Although the mobile-production business is booming, truck providers face a host of challenges when it comes to technology and their bottom line. Vendors are being asked to deliver more for less as networks look to trim production costs and explore new at-home production workflows on lower-profile shows. In addition, technology continues to evolve at a breakneck pace, forcing mobile-production providers to address the needs of today while preparing for the potential arrival of 4K and HDR. Meanwhile, the rise of IP infrastructure seems inevitable, but truck designers must make difficult decisions because IP standards remain in flux and the technology for a full IP-production ecosystem is likely still a few years away.
In advance of the new year, SVG sat down with more than a dozen industry leaders to discuss the current state of the business and, more important, where it's headed. This is the second in SVG's two-part series. CLICK HERE for Part 1 of Executive Perspectives 2017. Here are the executives we spoke with:
Do you see a legitimate business case for moving to IP today? Why or why not?
Johnson: We want to put money into technology where we think we're going to get the longest run. Right now, that probably means investing in IP, except that not all the right solutions are there. IP is the infrastructure of the future, but, right now, we have a majority of SDI and purpose-built hardware. We are going to see a transition to more common hardware and less on the SDI side. There is a big business opportunity there, and it's how we're going to maintain [the industry] going forward.
Moorhouse: Currently, there is no end-to-end IP solution that is really viable or cost-effective. Our thought is to wait and see where things go over the next 18-24 months. I don't believe that, at the acquisition end, there is anything to gain from having a totally IP solution, specifically when working in HD or 3G. Unless [clients] get added value from an IP solution, we will not make investments yet.
Levine: Our business is based on demand and client requests. Our three powerful IP mobile units were designed and built to meet specific needs where IP was a true benefit. Baseband routing is still very viable for many applications.
Snyder: IP has a place in production, but current marketed IP technology can be distracting and expensive in a time when many networks' mantra is more for less. Many of the current IP-based mobile units will be outdated before the investment in IP pays off.
Garvin: At this time, there is no business case for building an IP mobile unit unless it's doing one of the half dozen largest events of the year. The best solution at this time for 4K HDR is 12-Gb single coax, and we believe 12 Gb is critically important for the future.
Sullivan: I think you have to think carefully about whether you want to invest in IP. Just doing it for the sake of saying this is an IP truck makes no sense. But, if you have a justification for doing it - like we did on Encore, which was really driven by the demand for monitoring - then, yeah. I think, a year from now, virtually [every truck we build] will have an IP core.
Do you believe that a new truck needs to feature IP infrastructure to be future-proof? And do you believe 12-Gbps SDI over coax equipment provides a legitimate alternative to IP?
Taubman: One thing is clear: the current quad 3G SDI [model] for 4K isn't really sustainable. At a minimum, it quarters your existing infrastructure, and that's not going to get the job done at the scale our clients demand. Things are moving along a lot quicker than I expected. However, we haven't settled on a standard. It seems like every vendor still has their own alliance around their products with the NMI, AIMS, ASPEN, and other camps. All those alliances say they will be interoperable with one another, but no one has paved the road that makes that possible. While I see the need for 12G in the short term, especially on smaller shows, I think IP is probably going to win the day there.
Wehner: We think a truck-friendly IP infrastructure is several years away and, even then, will not be a requirement for anything but the largest events. We do believe that, someday, all trucks will be IP-based but it will not be on the current IP standards.
Snyder: Several remote-production companies are building baseband mobile units this year. IP is a luxury that only some customers will decide they can afford at this time. We should see an expense-lowering curve in the future because the cost of IP systems will become more reasonable, especially as more equipment manufacturers enter the IP space at a scale that mobile production requires.
Hoover: 12 Gbps is just another tool in the connectivity toolbox, along with SDI and IP. We think it has a place in smaller systems.
Johnson: IP has the potential to offer more resources and add volume to your capacity - and 4K requires a lot of volume. We are starting by operating with an IP [core], and then, down the road, we're going to see a more fully IP [ecosystem]. It's also very encouraging to see all these manufacturers working together and moving forward with SMPTE 2110 as a standard. But, if I had to [decide] to build a truck tomorrow, I'm still uncertain about IP. On the HD level, I think there may be a serviceable path that you can build with an IP core, but, for 4K, I think, if you chose an IP solution today, you may be wishing you had waited a couple years.
What is the most significant technical challenge in truck design today?
Hoover: As always, it's weight and cooling. We always need to find a few extra thousand pounds in that 8,000-lb. box.
Snyder: I think what our customers want the most is reliability. However, the most current technology is not always the most reliable technology.
Moorhouse: In the
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Although the mobile-production business is booming, truck providers face a host of challenges when it comes to technology and their bottom line. Vendors are being asked to deliver more for less as networks look to trim production costs and explore new at-home production workflows on lower-profile shows. In addition, technology continues to evolve at a breakneck pace, forcing mobile-production providers to address the needs of today while preparing for the potential arrival of 4K and HDR. Meanwhile, the rise of IP infrastructure seems inevitable, but truck designers must make difficult decisions because IP standards remain in flux and the technology for a full IP-production ecosystem is likely still a few years away.
