The latest generation of smartphones means they have the hardware power to compress and live stream with broadcast precision, delivering a video experience that is now the envy of many external cameras that are far more expensive.

The flexibility of the Zao Android App is that it can support both H.264 and H.265 compression. The advantage of H.265 HEVC compression is that it requires only half the bit rate for the same video quality. It can support lower latency, typically under a second, even in weak signal conditions. H.264 works better on older phones, but many more back-office applications at the receiving destination support H.264, so transcoding is not required.

The advantage of the Zao Android App is that you can easily switch between the two compression modes depending on your requirements.

Despite all the complexity under the hood, the app itself is easy to use, with a red button to start or stop the live stream. It can be controlled remotely via a management platform. It also has other features like turning on the light, dimming the screen to save power, choosing between front or back cameras (and some devices even have a thermal camera), locking the screen to prevent accidental changes, and supports full GPS when live streaming to a map.

Installed on Smartphone

Broadcast App in Field

• Full HD Broadcast Quality
• Low latency
• Create HD-SDI or NDI at receiving end
• Emergency Responders