SVG Sit-Down: Calrec's Dave Letson on the Arrival of IP Audio-Signal Transport Standards and protocols, better control, more training are the main challenges By Dan Daley, Audio Editor
Tuesday, August 28, 2018 - 12:59 pm
Print This Story
Story Highlights
The transition to IP signal transport for broadcast audio is taking place surprisingly quickly, although not everyone on this field of play is necessarily ready for it. The alignment between industry technical standards and proprietary protocols, the increasing need for better network control, and the paucity of training are just a few of the challenges facing broadcasters as they go about implementing IP. SVG sat down with Calrec VP, Sales, Dave Letson to discuss these and other issues facing broadcasters transitioning to IP.
Calrec's Dave Letson: The primary challenge has really been in aligning to standards.
The shift to AoIP seems to have occurred rather quickly, although we know that AES67 and the SMPTE ST-2110 suite of standards were years in development. Looking back on recent history, what would you say have been the salient points of this transition?
From an audio perspective, AoIP has been happening slowly over a long number of years. Fifteen years ago, Calrec, like many companies, had proprietary-based audio-over-IP solutions. The drivers then are still very much the same: customers want to move away from expensive, point-to-point cable runs. The attractiveness is to have a network of different devices coexisting on a cheaper infrastructure that is flood-wired in the building and connected on commercial off-the-shelf switches. The advance of switch technology now allows for much more bandwidth, and it's only in recent years that the broadcast industry has been able to move large numbers of HD video channels across an enterprise-level network.
What were the challenges in transitioning broadcast audio's main product platforms - consoles and routing, in Calrec's case - to AoIP, and what are the challenges still to be met?
The primary challenge has really been in aligning to standards. All those proprietary network systems had to move over to competing standards, and those had their uses and benefits. However, the relatively recent shift to SMPTE-2110 has started to move more towards interoperability.
The challenge now is to provide a level of control over all of these elemental audio, video, and data streams on a broadcast network. The NMOS-04 and NMOS-05 standards start to bring that much closer to reality. However, it is not yet fully adopted, and there is a lack of available stream-management tools. This was the primary reason Calrec created Calrec Connect, our own stream manager leveraging NMOS-IS04 and NMOS-IS05. This, however, is just the beginning. Broadcasters will demand truly interoperable systems that can provide deeper integration of device-level controls. I believe that is our next big challenge as an industry.
What's the status of implementation for AoIP into remote-production vans? The leading providers of those environments have developed pilot examples for integrating AoIP into remote broadcast, but that's a market sector historically slow to change (and for good reasons). What is the narrative for this?
I think it's mostly the old adage that, if it's not broken, why fix it. With the adoption of IP in an OB van, you gain the same benefits of a large broadcast facility. Everything is self-contained, on short cable runs within the truck. Then, there is the literally dirty side of life on an OB truck, like fault finding in the pouring rain at 10 p.m. on a Saturday evening. The maintenance and support tools just aren't there yet. IP fault-finding is new to pretty much all of us. EICs on trucks need to get on with doing the job. The show must go on!
However, this is changing. Companies like NEP and Game Creek are migrating to products like Evertz EXE-VSR routers, not necessarily just because it's IP but because they can no longer build systems large enough on baseband equipment and the prospect of deeper integration of control is also attractive.
How will AoIP impact deployment of at-home-production practices?
In the short term, not very much. AES67 isn't really suited to WAN networks; companies will still want to use J2K codecs or products like Net Insight's Nimbra, [which] allow all of the audio and video to be packaged together and sent back in sync. In the longer term, as the whole industry starts to understand how to work with SMPTE 2110 and AES67 networks, there will be a natural extension to move to WAN networks over longer distances.
Has development of training around AoIP in general and various specific AoIP-enabled products been keeping up with their implementation? For instance, in a related development, Dolby contracted with a for-profit technical academy to develop an online syllabus to provide instruction for its Atmos format. How is the broadcast-audio industry responding to the challenge of training?
Unfortunately, we don't think there is enough IP training to keep up with implementation. There is a distinct lack of knowledge in the market today. However, this is a good thing, because the broadcast engineer's skill set is expanding. There are many opportunities for experienced broadcast engineers to embark on training opportunities: for example, the Cisco CCNA training. This tests a candidate's knowledge and skills required to install, operate, and troubleshoot a small to medium-size branch network and covers topics like routing and switching fundamentals, WAN technologies, determining IP routes, managing IP traffic with access lists, and establishing point-to-point connections.
Where does Networked Media Open Specifications (NMOS) fit into the AoIP narrative? Specifically, NMOS for Discovery and Registration (IS-04),
Most recent headlines
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...
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...
13/05/2026
New Adobe Premiere Color Grading Mode Accelerated on NVIDIA GPUs
Joel Pennington May 13, 2026
0 Comments
New NVIDIA RTX-accelerated features streamlin...
13/05/2026
Grass Valley announced that dB Broadcast has delivered new IP-based outside broadcast (OB) trucks for Cloudbass, featuring Grass Valley LDX 100 Series cameras a...
13/05/2026
Ikegami will exhibit the latest additions to its wide range of broadcast production cameras, control units, viewfinders and monitors on stand 5D3-1 at Broadcast...
