8 May-June 2017
NEWS & VIEWS
IP transition continues with more industry collaboration
LAS VEGAS – The IP journey started with the SMPTE ST 2022 standard and , particularly , ST 2022- 6 allowed SDI signals to be transported over IP networks , declared Peter Weitzel , honorary secretary and treasurer , SMPTE , UK Section .
Speaking to APB at the 2017 NAB Show , Weitzel chronicled how that was followed by the introduction of ST 2022-7 , which combines video streams over IP . “ There is a need to have industry players agreeing on standards in order to accelerate the IP transition ,” he said .
Together with AIMS , AMWA , AES , EBU , IABM , MNA and VSF , SMPTE organised an IP Showcase at this year ’ s NAB Show , which presented visitors with a “ holistic view ” of industry alignment , action and transformation , with respect to production , contribution and primary distribution workflows over IP .
Perhaps more pertinently , the IP Showcase also served as a sneak preview for the SMPTE ST 2110 standard , which , when fully ratified , offers a common set of protocols for IP interoperability .
Even if you are still working with SDI workflows , it is time to take advantage of the latest advances in IP technology , urged Scott Barella , board member and deputy chair , technical WG , Alliance for IP Media Solutions ( AIMS ).
He added : “ AIMS ’ participation in the IP Showcase is part of its ongoing effort to establish a uniform approach to all-IP workflows based on industry standards and recommendations that are already well established or are well under way .”
Both Barella and Weitzel ac-
2017 a ‘ defining year ’ for broadcast IP
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Providing a common set of protocols for IP interoperability , SMPTE ST 2110 is expected to be fully ratified this year , and will play a key role in making 2017 a “ defining year ” for broadcast IP , suggested Matthew Goldman , president of SMPTE , and SVP Technology , TV & Media , Ericcson .
Describing the broadcast industry as being “ very enthusiastic ” about the migration to all-IP infrastructures , he highlighted the success of the IP Showcase at the recent 2017 NAB Show . More than 40 broadcast vendors participated in an interoperability demonstration SMPTE set up with AIMS and other partners to highlight how media operators can leverage the benefits offered by SMPTE ST 2110 .
Despite this progress , there is perhaps a very practical , and necessary , acknowledgement that SDI has not run its course . Goldman said : “ Due to various commercial and economic reasons , and the core nature and mission-critical application of broadcast infrastructure , there will be widely varying migration time frames — with some SDI plants remaining for many years .
“ Once the flexibility and scalability of all-IP infrastructures become more commonplace , these factors may accelerate the migration .”
The imminent acceptance of SMPTE ST 2110 means that in any new broadcast facility , IP will be deployed alongside SDI to “ fill in the gaps ”, according to Stan Moote , CTO of IABM .
Dismissing the idea that SDI is already obsolete , he added : “ People doing very simple , non-scalable facilities or add-ons are fine to go on with SDI .
“ South Korea going with 12Gbps SDI for 4K / Ultra HD ( UHD ) made good sense , and I think others will follow this path too .”
However , it is time for broadcasters to learn as much as possible about IP and the benefits it brings , because the IP train has already left the station , Moote analogised .
The transition to IP also calls for conscientious planning , as he explained : “ Once you have decided to embrace IP , there are so many paths available for new operations , new channels , more productions , and so on . You need to focus on your switch from Capex to Opex , and how best to run your operation .
“ You must also take note that there is still a lot of SD activity happening ; although mainly for playout , SD productions will move to IP .”
Many facilities today , Moote observed , have their infrastructures designed for 100 % live productions , when in reality , little is actually used for this purpose , beyond pass-through and local ad inser-
Scott Barella , board member and deputy chair , technical WG , Alliance for IP Media Solutions ( AIMS ): Even if you are still working with SDI workflows , it is time to take advantage of the latest advances in IP technology .
knowledged that this is a transition that will not happen overnight . The likelihood , said Barella , is that media operators will adopt a hybrid approach of implementing IPbased solutions into SDI workflows .
However , that should not be presented as a barrier for broadcasters to start thinking of embracing IP , Weitzel concluded , saying : “ While the time taken to roll out IP infrastructures may be longer than expected , we encourage broadcasters to jump into the [ IP ] future , which is where the industry is heading .”
tion . Therefore , mapping out an IP strategy starts with understanding three issues .
First , Moote asked , how much live production is really happening , and do you really need to set up the whole broadcast plant for live ? “ Also , don ’ t just go with IP for the sake of IP today ,” he continued . “ Understand the benefits that fit into your business plans , then decide on your direction .”
Perhaps , the most pressing challenge involves the human element . “ Start to move your CFO ’ s mindset over to the computer world — you can ’ t be keeping equipment for 10- 15 years anymore ,” Moote declared .
