6 NEWS & VIEWS

July 2018

BY MICHEL PROULX

The question of whether IP is the right solution for my project has become one of the most important questions facing TV production and playout facility engineers lately .

The truth is : the answer is dependent on many factors . It depends on what you are trying to achieve and whether you are building a new facility or expanding an existing one . It also depends on the size of the facility and whether the facility will be HD-only , includes some 4K / Ultra HD ( UHD ) or aspires to be able to support 4K / UHD at some point in the future .

The benefits of IP n Reduction in cabling and connections Because IP is packet-based , it is possible to combine multiple channels of different types of signals in both directions . This combination generally leads to a dramatic reduction in the amount of cabling required . For example , a single 100GE link can transport 60 or more HD videos and associated audios in each direction . Genlock , control and even file traffic can be carried on the same 100GE link .

n Enable a transition to software and software-defined solutions — improve flexibility and agility By eliminating the need for specialised I / O connections , IP enables the use of software-based solutions hosted on standard x86-based computing components .

For processing-intensive or latencysensitive video functions , many vendors have now introduced multi-purpose hardware modules that can be software configured to perform different functions ranging from simple frame syncs to

Type of Project

❝ The question of whether IP is the right solution for my project has become one of the most important questions facing TV production and playout facility engineers lately .❞

full up / down / cross-conversion or high channel count multiviewers . Because they can be reconfigured as needed , these software and software-defined solutions dramatically improve the flexibility and agility of a facility by allowing users to change the functions performed based on the needs of the day .

n Format-agnostic infrastructure Another important benefit of IP is that it is agnostic to format . IP transparently transports and switches SD , HD and 4K / UHD video signals . Even 8K signals can be handled , although these require 100GE ports for each signal , which reduces capacity of the network . Whether 4K / UHD is a short-term priority or a longer-term aspiration , IP provides an agile and future-proof infrastructure .

n IP enables larger scale Because it is packet-based and can switch individual channels , even though they may be multiplexed in the same physical interface , IP can enable much larger scale ( larger number of video sources and destinations ) than SDI . There are now single chassis 2RU IP switches that have as many as 60 100GE ports . This is enough switching capacity to switch 4080 x 4080 HD 1080i25 or 425 x 425 4K / UHD signals . In comparison , the largest 3Gbps SDI routers max out at just over 1100 x 1100 and fill up

two racks of equipment . Video routers that can handle 12Gbps SDI for 4K / UHD are available but currently max out at around 288 x 288 .

n Seamless integration of remote production An important trend in live production is the leveraging of remote or distributed production scenarios in which equipment and personnel are located in different facilities . By deploying IP routing at each facility and linking the facilities via a wide area IP backbone , it becomes possible to create a single seamless network .

In such a network , users no longer need to worry about multiple switching stages or about where a specific piece of equipment or person is . The entire system appears as one larger system , resources are more easily shared and operations are simpler .

n Does IP benefit your project ? As stated in the very first paragraph of this article , the question of when IP will be right does depend a great deal on the type of project that you are planning . The table shown maps the different benefits of IP to different types of projects or situations . Colour coding of the cells provides an indication of whether a specific benefit is of great value ( green ), neutral ( yellow ) or if there is no benefit ( orange ).

As the table shows , IP is not right for all projects but it is right for many of them . Over time , the use of IP will continue to grow ; vendor solutions will

Louis Boswell CEO CASBAA

Graham Stephens CTO Media City Development , Malaysia mature ; and IP will become advantageous for even more use cases .

n Do not wait … get started now There is little doubt that IP presents a whole new set of challenges and complexities , while an important knowledge gap exists today .

So , even if now is not the time for you to deploy IP for real-time media in your facility , you need to get on the learning curve , and you need to gain experience and knowledge . Attending seminars and reading white papers will get you started , but to be really ready for this technology , you have to get your hands dirty . Towards that end , I highly recommend that you build something in IP today . Whether it is a lab , a small sand box project , or an experimental studio , it does not matter how small the project is — the important thing is that you get started .

Doing so will put you in touch with the vendors developing IP , and allow you to understand the capabilities and limitations of today ’ s solutions . You might even be able to influence their roadmaps or priorities , and your engineering personnel can learn about what is really important to know in this new application .

This way , by the time IP is right for you , you will be ready and your transition will go smoothly .

Michel Proulx is a media industry advisor , and a former CTO of Miranda Technologies .

Goh Kim Soon Senior Vice-President Broadcast Engineering Mediacorp

Shad Hashmi

Vice-President , Digital Development , Global Markets & Operations , BBC Worldwide Asia