Pursuing Excellence Through Innovation and Evolution
Applying Broadcast Standards to Broadcast Drones
Aerial systems in Broadcast underwent a revolution in the last five years. The emergence and incorporation of the digital video transmission system allowed for higher quality cameras and higher quality downlinks resulting in smaller, lighter weight, more versatile drones which could be flown in a wider array of productions. Though revolutionary this system brought a number of challenges when incorporating a drone's feed in a live broadcast, challenges which remain to this day:
- The digital transmission system relies on public WIFI bands subject to bandwidth challenges based on the number of users at any given time. "Sudden blotchiness" in a drone feed tends to be the visual symptom in a lack of bandwidth.
- The digital camera feed is scaled to meet broadcast requirements. Even in ideal RF environments the true resolution of the digital feed is never seen in a production. The symptom in this situation is a solid picture combined with a "general muddiness".
- The digital camera cannot be painted like a true broadcast camera, only color corrected upon final output, meaning there is no ability to fine-tune and match it against the other broadcast cameras. This pitfall, more than the first two, is the "sticking out like a sore thumb" in live broadcasts. All cameras in a production should be able to cut back-to-back against all other cameras without the viewer at home noticing.
In short, a drone does not have to look bad, or obvious, just because it's a drone.
Technidale Productions is proud to present an off-the-shelf solution to the pitfalls in the digital drone transmission workflow which maintain a minimal payload and mountable to drones as small as 3" Cinewhoops:
- The transmission system operates outside of public WIFI bands and can be managed to maintain proper bandwidth requirements when used in conjunction with other broadcast RF gear.
- The camera and transmission system adheres to broadcast standards from 720 to 1080, NTSC and PAL, interlaced and progressive, SDR and all flavors of HDR.
- The transmission system also runs a receive band to support full RCP control with Multi-Matrix support at the camera head meaning the camera can be fine-tuned painted and matched to every other true broadcast camera used in a production.
Technidale Productions is actively booking for calendar year 2026. Please reach out with any level of interest to bring broadcast standards to your broadcast drones.
the liberum aerum project
Loosely translated from Latin, liberum aerum attempts to capture the sense of freedom experienced only by a pilot in flight. Liberum is a side project of technidale productions born during the broadcast industry's Covid-19 restart. Days spent in hotel rooms waiting for weekly negative Covid tests were traded for flying FPV (First Person View) drones in deserted fields and parks.
FPV drones communicate a tremendous amount of emotion in the visuals they capture. Technidale Productions is working to bring life to the liberum aerum project in the broadcast industry by demonstrating the proper, tailored usage of FPV drones.
Licensed as a Part 107 Pilot in the US, and its equivalent in the UK, Technidale Productions is ready and excited to play a part in your next production with the feel of flight that only FPV can bring.
