MANAGEMENT
September 2016
25
ent workflow at less time
times, how do they ensure that they have
the right KVM solutions in place? What
should they look for when choosing KVM
solutions for their workflow?
Adder Technology’s Wood says solutions
should be fit for the intended purpose and
match the requirements of the installation
in terms of cost, functionality and quality.
“Broadcasters should also consider aspects
such as number of end-points required and
future scalability needs. They should also
look at bandwidth requirements and the
distance that video, data and audio will be
transported over,” he explains. “This will
influence the selection of fibre or copper,
which will have cost implications for the
installation.”
Wood continues: “The transportation
of lossless HD video at the required frame
rate, for example, requires high bandwidth,
which more often than not means using a
fibre network.”
Meanwhile, IHSE’s Teng says that in
the live environment of broadcast, delay
in transmission of any content is critical. “Broadcasters should consider that
when researching KVM solutions. In
particular, they should compare the two
common types of KVM: KVM direct and
KVM-over-IP.”
Another area is quality of image which
is also critical in the broadcast world.
“Any artifacts on any pictures cast doubt
on the integrity of data flowing and is
unacceptable,” Teng maintains.
In contrast, direct KVM matrix switchbased systems, as opposed to KVM-overIP solutions, deliver zero latency video
distribution with no artifacts or switching
delay. This makes them ideal for high-performance broadcast and post-production
applications that rely on those characteristics, he adds.
Other features to look out for include
flexibility of configuration — the ability to
connect any type of source device to any
user workstation. Also key is configurability
— how the system can be set up, managed
and controlled. “The security procedures it
offers to prevent unauthorised access to devices and whether data can be removed from
computers, or malicious software injected”
are other details to find out more, Teng
says.
G&D’s Bauer offers another point of
view: “First, broadcasters need to look at
their current demands so that the solution can fulfil these needs. This may not
be limited to just looking at the number
of computers and users to be intercon-
G&D systems such as the new ControlCenter-Compact KVM matrix are capable of handling virtually
any kind of signal and offer lots of additional functionality of a high reliability and intuitive operation.
According to Jochen Bauer, the company’s marketing director, China and Japan are the biggest markets
for G&D in Asia-Pacific.
nected, and the structure in which the
systems should be accessed. This may even
include the question of how they can be
accessed, that is, the different features that
add further convenience.”
Thus, having the right machines
available as and when required is a core
competence of KVM. “A KVM system is
an enabler technology, so it needs to be as
intuitive as possible without adding an additional operation layer for the user to deal
with,” Bauer says.
However, it is not only current demands,
but also the question of what the future
brings that have to be considered, he warns.
“Systems need to be adaptable so that they
can still be used even when requirements
change.”