Esport1 relies on the LiveU EcoSystem to remotely produce the OGEX Gaming Expo in Hungary
Overcoming the distance, LiveU’s remote production solution reduced the tech set-up time and costs
Background
Founded in 2016, Esport1 is Hungary’s first and biggest esports and gaming media company. Starting as a news site for gaming and esports news in the Hungarian language, Esport1 became a full service esports media company. Today, it reaches more than 500,000 unique monthly viewers through its esports and gaming content.
Drawing on its experience, Esport1 organized OGEX 2023, the second edition of the countrywide Országos Gaming Expo (OGEX) roadshow. The highlight of the 2023 event edition was the Rocket League tournament, held at Millenáris Park in Budapest. Esport1 served as the production partner of the event, which saw 20 esports players competing over two days for the 8,000 Euro prize, with thousands of spectators and viewers online.
The Challenge
The location of the OGEX venue required the production crew to get creative. With Esport1’s studio located on the other side of Budapest, a remote production was the most feasible option. The goal was to achieve a high-quality broadcast without having to move the technical team and technology from the studio.
As the competition was taking place in offline (LAN) conditions, connectivity on-site presented a big challenge. Various camera shots from the stage and its surroundings had to be transferred to the studio in real-time, and in sync with the audio from the presenter’s microphone at the location. At the same time, the presenter needed a reliable intercom solution to stay connected with the studio.
“During the project, mobility was of utmost importance while the remote data transmission had to function with the necessary stability. LiveU's solution opened up new production possibilities. Taking advantage of LiveU's compact form factor and connectivity capabilities, we were able to avoid relocating our staff and technology.”
Patrik Huzsvári, Head of Broadcasting Division at Esport1
The Solution
Instead of setting up a full studio on-site, Esport1 maximized the remote production capabilities of the LiveU EcoSystem. Live camera signals from the stage and its surroundings were transferred directly to the studio. The set-up time was reduced significantly with only the need to deploy LiveU’s mobile encoders at the location itself.
A total of three LiveU LU800 field units were used on-site, enabling the production crew to deliver fully synchronized camera signals with the presenter’s audio embedded. Two intercom channels were used with the LU800, separating the camera operator’s and presenter’s instructions. The LU800’s multi-cam capabilities allowed the on-site crew to simultaneously transfer POV and total shots from three cameras and the live game feed itself to the studio for the remote mixing.
“With the help of LiveU, the installation of our system was much simpler and faster. Thanks to the stability of our fixed-installation studio, the broadcast security could also be increased. I consider it a huge advantage of remote production that we can implement mobile cameras in a ready-made system, rather than having to create a completely new system.”
Csaba Szunai, Studio Manager at Esport1