Quality on Demand (QoD) API for the entertainment industry

Dynamic QoS control of live video production broadcast use case

Service providers can provide differentiated connectivity services required by video production cameras to broadcast produced videos. Camera devices request desired quality on a connectivity service through Quality on Demand (QoD) API and service providers can monetize these capabilities in their networks.

Overview

Media is an industry that can benefit immensely from the programmability of 5G networks leveraging both the increased bandwidth and the ability to tailor connectivity characteristics.

Video production has traditionally required expensive on-site systems for video recording such as live coverage in the field, pop-up venue or fixed stadiums. Video production demands high and continuous uplink capacity requiring the optimized use of network resources which is made possible on demand through 5G and the exposure of network APIs.

Challenge

Live broadcast production requires high bandwidth and ultra-low latency with no interruptions. There are multiple cameras used in the production, but the one that broadcasts on-air needs to have differentiated optimized performance.

Solution

The differentiated performance will be activated through service provider's CAMARA QoD API.

The service provider handles external exposure with the service exposure enabler that transforms QoD API into NEF QoS API to supply the right quality of service for the on-air camera.

A broadcaster has set up multiple 5G-enabled cameras to cover an outdoor sporting event.
The on-air camera is switched via the switcher CAM 1 to CAM 3.
The switch is communicated to the Sony application which requests high QoS from the network.
The high QoS is applied to CAM 3, and CAM 1 reverts to default quality.

The main target segments for this use case are media companies, production houses (for news and sports events) and studios.

Business models

Service providers can monetize based on three different models:

Wholesale (towards the aggregator)
Price per event (towards the enterprise)
Bundled service (for the enterprise)

APIs in use

CAMARA QoD
NEF QoS