestrial microwave
links which are cheaper when compared to using satellite links. The
concept of satellite news gathering has definitely changed the way media
channels were working. Perhaps the introduction of ENG trucks and ENG
vehicles made it possible for reporters to reach remote locations in
order to transmit the latest happenings on the ground speeded up the
demise of analog signals faster.
Satellite
news gathering is likely to advance with more features in the near
future as the analog technology is no longer being used. We may soon be
able to witness uncompressed video images that are of higher quality
than the ones we are presently being presented with. The technology that
was used earlier has already become obsolete with satellite news
gathering taking center stage. We can only expect that new developments
will be introduced soon to make it even better for us to view news
faster as it happens regardless of the location. Media channels and news
reporters must be preparing themselves for the advancements in
technology and hoping they too will have an opportunity to work with it
whenever it is introduced.
