broadcast technology trends and insights 2015
GAINING BENEFITS FROM THE TRANSITION
Tony Taylor , Chairman and CEO of TransMedia Dynamics ( TMD )
lot of vendors , consultants and others in the industry are talking
A a great deal about the transition from traditional broadcast infrastructures to IP . But they tend to focus on how to manage hybrid technologies as you work through the amortisation of today ’ s equipment .
While that is important , there are two issues which are far more important if you are really going to gain the full benefit of moving to a modern , software-defined architecture .
First , this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to radically change the way you work . Conventional broadcast equipment determined what we did and how we did it , passing the signal from one device to another ; from one part of the content cycle to another . The real benefit of a software-defined architecture is that we can define the software to do what we want it to do .
This is a huge opportunity to really think about what your business needs to do with content , then establish technical workflows to match operational and commercial requirements .
Are you a production company ? How do you track rushes ? How can you ensure post production is as efficient as possible ? How much raw content will you archive ? Where are the sources of revenue for finished programmes and clips , and how best can you ensure potential buyers see the content and receive it in the right format ?
Are you a broadcaster ?
Conventional broadcast equipment determined what we did and how we did it … the real benefit of a software-defined architecture is that we can define the software to do what we want it to do .
How and when will you accept programmes and commercials ? Who will accept deliveries , for content , for compliance and for quality ? When will you close advertising sales ? What programmes will also be made available online , and what platforms will it be commercially viable to support ?
Questions like these have always had answers defined by the technology . Today , most companies will have sophisticated systems and workflows already in place , but in most cases new hardware has simply replaced old ones .
So an LMS tape robot is probably now a playout server . The handover of the commercials traffic list is a file transfer rather than a runner carrying a piece of paper . Maybe , even the rushes log will be in metadata rather than hastily scribbled notes . But these are just computerised analogues of the way television has been done for 70 years .
Take time out . Get a broad sweep of people together . Persuade them to forget about today ’ s working practices and technological limitations and ask them to think about what they really need to do their job . The results could surprise you — but the capabilities of metadata-driven workflows could and should make your operations more efficient and productive .
I said there were two issues , and clearly deciding what is the best way to run your operation is hugely significant . Having defined your perfect operation , then , the second issue is how to move from where you are now to where you want to be .
To take just one example , the chances are you have an asset management system , tracking your content in live and archive storage . The chances , too , are that much of this is proprietary , locking you into whatever one particular vendor wants to sell you .
Take the opportunity to move to open standards . LTFS , for example , comes from the IT industry , and is designed to be self-upgrading to last forever , and will make your content permanently portable .
Armed with a partner in asset and workflow management who understands both the capabilities of modern systems and the challenges of the transition , you have the opportunity to clean and tidy your metadata , protect your content for the future , and above all look afresh at the way you do business .
equipment manufacturers will continue to ramp up efforts to ensure that their products and solutions support any combination of these technologies in 2016 .
This is not to suggest that the near-term proliferation of 4K / UHD services is necessarily imminent . Lynx Technik , for one , sees rising demand for 4K / UHD in countries such as Japan and South Korea . And while the company reports growing enquiries about 4K / UHD in other Asian countries , the priority remains on completing the transition to HD , reminded Joehan Tohkingkeo , Asia regional sales director for Lynx Technik .
Security will also be a key consideration in any 4K / UHD deployments . While offering higher quality , 4K / UHD content , at the same time , potentially offers greater scope for piracy , Verimatrix cautions .
To combat the threat of piracy , Verimatrix has identified three key pillars in 4K / UHD content security , aimed to stem the growth in “ IP-sourced ” piracy , which will be further stimulated by the advent of 4K / UHD , according to Verimatrix .
2016 SHAPING UP TO A DEFINING YEAR As is described above , 4K / UHD and IP are today islands in a sea of HD ; it is perhaps unrealistic to expect HD to recede to any great extent in 2016 .
Real world deployments are likely to be confined to a selected group of countries , although interest in these technologies is likely to grow as more proof-of-concepts are presented and live trials conducted . Live sporting events next year will create a boon , with France hosting the 2016 UEFA European Championship , and the 2016 Summer Olympics taking place in Rio , Brazil .
IP in live production , particularly , is likely to gain a stronger foothold as broadcasters begin to explore the efficiencies and economies of scale on offer . Work in standardisation of IP will intensify , adding to efforts by organisations such as the DVB Project and SMPTE .
In Asia-Pacific , hybrid broadcasting is likely to come to the fore , as more broadcasters adopt Integrated Broadcast Broadband ( IBB ) strategies to offer linear and OTT content to their viewers , driven by standards such as Hybrid Broadcast Broadband TV ( HbbTV ).
Broadcasters in the region will also be anxious to monitor the potential impact of Netflix , which will continue its aggressive foray into Asia with further launches in 2016 . With Netflix already available in Australia , New Zealand and Japan , and reportedly having made encouraging strides towards capturing eyeballs , adopting multi-screen strategies continues to be a pre-requisite for broadcasters .
Support for multi-screen video delivery requires softwarebased solutions that are nimble enough to accommodate rapid changes while maintaining the reliability required for round-the-clock services , advised Elemental Technologies . A firm advocate of a software approach , Elemental believes that a continued reliance on dedicated hardware is becoming an increasing complicated and unattractive strategy .
Traditionally , conventional broadcast equipment determined and forced the hand of the broadcast industry . What a software-defined architecture offers , suggested Tony Taylor , chairman and CEO of TransMedia Dynamics ( TMD ), is the ability for the broadcast industry to tailor the software to do what it wants to do .
Taylor advised operators to clearly define the best way to run operations , and have a roadmap in place on how to move
4 www . apb-news . com www . facebook . com / APBNews