In Broadcast June 2012 - 64

WWW.INBROADCAST.COM | ISSUE 9 - JUNE 2012

InFORM Delivering Stable Picture Quality In Unstable Network Conditions
By Paul Shen, CEO, TVU Networks The ability to broadcast live from virtually any location is compelling for broadcasters, who are continually searching for better and faster ways to deliver footage of live news
In the past, broadcasters relied heavily on traditional satellite and microwave trucks to broadcast live on location. However, today’s broadcasters are beginning to turn to mobile uplink solutions such as the TVUPack, which transmit the signal over 2.5G/3G/4G wireless networks. Mobile uplink solutions are a cost effective alternative electronic newsgathering tool that provide the flexibility to capture and transmit footage on location without being tethered to an expensive OB van. Although the promise of mobile uplink transmission solutions is compelling, these solutions must overcome several technological hurdles in order to deliver a professional quality picture. This article explores the two major barriers to delivering stable picture over wireless networks and examines other considerations network engineers should make when evaluating a mobile uplink solution.
Paul Shen

64

TVU pack on the go

Quality Picture
The promise of 3G and LTE networks is a dramatic increase in bandwidth, enabling greater amounts of data to move over the network than ever before. However, despite the bandwidth gains, transmission of a professional broadcast quality video signal can use up 5-10 Mb/s, easily overwhelming even today’s largest bandwidth 4G connections. Despite the fact that network capacity is growing at an exponential rate, a single pipe cannot accommodate the amount of data required for stable, professional-quality picture.

When looking to deliver strong picture over a wireless network, bandwidth is only part of the story. 3G and 4G networks all have certain characteristics that don’t exist in traditional wireline networks. Even if 3G and LTE wireless networks could provide sufficient bandwidth to transmit a professional-quality HD signal, the network is still inherently not capable of providing Quality of Service (QoS). Why is QoS important? Without QoS, packet loss is inevitable. Packet loss manifests itself as block artifacts on video and discontinuity on audio. In more extreme cases, packet loss can even cause the complete loss of picture altogether. Delivering quality picture is the objective for any professional live shot, preventing packet loss is critical for any reliable mobile uplink solution.

Inverse StatMux
In order to combat the bandwidth and QoS hurdles inherent in wireless 3G/4G networks, TVU Networks has developed a proprietary technology called Inverse StatMux. Most broadcast engineers are familiar with the term StatMux (statistical multiplexing). On a high level, StatMux is a process where multiple signals are combined and transmitted over a fixed channel. As its name suggests, Inverse StatMux does the opposite, taking a single signal source and then reverse multiplexing the signal across multiple channels for transmission. The transmission is then re-aggregated at the receiving end. With Inverse StatMux, the TVUPack is able to mitigate the effects of constrained bandwidth by transmitting the video signal over multiple channels simultaneously, enabling broadcasters to push a larger amount of data over the network, resulting in a better picture signal. Diagram 1 illustrates how Inverse StatMux is able to utilise multiple connections to push more data through the network. Additionally, Inverse StatMux combats network instability by intelligently monitoring each network connection in real-time, and making corrections and adjustments as network conditions change. If connection performance degrades,

the Inverse StatMux process enables the TVUPack to reallocate the data that was streaming through the degraded connection to other open connections, preventing data loss. The process of intelligently monitoring network conditions and dynamically adjusting the video compression rate in real time enables the TVUPack to match the video data rate with true available bandwidth, which in turn results in higher picture quality. The end results in terms of picture quality can be dramatic. Diagram 2 demonstrates common differences in picture quality when a signal is optimised with Inverse StatMux versus an unoptimised signal transmitted using other mobile uplink technologies.

Exploring Alternatives
In the past, a number of other mobile uplink solutions have attempted to tackle the bandw idth problem by using bonding, a technique that was originally developed in the IT networking industry. Bonding is a process where multiple signals are grouped together and transmitted through a single virtual channel. In a stable environment, such as one with multiple OC3 connections, bonding is a good technique to overcome bandwidth limitations because it aggregates all of the available bandwidth, enabling users to get better throughput. However, the 3G and 4G environment is not stable, and the bandwidth, latency and packet loss rate changes constantly. As a result, real throughput is much lower over 3G/4G connections using bonding technology. Since unstable network conditions are a fact of life when dealing with wireless networks, uplink solutions that use bonding struggle with delivering quality picture. If one of the signals feeding into a bonded connection is degraded, nothing can detect exactly where in the transmission process an error occurred, and packet loss is inevitable.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 65

