The IP Show Case at IBC2017 demonstrated IP interoperability based on the SMPTE ST 2110 suite of standards , which has seen its first standards approved by the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers ( SMPTE ). This development should now prompt more broadcasters to start planning for their transition to IP , with a careful analysis of their current and future needs .
which protocol to adopt is a key factor , Leong advised . He also urged broadcasters to revisit existing IT and network infrastructure , and check against factory recommendations and understand the preferred ways on how the network should be configured to support the chosen AoIP protocol .
“ The third and last key factor would be network security , and the easiest approach for 100 % security is to totally isolate the AoIP network from any other network , be it local area or Internet ,” Leong continued . “ With these three factors carefully considered , I believe broadcasters will have a successful and low stress transition to IP .” While of the firm conviction that IP adoption is on the rise , Jon Flay , managing director , Megahertz , is also quick to point out that the transition from traditional baseband SDI towards IP infrastructures using IT and cloud-based platforms will be even more complex than the switch from SD to HD .
Many common concerns surrounding IP remain valid , he emphasised , including questions such as : Where to use multicast or unicast ? How to dynamically route and switch ? When signals are put on a network , how do you know where they are going ? How is a fault or problem tracked ?
“ Those embarking on a transition to IP should also be aware that existing broadcast solutions may not communicate well with new IT-based control systems and conversely , there are IT systems that have no concept of broadcasting ,” Flay said .
It might also be reasonable to suggest that IP is most appropriate for greenfield installations , as highlighted by two recent new broadcast facilities in Singapore .
Earlier this year , pay-TV operator StarHub moved its TV headend into its new Hubtricity innovation centre and converged operations cockpit . The move , Chow Siew Loong , CTO of StarHub , told APB , is a culmination of StarHub ’ s embrace of IP as part of its TV headend architecture and delivery platform .
The centrepiece at Hubtricity is the Converged Command Cockpit , where StarHub can monitor how its fixed , mobile and pay-TV networks are performing . “ We implemented an IP TV headend architecture that bypasses the traditional SDI baseband system and delivers Transport Stream over IP after the integrated receiver decoders ( IRDs ) for turnaround linear channels ,” he explained . Also operating in a new broadcast and media centre is Singapore terrestrial broadcaster Mediacorp , who earlier this year moved into its new Mediacorp Campus , a 79,500sqm state-of-the-art production and digital facility .
As systems integrator for Mediacorp Campus , Qvest Media was tasked with building a technical infrastructure that can support a new way of content collaboration , production and delivery .
Konstantin Knauf , managing director , Qvest Media Singapore , eleborated : “ One of the major challenges was to implement a technical design that allows a versatile combination of IT , AV , hardware and software solutions , despite having various technology standards by different manufacturers in a deeply integrated environment .”
In agreement with Mediacorp , Qvest Media chose a vendor-neutral approach ,
overseeing and managing 42 different manufacturers for playout , transmission , IT networking , servers , managing application for content , post production , radio and news system , as well as workflow orchestration . This set-up , Goh Kim Soon , SVP , broadcast engineering , Mediacorp , told APB , supports collaborative workflows , and allows Mediacorp to extensively leverage IP technology to interconnet different broadcast systems for the transmission of audio and video content .
In the interim , however , a hybrid approach best suits Mediacorp , as Goh explained : “ We are still implementing SDI in some of our workflows , especially for live video , as the standards for IP are still evolving .”
Technologies as key enablers in disruptive broadcast landscape The examples of StarHub and Mediacorp are perhaps indicative that the transition to IP is well and truly under way . The only remaining question , perhaps , is how broadcasters plan their transition to IP , simply because each broadcaster will have their own needs and requirements .
And while IP is currently one of the key discussion points for the broadcast industry , other technologies such as 4K / UHD , 8K , high dynamic range ( HDR ) and virtual reality ( VR ) are all grappling for the attention of broadcasters . How then should broadcasters approach the emergence of all these new technologies and all their underlying promises ?
The answer , arguably , is to see them as key enablers in fulfilling a key goal : Delivering a compelling and immersive viewing experience at the most costeffective way possible .
To suggest that change is sweeping the broadcast and media industries is , for all intents and purposes , an understatement . The way viewers consume content has changed , and is unlikely to revert back to the days when broadcasters dictate what viewers watch .
The Netflixs , Hulus and Amazons of the world are not going away ; on the contrary , expect more like-minded services to emerge , particularly localised video offerings catering to niche markets and audiences . Connected mobile devices with pixel-rich screens will continue to proliferate , offering viewers a comparable , if not better option , to watch
33 years
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