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BROADCAST TECHNOLOGY 2018
Hybrid approach
– the model
to modernise
broadcast
workflows and
facilities
Rainer Kapme, CTO at Broadcast Solutions, tells APB how systems
integrator can help bridge the gap between legacy equipment and
new technologies without a complete overhaul.
2018 has been a big year for Broadcast
Solutions, including the introduction
of hi, the human interface for media
applications. Can you explain the
concept behind this development,
and how hi can be applied to enhance
broadcast workflow efficiency?
Rainer Kampe: Broadcast and media
technology has experienced several
revolutions in recent years: from SD/HD
to 4K/Ultra HD (UHD), from baseband
to IP, and from monolithic core systems to
modular and software-based platforms.
These networked and software-driven
systems offer unprecedented flexibility
for broadcast and media environments,
but require special caution. It is the user’s
responsibility to define functionalities,
workflows and control mechanisms for all
the new devices.
These configuration processes can
take a lot of time and effort — and, in
the worst case, need to be redefined each
time a piece of the system has changed.
Misconfigurations in an IP-based system
have dramatic effects on the whole
infrastructure so the need to provide a fail-
safe environment increases dramatically.
This is why Broadcast Solutions created hi.
hi makes the configuration process
smart and easy, detects new devices
automatically, and protects the user from
false-configurations.
Built on decentralised software
architecture, the hi system can run
on almost any platform — a laptop,
dedicated servers, server clusters and
also in data centres or on cloud services
such as Amazon Web Services (AWS)
or Microsoft Azure. This architecture
ensures uninterrupted availability, even
if hardware, power or protocol failures
happen. Self-healing algorithms ensure
that all parts of the system are up and
running properly — even if they are
distributed over different hardware
platforms, or working from different
locations.
Reliability and ease-of-use are keys
to a successful interaction between the
system and the operators, driving the
main development focus to be on the user
and how workflows can be simplified.
Several sports event took place this year,
and some of which were broadcast live
in 4K/UHD high dynamic range (HDR).
Can you share with us your views on
live programming in 4K/UHD HDR, and
what are some of the projects Broadcast
Solutions has completed in this area?
Kampe: Within the broadcast industry,
4K/UHD is increasingly being accepted,
and production companies and content
With a need to produce the Polish football league in 4K/UHD HDR,
Polish broadcaster Ekstraklasa Live Park has tasked Broadcast
Solutions to design an OB van that is able to accommodate 4K/UHD
HDR and HD SDR signal workflows.
An
Supplement
“It is safe to say IP is
here and, depending
on the production, can
be beneficial for the
production company or the
broadcaster — financially
and efficiently.”
— Rainer Kampe
CTO,
Broadcast Solutions
producers have to meet the viewer’s
demands for better quality pictures. To
some of our customers, producing in 4K/
UHD is a normal daily business. With the
rise of HDR, a further enhancement in
terms of picture quality comes into play.
It is an area which our customers have to
address, and that has a direct impact on
the production workflow.
In 2018, we have realised several
projects with 4K/UHD and/or HDR, or
even HD with standard dynamic range
(SDR) technology working side by side in
a single production tool. The projects we
design — whether it might be an outside
broadcast (OB) van or a studio — are
equipped with hybrid solutions capable
of delivering different formats and
resolutions at the same time.
Our customers need production tools
that are able to deliver all different feeds
with the same infrastructure — and we
give them solutions that can handle all
formats that are currently used and are
future-proof investments for upcoming
developments.
One project we have completed is for
Polish broadcaster Ekstraklasa Live Park,
which needed a new OB van to produce
the Polish football league in 4K/UHD
HDR, starting January 2019. We designed
an OB van to accommodate 4K/UHD
HDR and HD SDR signal workflows at the
same time. To find these solutions, we are
in direct contact with the manufacturers
to find the best solutions, and organise
seminars and workshops to teach the
industry how they can benefit from these
solutions.
Specially in Asia-Pacific, Broadcast
Solutions has also sealed a number of
distribution deals. Can you elaborate on
this, and what opportunities do you see
in this region?
Kampe: Acting as a global systems
integration company and solutions
provider, our aim is always to make the
Broadcast Solutions has designed a remote production hub for Streamteam
Nordic, a Finnish broadcast production company that produces the country’s
ice hockey league.
best technology and products available to
our customers. We partner with several
manufacturers to promote their products
in the Asia-Pacific region, on a project or
exclusivity basis.
With partners such as Mobile Viewpoint
or Simplylive, which we introduced to the
Asia-Pacific market at BroadcastAsia, we
have some strong brands we believe adhere
to the challenges of our customers.
But distribution works in two ways.
We are always interested in manufacturers
that offer a new technology and a new
approach, not only to distribute in the
Asian market, but to introduce them to
Europe. A good example is the LaON
wireless intercom system produced in
South Korea which, thanks to us, entered
new markets in Europe.
What other technological challenges are
media companies facing today, and as
a systems integrator, how is Broadcast
Solutions helping them to address these
issues?
Kampe: With topics like IP or remote
production still on everyone’s lips,
fundamental changes in the broadcast
industry are still gaining momentum,
and will be implemented alongside
legacy equipment and workflows. It is
safe to say IP is here and, depending on
the production, can be beneficial for the
production company or the broadcaster —
financially and efficiently.
Again for Broadcast Solutions’
customers, it is critical to have mobile
or fixed broadcast facilities at command
that can work with legacy equipment,
and at the same time, embrace the newest
technology when IP-based technology or
remote production workflows are needed.
Working on a partner base with our clients,
our goal is to find the best solution for the
customer, and to give them the production
tools they need.
We recently implemented large
remote production facilities that show our
approach perfectly. One project was the
new remote production hub and studio for
Finnish company Streamteam Nordic, the
largest broadcast investment in Finland in
this millennium. The company produces
the Finnish ice hockey league with over 450
matches per season, and with up to seven
games simultaneously.
The need to cover all matches
simultaneously (in both HD and 4K/
UHD) while adding studio production
to the programme required Streamteam
Nordic to build a centralised production
hub. The overall system design Broadcast
Solutions developed takes a hybrid
approach, leveraging IP workflows for
interconnecting the venues and hub, while
production within the hub and the studio
uses 3G baseband format.