Mobile Satellite Connection Optimizes Value and Space With Cobalt Digital

Mobile Satellite Connection is a satellite service provider with a fleet of satellite uplink trucks throughout the U.S. We not only provide satellite backhaul services to the major TV networks for top-tier live events such as the Super Bowl, The Masters, and the Indy 500, but we also provide uplink services for other applications such as smaller sporting events, multipath events including remote productions, and Internet streaming of live events. All told, we handle more than 1,000 live productions per year.

When we’re not covering major television events, we need an economical encoder with high quality and latency control in order to transport video signals in real time from multiple cameras. When it was time to replace some of our equipment, we decided to transition from a proprietary framework to the openGear platform. Cost was definitely an issue, but we were also looking for products that would help us make the most of the very limited space inside the trucks. At the same time, the systems had to be flexible enough to reconfigure easily.

The modular openGear platform gives us the flexibility we need, and Cobalt Digital’s high-density openGear cards help us maximize our space and budget. In our current configuration, four Cobalt Digital 9223 dual MPEG4 encoder cards compress up to eight signals into transport streams carried over ASI or IP. The ASI streams can be sent to a satellite or to a fiber demarcation point, and the IP streams can be sent directly to the Internet. The 9223 encoders work in conjunction with four Cobalt Digital 9003 dual-channel distribution amplifier cards, which monitor and reclock the signals before they get to the encoders. All of those Cobalt Digital cards — and others — fit in just two rack units of space.

The dual-path nature of the encoder is critical. The fact that we can create a multipath gateway from only four encoder cards without occupying eight or 10 rack units is a major benefit. That density gives us better value per channel than any other encoder card at that price point. The 9223 is also the only encoder in this price range that can transmit via ASI or IP.

The 9223 encoders and 9003 DAs are great examples of Cobalt Digital’s ability to squeeze a lot of function into a small area, which saves money and valuable space inside the truck. We use Cobalt Digital products in all phases of production, and as the company expands its openGear product line, we see our Cobalt infrastructure expanding along with it.

- Eric Kludt, Technical Manager, Mobile Satellite Connection