--HDBaseT is the technological solution that allows the broadcasting of 4K video from a smartphone underwater to the surface --
Beaverton, OR – September 03, 2014 – On September 12, 2014, the first ever 4K video captured underwater by a smartphone will be broadcast to more than half-a-million viewers live, thanks to HDBaseT technology. The operation will involve more than 200 divers, instructors, professional photographers and production crew, for a 20-m dive along a shipwreck in the Red Sea, Eilat, Israel. With the help of HDBaseT, the unique diving event will be broadcast live on YouTube and potentially allow millions of viewers around the world to take part of it, and as such set a new Guinness World Record of the “Most Viewers of a Live Shipwreck Dive.”
The dive will take place during the 10th anniversary celebrations of the annual “Eilat Red Sea International Underwater Photo Competition.” The dive will be photographed by two high-definition Panasonic cameras (and distributed by Satlink), and also by a 4K-enabled smartphone. To deliver the live feed from the smartphone to the surface, an HDBaseT transmitter will be connected to a receiver over a simple LAN cable to be uploaded live on YouTube. No other solution in the market today can transmit 4K video transmissions over the long distances required for underwater broadcasting.
The YouTube broadcasting is essential to break the record of the “Most Viewers of a Live Shipwreck Dive,” as there are no limits on the concomitant number of viewers. Anyone with a computer or smartphone connected to the Internet will be able to experience this dive. To be part of this historical moment, log into www.eilatredsea.com on September 12th, at 9:30 am GMT (4:30 am EST, 1:30 am PST, 7:30 pm Sydney NSW.) Preparations will start 30 minutes beforehand.
EXECUTIVE PERSPECTIVE
“One of the tenets of HDBaseT is the flexibility and ease of use it allows. This dive is one more example of the versatility of the technology, as it can support a very unusual broadcast – underwater, live 4K transmission. If until now we promised new heights with HDBaseT, we can now also add new depths to the equation. I urge everyone to join us on September 12th for this historical moment.”
Micha Risling, Chair of the HDBaseT Alliance’s Marketing Committee
“By breaking the boundaries of technological innovation, we are leading a revolution in the field of real world, live diving and media. The event will also be broadcast live during the IBC Conference, in Amsterdam, in the Israeli pavilion.”
David Pilosof, Producer, Eilat Red Sea International Underwater Photo Competition
The HDBaseT Solution
In order to broadcast through YouTube, the dive will be photographed through a 4K-enabled smartphone, connected with an MHL cable, which in turn will connect to an underwater HDBaseT transmitter. The transmitter will connect to an HDBaseT receiver placed on the surface of the sea through a long regular category cable, and uploaded to YouTube. The high-definition Panasonic cameras will transmit through special high-definition cables to the surface, then to shore, where the content will be transmitted through a satellite link thanks to Satlink.
About the Eilat Red Sea International Underwater Photo Competition
In its 10th year, the Competition takes place this year on September 7-13, in Eilat, Israel. Unlike other similar competitions around the world, this is a “live” and real time event, where photographers do their work on the spot without the option of editing or improving their images, and must rely on their skills, equipment, landscape and marine environmental conditions during shooting. The Competition is attended by first-class and award-winning photographers from around the world, who compete in several categories: amateurs, fashion under the water, macro shots, wide angle shots, and more. The competition is sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Tourism, the Ministry of Development for the Galilee and the Negev, Eilat municipality, scuba diving organizations, Eilat’s scuba diving clubs and international sponsors. See more at www.eilatredsea.com.
About the HDBaseT Alliance
The HDBaseT™ Alliance advances and promotes the adoption of HDBaseT technology as the global standard for ultra-high definition, digital connectivity. Since its founding in 2010 by LG Electronics, Samsung Electronics, Sony Pictures Entertainment, and Valens, the Alliance has brought together the leading names in the consumer electronics and professional AV market. The cornerstone of HDBaseT technology is the New 5Play™, a feature set that converges uncompressed Ultra-HD digital video & audio, 100BaseT Ethernet, power over cable, various control signals, and USB through a single LAN cable. For additional information on HDBaseT Alliance and membership benefits, visit www.HDBaseT.org.
