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BROADCAST TECHNOLOGY 2018
Original KVM or KVM-over-IP
— where is the broadcast
industry headed?
Will the technology used in broadcasting solely consist of IP devices? Or,
an “IP-only world”, so to speak? For years, IP has been entering all areas
of life. This is especially true in control room applications as it is typically
deployed in broadcasting, which is benefiting from the IP revolution in many
ways. But an “IP-only broadcast world” is not yet here. Nevertheless, the
trend is clearly moving towards IP transmission, even though a large part of
content production still uses traditional transmission paths. And therefore,
we continue to live in a hybrid world, using both traditional and IP-based
technologies. Keyboard, video and mouse (KVM) experts Guntermann und
Druck (G&D) still rely on both original KVM and KVM-over-IP to be able to
offer their customers the best of both worlds. BY JOCHEN BAUER
Are there any recommendations for
when to choose classic KVM over KVM-
over-IP? Unfortunately, this question has
no universal answer as an answer would
always depend on individual project
parameters and customer wishes.
Classic KVM is based on dedicated
cabling. Therefore, a dedicated network
is usually set up for the systems.
This has the great advantage that
the available bandwidth can be used
optimally without having to add
further network-compatible devices
consuming bandwidth. The producers
enjoy optimum performance with the
best possible image quality and the best
possible user experience. One should
also keep in mind that thanks to the
standard connection technology, existing
cable structures can still be used or even
be expanded. Last but not least, classic
KVM systems offer maximum access
security thanks to the total control of the
medium.
G&D recently announced an
expansion of its portfolio of classic KVM
matrix systems in order to better meet
customer requirements. The German
KVM manufacturer launched six
new expansion stages of the compact
ControlCenter-Compact matrix series.
With this portfolio expansion, the
company will be able to always offer
its customers a suitable and tailor-
made solution according to project
requirements.
KVM-over-IP: Does
everything now revolve
around IP?
The IP revolution provides media
professionals and IT administrators with
many advantages. Today, planners and
technicians often look for solutions for
standardising their network technology
and integrating KVM components into
the existing infrastructure. The use of
existing cabling, switches and routers
does not only save costs, but, above all,
provides flexibility and simplification
through central administration. Standard
An
Supplement
network components ensure that
existing IT installations can be scaled
more easily, flexibly and cost-effectively.
Under certain circumstances, existing
structures can even be shared.
The demand for IP solutions is
high and will increasingly dominate
the KVM market in the coming years.
Today, G&D is already building the
technology of tomorrow and therefore
presented a new matrix for KVM-
over-IP at the beginning of the year.
Together with a series of IP extenders,
the ControlCenter-IP forms a powerful
matrix system with which every
connected workstation can access every
remote computer. In a conventional
network, KVM-over-IP packets are
Together with a series of IP
extenders, G&D’s ControlCenter-IP
forms a powerful matrix system
with which every connected
workstation can access every
remote computer.
transported by network switches
and routers, with the ControlCenter
IP contributing the switching logic.
Transmission takes place compressed
with CAT cabling or optical fibres via
standard IP-based Layer 3 networks,
with a data transmission rate of up to
1Gbps per line.
Powerful and flexible
“The trend is clearly
moving towards IP
transmission, even
though a large part of
content production
still uses traditional
transmission paths.”
— Jochen Bauer
Head of Marketing,
Guntermann & Drunck
Today’s networks are becoming
increasingly powerful. Networks with
40Gbps or even 100Gbps bandwidth
are no longer considered a major
technological breakthrough. This creates
opportunities for technologies outside
the content chain.
The big advantage: system
administrators are familiar with IP,
and KVM-over-IP seems to be the next
logical step for IT-supported structures
in broadcasting. The new ControlCenter-
IP captures the spirit of the times and
combines all advantages of G&D’s classic
matrix systems with the flexibility of IP
networks.
Another advantage of IP-supported
structures are duplex-capable IP
networks. In such networks, the cabling
can be used to transmit KVM packets
in both directions. This provides
maximum flexibility, so that under
certain circumstances — for example, in
broadcast houses in which two company
buildings are to be connected — cabling
can be saved.
The new IP systems certainly do not
generally replace the classic systems
“The demand for IP
solutions is high and will
increasingly dominate
the KVM market in the
coming years.”
as they have their own advantages and
are still often used in many projects.
Whether IP or classic, the more important
point is: In order to have a future-proof
installation, systems must be adaptable
so that they can still be used even with
changing requirements and can be
retrofitted as the system architecture
grows.
G&D are therefore particularly
proud to offer the largest compatible
and combinable KVM portfolio on the
market. This ensures that our customers’
installations are future-proof and
expandable.
However, even after a lot of thought,
it is still not possible to give a general
recommendation for IP or for original
KVM systems, as each project can be
designed very individually on the basis of
the project requirements and framework
conditions. In addition to project
parameters, which play a significant role
when deciding between classic or IP,
subjective factors are extremely important
too.
With their many years of experience,
G&D’s KVM experts are happy to
always assist our customers with their
projects.