SES has unveiled a new product to enhance Occasional Use (OU) services as video customers increasingly need to handle multiple video formats for distribution on multiple platforms and access reliable communication between locations while covering live events. OU Flex transforms the traditional one-way feed for video broadcast into a two-way connection between the site and the studio, providing more flexibility to broadcasters and Satellite News Gathering (SNG) operators to facilitate remote production and distribute video content to online platforms.

According to SES, OU Flex also provides high-quality IP connectivity to enable the simultaneous use of multiple data applications — including connections to a corporate network, emails, web browsing, video file transfer, as well as feeding live video content to social media, or streaming live video content in high-quality online.

Working in collaboration with Newtec, the OU Flex solution integrates the Newtec Dialog platform, which enables SES to deliver dedicated, reliable connections to broadcasters for video and data transmissions. By allocating bandwidth dynamically, SES can provide high throughput, seamless connectivity, regardless of the number of reporters and users relying on the network at the event.

To use this platform, broadcasters already equipped with an SNG truck or fly-away solution only require an OU Flex broadband modem, thus reducing the necessary investment compared to other technologies. Once equipped, video customers can choose to transmit via the SES teleport and rely on SES to manage all traffic going over the satellite, and get a dedicated and secured link between the hub and their studio.

“Live event and breaking news coverage today poses multiple challenges in meeting viewer expectations. Viewers demand instantaneous access to information, high picture quality, and the ability to watch video content anywhere, on any device. OU Flex is the ideal solution to help broadcasters address those needs,” said Steve Bisenius, vice president of regional sales engineering at SES Video. “OU Flex provides the reliability needed for seamless live broadcast in high quality and the IP connection required to exchange information as well as stream video content online.”