As open-standards-based IP has come of age as a network protocol for the broadcast, AV and corporate sectors, the emphasis has moved from making essence transport work to refining and improving the customer experience and workflow, writes Jeremy Courtney, senior director, CTO office, Lawo
By Contributor
Published: August 11, 2022 Updated: August 16, 2022
As open-standards-based IP has come of age as a network protocol for the broadcast, AV and corporate sectors, the emphasis has moved from making essence transport work to refining and improving the customer experience and workflow, writes Jeremy Courtney, senior director, CTO office, Lawo
target=_blank title=Share on LinkedIn class=share-linkedin>
Jeremy Courtney, Lawo Gone are the days when the ability to control all devices via a unified, overarching control system was enough to set one's pulse racing. Even staunch defenders of ST 2110-based infrastructures admit that getting everything to work as expected used to take oodles of blood, sweat and tears. Just ask them about the behind-the-scenes programming and configuration work as well as their negotiations with vendors to implement the missing links.
In a sometimes brutally competitive environment, operators are expected to do more with ever less and quite naturally look for solutions that keep their tasks manageable. They expect their IP infrastructure to work like a samba that swings so cool and sways so gently right from the start
Head start Finding ways to reduce complexity, increase speed, and simplify the management of devices and signals with higher levels of agility and protection is key.
Operators and vendors can be proud of what has already been achieved. The number of operations built around a distributed set-up, with control rooms on premise in different parts of the world and data centres in still other locations is growing steadily. Operators in the US, Australia, Norway, Belgium and many other countries successfully managed to devise a new normal where the studio as well audio and video controllers are in one city, whilst the processing happens elsewhere.
Flexible, globe-spanning resource sharing over the IP network allows broadcasters and production service providers to lower their capital expenditures simply by using the tools they already own more frequently. Some users even went so far as to design multi-functional workspaces whose feature-set is determined by the credentials of the user logging into that space. All of this was implemented well before the global pandemic.
Vendors who pioneered the migration to IP for both audio and video infrastructure had already reached cruise speed when distributed production scenarios moved from being a forward-looking approach to sheer necessity.
With all elements in place and most pitfalls out of the way, they rightly anticipated that the next step would be to make broadcast IP manageable. Hence the launch of the HOME management platform for IP-based media infrastructures. It offers a microservice architecture based on modern technology and techniques that deliver the performance, reliability and experience tier 1 broadcasters expect.
More standards Interoperability has been at the top of the agenda since day one. The term stands for the ability to use best-of-breed solutions for the task at hand, irrespective of the vendor. This requires vendors to scrupulously stick to the protocol of the open standards employed: ST 2110, AES67, ST 2022, etc. Complications often arose from the fact that different manufacturers seemed to have different understandings of the word scrupulous'.
Another aspect was quickly brought to the vendors' attention: unlike IP-based networks for IT applications, broadcast and AV tools are essentially blind until operators assign them an IP address and make the other networked devices aware of them. This used to be a manual process that often took weeks, or months, for large broadcast infrastructures. It was also error-prone.
To alleviate this issue, a number of manufacturers jointly developed the AMWA NMOS IS-04 and IS-05 protocols that take care of discovering and registering devices as well as device connection management. NMOS is an open standard with a certain level of interoperability, but it has yet to become the silver bullet that allows all devices to work harmoniously together. This is not intentional, by the way, it typically occurs due to differences in interpretation, behaviour and implementation of specifications.
In any case, today's operators expect more than discovery and registration: they want a simple, but rich user experience, complete with the ability to tweak parameter settings on remote devices and signal grouping for one-click routing of essences. Separating audio from video and metadata offers more flexibility except when it doesn't. And this is where essence grouping steps in: devices and signals can be routed quickly and easily using a platform-agnostic web UI front-end.
Like NMOS, HOME revolves around a registry that keeps track of all known devices and greatly simplifies the discovery and registration process (no more manual input of IP addresses, etc).
IP broadcast standards for the mere encapsulation of content (ST 2110) can be complemented with robust, established IT standards for other important tasks. Support for DHCP, DNS and RADIUS therefore makes a lot of sense.
Elephant in the room Given the dramatically increased awareness regarding network security and the need for a strategy to fend off hacker attacks and content theft, the addition of the tried-and-tested 802.1x standard offers a robust solution.
This simplified way of adding devices to a network via automated discovery and registration may pose a new threat: the newly-added device might immediately come online and wreak havoc on at least part of the network. This i
Europe Stories
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
03/06/2026
Step sequencer-style panning tool revealed
Alongside their flagship self-titled sound-design platform, Sound Particles offer an array of creative effects an...
03/06/2026
Now features full H90 algorithm library
Eventide have announced the upcoming launch of the H9 Harmonizer Gen 2, a new and improved version of their hugely p...
03/06/2026
Significant discount available until 1 October 2026
Aim Audio have just announced a promotion that sees a significant discount applied to their Essence micr...
03/06/2026
Rohde & Schwarz to supply CERTIUM advanced communications system to Memmingen Ai...
03/06/2026
eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({...
03/06/2026
03 Jun 2026
VEON to Release 2Q26 Earnings on July 31, 2026 Dubai and New York, June 3, 2026 - VEON Ltd. (Nasdaq: VEON), a global digital operator ( VEON or t...
03/06/2026
RT has today announced Heineken 0.0 as the broadcast sponsor of their FIFA World Cup 2026 coverage.
The sponsorship, brokered by Dentsu, will see Heineken 0....
02/06/2026
Musically intelligent soft synth gets upgraded
Scaler Music will be probably be best known to many for their music theory tools, but their product range al...
