Review: TVU One Mobile Router & Video Transmitter
The TVU One V3 5G is one of the stand-out products in the field of mobile video transmitters. With the industry-wide turn towards REMI productions, mobile video transmitters and cellular aggregating devices have become essential items for live video broadcast projects due to their capacity to provide connection resilience in any type of location. With the compact TVU One, broadcast professionals don't have to worry about connection outages, and can contribute video remotely at low latencies.
At Feed Central, we use TVU on many of our shoots, primarily for its excellent mobile 5G internet router functionality, which has time and again provided us with fast, stable connectivity during mission-critical. In short, whether you are a live broadcast professional looking for a reliable, easy-to-use video transmitter, or need an extremely powerful, compact and portable 5G internet hotspot, the TVU One V3 is one of the best devices on the market.
What is the TVU One?
With 6 global modems and the capacity to aggregate up to 12 different data sources, the TVU One can reliably transmit 1080p60/HDR quality video, even in congested environments, with only a 0.5 second latency. Thanks to its HEVC/H.265 video compressor, you can transmit 1080p video at 800Kbps or 4K60p at down to 3Mbps. It has a long battery life of 4.5+ hours, and the parallel functioning of internal and external batteries practically makes shore power redundant.
Easy Set-Up & Intuitive Interface
The TVU One is compact at 190x120 mm and weighs a little over 2 lbs (1kg). It comes with a handy backpack, which can store all accessories, as well as the TVU One while plugged in. The backpack has a transparent cover so you can follow what's happening on the screen without having to take out the device.
The set-up is easy and quick. If you are using the TVU One in router mode, all you have to do is attach the cable, place it down, and press the button to turn it on. Once turned on, it is ready to use within minutes. If you are planning to use the device for video transmission, the process is even more straightforward: connect the TVU One to your camera, turn on the device, and place it in the backpack.
Dual Functionality
What sets the TVU apart is its dual functionality. While originally designed as a video transmitter, we mainly use the device as mobile hotspot to provide reliable connectivity. In either capacity, the TVU can aggregate up to 12 data sources, in order to guarantee a stable connection in any location, whether you are shooting in a remote landscape where cellular data is sparse, or in a busy metropolis where the network is crowded.
Mobile Router Mode
The portable TVU One V3 functions as a powerful wireless internet router that can serve a myriad of connectivity needs. It routs data through secure AWS servers, reconstitutes the signal to enter the public internet, receives a unique DHCP address from AWS, and provides lightning-fast internet access to all your devices - all within 80-120 ms.
Video Transmission
For 5G live point-to-point video transmission, TVU One remains very well-suited, sending 1080p/60 quality at 0.5 latency. UHD options are available. From remote news productions to multi-camera sporting events, TVU One ensures a reliable and resilient internet connection, and easily integrates with your workflow.
Reliability
Reliability is perhaps TVU's core characteristic, as we've never encountered a non-solvable problem with the TVU One, and when we do run into unexpected issues, the TVU Tech Support is there to help. Quite frankly, the 24/7 assistance at TVU is unmatched. They are always available and take the time to make sure there are no outstanding issues with their products in the field.
