In Broadcast - NAB SHOW 2017 - 60

60

www.inbroadcast.com | NAB Show 22-27 April 2017 | Product Preview

Virtualization in Broadcasting
As we look to the future, we can see a world where a cloud utility model will make
broadcasting a software-driven business...

V

irtualization is core to this new
model. Cloud technology can
help convert resources from fixed to
flexible by transforming the operating
environment to one that is:
*	 Virtualized
-
Virtualized
hardware frees applications and
services from specific, hardware and
allows workloads to be "portable;"
*	 Networked - Streaming video
over IP, rather than as SDI over fixed
cabling, provides the flexibility to
change workflow and video stream
routes quickly and easily in response
to changing circumstances;
*	 Software-based - Hardware
independence maximizes flexibility,
efficiency, and cost savings. Software
also leads to automation of tasks in
real-time using analytics;
*	 Multisite - Data and computing
power can span multiple locations and
countries for increased efficiency and
a higher level of fault tolerance and
operational flexibility.
While cutting-edge developments
in technology mean virtualization in

Black Box InvisaPC
delivers access

broadcast facilities is more realistic
than ever before, the big question is
how can companies both install and
take advantage of all the benefits
virtual machines have to offer?
The transition to the virtualized TV
station is underway with Disney/ABC
television moving its TV channels to
a cloud-based virtual master control
room. Elsewhere, the BBC is shifting
audio file storage, mixing and playout
to a single data center, providing
local stations IP access to centralized
resources to create and transmit on-air
programming.

The driving reason for this transition
is the ability to roll out new channels,
delivery methods and formats quickly
in response to viewer demand. The
virtualized production model satisfies
this need. Where software defines the
production process, the cloud enables
content storage/distribution. Access
to physical and virtual machines gives
broadcasters a new level of flexibility
that the traditional hardware-based
TV production model, with its purposebuilt facilities for each channel, does
not.
The fact that TV production/playout
will become distributed over IP and

become software-driven doesn't mean
that the old ways of doing things will
suddenly disappear. Content creation
and editing will still require highperformance access to workstations
that KVM switches provides today. But
additional access to virtual machines
will also be needed to manipulate files
on virtualized servers. These different
resources, physical and virtual, will
need to be accessed by operators in
a transparent manner to optimize
efficiency and control. Products
such as Black Box's InvisaPC deliver
this access and transparency in the
seamless integration of the physical
and virtual worlds. It enables many
users to connect to multiple computers
or virtual desktops over IP. The user
has the same experience as if sitting
directly at the PC. It also provides
future-proofing, even if virtualization
is not needed immediately by enabling
users to repurpose KVM to support
new virtualized workloads as well as
physical resources.
www.blackbox.com

Bluefish444 Debuts
KRONOS Range
Designed for the most demanding 4K and 8K HFR and
HDR digital video workflows KRONOS delivers...

B

luefish444, manufacturer of
the industry's highest quality
uncompressed 4K/2K/HD/SD video I/O
cards for the Windows, Mac OS X and
Linux operating systems, introduces
the all new KRONOS range.
KRONOS will extend the features
of the widely adopted Epoch video
cards used across the broadcast,
feature film and post-production
markets for production, projection,
editing,
animation,
compositing,
color correction, restoration, digital
intermediate, 3D and IPTV workflows.
Epoch delivered first to market 4K
60fps workflows in 2012, and now
Bluefish444 will introduce the core
technology to support previously
unachievable workflows as the
industry continues to push technical

boundaries. 4K ultra-high resolution,
high frame rate and ultra-high frame
rate video, high dynamic range,
video over IP, and hardware assisted
processing are all now within reach of
OEM developers, professional content
creators and system integrators with
KRONOS.
KRONOS
will
build
upon
Bluefish444's market-leading video
I/O features with the industry's lowest
latency, bi-directional connectivity,
multi-channel SDI support, 12bit processing technology, and
unsurpassed quality and reliability in
hardware design and manufacturing.
With the choice of HD BNC SD/HD/3G
connectivity, or SFP+ connectivity
enabling greater than 3G SDI and
Video over IP across 10Gbps Ethernet,
KRONOS will suit today's demanding
requirements and cater for emerging
technologies as they mature.

KRONOS will provide
additional video processing
technologies including resolution
scaling, video interlace and deinterlace, hardware CODEC support,
SDI to IP and IP to SDI conversions,
and continues to support the industry
differentiating 12-bit color space
conversions of Epoch, all running via
an eight-lane Gen 3 PCIe interface for
maximum transfer rates.
Workflows that will see an immediate
benefit from KRONOS include sporting
coverage and live events, which
require a high-quality, high-bandwidth
I/O solution to meet both today's
demanding multi-channel HD needs,
and the 4K Ultra HD requirements
which are set to become the standard.
Digital
Cinema
will
benefit
from KRONOS, as 4K UHD and 8K
resolutions are moving towards
becoming the standard, and more are

KRONOS offers HD BNC SD/HD/3G
connectivity, or SFP+

adopting high frame rate and ultrahigh frame rate projection systems.
KRONOS will serve as a gateway for
these high-bandwidth video formats
throughout post-production, quality
control, and the presentation of the
productions themselves.
SDI and the emerging Videoover-IP standards, combined with
Bluefish444's highest-quality 12-bit
processing technology, creates the
ideal solution with KRONOS to capture,
preview, master and present content
in even the most demanding of digital
video workflows.
For more details about the KRONOS
range, and for your opportunity to
speak with experienced members
of the Bluefish444 team, visit booth
SL10021 at the show.
www.bluefish444.com/kronos
http://www.inbroadcast.com http://www.blackbox.com/broadcast http://www.blackbox.com http://www.bluefish444.com/kronos http://www.bluefish444.com/kronos
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of In Broadcast - NAB SHOW 2017
