We’re excited to announce the launch of our new Remote Broadcast Facility in Bermondsey, London.

The flexible space is designed for virtual events, remote broadcast productions, and live streaming events. Utilising custom built vMix systems, the facility can handle multiple concurrent events, with up to 24 remote contributors, with the ability to stream to any destination, whether that’s social media, your website, or our customised white label virtual event platform.

The facility has a 1 GB dedicated fibre circuit, LiveU servers, Quicklink servers, and hardware for SRT, enabling remote broadcast production.

For more information on our remote production, and virtual events services, click here, or get in touch to see how we can help with your next production.

Sophisticated solution allows businesses in any sector to significantly increase audience engagement using cutting-edge video and audio applications.

Trickbox TV, a leading supplier of equipment and services for studio and location multi-camera productions for broadcast, video production, webcasting and live events, has announced the launch of its live streaming webcasting platform. A managed hybrid event service, the platform provides professional live streaming of high-quality panel discussions from Trickbox TV’s central London HD TV Studios, or from a venue of the client’s choice. 

The platform allows users of the platform to include both online pre-registered participants and a live studio audience from the business community. The panel of industry experts discuss key issues moderated by a professional broadcast presenter or presenter chosen by the client, who maintains a fast paced and engaging conversation – akin to a talk show – between both the panellists and the audience who watch and participate via their mobile or desktop.  

Participants use Trickbox’s sophisticated video and audio applications to vote in polls, submit questions and interact via social media channels. As well as delivering a lively interactive debate with broadcast quality streaming, the company hosting the session also captures advanced data analytics and programmatic and rich media advertising. 

“We’re really excited to announce this new development,” says Liam Laminman, Managing Director, Trickbox TV. “Our platform enables businesses in any sector to turn viewers into participants, creating high-levels of audience engagement. This new format represents an exciting growth area for companies that operate across many different sectors including banking, insurance, and technology, where they can attract strong sponsorship revenues.”

This article first appeared in the KitPlus magazine.

We’ve just celebrated 80 years of television. And it’s been quite a journey from the birth of television to where we are now.

Only a small percentage of UK households had television sets when the BBC began broadcasting in 1936, and of course the Second World War temporarily suspended any television viewing shortly after that for the duration of the war. By 1947, there were still only 54,000 licensed television receivers. It wasn’t until the late 1960s and early 1970s that television had come into widespread use. Excluding the period of the Second World War, it took almost 30 years for ‘television’ to become part of our lives. When you consider that almost everyone has their own personal ‘television’ (and the means to make their own television) constantly in their pocket, that’s quite a leap forward.

Two key factors have driven the rapid rise of live streaming. The first would be technology; both the method to produce live streams and the method to receive and view live streams. But ultimately, it is our hunger for ‘content’ that has driven a surge in live streaming.

That, combined with the collective acceptance of ‘social’ and ‘mobile’ as concepts, has made platforms like Facebook Live and YouTube Live extremely popular.

User-generated content (UGC) has become the lifeblood of the social media organism, and the logical development of social media – from posting text, then images, followed by video – is now live video. And it’s not just a vehicle for teenagers either; businesses are getting in on the action too. Over the last couple of years – and particularly over the last year – we’ve provided live streaming facilities to lots of companies, all wanting to use platforms like YouTube Live, Facebook Live and Periscope to reach their audiences. Unlike traditional broadcast television, live streaming, particularly ‘social’ live streaming, offers a clearer ROI and of course can come at a lower cost. If you live stream to Facebook Live, for example, you have immediate metrics. For example, the viewer numbers are there for you see and happening in real-time. Plus, there is the ability to have a direct conversation with the user, so there can be real dialogue between the business and the community. If you compare this form of video marketing to traditional print marketing, for example, the differences and benefits are clear.

Several years ago, there were relatively few private, commercial channels owned by brands on over-the-air (OTA) and cable services like FreeView, Sky and Virgin. Those numbers have obviously increased over the last few years. But now, you don’t need your own channel. Live streaming gives you the power of having your own TV channel.

Of course, there can be downsides for the viewer. With the ability to produce so much content, production quality is sometimes compromised (depending on the company and/or producer). As viewers, we’ve become conditioned to ‘understand’ the format of television – whether we realise it or not. And we’re accustomed to certain levels of production quality. You don’t have to work in telly to spot the low budget shows versus the high budget ones. Whether it’s a live stream or a television broadcast, viewers want high quality, well produced content. And then there is the constant news stories of some individuals using live streaming for illegal and immoral uses. Remember as Uncle Ben says in Spider-Man (2002), “with great power, comes great responsibility!”. After a quick Google search, it turns out that several other people, including Churchill and Roosevelt also used that line – or variations of it – so credit to them too!

So – live streaming. It’s your opportunity to have your own TV channel. Just remember to use your power for good, not for bad!

If you need any help with your next streaming project, get in touch to see how Trickbox TV can help.