FCC approves Nexstar’s $6.4 billion acquisition of Tribune Media

The long, drawn out saga over Tribune Media Company's fate could soon come to an end. Today, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approved the sale of Tribune to Nexstar Media Group. The $6.4 billion deal will create the nation's largest local...

Livestream and Verizon team up to launch Broadcaster with built-in 4G LTE

Livestream and Verizon team up to launch Broadcaster with builtin 4G LTE

The Livestream Broadcaster has been available since May of last year, and while the streaming add-on's had LTE capabilities since its debut back in April, something like a USB dongle was required to get such internet connectivity. Soon, however, that's about to change, as Livestream announced today that it's teamed up with Verizon to offer a new version of the Broadcaster. Essentially, the appropriately named Livestream Broadcaster LTE will boast the same features as the previous revision but with the obvious inclusion of a 4G chip using Verizon's speedy network. What's more, the novel unit also replaces the need for AA batteries with one that's built in, while support for 5.4GHz WiFi can be found aboard the refreshed Broadcaster as well. There's no specific pricing details (or availability, for that matter) as of yet, but Livestream did tell us we can expect its Broadcaster LTE to ship later in the spring of this year.

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Logitech announces $200 Broadcaster WiFi webcam for iPhone, iPad and Mac (video)

DNP Logitech announces Broadcaster webcam for Mac with live streaming, multiangle talents

After trying (and failing) to surreptitiously shepherd it through the FCC, then seeing it leak out anyway, Logitech has formally outed the HD WiFi Broadcaster webcam. The 720P shooter (not 1080p as we hoped) allows wireless transmission from 50 feet away to any Mac computer, iPhone or iPad, instant broadcasting on Ustream and the ability to toggle between your device or computer's built in camera with a button push. The hard plastic carrying case with a magnetic lid doubles as a stand to elevate the cam, which Logitech says will "play nicely" with apps like iMovie, Final Cut Pro and FaceTime. Broadcaster is already up for preorder for $200 in the US and 180 in Europe, so if you want to show that you're doubly beautiful with a multi-cam Skype call, the PR and video are after the break.

Continue reading Logitech announces $200 Broadcaster WiFi webcam for iPhone, iPad and Mac (video)

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Logitech announces $200 Broadcaster WiFi webcam for iPhone, iPad and Mac (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 16 Oct 2012 07:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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FCC votes in favor of rethinking spectrum holding rules, goading broadcasters into wireless selloffs

Cellular tower worker

FCC meetings can be momentous occasions under the right circumstances, although it's seldom the case that we see the agency pass two potentially far-reaching measures in one sitting, like we just saw on Friday. To start, regulators have voted in favor of a proposal that will review spectrum sale rules and might drop the case-by-case determinations in favor of a more consistent screening mechanism. The reexamination will also consider a change to the ownership rules surrounding wireless frequencies that treats bands below 1GHz differently than those above -- the better to address a chorus of smaller carriers that don't like all the prime spectrum going to the companies with the most existing clout, namely AT&T and Verizon. FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski argues that reform could spur innovation through more competition, although dissenting Commissioner Robert McDowell is worried that consistent rules will somehow create "uncertainty."

Side-by-side with the review, the FCC is proposing an incentive-based reverse auction strategy to have TV broadcasters voluntarily give up their spectrum for cellular and data use. The multi-phase approach would have TV providers set the price at which they're willing to sell their spectrum to the FCC; those that just can't bear to part with their airwaves would be corralled into a tighter band range to make for larger available frequency blocks in the auction that follows. As with other FCC proposals, there's likely to be a long interval between the auction vote, the review and any definitive rulemaking, let alone an impact -- auctions by themselves can take years to play out. Still, any success with the measures could head off spectrum crunches while simultaneously preventing any solutions from consolidating too much power and creating their own problems.

[Tower photo via Shutterstock]

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FCC votes in favor of rethinking spectrum holding rules, goading broadcasters into wireless selloffs originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 28 Sep 2012 21:36:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BBC News Channel conducts live video interview over smartphone, goes where satellites can’t (update with video)

BBC News Channel conducts first live video interview over smartphone, goes where satellites can't video

We usually associate smartphones in news reporting with citizen journalism, not full-time journalists. However, a confluence of events has just led to the BBC's Nick Garnett becoming a pioneer for mobile broadcasting on the professional level. When a shortage of satellite trucks prevented Garnett from getting the usual video feed for the BBC News Channel, he successfully arranged the British network's first live video interview piped through a smartphone. The key, Garnett says, was Dejero's Live+ iPhone app: while live streaming apps are already commonplace, Dejero's let him merge the 3G and WiFi connections together, getting enough bandwidth to make a TV-worthy broadcast in a country where LTE is still very new. Combined with some very ad hoc staging and help from the BBC's technical teams, the coordination resulted in a surprisingly smooth interview about flooding in northeastern England with relatively few hints of the extra-tiny recording equipment involved. It's unlikely that broadcast crews will reach to their pockets for live coverage solutions before anything else, but the BBC is actively testing Dejero and other apps that could make smartphones as much a part of the field reporting arsenal as a camcorder and an eye for a good story. As we can't embed the clip, check the source link to see it for yourself.