IP-based infrastructures can potentially allow more flexibility in how media signals are transmitted , which in turn offers greater optimisation . In fact , some broadcasters in Asia already operate in IP-based facilities , although most broadcasters will take a similar approach as they did , or are doing , in transitioning from SD to HD , said ABU ’ s Dr Amal .
“ We have seen digital islands in production facilities extended to fully digital workflows ,” he elaborated . “ Most of the SD acquisition and production facilities were used until the end of its useful life .
“ The IP transition could follow a similar approach , where new facilities can be built using IP-enabled devices , and where existing devices and standards such as SMPTE
VR provides ‘ a touch-line seat ’
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Global media delivery network .
Six streams were routed from the stadium for live distribution by Now TV to consumers ’ mobile devices , PCs and VR headsets , including Samsung Gear VR , HTC Vive , Zeiss VR One Plus and Google Cardboard via YouTube 360 .
Mike van den Bergh , chief marketing officer , PCCW Global , said : “ This world ’ s first delivery of a complete source-to-screen solution for immersive 360 ° VR viewing was one of the most exciting projects our team has been involved in , because while it truly showcased our innovation and media delivery capabilities , it also tested our abilities fully , leveraging as it did both our extensive experience in delivering mega sports events , and our ability to successfully put such a complex solution together in a very short space of time [ less than six weeks from project initiation ].”
According to PCCW Global and Ideal Systems , the challenges of real-time live VR streaming compared to traditional TV revolve around the complexity of dealing with data rates , which are “ significantly larger and more demanding ” on the delivery networks — with close to 6Gbps of
The line-up of sponsors of the Broadcast IP Inter-Op Lab .
2022-6 , enable SDI signals to be transported over IP using the RTP protocol .”
And in a bid to further alleviate any lingering concerns surrounding interoperability , the ABU , IABM and SMPTE have unanimously thrown their support behind 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 showcasing what is working in IP today while highlighting interoperability between different manufacturers .
The IP Inter-Op Lab also offers participants a hands-on experience of working on an all-IP ecosystem , featuring a live broadcast studio , content editing and distribution to over-the-top ( OTT ) platforms , all in real time .
Calvin Koh , assistant director ( communication events ), UBM SES , said : “ The Broadcast IP Inter-Op Lab at BroadcastAsia2017 presents a rare opportunity for industry decision-makers , facing the challenging task of transitioning to IP , to get some practical experience with interoperability between different systems . uncompressed video coming from each Nokia OZO Live Server .
The question many broadcasters will ask , perhaps , is this : Will sports fans truly embrace VR ?
“ Emphatically , yes !,” declared Fintan Mc Kiernan , CEO of Ideal Systems , South-east Asia . He told APB : “ Offer any sports fan a touchline seat at their favourite game , and they will jump at the chance .
“ That ’ s what VR is — it ’ s a touch-line seat where you are not looking at the action ; you are in the action , surrounded by the sound of the fans .”
Mc Kiernan is also keen to make the distinction between the Hong Kong Sevens project with a more common interpretation of the “ immersive nature of VR ” — which is 360 ° video viewed in a VR headset .
He explained : “ What we did with PCCW Global and Now TV for the live 360 ° VR coverage of the 2017 Cathay Pacific / HSBC Rugby Sevens is something else .
“ We added 3D into 360 , and adding spatial sound dramatically enhances the experience — that ’ s why we use the Nokia OZO camera , that ’ s the differentiator . “ 360 ° is not VR . “ What we did in Hong Kong is VR and 4K / UHD , and it was amazing .”
“ Participants can look forward to producing a short video clip and transmitting it live over IP at the on-site studio . We hope this will provide valuable insights and answers that will help them in their acquisition planning .”
Andrew Yeo , publisher of APB , said : “ The clarion call to embrace IP is growing louder and indeed making IP an integral part of our workflow is the way forward . This is why APB ’ s ConneXxion Forum 2016 dwelt on Empowering Broadcasters to Embrace IP and the keynote speaker was Mock Pak Lum , CTO of StarHub .
“ To persuade more Asian broadcasters to embrace IP , APB decided to forego this year ’ s ConneXxion Forum and instead mooted the idea of an IP Inter-Op Lab at BroadcastAsia2017 , offering broadcasters and production houses visiting the show an opportunity to work on an IP production system … and participate in a panel discussion on May 23 at 12.30pm at the IP Theatre , next to the lab .”
And as Goh Kim Soon , senior VP , Broadcast Engineering , Mediacorp , commented at last year ’ s forum : “ IP is inevitable ... The IP revolution in broadcast has already started .”