❝ Manufacturers who are serious about IP
should advocate open standards .❞
❝ At the moment , expect to see islands of IP being deployed , although ‘ big IP projects ’ involving
major rebuilds are already happening .❞
October 2017 NEWS & VIEWS 9
Start your transition to IP today
SINGAPORE – While IP has been debated extensively across the broadcast industry for several years , it had been largely regarded as an “ experimental technology ”.
This , however , is changing , suggested Mark Moore , vicepresident , international sales , Dejero . “ We , as consumers and communicators , now expect access to high-speed connections whenever and wherever we are ,” he told APB . “ For the media and entertainment industries , [ the transition to IP ] means that we can connect cameras and sound over blended networks , including cellular , Wi-Fi and portable satellite connections to provide live content to ever-demanding viewers from virtually anywhere .”
For this to be effective , it is important that broadcasters can integrate systems from multiple vendors , Moore added . Manufacturers who are serious about IP should advocate open standards , so as to “ really take advantage of the many possibilities that exist across an all-IP ecosystem ”.
But as with all emerging technologies , IP can only show its true
❝ Manufacturers who are serious about IP
should advocate open standards .❞
— Mark Moore , Vice-President , International Sales ,
Dejero
worth when it enables users to work smarter , faster or more costeffectively . The signs , nevertheless , are generally encouraging , as Moore explained : “ There are more and more proof-of-concepts being published across the industry and this in , itself , has built confidence .
“ However , we ’ ve seen hesitation in the areas of signal processing and core infrastructure . Some broadcasters , especially those with deep pockets , are still concerned about the cost of an all-IP infrastructure .”
In this case , a hybrid SDI / IP that allows broadcasters to transition to IP at a pace that best suits them might be the best solution , Moore concluded .
The IP transition is drawing similarities to the transition from analogue to SDI , suggested Denis Pare , vice-president of sales , Embronix . “ Then , there were a couple of standards available to convert signals and everybody wanted to test every piece of equipment . With IP , we are seeing this again ,” he elaborated .
Pare also pointed out that IP control switchers , which perform different functions compared to a traditional router , are currently available only in limited numbers . It will be three to five years before there is a peak in IP deployments , or when there is a decrease in the gateways required , as much as an increase in native-IP equipment , Pare predicted . At the moment ,
❝ At the moment , expect to see islands of IP being deployed , although ‘ big IP projects ’ involving
major rebuilds are already happening .❞
— Denis Pare , Vice-President of Sales , Embronix
expect to see islands of IP being deployed , although “ big IP projects ” involving major rebuilds are already happening , he added , while urging broadcasters to start planning for their transition to IP today .
“ Interoperability between manufactures is already quite good and with SMPTE ST 2110 , you don ’ t need the embedders and de-embedders required for SDI anymore ,” Pare said . “ IP needs less cabling and can be cheaper in the long term . And for those looking to go 4K / Ultra HD ( UHD ), IP just makes more sense .”
Both Pare and Moore will be discussing and providing more insights into IP at a special seminar to be held in Singapore this November 6 . Titled Professional media over IP : Building a future-proof media facility , the seminar is jointly organised by APB and systems integrator Ideal Systems , and will also feature keynote speaker Michel Proulx , former CTO of Miranda Technologies , who will provide some useful tips on how you can build a futureproof media facility that supports professional media over IP .
Also speaking at the seminar will be Wang Yin , assistant VP , broadcast engineering , Mediacorp , who will share the role IP is playing in the new Mediacorp Campus .
For more information , visit www . apb-news . com / event / ipseminar , or contact Lynn Chee at lynn @ editecintl . com .