Update: We've now managed to embed the clip after the break.

Continue reading BBC News Channel conducts live video interview over smartphone, goes where satellites can't (update with video)

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BBC News Channel conducts live video interview over smartphone, goes where satellites can't (update with video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 27 Sep 2012 16:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony broadcasts three-chip PMW-200 XDCAM with Android or iOS remote control app

Sony outs threechip PMW200 XDCAM with Android or iOS remote control

If you're the reporter and camera operator for K-STIX, Sony's got good news: they just unveiled the PMW-200 XDCAM, and you can control it with your smartphone. The camcorder features a broadcast-friendly 50Mbps data rate drawing from three half-inch CMOS sensors -- bigger than any other broadcast handheld cam, according to Sony -- though that size is still a far cry from its own super-35 filmmaking cams and others on the market. The Japanese company claims the chips provide "exceptional" low-light powers, and other features include 30fps at 1080P or 60fps at 720P, a 14x zoom lens, 3.5-inch 852 x 480 LCD display and a 15 second pre-record cache. The camera will be available by September, but the aforementioned WiFi adapter for Android or iOS remote control won't fly in until the end of the year. Pricing has yet to be announced, but if you need an easier way to multitask or the approving nod from that rigid broadcaster, check the PR for all the specs.

Continue reading Sony broadcasts three-chip PMW-200 XDCAM with Android or iOS remote control app

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Sony broadcasts three-chip PMW-200 XDCAM with Android or iOS remote control app originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Jul 2012 09:01:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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4K TV already being trialed by one UK broadcaster

4K TV already being trialed by one UK broadcaster

4K in the UK? It could happen sooner rather than later, if viewers give a thumbs up to feedback tests currently being conducted by a British broadcaster. According to a senior figure at a company that is directly involved in the experiments, people are being asked if they can spot the difference between 4K and regular 1920 x 1080, which will help to decide whether the format is worthy of immediate investment. Our source refused to reveal which broadcaster is running the show, beyond saying that it has complete control over its pipeline right down to the set-top box, which hints at Sky or perhaps Virgin being likely candidates. When asked how 4K TV might be transmitted as a mainstream service, given that it contains four times the resolution of Full HD, he simply replied that the broadcaster would "compress the hell out of it," which surely only cements his credibility. Next stop, 8K.

4K TV already being trialed by one UK broadcaster originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 29 May 2012 20:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hauppauge announces StreamEez to broadcast live HD video

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Hauppauge, not satisfied with only bringing DVR-like functions to the Broadway this week -- has unleashed a new box called the StreamEez that links your HD video camera to your computer for live broadcasts. HDMI or component video hook it up on the cam side, USB on the computer side. It uses H.264 video compression and is compatible with sites like USTREAM that require the RTMP protocol. The box plus Windows software starts at $299. Everything but the price probably sounds pretty familiar since the incredibly similar Livestream Broadcaster is also just about on the scene, though, it'll run you about $195 more. Take a gander at the PR after the break.

Continue reading Hauppauge announces StreamEez to broadcast live HD video

Hauppauge announces StreamEez to broadcast live HD video originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 18 Apr 2012 23:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Livestream Broadcaster hands-on

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According to CEO Max Haot the logical next step for Livestream -- now well established as a reliable service for bringing live video feeds to the internet -- is just to get more people distributing live video by any means necessary. To that end, the company is jumping into the hardware business with this palm-sized Livestream Broadcaster unit that just went up for preorders a few days ago. With a subsidized price of $495, it connects to video cameras directly over HDMI then reencodes and uploads the video on the fly to the company's servers (unlimited streaming costs $45 per month, each encoder comes with three months free) via Ethernet, WiFi or a 3G / 4G USB dongle. Even on the wireless-internet challenged LVCC floor it was sending several streams and enabling user control via buttons on the unit itself, or remotely from a PC or iPhone / iPad. These boxes are still on target to ship at the end of May and and showed off everything those without the backing of a tech / media conglomerate (cough), like small businesses or independent bloggers, would need to make their productions available for viewing as they happen.

Continue reading Livestream Broadcaster hands-on

Livestream Broadcaster hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 17 Apr 2012 09:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Livestream Broadcaster pre-orders available now, shipping at the end of May for $495

Livestream Broadcaster pre-orders available now, shipping at the end of May for $495
A vivid memory of Cisco's would-be FlipLive streaming camera is all we've got, but thankfully there's existing devices out there like the Livestream Broadcaster to help fill that void. Priced at a whopping $495, Livestream's Broadcaster allows it to be paired with an array of shooters via HDMI and used to stream live high-def vids to any Livestream-equipped device over Ethernet, WiFi, or with a 3G / 4G USB dongle. Aside from being capable of sending out 1080i waves, the Broadcaster can also push 720p and 480i resolutions (in case you don't feel like being a bandwidth hog), while all video and audio encoding is done with H.264 and ACC, respectively. It's also worth noting that the near 500 bucks includes a three-month sub to Livestream's service, which usually costs an extra $45 per month. For now, this bright red streamer's only available to Euros and Americans, with shipping set to commence by May 31st.

Livestream Broadcaster pre-orders available now, shipping at the end of May for $495 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 13 Apr 2012 06:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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