Diagram 1: Inverse StatMux utilises multiple connections


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In Broadcast June 2012

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of In Broadcast June 2012

In Broadcast 6/12
Contents
Innews
Inview: Workflows Alter Post
Inaudio: Communications & Talkback Systems
Insound Glensound Hd Voice
Insound-the Loudness Control Dilemma
Inmedia: Networking in the Cloud
Inmedia Programming Perfection – the Adderlink Infinity Dual
Inmedia Cloud Station?
Instudio: Dynamic Supports
Ingear: Protective Bags & Cases
Inmedia Hd/sd Media Newsroom Has Global Presence
Inreply Argosy Has the Answers
Inreview Koba Serves Up Latest Kit
Infocus Oxygen Upgrades Sports Production Galleries
Infocus Newtek Unveils Next Generation Tricaster Family
Inform Tvu Networks on Video Stability
Inform Higher Frame Rates the Latest Hot Tech Fad?
69 Intest Omnitek Enhances Otm/otr Software
In Broadcast June 2012 - In Broadcast 6/12
In Broadcast June 2012 - 2
In Broadcast June 2012 - Contents
In Broadcast June 2012 - Innews
In Broadcast June 2012 - 5
In Broadcast June 2012 - 6
In Broadcast June 2012 - 7
In Broadcast June 2012 - 8
In Broadcast June 2012 - 9
In Broadcast June 2012 - 10
In Broadcast June 2012 - 11
In Broadcast June 2012 - 12
In Broadcast June 2012 - 13
In Broadcast June 2012 - 14
In Broadcast June 2012 - 15
In Broadcast June 2012 - 16
In Broadcast June 2012 - 17
In Broadcast June 2012 - 18
In Broadcast June 2012 - 19
In Broadcast June 2012 - 20
In Broadcast June 2012 - 21
In Broadcast June 2012 - 22
In Broadcast June 2012 - 23
In Broadcast June 2012 - Inview: Workflows Alter Post
In Broadcast June 2012 - 25
In Broadcast June 2012 - Inaudio: Communications & Talkback Systems
In Broadcast June 2012 - 27
In Broadcast June 2012 - 28
In Broadcast June 2012 - 29
In Broadcast June 2012 - Insound Glensound Hd Voice
In Broadcast June 2012 - 31
In Broadcast June 2012 - Insound-the Loudness Control Dilemma
In Broadcast June 2012 - 33
In Broadcast June 2012 - Inmedia: Networking in the Cloud
In Broadcast June 2012 - 35
In Broadcast June 2012 - 36
In Broadcast June 2012 - 37
In Broadcast June 2012 - Inmedia Programming Perfection – the Adderlink Infinity Dual
In Broadcast June 2012 - 39
In Broadcast June 2012 - Inmedia Cloud Station?
In Broadcast June 2012 - 41
In Broadcast June 2012 - Instudio: Dynamic Supports
In Broadcast June 2012 - 43
In Broadcast June 2012 - 44
In Broadcast June 2012 - 45
In Broadcast June 2012 - 46
In Broadcast June 2012 - 47
In Broadcast June 2012 - Ingear: Protective Bags & Cases
In Broadcast June 2012 - 49
In Broadcast June 2012 - 50
In Broadcast June 2012 - 51
In Broadcast June 2012 - 52
In Broadcast June 2012 - 53
In Broadcast June 2012 - Inmedia Hd/sd Media Newsroom Has Global Presence
In Broadcast June 2012 - Inreply Argosy Has the Answers
In Broadcast June 2012 - Inreview Koba Serves Up Latest Kit
In Broadcast June 2012 - Infocus Oxygen Upgrades Sports Production Galleries
In Broadcast June 2012 - Infocus Newtek Unveils Next Generation Tricaster Family
In Broadcast June 2012 - 59
In Broadcast June 2012 - 60
In Broadcast June 2012 - 61
In Broadcast June 2012 - 62
In Broadcast June 2012 - 63
In Broadcast June 2012 - Inform Tvu Networks on Video Stability
In Broadcast June 2012 - 65
In Broadcast June 2012 - 69 Intest Omnitek Enhances Otm/otr Software
In Broadcast June 2012 - 67
In Broadcast June 2012 - 68
In Broadcast June 2012 - 69
In Broadcast June 2012 - 70
In Broadcast June 2012 - 71
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