BROADCAST TECHNOLOGY 2018
Success depends on
well-defined IP network
T
he life of a modern broadcaster
has never been more complex or
fraught with challenges.
Broadcasters can look back
with fond nostalgia to the days when
they were not only the main content
creators but also owned the key linear
TV transmission pipelines; they basically
controlled the content the average viewer
consumes on a daily basis.
The introduction of the Internet
and, latterly, the iPhone — directly or
otherwise — has changed the landscape
forever. The Internet, serving as a content
distribution pipeline, spawned the birth
of Netflix, quite possibly the biggest
disruptor to the content consumption
business model.
Consider this startling fact: Netflix is
expected to spend up to US$8 billion on
700 original series in 2018 alone. Joined
by an increasingly growing brethren not
afraid of splashing their cash in order
to grow their online audience, this is
encouraging a thriving video-on-demand
(VoD) market that is continuing to pull
viewers away from traditional linear TV.
Whether this is a bubble that is
primed to burst from overload is an
argument better served for another
day — the most immediate concern
for broadcasters is the continued
relinquishing of control. Viewers today
have multiple choices to choose their
content from; besides VoD services such
as Netflix, platforms such as Facebook,
Twitter and YouTube have all continued
to grow in popularity as content
destinations, particularly for short-form
content.
The main challenge for broadcasters
today, according to David Blackett, group
GM, Magna Systems and Engineering
Group, is how to serve more and more
people who want to watch whatever they
While it may be premature to conclude that traditional linear TV
is on an irreversible downward spiral, broadcasters need to re-
evaluate how they can survive — and thrive — in the digital age.
20
Broadcasters are likely to continue to face multiple challenges in 2019. Embracing new
technologies is one way with which they could possibly gain more flexibility and agility in
remaining relevant to their audiences. However, in order to gain the full benefits of these
technologies, broadcasters need to first complete the transition to digital.
want, on whatever device they wish,
whenever they choose.
“We now live in an almost
completely on-demand world, and this
has its challenges for broadcasters,” he
continued. “Not the least of which is how
to monetise and raise revenue in this OTT
environment as opposed to in the old,
traditional linear world, where revenue
generation was well-established and
profitable.”
In essence, broadcasters need to
continue to create compelling content and
deliver the content to viewers in the way
they want, all in the most cost-effective
manner.
Embracing technologies as
key enablers
While traditional business models,
practices and mindsets need to evolve
in order for broadcasters to stay relevant
today, embracing technologies could
provide the flexibility and agility for
broadcasters to move forward with their
businesses
Where IP is concerned, 2018 could
well prove to be a seminal year. The
ratification of the SMPTE ST 2110
standards suite, while not completely
eradicating all issues, should provide a
greater level of confidence to broadcasters
Earlier this year, APB organised an IP Master Class in Singapore, hoping to help broadcasters
in the region bridge the game to IP. Since then, the ratification of the SMPTE ST 2110 suite
standards has provided further impetus for the adoption of IP across the broadcast and media
industry.
An
Supplement
contemplating IP.
While acknowledging that switching
to IP is one of the biggest challenges facing
the broadcast industry because it demands
“such revolutionary and radical changes”
in technology, Peter Schut, CTO, Axon
Digital Design, suggested: “After five
years of debating this issue, more people
now agree that IP is a logical step forward,
and are willing to countenance a move
towards a fully IP future.”
He, however, raised one concern: How
will broadcasters overcome the problems
that arise when trying to integrate and
control increasingly complex technology
layers while still providing guaranteed
bandwidth performance for new formats
such as 4K/Ultra HD (UHD)?
Schut credited organisations such
as the Alliance for IP Media Solutions
(AIMS) for working towards creating
final standards that address the needs of
broadcasters who are heading towards a
pure native IP infrastructure, as well as
those who want a hybrid environment
that allows them to mix old technology
with new.
When ST 2110 was first introduced,
early adopters have had to use gateway
products to bridge gaps between IP and
SDI. As the standard enters its second year
however, broadcasters are beginning to
enjoy the full benefits of IP, as companies
build end-to-end systems, noted
Mark Davis, director of products and
technology, TSL Systems.
However, he cautioned: “The level
of benefits an organisation receives will
depend on their business goals: some
organisations will see no significant
improvement because after you add in
the overhead and cost of conversion, the
differentials can be small.”
The transition to IP is also providing
clear opportunities for keyboard, video
and mouse (KVM) companies like
Guntermann & Drunck (G&D) to make
their mark in the broadcast business.
The IP revolution is providing media
professionals and IT administrators with
many advantages, according to Jochen
Where IP is concerned, 2018 could well prove to be
a seminal year. The ratification of the SMPTE ST 2110
standards suite, while not completely eradicating all
issues, should provide a greater level of confidence
to broadcasters contemplating IP.