BROADCAST TECHNOLOGY
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How do we get there ? 2016 saw a number of proofs-of-concepts and industry initiatives to prove the feasibility of IP-based broadcast systems . It is up to broadcasters to decide what works best for them and set a timeline to transition to IP .
revenue benefits , it ’ s also a fact that the IP switching used within the highly synchronised deterministic IP network architecture needed for media transport is higher-end gear .
“ Synchronised IP is a new and different animal , as it involves very low-latency IP networks that are fully synchronised to achieve high-quality audio or video , and seamless switching regardless of stream type .”
It will also be prudent for broadcasters to carefully plan the transition to IP , which is likely to span more than a single investment cycle or infrastructure overhaul , Diehl advised .
For most broadcast and professional A / V facilities , it will be a shift that takes years , as these companies gradually layer in more IP technology as their budgets allow , he concluded .
Embrace the transition to IP , but temper this with a touch of realism , is Axon ’ s message . Old habits die hard , and for the broadcast industry , there is a tendency to carry old formats for decades — the move to IP will not change the status quo , Peter Schut , CTO of Axon , noted .
For starters , SDI is not dead , because it remains a mature and reliable system that broadcasters have come to use and trust . “ Today , there are many applications where the use of IP is questionable and for several years ahead , SDI will remain the only route forward ,” Schut predicted .
“ Early adopters currently face a lack of native IP products , so while their new infrastructure cores are based on IP , the surrounding environment is still dominated by SDI .”
Also championing the cause of AIMS , which he described as having “ gained a lot of momentum ” with real efforts and activities to work together and create interoperable solutions , Schut is convinced that in the long term , with continued protocol enhancements , IP will become the backbone of the broadcast industry — proving to be more convenient , more flexible and eventually cheaper .
Interoperability is also an issue that keyboard , video and mouse ( KVM ) solutions provider IHSE is keen to touch on . While there are a number of new studios and outside broadcast vehicles that have been built to incorporate IP content distribution , and which have already been deployed to transmit content from remote stadiums to broadcast studios , IP ’ s potential longevity , when measured today , remains ambiguous .
Terence Teng , managing director , IHSE APAC , pondered : “ How , and when , IP will become the dominant technology and replace , or be incorporated within current workflow models is still unclear .
“ Traditional methods are very well established and there are , as yet , few standards that enable interoperability and enable systems integrators to combine products from different manufacturers together .”
Teng , however , believes that the transition to IP is inevitable , and when that happens , KVM has a key role to play .
“ When you consider how content will be transmitted over IP networks , it becomes clear that there will still be a requirement for broadcast operators to manage and control IP streams and to work on them ,” he explained .
“ This will still be achieved using computer workstations , so KVM remains an integral part of the overall solution .”
As a brand that represents an array of camera support systems such as batteries and power supplies , teleprompters , lights , tripods and pedestals , you might not expect Vitec Videocom to be as keenly involved in the transition to IP as other equipment manufacturers are .
While the company keeps a keen eye on technologies such as 4K / UHD and virtual reality ( VR )/ augmented reality ( AR ), IP hardly lacks behind the company ’ s list of priorities .
Autocue , a teleprompting company and a Vitec Videocom brand , earlier this year announced the adoption of NewTek ’ s Network Device Interface ( NDI ) standard for IP-based production workflows for its QStart Prompting Software .
This integration , detailed Paul Weiser , VP , sales and marketing , Americas and Asia-Pacific , Vitec Group , provides “ a great deal of flexibility ” in the broadcast environment and clearly demonstrates the benefits of an IP-based workflow .
Apart from teleprompters , all of Vitec Videocom ’ s robotic products are IP-based , an undertaking Weiser explained : “ The understanding and reliability of IP is at such a level that it is now the standard in the broadcast environment , particularly in studios . IP devices need to have the ability to be located anywhere and talk to everything .”
The merits of IP have been well documented , particularly in terms of potential cost savings and enhancements to existing workflows . This transition , however , can also be reasonably construed as a reflection of how viewing habits have continued to transcend towards connected mobile screens .
To cater to the requirements of today ’ s viewers , and to ensure that content can be effectively delivered over multiple platforms , systems integrator Benchmark Broadcast Systems recommends the implementation of a hybrid content management system that can manage baseband signals over TV , as well as TV delivered over IP .
Such a system , according to Ashish Mukherjee , CEO of Benchmark Broadcast Systems , would be able to integrate the various services offered by a network . This , in turn , allows customers who are using multiple services , to enjoy a better viewing experience — the principal benefit of the hybrid system .
“ With a clear and concise view of the choices available , decision-making becomes smoother and results in happy customers . The benefit to TV networks is higher customer retention and resultant market share .
“ Moreover , management of their internal back-end processes become easier ,” he said .
Empowering broadcasters to embrace IP In May this year , APB invited a number of broadcasters and TV service providers in Asia-Pacific to participate in the APB ConneXxion Forum 2016 in Singapore .