36 X-PLATFORM
September 2017
UEFA trials IP remote production in 4K / Ultra HD
The Union of European Football Associations ( UEFA ), European football ’ s governing body , has delivered what it calls the “ world ’ s first ” uncompressed 4K / Ultra HD ( UHD ) remote production trial .
In collaboration with Snell Advanced Media ( SAM ) and systems integrator Gearhouse Broadcast , UEFA deployed an IP system for the final match of the 2017 UEFA European Under-21 Championship in June .
The IP system , which replaced a traditional outside broadcast ( OB ) set-up , delivered live camera signals from the Marshal Józef Piłsudski Stadium in Krakow , Poland , to UEFA , which was located at BT Sport ’ s facility at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London , around 1,600km away , ready for live edit and playout .
Describing the project as “ very successful ”, Phil Myers , IP product manager , SAM , also stressed the importance of communication in technology-driven projects where multiple stakeholders are involved . He told APB : “ The planning and pre-testing of the network paths proved critical and ensure smooth passage for the IP media flows on the day — something we would strongly recommend to any customer looking to embark on this type of project .”
SAM ’ s IP routing and edge devices were deployed for the project , which like any that involves IP , requires a good understanding of the commercial-off-the-shelf ( COTS ) network switch and its configuration , said Myers .
He continued : “ The fundamentals of timing is also not lost , as the use of multiple PTP ( Precision Time Protocol ) Grandmasters to distribute accurate system timing throughout the network , in order to synchronise devices , was required .”
NEP showcases UEFA Women ’ s Euro 2017 from the cloud
Eurosport engaged NEP to facilitate the delivery of all 31 matches of the UEFA Women ’ s Euro 2017 , which took place from July 16 to August 6 in The Netherlands .
While remote productions have traditionally been constrained by the need for compression to provide connectivity over lowbandwidth infrastructures between the host venue and production facility , SAM was able to remove these constraints by providing UEFA with an uncompressed 4K / UHD IP solution . “ This ensured that the UEFA and BT Sport production teams back in London has the highest quality images and audio from Poland , as well as providing a near-live experience due to the IP system ’ s low-latency performance ,” Myers added .
He also highlighted how the project provided a real-world case study to show that remote production , at the “ highest quality ” — without compromising system latency or redundancy — is viable today using readily available COTS network switching technology .
André Nel , UEFA ’ s senior broad-
Eurosport , a sports TV network operated by Discovery Communications , selected NEP as its facilitating partner for the video distribution of the Union of European Football Associations ( UEFA ) Women ’ s Euro 2017 football tournament , which took place from July 16 to August 6 in several cities in The Netherlands .
As the host broadcaster of the event , Eurosport adopted NEP ’ s low latency Cloud Production solution to deliver all 31 live matches . Cloud production , according to NEP , represents “ sustainable production ” as it allows sharing of central resources that can be efficiently deployed in multiple productions and locations , thereby safeguarding the quality of the programmes .
For instance , in the match between Russia and Germany , which kicked off at the Galgenwaard stadium in the Dutch city of Utrecht on July 25 , NEP deployed Cloud Production , an IP-based video
At the final match of the 2017 UEFA European Under-21 Championship held at Piłsudski Stadium in Krakow , Poland , in June , SAM and Gearhouse Broadcast delivered a complete proof-of-concept , IP-based remote production system .
cast engineering manager , said : “ This successful test represents a major milestone for UEFA as we continue to innovate and explore remote production solutions ahead of the incredible challenges that future finals and UEFA Euro 2020 — with matches played in 13 different countries — will present .”
Over the past 12 months , there have been increased interest and an industry move towards remote
production platform where all resources are available from a cloudbased IP infrastructure .
Using its dark fibre network , NEP connected the stadium with the company ’ s cloud network , which comprises a cloud gallery , as well as shading and audio suites , to create a sports programme that can be used for live broadcast .
Simon Farnsworth , EVP , sports and European technology , Discovery Communications , said : “ We are excited to be trialling NEP ’ s low-latency Cloud Production infrastructure at these championships . It will increase the efficiency of our live production , allowing us to deliver a premium viewing experience in a more sustainable way than ever before .”
To minimise bandwidth requirements , NEP combined its Cloud Production with JPEG2000 and VC2 compression / decompression , which enabled the connectivity between on-site cameras and NEP ’ s production for major sporting events . This , in turn , is providing a key application area that can be enabled and realised by the use of IP technology , SAM ’ s Myers noted . “ This is not only providing significant workflow benefits and better utilisation of resources for our customers , but is also potentially providing greater commercial savings due to these efficiencies ,” he concluded .
central platform in Hilversum . Feeds from multiple cameras , including a super slow-motion camera behind the goal and two cameras placed on a presentation desk next to the field , were connected to the central platform . NEP also linked commentary in the stadium to the central platform .
Peter Bruggink , CTO at NEP , The Netherlands , added : “ For transport layer , our own 100Gbps IP platform is used . In the gallery in Hilversum , the feed was enriched with live graphics and EVS playouts to make a complete programme . Shading takes place from the central shading room in Hilversum . This way , we ’ re making a high-quality and complete live programme , all remotely .”
Besides managing cloud production and the full registration of all 31 matches , NEP was also responsible for venue management , commentary positions , dedicated pre- and post-match live positions , as well as international graphics .
PHOTO CREDIT : ISTOCK BY GETTY IMAGES
Belden joins SDVoE Alliance to promote AV-over-IP
Throwing its support behind a standardised hardware and software platform for AV-over-IP , Belden has joined the Software Defined Video Over Ethernet ( SDVoE ) Alliance .
According to Belden , its connectivity solutions take a universal approach to AV and IT signal transmission needs . As the Internet of Things ( IoT ) and convergence — bringing multiple disparate systems together onto one network for better communication , mobility , efficiency and safety — become more prevalent , Belden believes its portfolio of audio , video and communication products can help organisations of all kinds integrate the delivery of uncompressed HD signals .
Dave Geon , VP of USA sales , Belden , added : “ Years of research and development , spanning multiple levels of the OSI model , put us in a position to support the adoption of AV-over-IP platforms .
“ Belden ’ s deep understanding of AV technology extends beyond cable and connectivity to include the active component brands in our portfolio — including Grass Valley , Thinklogical and Tripwire — which gives us unique insight into AV and IT platforms , and how they can work together .”
The mission of the SDVoE Alliance , is to provide the “ solid , stable , reliable and costeffective ” AV-over-IP platform the pro AV market needs to fully realise the benefits of standardised Ethernet infrastructure , Justin Kennington , president of the SDVoE Alliance , described . “ We look forward to working with Belden to capitalise on their vast experience in connectivity solutions and lessons learnt during the broadcast industry transition from SDI to IP-based systems ,” he concluded .