April 2017 X-PLATFORM 41
How IP-based KVM can change the gallery control room for the better
by jamie adkin
Those who work within broadcast will be all too familiar with the amount of time they have to spend in cramped and uncomfortable working environments . One of the most frequent of these can be the gallery control room .
While this room can be slightly more spacious than , say , the OB truck , it still relies on a lot of bulky workstations and has to be able to accommodate numerous members of staff in order to keep things running smoothly . However , as IP and specifically IP-based , high-per-
by kieran kunhya
Although many broadcasters are reluctant to move to an IP-based infrastructure , many have taken the plunge to using IP for contribution and the first IP production environments are already being rolled out .
Many broadcasters might still believe that IP cannot be relied upon for video delivery . There was a worry that intermittent feeds and poor quality might drive consumers away , with some even going so far as to describe IP as “ random ”.
Nowadays , this is certainly not the case . IP can deliver huge amounts of cost-effective , broadcast-quality video , meaning it is a viable alternative to current distribution methods , and requires much less hardware and space . IP networks are also much easier to upgrade than traditional infrastructure such as SDI .
As we move towards a more competitive industry for broadcasters , IP is being looked to as a significant , cost-saving alternative that will not mean a compromise on quality . For broadcasters , it is all about moving towards offering more content to consumers , and an IP-based approach for contribution and eventually production is one way to do this .
I believe the industry should also embrace an IT-approach , and from what we have seen , the technology is undoubtedly there .
IT infrastructure offers a number of inherent advantages . formance KVM ( keyboard , video , mouse ) technology continues to be adopted across the industry , we are starting to see a huge change in the overall design of gallery control rooms , and also how people work within them .
The most obvious advantages of this technology can be summarised in three words : Flexibility , reliability and resilience . It allows multiple computers to be controlled and managed from a single workstation , while the actual computers can be located separately from the control room , and away from the control room operatives .
Why broadcasters should be looking to go IP , or even IT
As millennials join the workforce , they will already have a strong grasp of IT , meaning less costly training for staff . Being easily ope rable also means that IT infrastructure can mainly be designed and run in-house .
Helpfully , this all uses offthe-shelf hardware , meaning less specialist and , more importantly , less expensive equipment is needed . All of this means a more cost-effective network as opposed to traditional contribution and production methods .
IT equipment is much more easily available , especially in Asia , where lead times and customs delays can delay the roll-out of projects . The IT industry itself also benefits from much larger economies-of-scale compared to the broadcast industry , reducing costs and increasing the rate of innovation .
In addition , it is worth pointing out that IT infrastructure can still be rolled out on top of existing SDI-based infrastructure — increasing density drastically while allowing for future updates to support IP-based infrastructure .
Given that the technology needed to move towards wholly IP or IT infrastructures has so quickly come along , they will easily replace traditional broadcast set-ups in the near future . It is now a matter of when , and not if .
Kieran Kunhya is Founder and Managing Director , Open Broadcast Systems .
STV Player providing dynamic ad insertion for Amazon Fire TV
STV Player , an online video-ondemand ( VoD ) service , is now providing fully targetable Dynamic Ad Insertion ( DAI ) in live streaming on Amazon Fire TV .
The service is powered by Yospace , whose server-side DAI platform allows advertising to be replaced in a way that is consistent with the viewing experience expected of broadcast television .
By inserting ads on the server side , the process of delivering fully addressable advertising across multiple platforms / devices is simplified , and this has allowed STV to implement a true multi-platform
Accedo taking the Fox Sports streaming experience worldwide
Fox Sports marked its first foray into international distribution with the February 2017 launch of Watch AFL , the network ’ s first direct-toconsumer international streaming service .
Providing ready access to live games and on-demand , catchup content from the Australian Football League ( AFL ), Watch AFL is powered by Accedo ’ s cloud-based video experience management platform , Accedo AppGrid .
AppGrid provides video experience providers with real-time control , configuration and crossplatform insights over their video experiences from one full-featured , cloud-based platform .
Les Wigan , director , operations and digital , Fox Sports , said : “ Watch AFL is a groundbreaking streaming service . We worked with Accedo to build a new high-tech product that will deliver our worldleading sports coverage , including live coverage of every AFL game ,
IP-based KVM also allows businesses to future-proof their operations and infrastructure , offering copper and / or fibre routing options while using the existing network infrastructure . Plus , with no hard-wired limitations , users and computers can be easily scaled up or down according to current needs and requirements . This provides businesses with valuable options when it comes to scaling their infrastructure , whether it be the number of machines , number of users or the distance that the machines can be placed away from their users .
In short , IP-based KVM allows businesses to be flexible and quickly adapt to their requirements with the absolute resilience of IP .
The technology also provides the gallery control room with an unprecedented number of hardware and network fail-over and redundancy options . For example , if all machines are linked via KVM and one of the machines fails , the operator can simply move to another user station and access the same computer and with the same access rights .
If a situation ever arose in which all users within a studio needed to migrate to another studio in
advertising strategy , said Yospace .
Tim Sewell , CEO of Yospace , said : “ STV has been leading the way in live streaming for a number of years now . Following the launch of DAI for STV Player in 2014 , every other UK broadcaster has followed suit , and now it is leading the way in implementing a full crossplatform strategy . The launch of DAI for Fire TV demonstrates that STV continues to operate at the cutting-edge of commercial television .”
STV Player with DAI-enabled live streaming is available across all Fire TV devices , including the order to keep operations running , IP-based KVM makes that possible .
IP-based , high-performance KVM technology is changing the gallery control room as we know it , and its benefits stretch far beyond this room alone . As IP continues to be adopted across the industry for its numerous benefits , KVM will continue to be the powerful proof point and enabling technology that helps businesses work more efficiently and more effectively , today and in the future .
Jamie Adkin is Vice-President , Sales , EMEA , Adder Technology .
❝ Following the launch of DAI for STV Player in 2014 , every other UK broadcaster has followed suit , and now it is leading the way in implementing a full cross-platform strategy .❞
— Tim Sewell , CEO , Yospace
Fox Sports ’ Watch AFL video streaming service is powered by the Accedo AppGrid cloud-based video experience management platform .
plus all the great Fox Sports ’ AFL programmes , to fans around the world .”
Matt Kossatz , VP APAC , Australia , Accedo , added : “ As Australia ’ s leading provider of sports content , this move [ by Fox Sports ] to bring AFL to an international audience is extremely
all-new Fire TV Stick with Alexa Voice Remote , which was launched by Amazon in February this year .
interesting for fans across the globe . AFL has a huge international following , including among expat Australians .”
These viewers , and more , can also expect further enhancements and additional features to Watch AFL , according to Accedo and Fox Sports .