
By Kieran Kunhya, managing director, Open Broadcast Systems
Jenny Priestley 1 hour ago
By Kieran Kunhya, managing director, Open Broadcast Systems
target=_blank title=Share on LinkedIn class=share-linkedin> By Kieran Kunhya, managing director, Open Broadcast Systems
https://www.tvbeurope.com/features/what-is-holding-back-ip-adoption title=Share via Email class=share-email>
There has been a lot of cynicism around using IP for contribution and production. While for some that cynicism remains, the technology is improving and already reaching many millions of viewers on a daily basis. This, coupled with the fact that most people are already watching on an IP enabled device, such as their phone or tablets, means that video providers are beginning to consider IP as the de facto form of contribution and soon production.
However, there remain some challenges to overcome which include reducing latency, but are mainly caused by an unwavering mindset.
Increasing Adoption
Over the last few years, we have seen a big growth in IP connectivity. More and more places across the globe are connected, often with business-grade connectivity. This doesn't necessarily mean typical broadcast quality connectivity however so many high end providers are not ready to move to IP. Instead, at the high end of the market, the video provider will generally use traditional satellite or private fibre connectivity. However, what we are seeing is a rise of providers especially in the mid-end of the market, looking to get more content to viewers and on more platforms. They are also looking to increase engagement, which is being achieved in a number of ways, including delivering multiple camera angles from live events and getting highlights out quicker. This is the kind of case where we see IP connectivity being used more and more.
At the same time, technology cycles are moving much more quickly these days and this is being driven by a growing need for instant coverage while keeping costs low. In the case of IP, the rise in breaking news, especially in the UK at the moment, is having a particular impact and has really accelerated the push of IP over the last few years.
Latency and Quality
Latency and quality are often cited as the main reason for not moving to IP. However, we are used to using satellites in the field and there is inherent latency with sending something into space. Ultimately, the latency challenges with IP are not as bad as people think. A lot of that comes down to shifting the mindset.
We know that big amounts of latency is a concern for video providers so it is something we have been working hard to reduce. Our latest software gets end-to-end latency down to just 60 milliseconds, one of the lowest latencies achievable in the industry across any full-frame contribution encoder. We can do this whilst not compromising on picture quality.
That said many current workflows still base themselves around traditional broadcast production latencies when the end user is now watching on an OTT device, where the downstream OTT workflow has tens of seconds of latency or sometimes even minutes. One can argue that saving milliseconds of latency during the production and contribution process makes limited difference to the overall latency.
Compressed vs Uncompressed
The choice between compressed and uncompressed can be quite confusing and it depends on what the operational goals are. Sometimes broadcasters may use compressed video using cloud playout to maximise flexibility, but then distribute it at the final stage using traditional broadcast technologies such as SDI. Currently, we see a real mixture from our customers in terms of compressed vs uncompressed. Some operators want traditional feeds, but some, especially the large ones, take content and keep it in the compressed domain. In many cases, operators want the best of both and actually will take in compressed feeds and treat them as uncompressed. Staying uncompressed is beneficial when there is significant downstream picture processing such as graphics insertion. Both types of workflow have their pros and cons and it is important that the decision is made carefully.
Standards
Along with mindsets, standards is by far the biggest barrier to IP adoption right now. The SMPTE ST2110 standard is the most commonly associated standard for compressed video. However, as with many video standards, it is not designed for Cloud usage at all. Unfortunately, it's a standard which is really designed for the past, not for today and certainly not for the next 40 years. It comes with a lot of legacy baggage and is simply put not flexible enough to adapt to new methods of contribution. Even with on-prem deployments there are significant interoperability challenges between equipment, especially with the numerous methods of handling audio.
Standards need to evolve. Uncompressed content within the cloud, and cloud facilities generally, are designed for other IT processes, not for broadcast, and there is definitely something missing from the uncompressed domain.
The Reliable Internet Stream Transport (RIST) protocol is going the right way to give providers something to work towards that is actually designed for the IP domain. It is a protocol for interoperable low latency contribution (compressed) quality video via unmanaged networks, including the internet. It is based on the Video Services Forum's TR-06-1 technical recommendation document and the collaboration of all leading vendors and global broadcast operators. What it does is gives us a simple yet highly effective method for interchanging professional signals between different vendors.
It is clear that standards are needed but what we have currently is simply not designed for today's TV environment. I sincerely hope the cloud playout standards come up with their own, even non cloud-n
Most recent headlines
06/10/2025
France T l visions, France's leading broadcaster, has received the 2025 EBU ...
04/09/2025
Monumental Sports & Entertainment (MSE), in collaboration with Dalet, has been a...
07/08/2025
July 8 2025, 22:30 (PDT) Tata Motors & Dolby Bring Dolby Atmos to Harrier.ev, R...
11/07/2025
PARK CITY, UTAH, July 11, 2025 - The nonprofit Sundance Institute announced today the 11 producers chosen for its annual Producers Labs, returning to Ucross Fou...
11/07/2025
If you've ever wondered what might be playing in Clark Kent's headphones...
11/07/2025
L3Harris Technologies President of Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Jason Lambert and General Manager of L3Harris Waco facility Sean Ling held a ce...
11/07/2025
ARLINGTON, Va. WETA, the flagship public media station in the national capital area, has launched WETA+, a new streaming service tailored for the local Washingt...
11/07/2025
The Federal Communications Commission has emerged as one of the central players in the broadcast TV landscape in 2025, with its deregulatory policies sparking h...
11/07/2025
Calrec will introduce usability, customization and system enhancements across its entire range of Argo consoles during IBC2025, Sept. 12-15, at the RAI Amsterda...
