In Broadcast - January 2018 - 40

www.inbroadcast.com | Vol: 8 - Issue 1 | January 2018

InStudio

Producing Change

application in the last five years, which
is now being used by broadcasters
including ITV.
The commercial network is now
running metadata alongside the
footage used in its news operation,
The broadcast production infrastructure scene is changing,
connecting location and studio
the question is how quickly? Contributing Editor Kevin Hilton
production to the Sony Hive capture
examines a dynamic process in action...
and media backbone system, with full
Cloud-based storage and access.
here is no doubt that broadcast data infrastructure, doing
In the last ten years the
production infrastructures will away with the need for two
Cloud has been held up
change. The technologies to bring switching-routing
centres,
as a way to revolutionise
about a major shift from established one for SDI, one for IP.
production, with more
methods of carrying video, audio and
ST
2110
has
been
remote storage enabling
supporting data signals round and developed partly from TRtrue
collaborative
between facilities are now in place, 03, the Recommendation for
working. This has begun
with IP (Internet Protocol) certain to Transport of Uncompressed
to happen but now there
succeed SDI and baseband. Alongside Elementary Stream Media
is a more formal approach
this is the ambition to move from not over IP, originally laid out
to
this
somewhat
Larger files need more robust handing systems nebulous
just standard definition but also high by the Video Services
technology
such as those from Signiant
definition transmission, enhancing Forum (VSF). The VSF gave
concept. The aim of some
picture imaging through 4K/Ultra HD SMPTE permission to use
broadcast
technology
in conjunction with HDR (high dynamic TR-03 as part of its work on
companies
today,
range) and wide colour gamut (WCG).
what has become ST 2110.
including media asset
The wholesale adoption of 4K/ The president of SMPTE,
management developer
HDR/WCG depends primarily on Matthew Goldman, who is
TMD
(TransMedia
broadcasters - new TV sets are also Senior Vice President of
Dynamics), is to establish
already in shops and homes, with Technology, TV and media
greater
orchestration
prices beginning to fall, but there is at
Ericsson,
comments
of the various stages of
comparatively little UHD programming that the new standards "go
production. By doing this,
TMD digital
available. Netflix and Amazon have beyond the replacement
the hope is to create a
supply chain
made 4K a requirement for their of SDI with IP to support
true Digital Supply Chain.
video on demand services and while the creation of an entirely new set of plant upgrade to their core routing
In recent presentations TMD
satellite broadcasters such as Sky are applications that leverage IT protocols that will occur. As IT-based routing has stated that this is necessary
producing sport in the technology, and infrastructure".
infrastructure continues to evolve to accommodate the different
HD and even SD continue as the main
The hope is that ST 2110 will to higher bandwidths, production distribution platforms, from DTT
formats.
allow and encourage the more facilities can readily integrate these and satellite to streaming and
general implementation of IP- into the existing infrastructure."
the ever-increasing number of
SMPTE ST 2110
based infrastructures. This had
The emerging production landscape smartphones that are able to receive
Standardisation is always a key already begun to happen before the is mixed: 'traditional' terrestrial and video programming of whatever
to the widespread adoption of standardisation, with the router a satellite broadcasting are still major type. This demand puts greater
technologies and IP got that approval prime candidate for the application of outlets, while streaming and OTT are pressure on production and postand boost in September 2017 when IP. "The biggest infrastructure trend is increasingly crucial platforms, both production, particularly the processes
SMPTE finally approved ST 2110. the adoption of IP routing," comments for established broadcasters and their of transcoding, quality control and
This covers the first standards for Scott Murray, Vice President of new media competition. Murray says versioning.
Professional Media over Managed IP Product Management at video an IP infrastructure is able to support
These functions are increasingly
Networks. These specify how signals processing and transcoding specialist both a conventional master control automated and file-based, which
are carried and synchronised, with Telestream. "The plant router has room set-up and OTT, allowing for speeds up production and enables
descriptions of "separate elementary traditionally had to be 'fork-lift UHD production and distribution with distribution of more material to more
essence streams over professional IP upgraded' every time there is a major backwards and forwards compatibility. platforms. Among the companies that
networks in real time for the purposes television technology shift: analogue to And because OTT is IP-only, the logical have looked to drive the shift to fileof live production, playout and other parallel digital to serial digital (1.5Gbs) step is not to go into baseband for based operations is Signiant, which
professional media applications".
to high definition (3Gbps)."
linear, VoD or even live programming.
acknowledges both the potential of
The aim of ST 2110 is to allow all
Murray sees ST 2110 as giving
the Cloud but also the reality it is not
movement of audio, video and data facilities the ability to select Metadata
quite there in terms of broadcast
between facilities to be completely video, audio or metadata as
While the ultimate aim would appear requirements.
in the IP domain. This will enable the separate elements and process to be for a complete transition to IP,
"End-to-end production in the Cloud
creation of one all-encompassing them independently according to right now there is more piecemeal or isn't here yet but Cloud technology
requirements. He adds that when specialist implementation happening.
production facilities do make the jump Because of its computer/IT origins,
We're seeing broad
The biggest
to 12Gbps for 4K transmission, they are metadata relies heavily on IP. Which
adoption of Cloud
infrastructure trend
not generally SDI: "They are, instead, explains why it is becoming an
adopting
an
IP
infrastructure
that
increasingly
important
part
of
news
solutions for
is the adoption of
will enable mixed signal bandwidths production infrastructures. In the UK
production use
IP routing
- 1.5Gbps or 3Gbps or 12Gbps. the Digital Production Partnership
Theoretically, this is the last basic (DPP) set out guidelines for a metadata
Jon Finegold, Signiant
Scott Murray, Telestream

http://www.inbroadcast.com https://www.signiant.com http://www.tmd.tv/

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of In Broadcast - January 2018