3 Problems (And Solutions) To Fix LivePD

***UPDATE*** Most of this has been resolved for the 5/15/20 episode of LivePD! The three show hosts have green-screen backgrounds and crystal-clear video signals. The only relevant part of this article is now the "Delayed reactions" section. Good job to LivePD, A&E and Big Fish Entertainment crews!

I’m a huge fan of LivePD on A&E. If you don’t watch, it’s a 3-hour live show that follows around multiple law enforcement officers around the country in realtime. It took them a few weeks to get the show back to it’s full format after coronavirus-related shutdowns, but they are now back to a show that feels pretty much the same as a pre-Covid show to the average viewer. 

So as I see it, there are three issues with LivePD that can be resolved almost immediately. Dan’s camera signal is bad, the latency between hosts is awkward, and the backgrounds can use some help. Let’s talk about how those three things could be fixed.

Delayed Reactions

Problem: Host Dan Abrams mentions that the show is running on a longer-than-usual tape-delay to ensure that all enhanced safety measures are being followed. He is joined by his co-hosts Sgt. Sean ‘Sticks’ Larkin and Tom Morris Jr - all of whom are in remote locations. This is the only part of the show that feels different from a regular show. The guys attempt to interact like they’re in person - but the latency and delay make it awkward.

Solution: A part of the magic of LivePD is their replay system. Because they have to bleep and make sure nothing goes on the air that shouldn’t, they have an intricate replay system that allows multiple cameras to be played back in-sync for each of their precincts. Why not do this with the host and analysts? They’d need to figure out the delay between each source - which could be solved with a simple clap to sync each source. As far as real-time communication - they could be using an IFB / intercom system that lets them hear each other with sub-second delay. They could also be using WebRTC or another ultra-low-latency solution to see each other’s video in real time. This would give all of the talent a better experience - and the viewers a much more natural interaction.

Choppy Host Video

Problem: Dan’s video signal seems choppier and more out-of-sync than anyone else on the show. I normally wouldn’t care about that given the circumstances - but LivePD is a show that typically has dozens of live feeds from the most remote parts of the country that come in crystal-clear. On their first show back post-Covid shutdowns, Dan’s signal was even lost for a whole segment! He’s in an environment that has the potential for far more control and quality than that. 

Solution: Another part of the magic of LivePD is dozens of cameras using a technology called Bonded Cellular. It uses multiple cellular connections to create a redundant and reliable signal that doesn’t rely on wifi or ethernet. This should be a simple task - Get Dan a camcorder that can output to a bonded cellular unit, and call it a day. It seems like the other hosts may even be using this kind of setup already. Why not the main host?

Benign Backgrounds

Problem: Each host has a different background. Dan has a bland room behind him, Sticks has a car in his garage, and a room with some furniture and a gray wall. There’s certainly some personality here - particularly with Larkin's fancy car, but even then, he often has a giant bag of lawn-care products sitting on the shelf in the background. It’s all fun for a short period of time to see people in their home environments - but it’s not a long-term good look for any show. It will be months before they can go back to the studio - and they should do their best to bring a studio-quality look to the hosts.

Solution: Perhaps they should get simple pop-up backgrounds that fit the branding of the show. Or if they wanted to get real fancy, get each of them a 65in TV screen to go behind them and feed an appropriate background into each shot. The more normal the show looks, the more the audience will enjoy watching. 

Above: Remote setup for Tom Morris, Jr.

So - that’s my plan, and A&E and Big Fish Entertainment should consider these relatively simple fixes to make their show better! We will be in this remote-production world for at least another few months, and the investment in quality will be worth it in the long run.

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