Notes on live video, signals and delivery
Short articles from the Exeter team on camera work, signal management and getting feeds to broadcasters, written from the jobs we handle week to week.
We publish about one article a day, covering the practical side of live production: crew habits, link planning, venue checks and delivery. Open any title below to read the full piece.
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Briefing a Camera Operator for a Live News Shoot: A Practical Guide
A step-by-step guide to briefing a camera operator before a live news or studio shoot, so the crew arrives knowing the running order, the shots and the people involved.
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A Checklist for Judging Live Signal Management Before You Commit
Before you hand a live programme to anyone, work through these questions on monitoring, routing and fallback paths so the signal holds from venue to broadcaster.
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Feed Distribution: Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
Most failed deliveries come down to a few repeatable errors in format, timing and link planning. Here is what we see go wrong when feeds are sent to news desks, and how to prevent it.
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What a Remote Contribution Kit Costs and What Moves the Price
A plain look at how we price portable encoder and bonding kits for live reports from places with no fixed line, and which choices make a booking cost more or less.
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A Harbour-Side Festival Weekend Seen Through One Client's Eyes
Marcus Ellery tells how Dan, a festival organiser, came to us with a small stage, a regional broadcaster and three days of live coverage to deliver.
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Camera Crews and the Dark Months: Planning Live Shoots Before Winter
Short days, wet kit and early light changes affect every live shoot in the South West. Here is how we plan camera operation for the weeks ahead, and what producers can settle early.
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What Return Feed Means and Why Every Live Link Needs One
A plain-words explanation of the return feed, the signal that travels back to the venue, why presenters and operators rely on it, and how we set it up for live jobs.
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Dedicated Fibre or Bonded Cellular: Choosing How a Live Feed Reaches the Desk
A comparison of two ways to deliver a finished feed to a television channel or news desk, with the circumstances in which each one is the safer choice.
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Inside the Case: How We Prepare a Remote Contribution Kit
A first-person account of how a portable encoder and bonding kit is checked, packed and set up before a live report from a spot with no fixed connection.
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How many cameras does a festival stage really need?
The question we hear most from organisers: how many cameras for a live stage feed. Priya Nair explains how we answer it, from crowd shots to what the broadcaster wants.
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What a Camera Operator Does Between the Rehearsal and the Red Light
A look at the hours before a live shoot goes to air, and the choices our camera operators make on the day so that the picture holds when it matters.
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The Monitoring Tools and Methods Behind a Stable Live Signal
A look at the monitoring points, routing habits and test routines our engineers rely on to keep a live feed steady from the venue door to the broadcaster's gallery.
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Setting Up a Secure Feed Delivery Link With a Broadcaster
A practical walk-through of what to agree, test and write down before a finished live feed leaves the venue, so it reaches a television channel or news desk in the right format.
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Before You Commit to a Remote Contribution Kit: A Checklist
A practical list of questions to settle before choosing a portable encoder and bonding kit for a live report from a location with no fixed connection, from signal paths to power and fallback.
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Six Common Mistakes on Concert and Festival Feeds and How to Avoid Them
Most trouble on a live music broadcast is decided long before the first song. Hannah Whitcombe goes through six recurring mistakes in stage and festival capture and the habits that prevent them.
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What a Camera Operator Costs and What Moves the Price
A plain look at how live camera operation is priced, from the length of the booking to travel and kit, and which choices on the day push a quotation up or down.
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A Saturday Regatta Feed That Held Steady Through a Rain Squall
Marcus Ellery recounts how signal monitoring and rerouting kept a harbour regatta on air for a regional news desk when the weather turned and one link failed.
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Getting Feed Distribution Ready for the Darker Months Ahead
Short days, wet weather and a busy news calendar put extra strain on delivery links. Priya Nair sets out what to check on feed distribution before the winter schedule fills up.
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