11/07/2025
LONDON Encompass Digital Media said it will support live and on-demand viewing of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup across multiple global regions for sports enterta...
11/07/2025
Two-thirds of broadcast engineers reaped the benefits of a pay raise within the last year....
11/07/2025
CARY, N.C. SmallHD has launched the Quantum 27, a new 26.5-inch Quantum-Dot OLED monitor designed to deliver postproduction image quality in a compact, set-frie...
11/07/2025
The Federal Communications Commission's Enforcement Bureau and Tegna have entered into a consent decree that will settle an investigation into the accidenta...
11/07/2025
WASHINGTON Following news in early July that Paramount had settled President Donald Trump's lawsuit, Sens. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Ben Ray Luj n (D-N...
11/07/2025
Model/Actriz Performs Lead Single Cinderella on The Late Show with Stephen Colbe...
11/07/2025
Behind the Mic: Amazon Prime Preps for First Season of NBA Action; MSG Networks ...
11/07/2025
SVG New Sponsor Spotlight: Suite Studios' Craig Hering on Adapting to Client...
11/07/2025
2025 SVG Content Management Forum Breaks Down AI's Impact, Continued Transit...
11/07/2025
A Journey HOME: University of Nebraska's HuskerVision Goes IP Leaders from the HuskerVision and Lawo share their IP learnings By SVG Staff
Friday, July 1...
11/07/2025
CMSI, Remote Picture Labs, Ace ESPN's Cloud-Based Editing Efforts for Wimble...
11/07/2025
Netflix Enters the Live-Boxing-Production Ring for Round 2 With Historic Taylor-...
11/07/2025
Back to All News
Too Hot to Handle: Italy Is Coming on July 18 Only on Netflix
Entertainment
11 July 2025
GlobalItaly
Link copied to clipboard
July 11, 20...
11/07/2025
Back to All News
Netflix Will Release Death Inc. Seasons 1, 2 and 3
Entertainment
11 July 2025
GlobalSpain
Link copied to clipboard
Season 1
Season 2
Se...
11/07/2025
AI and Multimedia Authenticity Standards Collaboration launches two papers to guide the future of AI integration, today at the AI for Good Global Summit
The...
11/07/2025
Ceramics - the humble mix of earth, fire and artistry - have been part of a global conversation for millennia.
From Tang Dynasty trade routes to Renaissance pa...
10/07/2025
The current holder of the prestigious Thomson Foundation Young Journalist of the Year Award has been forced to stop reporting over fears for her safety in Afgha...
10/07/2025
Spotify is turning up the volume on Australian music with a multipronged initiative designed to highlight the dominance of Australian artists on the global stag...
10/07/2025
This is not a drill: Oasis is back on the road-marking its first live performanc...
10/07/2025
The music industry depends on fresh ideas, bold voices, and emerging talent. Yet across the U.K., too many young musicians lack the space to develop their craft...
10/07/2025
NEW YORK - July 10, 2025 - Nielsen, the global leader in audience measurement, data and analytics, today announced that it appointed Richard Pacheco as head of ...
10/07/2025
Local newscasts don't exist in a vacuum. News directors and station management constantly evaluate what's working, what isn't and perhaps most impor...
10/07/2025
Lawo has announced that Stuttgart Media University (Hochschule der Medien, HdM) has comprehensively modernized its central recording studio after selecting an I...
10/07/2025
The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) has opened early-bird registration for the Media Technology Summit, which will take place in a ne...
10/07/2025
NASHVILLE, Tenn. TNDV Television has launched Aspiration 35, a new version of its 40-foot Aspiration truck reimagined for cinematic multicamera productions....
10/07/2025
BURBANK, Calif. Key Code Education, a provider of instructor-led postproduction training, is growing its curriculum with new programs for beginner and intermedi...
10/07/2025
HACKENSACK, N.J. Actus Digital will demonstrate how broadcasters can transform compliance monitoring from a necessary expense into a strategic revenue driver at...
10/07/2025
The Federal Register has published a summary of the Federal Communications Commission's Public Notice seeking comments on its ownership rules that lists a d...
10/07/2025
Back to All News
Netflix Presents the Official Trailer for SuperestarPlay Video
Play Video
Entertainment
10 July 2025
GlobalSpain
Link copied to clipboard...
10/07/2025
In the race to understand our planet's changing climate, speed and accuracy are everything. But today's most widely used climate simulators often strugg...
10/07/2025
As one of the world's largest emerging markets, Indonesia is making strides toward its Golden 2045 Vision - an initiative tapping digital technologies and...
10/07/2025
10 Jul 2025
VEON and Cohen Circle Secure Investor Commitments for Kyivstar Listing Kyiv, New York, Dubai, and Philadelphia - July 10, 2025 - VEON Ltd. (Nasdaq:...
10/07/2025
5G for all? What the DFL's use of Easy5G and RefCam could mean for events in...
10/07/2025
Save the Date: PGA TOUR Studios Welcomes SVG Remote Production Summit on Oct 14-...
10/07/2025
Cloud on the Road: How Remote-Production-Service Providers Are Adapting to a New...
10/07/2025
Seattle Kraken's Ryan Schaber on the NHL Team Taking Live Game Productions I...
10/07/2025
FOX Sports Reboots Small Control Room in Los Angeles as Hub for Vertical-First P...
10/07/2025
SVG Sit-Down: MSE's Zach Leonsis, ViewLift's Rick Allen Go Deep on Joint...
10/07/2025
Thursday 10 July 2025
The Very Small Creatures
Jaime's Treetop Tales
Emerald
BooSnoo! Christmas Mashup
Pip & Posy's Spooktacular Party
The Very Sm...
10/07/2025
Thursday 10 July 2025
Brand new rewards are coming to Sky customers, with free ...