2 EDITORIAL

May-June 2017 ( volume 34 issue 4 )

EDITORIAL managing editor Shawn Liew , shawn @ editecintl . com online editor Millette Burgos , millette @ editecintl . com contributing editor ( technology ) Karl K Rossiter , karl @ editecintl . com contributing editor Shirish Nadkarni , shinads @ yahoo . co . uk senior reporter Josephine Tan , josephine @ editecintl . com

Decisions that fundamentally change the way we work or live are seldom taken hastily , and justifiably so . For broadcasters , technology transitions can be a daunting proposition , particularly when it involves the uprooting of established and trusted workflows and systems .

The ongoing transition to IP is a classic case in point . Over the past year or so , broadcasters around the world have heard impassioned arguments on why replacing SDI with IP is the only logical approach to survive and thrive .

Some have heeded the call , and are already working on full-IP infrastructures . Others have begun to integrate IP-based solutions into their SDI workflows , and then there are those who remain undecided over IP .

Can IP truly replace , and surpass SDI , which has served us well for decades ? What is the cost of having to replace legacy SDI equipment ? Can we be assured that IP solutions offered by different vendors can work well together ?

The formation of the Alliance for IP Media Solutions ( AIMS ), a non-profit trade alliance that promotes open standards and interoperability , and comprising some of the biggest broadcast vendors in the world , has gone some way to assuage some of these concerns .

When the SMPTE ST 2110 standard is ratified later this year , it is likely to further strengthen the IP interoperability proposition .

And demonstrating interoperability between different manufacturers will be a key goal of the Broadcast IP Inter-Op Lab at BroadcastAsia2017 .

Set up by APB , in collaboration with systems integrator Ideal Systems and show organiser UBM SES , the IP Lab is also supported by some of the most prominent broadcast equipment vendors in the world ( turn to pages 18-20 to read more ). We are also offering broadcast and media companies from around Asia-Pacific a hands-on experience

of working on an all-IP ecosystem , featuring a live broadcast studio , content editing and distribution to OTT platforms , all in real time .

This is not to suggest that you should immediately implement an all-IP system in your broadcast facility . Clearly , SDI still has a role to play in the IP transition , which in all probability will be a lengthy process .

Hybrid SDI / IP deployments are likely to be the norm as broadcasters continue to plan their transition to IP . What APB and our partners are trying to achieve with the Broadcast IP Inter-Op Lab is to highlight to broadcasters in Asia what currently works in IP and provide a platform to share experiences .

In an increasingly digitised world where viewing patterns continue to be re-shaped with every new Netflix or Amazon Prime Video offering , IP can potentially be a key enabler in the increasingly convoluted race to win eyeballs .

Unless broadcasters start now to learn more about IP and what it can potentially bring to their respective operations , they run the risk of missing out on the benefits that IP can bring in the long term .

For those of you who have yet to confirm your participation for the Broadcast IP Inter-Op Lab at BroadcastAsia2017 , we urge you to quickly book a time slot to secure a hands-on session at the IP Lab .

There are only 16 slots a day . Log on to www . apb-news . com and check availability . Embrace IP … go with the flow .

SHAWN LIEW MANAGING EDITOR

CORRESPONDENTS

■ India Shirish Nadkarni , shinads @ yahoo . co . uk

■ USA Mike Feazel , mfeazel @ gmail . com

PRODUCTION production editor Zuraini Ridzwan , zuraini @ editecintl . com sub-editor Genevieve Chan , genevieve @ editecintl . com senior multimedia designer Raymund Jaudian , raymund @ editecintl . com multimedia designer Waldomar Zuniga , waldomar @ editecintl . com ad / office administrator Irene Lok , irene @ editecintl . com accounts manager Tan Hui Min , huimin @ editecintl . com

MARKETING director - sales & marketing Jessie Tan , jessie @ editecintl . com manager - sales & marketing Lynn Chee , lynn @ editecintl . com

CIRCULATION & PROMOTIONS Lynn Chee , lynn @ editecintl . com

PUBLISHING publisher / editorial director Andrew Yeo , andrew @ editecintl . com

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