13/05/2026
FISE, working with the founding members of the XR Sports Alliance (XRSA), Accedo, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. and HBS, have collaborated to develop an immersive...
13/05/2026
Canon Unveils New EOS R6 V Full-Frame EOS Camera and RF20-50mm F4 L IS USM PZ Bu...
13/05/2026
Boston Conservatory at Berklee Honors Beth Morrison and Moses Pendleton at Comme...
13/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
13/05/2026
Creative software developer Foundry today announced the latest developments on Nuke Stage. A purpose-built application for end-to-end virtual production and in-...
13/05/2026
A definitive portrait of one of Ireland's most influential musicians
New TV documentary airs Monday 18 May on RT One and RT Player at 9.35pm
Watch the...
13/05/2026
Agentic AI is changing the way users get work done. Following the success of OpenClaw, the community is embracing new open source agentic frameworks. The latest...
13/05/2026
Reinforcement-learning agents - AI systems that learn by trial and error - can c...
12/05/2026
Beyond the Hype: A Strategic Post-Hoc Analysis of NAB 2026 If NAB Show 2026 had an underlying theme, it was a quiet, industry-wide pivot from the high-energy sp...
12/05/2026
Guntermann and Drunck (G&D), a Panoptec Technologies Group company, and CT Square, led by Chandresh Shah, have announced a joint venture to distribute G&D and V...
12/05/2026
With 30 days until the start of the FIFA World Cup 2026, Telemundo, the exclusive Spanish-language home of the tournament in the United States, has announced th...
12/05/2026
The NHL has announced the return of Stanley Pup for its third consecutive year, a 90-minute special featuring adoptable rescue dogs competing on a miniature rin...
12/05/2026
NBCUniversal presented its 2026 Upfront to advertisers at Radio City Music Hall, detailing upcoming programming across NBC, Peacock, Bravo, and Versant properti...
12/05/2026
FOX Sports has announced funding for the Fandom and Social Connection Initiative at Harvard Kennedy School's Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics, and Publ...
12/05/2026
TNDV and Live Media, both divisions of Live Media Group, supported live broadcast coverage around NCAA Final Four weekend in Indianapolis, including the March M...
12/05/2026
The European Football Alliance (EFA) has announced a content distribution agreement with Fubo Sports Network, the free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channel ...
12/05/2026
For the first time, Spanish-speaking fans in the U.S. will have two separate tel...
12/05/2026
CP Communications led a comprehensive spectrum management initiative on behalf of Churchill Downs during Kentucky Derby week, coordinating RF assets across the ...
12/05/2026
LiveU has announced a strategic partnership with DRONERESPONDERS, a 501(c)3 non-...
12/05/2026
Open Broadcast Systems has announced that BMC TV, a specialist in IP transport of broadcast content, has selected the Open Broadcast Systems 5G Flyaway solution...
12/05/2026
NEP Europe, part of NEP Group, has announced it will deliver broadcast solutions...
12/05/2026
Grass Valley has announced continued collaboration with Ravensbourne University ...
12/05/2026
Stats Perform has announced the launch of Opta Pulse, an AI-assisted video creation and distribution platform for leagues, rights holders, and broadcasters. The...
12/05/2026
FOX Sports has announced a collaboration with Sesame Workshop to integrate Sesame Street characters into FOX Sports' FIFA World Cup 2026 programming. Conten...
12/05/2026
To date, NHL Productions has produced 19 broadcasts with commentary in American Sign Language
NHL in ASL (American Sign Language) may be just one show, but the...
12/05/2026
Google's Brian Albert: creators, athletes, highlights, nostalgia, second-scr...
12/05/2026
A still from Past Lives by Celine Song, an official selection of the Premieres program at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. (Courtesy of Sundance Institute | p...
12/05/2026
Spotify is where fans and artists come together, turning discovery into somethin...
12/05/2026
Features patented Marco-MMC clocking technology
Black Lion Audio's latest release combines the company's expertise in clocking with their renowned p...
12/05/2026
New Track Panel, sequencer upgrades & more
Following their recent public beta release, Reason Studios have announced the full release of Reason 14. With the...
12/05/2026
One month to go! SBS reveals expansive FIFA World Cup 2026 lineup beyond the pi...
12/05/2026
Rohde & Schwarz presents its advanced solutions for power electronics testing at...
12/05/2026
aconnic AG (ISIN: DE000A0LBKW6), Munich, has developed a modified fund raising p...
12/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
12/05/2026
Tyrell Corporation, specialists in high-end live sports and entertainment broadcasts, was tasked with delivering compelling broadcast coverage of premier equest...
12/05/2026
Registration is now open for IBC2026 as the global media, entertainment and technology community prepares to converge on the RAI Amsterdam from 11 14 September ...
12/05/2026
Ross Video, a global leader in live video production technology, will present its latest innovations and integrated production workflows at BroadcastAsia 2026, ...
12/05/2026
500 selected leaders from around the world across start-ups, corporates, and venture capital. Over 50bn in assets under management among attending investors, a...
SVG Sit-Down: Calrec's Dave Letson on the Arrival of IP Audio-Signal Transport Standards and protocols, better control, more training are the main challenges By Dan Daley, Audio Editor 
