Formula X Racing Weekend is an Italian motorsport championship that competes at top racetracks across Italy, including the home of the Italian Grand Prix, Monza.
When tasked with the outdoor live streaming of the Formula X Racing Weekend, Formula X organizers turned to Kiloview to achieve a full IP-based video live streaming solution. They approached our local partner ADCOM for a consultation about the devices. Sandro Caselli from ADCOM was actively involved in preparing the devices for the live streaming of the event.
Gear List:
6x P Series 4G Cellular Bonding Video Encoder
2x MG300 Media Gateway
Software:
KiloLink (a proprietary technology innovated by Kiloview)
KiloLink Server
Kiloview Intercom Server
“By choosing the P series bonding encoders we were able to reduce preparation time setup, which allowed us to reduce rehearsal time from a few days to a few hours. The units were powered with external high power batteries including v-lock and USB power banks, removing the need of AC power on every camera position.” said Simone Messina, Technical Consultant of Formula X Racing Weekend.
Kiloview P1 and P2 4G Bonding Encoders were located on different cameras. With optimized technology, Kiloview P series offers an ultra-low latency video streaming solution delivering less than one-second delay for remote production. The P series supports two Internal 4G Cellular, two USB 4G Cellular (LAN), and one Wi-Fi, which can be configured for any desired network.
During the testing for Formula X, if the signal wasn’t strong enough, the team used an additional SIM card into the P series encoder to solve the issue. Meanwhile, thanks to the Kiloview Intercom Server (KIS), the video director was able to talk to every camera operator with headphones (P series encoders are provided with USB headset) providing a professional voice intercom without the need for a separate hardware solution.
“The client wanted to have a full IP workflow, so instead of using standard SDI decoding for each camera, we moved to a total NDI solution. Reliable outdoor wireless aggregation point-to-point transmission can be efficiently achieved by using the Kiloview P series and directly connecting to Kiloview’s MG300 (Media Gateway).” said Simone Messina.
Kiloview’s MG300 Media Gateway was selected to transcode the SRT from the cameras directly into NDI|HX to be input into the video switcher, making a full IP workflow possible. MG300 supports the decoding for a wide range of protocols, supporting up to 9 protocols cross conversion. Each input stream is converted into four different protocols for output.
“We had deployed everything on the cloud using VPS technology, giving the team great flexibility to handle every part of the setup without adding weight to their production, also reducing the overall number of physical computers needed to get the work done.” said Simone Messina.
With six Kiloview P series bonding encoders utilized at the event, it was vital to manage these devices easily. Formula X used the KiloLink server, a free centralized Kiloview product management platform based on KiloLink to manage Kiloview P series devices. KiloLink server was perfect for this application, supporting both cloud and on-premises deployment. As shown by Formula X for remote management of multiple P1 and P2 encoders, the KiloLink server optimizes the process of IP-based video transmission with a few clicks. Users can control the system permission of each user group and a specific user with a super admin account, making point-to-point accurate management easy. KiloLink Server Pro, which will be launching soon, will be able to manage all of the Kiloview products.
“Kiloview provided all IP workflow for this event, reducing the need for hardware and staffing compared with the standard-based broadcasting events. To some extent, it lowers production prices overall. The applied technology fully meets our needs. This IP workflow opens many possible solutions for event direction setup. From the most complex Outside Broadcast solution, to a single workstation powered switcher, thanks to Kiloview’s cloud based ecosystem. We are ready to be able to continue the collaboration with Kiloview in the 2023 season: We are very happy to be able to undertake this partnership and thanks to mutual collaboration there will be the possibility of further improving the various technical aspects in the future.” said Luca Panizzi, CEO of FX Master Racing Weekend.
To learn more about Formula X Racing Weekend, please visit formulaxitalianseries.it
