Magne

Exterity News Flash

We are pleased to announce that we have extended NDI® support to our range of HDMI AvediaStream Encoders.

NDI Support

Exterity’s AvediaStream Transcoders, ArtioPortal Desktop and now HDMI Encoders all support NDI, NewTek’s AV-over-IP (AVoIP) standard, for an end-to-end low latency workflow. This seamless integration enables organisations to contribute, distribute and display content easily, sharing production-quality video between AVoIP live production environments and Exterity IP video solutions.

As we continue to develop and improve our end-to-end solutions, we will soon introduce NDI support on our Media Players. This will complete our NDI integration, ensuring high-quality, low-latency content can be displayed on any screen. Watch this space for further info!

Contact Offshore Communications to learn more!

We’re continually improving our products, and we want to make it easy for you to keep up to date. We’ve created a Product Update document so you can quickly find the key features we’ve added to each product over the past 6 months.

Sourced from the Exterity press release

Loyal crew members on ships and rigs around the world regularly spend long periods at sea. They can keep in touch with loved ones via satellite communications, but other on-board entertainment is necessary to their well-being and morale. 

VSAT enabled satellite television systems provide access to the latest news, TV shows and sports, reliably and globally. 

Satellite television signals are received by a parabolic TVRO (TV Receive Only) antenna. The signals are then processed and distributed via IPTV (Internet Protocol TV), DVB-C or DVB-T. 

Using IPTV, you can capture TV and video content directly from any source. You then manage its delivery, as channels or within digital signage screens, to any device connected to your existing network. 

Therefore, it is easy to distribute live TV, video on demand, movies, sports events and music. But, from a business perspective, you can just as easily distribute training materials or recorded messages or meetings that crew members can access flexibly. 

Offshore Communication specialise in maintaining, installing and testing offshore entertainment systems. Contact us to discuss your requirements. 

A reliable internet connection has become an essential part of yachting life, right up there with fuel and food supplies. It’s a modern home comfort that can help you stay safe, keep in touch with friends and family, and provide entertainment on long journeys. But which system is best for your needs?

WiFi

The first – and cheapest – option is land-based WiFi. This works best either in a marina with a good network, when moored close to your home’s network, or in a location with a public hotspot. WiFi extenders can greatly extend the range and strengthen the signal. However, these do require good weather conditions, low interference and a direct line-of-sight. They also don’t make WiFi effective while underway at sea.

It can be hard to predict WiFi quality from one marina to the next, as WiFi is a tricky thing for marinas to deliver well. Sometimes, the marina operators don’t pay attention to providing a good service, and sometimes circumstances are simply beyond their control.

Cellular Data

The second option is using your phone as a hotspot via your mobile cell service. This can be used alone or together with a booster. This can be delivered as MiFi through your mobile carrier, or through a marine-based dedicated hotspot such as WiriePro or Glomex WebBoat. These services work well up to 5-10 miles offshore, and especially when paired with a marine cellular antenna to better receive the signal. Many routers allow you to switch easily between WiFi and cellular connection, based on availability. 

VSAT Satellite

The third (and most expensive) option is a satellite communications system. This will connect you to the internet almost anywhere, and is your only option when travelling significant distances offshore. However, satellite is likely to provide the lowest throughput (data moved successfully from one place to another in a given time period) and highest delay, or latency. The seamless and vast satellite coverage can also be pricey.

Offshore Communications specialises in maintaining, installing and testing satellite communication systems for yachts. Contact us to discuss your needs and requirements.

System Maintenance matters!

As you can see in the image this is a damaged mounting point on an enclosed VSAT assembly that was located on an offshore drilling platform in the North Sea just off the coast of Norway. 

The failure was caused by three contributing factors:

• Heavy seas and wave action
• Dish out of balance
• Lack of lubrication in the bearing

The elements, the maintenance schedule and a heavy sea situation exasperated the already fatigued mounting point and caused it to fracture under the stress.

The system was quickly secured and taken offline, and personnel had to be flown from shore with spare parts and materials.

Offshore Communications has the personnel and expertise to train your workers how to perform these critical onsite inspections and to offer system maintenance, calibrations, and inspections.  

The after-action report indicated that the time between visual inspections should be decreased and that after rough sea and abnormal environmental conditions that the VSAT system should be accessed and visually inspected by trained personnel.

Offshore Communications specializes in maintaining, installing, and testing these critical systems and is a preferred service provider for many brands.

Reach out to us today to discuss your System Maintenance requirements.