With a low-latency video application and a specially optimised 5G mobile network, viewers will for the first time be able not only to follow events in reality, but also to switch seamlessly and truly “live” to other perspectives on their smartphones without any disruptive delay.

From the recording to the broadcast of a digital live video, a video signal passes through a multitude of processing and transmission steps. In classical broadcasting and conventional video streaming, the focus is on the quality and stability of the transmission. The end-to-end delay there typically adds up to a few tens of seconds, but this is not noticeable in this context.

However, when broadcasting a live video directly at an event – on video walls or smartphones – such delays are annoying. Advanced video encoding as well as the increasing availability of high-performance and stable 5G mobile networks now enable the development of previously unimplementable applications, such as live second screens on smartphones of event attendees.

Salzburg Research, together with Salzburg AG and streaming solutions provider NativeWaves, is developing a fine-tuned chain from video capture to transmission and delivery to the end device. The focus is on optimising video encoding and decoding for low latency and the 5G mobile environment specifically parameterised for video transmission and low delay to enable small buffers. Current 4G mobile networks, but also 5G mobile networks in their still common configuration, do not meet these requirements. 5G features such as 5G ultra reliable low latency communications (5G-URLLC) and 5G guaranteed bitrate (5G-GBR) in particular are key factors for this.

The processing chain will be developed and tested for different scenarios in a 5G laboratory environment as well as at the eSports gaming festival “LEVEL UP” at the Messezentrum Salzburg and later tested in real pilot operations, for example at eSports and sports events.

More Information on the project: 5G-LIVELY – 5G-Ultra Low Latency Live Video Delivery