How SBS Uses Video Transport to Support Reliable, Low-Latency Live Production

SBS is a terrestrial broadcaster with more than 30 years of history serving the public. Since its founding, the company has focused on delivering trusted, engaging, and high-quality content that informs, inspires, and entertains. Their programming spans news, entertainment, factual shows, and documentaries, reaching audiences across all demographics in Korea and internationally through digital platforms and global partnerships.

Mr. Kim Syehoon, TV Technology Team's Manager at SBS, who supports system reliability and helps implement technical solutions for production workflows, explained how the company began using Medialooks Video Transport and why it became part of their regular operations.

The Need for a Video Transport Solution

SBS was looking for a video transport system that could deliver low latency and consistent stability in real-time production environments. The platform needed to be simple enough for both field and studio teams to adopt quickly and had to support SDI output to integrate with their existing broadcast infrastructure. As Mr. Kim Syehoon put it, the goal was to move toward “a more advanced and robust video transport platform” that could support their continuous live workflows.

Evaluation Criteria and Selection

During their evaluation, ease of use, operational convenience, and SDI output were key priorities. Mr. Kim Syehoon explained that these factors “guided our evaluation and ultimately shaped our selection criteria.”

SBS learned about Video Transport through internal research into available technologies. After reviewing different approaches and comparing them with their operational needs, they found VT to be the best match. Because of this alignment, they did not pursue alternative solutions further.

Adoption Through Real-World Testing

SBS tested VT in their real broadcast environment to determine whether it could meet their operational requirements. Through this trial, they confirmed that its feature set, reliability, and latency performance were sufficient for their live production needs. Based on that experience, the broadcaster made the decision to adopt VT for ongoing use.

Role in Daily Production

Video Transport is now used extensively across various projects. It has been particularly valuable during remote productions involving OB trucks and major international events, where low-latency exchange of program feeds, control-room signals, and on-site sources is essential. The solution also helped them address challenges related to real-time signal delivery over long distances, while improving communication between field teams and the main facility.

Instead of relying on a single flagship project, SBS applies VT in many day-to-day scenarios, including breaking news coverage and rapid on-site reporting. It also plays an important role in their international event workflows, such as overseas sports broadcasts, where stable real-time contribution is critical.

VT integrates smoothly with DeckLink SDI cards, allowing SBS to generate clean SDI signals for OB trucks and their main broadcast center. This compatibility makes it easy to merge VT feeds with their established infrastructure. Connectivity is typically supported by LTE and 5G networks, and intercom operates on a separate dedicated solution, giving field teams flexibility while maintaining stable connections.

Results and Operational Impact

Reliability and operational stability are the broadcaster’s primary metrics for evaluating success. VT plays a significant role in their live news and sports broadcasts, where even minor interruptions can have noticeable impact. Mr. Kim Syehoon noted that they “have been able to maintain consistent performance and deliver our live productions without disruptions,” which allows the team to support real-time workflows with confidence.

SBS also sees clear business value in using Video Transport, particularly in maintaining stable and consistent news production—an essential part of preserving audience trust. The product has met, and in many cases exceeded, their expectations.

They highlighted low latency and overall stability as VT’s main strengths. In rare cases, the team has experienced situations where video output did not appear as expected and required restarting the application, so they perform checks before going live to ensure smooth operation. These incidents are infrequent but underscore the importance of pre-broadcast verification.

Looking Ahead

SBS plans to continue using Video Transport across OB trucks, major international event coverage, and scenarios where only internet connectivity is available for video contribution. Its flexibility makes it useful across a wide range of field and remote setups. The broadcaster expects to expand their use of VT and would welcome improvements that further enhance operational stability and usability under diverse network conditions.

Recommendations to Other Broadcasters

When asked how they would describe the product, Mr. Kim called it “a powerful streaming solution that enables reliable, low-latency video delivery over the internet.” For organizations seeking a dependable and adaptable platform for professional broadcast and remote production environments, SBS considers VT a strong option.