02/06/2026
Powerful new vocal-production tool announced
Described as a vocal performance station , Klevgrand's latest plug-in combines pitch-correction with harmo...
02/06/2026
Launched alongside Go Green sale extension
McDSP have just released the latest addition to their APB line-up, DC-2 Dual Compressor, and have also announced ...
02/06/2026
Create custom tools for Ableton Live 12 Suite
Ableton have just introduced a new open JavaScript toolkit that allows anyone to create their own custom tools...
02/06/2026
Now features full H90 algorithm library
Eventide have announced the upcoming launch of the H9 Harmonizer Gen 2, a new and improved version of their hugely p...
02/06/2026
Plus UAD Half Yearly Sale now live
The latest arrival to the Universal Audio range delivers a new native pitch-correction plug-in that's capable of deli...
02/06/2026
Rohde & Schwarz to present comprehensive performance, conformance and spectrum-m...
02/06/2026
BTL Laboratory becomes Taiwan's first test house with a CTIA Certification c...
02/06/2026
If you've kept up with this article series, you know by now where to start w...
02/06/2026
With new DSP configurations and flexible licensing options, Calrec is removing the barriers to virtualised audio, giving broadcasters the freedom to scale produ...
02/06/2026
02 Jun 2026
VEON Closes USD 1.4 Billion Bond Offering, Refinancing 2027 Notes A...
02/06/2026
Praise for series three:
The Times - sun-dappled pleasure
The Daily Mail - The Homes Counties' Charlie's Angels
The Sun - 4* this [is an] enjoya...
02/06/2026
Wuppertal June 2, 2026
Gudrun Scharler Appointed CEO of Riedel Networks The Riedel Group today announced the appointment of Gudrun Scharler as CEO of Riedel N...
02/06/2026
Trust has become a commercial issue With global advertising spend forecast to exceed US$1 trillion this year*, the commercial consequences of weak governance co...
02/06/2026
June sees Ireland's cultural calendar in full bloom, as RT Supporting the Arts showcases a vibrant and wide-ranging programme spanning music, theatre, visu...
02/06/2026
After The Traitors Ireland launched in 2025, Irish audiences proved to have a taste for the global hit reality show. This Bank Holiday Monday fans can indulge e...
01/06/2026
Category line-up & sponsors announced
Photo: Paul Clarke
The Production Music Awards (PMA) have announced that submissions are now officially open ahead of...
01/06/2026
New hybrid sample/synthesis instrument revealed
Excite Audio have just released the latest instalment in their Evolve series, which has been developed in co...
01/06/2026
Latest TONEX expansion captures three rare vintage amps
The newest addition to IK Multimedia's ever-growing TONEX line-up introduces a set of three incr...
01/06/2026
Musically intelligent soft synth gets upgraded
Scaler Music will be probably be best known to many for their music theory tools, but their product range al...
01/06/2026
Rohde & Schwarz Satellite Industry Days 2026 guided by the motto From Earth to ...
01/06/2026
Luxembourg, June 1, 2026 - SES, a leading space solutions company, and Viva, Mexico's ultra low-cost airline, launched fast and reliable multi-orbit satelli...
01/06/2026
Mardi 2 juin 14h00
FilmLight (ARRI), 10 rue Ren Boulanger, 75010 Paris
Rejoignez-nous pour d couvrir comment FLAPI (l'API FilmLight) peut transformer e...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
29/05/2026
The days are getting longer, the temperatures are rising, and playlists are filling up for the season. With summer around the corner, Spotify's global edito...
29/05/2026
New retro-inspired MPC announced
There are few devices that have gained the status held by Akai Pro's MPC range, and in recent years, the company have s...
29/05/2026
Save up to 30 on acclaimed titles
Following a successful launch at Superbooth 2026, Bjooks have revealed that they will be continuing the Kickstarter campa...
29/05/2026
Binaural monitoring application improved
Genelec have just released an update that brings some powerful new features to their HRTF-based binaural headphone ...
29/05/2026
6 June 2026 at SAE Institute, London, UK
IMSTA FESTA 2026 is almost upon us, with some of the biggest names in pro-audio set to descend upon SAE Institute i...
29/05/2026
cetecom advanced certifies Rohde & Schwarz test solution for hybrid and Next Gen...
29/05/2026
May 29 2026, 09:00 (PDT) Dolby and rednote Bring More Immersive Storytelling to...
29/05/2026
Youtube exclusive special drops today
Watch now
UKTV today announces another e...
29/05/2026
Genelec announces V2.1 for Aural ID binaural headphone monitoring application posted: 29/05/2026
Aural ID 2.1 enhances binaural monitoring for stereo and ...
29/05/2026
At just 20 years old, Sean Melia from Summerhill Co. Meath has been revealed as the winner of Super Garden 2026. Sean is the youngest ever contestant and winner...
28/05/2026
Thomsons Climate Crisis Toolkit is already being put to work, helping journalist...
28/05/2026
A little refresh can go a long way. We've been making behind-the-scenes upda...
28/05/2026
Since early last year, our quarterly Creator Milestone Awards have celebrated podcasts from around the world that hit major streaming milestones on Spotify. Tod...
28/05/2026
New software-based MIDI multi-clock announced
Rapid Flow have just announced the launch of a new MIDI utility plug-in that aims to solve one of the most per...
28/05/2026
Company introduce most affordable interface yet
SSL's range of audio interfaces has just gained its latest, and smallest member, the SSL 1. Designed to ...
As open-standards-based IP has come of age as a network protocol for the broadcast, AV and corporate sectors, the emphasis has moved from making essence transport work to refining and improving the customer experience and workflow, writes Jeremy Courtney, senior director, CTO office, Lawo
