With new features that are supportive of decentralised and remote production, the AES70 network control standard seems poised for a new level of recognition in broadcast with its latest update, writes David Davies
By Contributor
Published: June 16, 2022
With new features that are supportive of decentralised and remote production, the AES70 network control standard seems poised for a new level of recognition in broadcast with its latest update, writes David Davies
target=_blank title=Share on LinkedIn class=share-linkedin>
It would be fair to say that, in the modern era of networking, it has tended to be transportation technologies that have dominated the industry discussion. For instance, during the 2010s, there was considerable coverage of the multiple audio-over-IP technologies that promised to give customers a more flexible future in terms of transportation and connectivity. Indeed, the options were ultimately so extensive that the the Audio Engineering Society (AES) introduced a standard, AES67, that provided a significant level of interoperability between existing IP audio technologies.
There is no doubt that AES67 has been a sizeable hit. Its incorporation into the SMPTE ST 2110 IP media standards suite and adoption by manufacturers across the board are proof of that. But even when AES67 was first published in 2013, there was a general recognition that another important piece of the puzzle - network control and monitoring - would also have to be addressed with a widely-accepted standard.
The AES' response to this was the AES70 standard, which was based on the Open Control Architecture (OCA) developed by the OCA Alliance from 2011 onwards. Eventually published as AES70 in January 2016, the standard provides a specification for device control, monitoring and connection management. Like AES67, AES70 is intended to work with a wide variety of IP-based technologies, but does not have a transportation element.
Possibly because of the attention given to the transition from legacy transportation technologies to IP, it's not always been easy to ascertain the evolution of network control in recent years. But as Ethan Wetzell, marketing committee chair at the OCA Alliance and platform strategist at Bosch Communications, indicates, AES70 has been gradually gaining momentum through its original version and two subsequent updates, AES70-2018 and now AES70-2022.
Commercially, AES70 has established a respectable market presence and adoption uptake with dozens of products available from multiple manufacturers, says Wetzell. However, it is still early days and adoption of control standards is a process that can realistically take time. It is off to a great start, but it is just the beginning.
Enhancing and extending Describing the previous version, AES70-2018, as a mature standard that has provided the basis of commercial products, Wetzell says that the 2022 update is focused on extending and adding functionality, improving ease of use for adopters, and evolving the standard in ways that build upon the existing design's established and stable state.
Accordingly, the improvements are in large part geared towards improving ease of deployment across different system types. Jeff Berryman, technical committee chair of the OCA Alliance and senior scientist at Bosch Communications, explains they include new and improved media stream connection management features and standards, [such as] methods for managing media connections in MILAN and ST 2110 systems. The second change I would highlight is a set of features for controllers to manage, upload and download large data blocks, eg. media files (including recording and playback features), log files, device-specific files, and so on. Finally, we have added powerful support for saved parameter settings (aka presets') and pre-defined command sequences (aka scripts'). This provides substantial system functionality for complex systems and devices.
To date, the flexibility of AES70 has perhaps been best illustrated by its use as both a primary control technology and a parallel complement to existing control solutions. Looking ahead, it seems the OCA Alliance regards the technology as an enabler of more versatile broadcast infrastructures in which the cloud and remote production play an ever-greater role.
For both commercial and technical reasons, the future of broadcast audio production is in IP-based facilities with integrated workflows that may include cloud-based processing, says Berryman. These facilities will often be decentralised and include contribution from remote locations that are not professionally managed, such as home offices. The successful operation of such facilities will depend critically on the ability of broadcast directors and engineers to control and monitor the production equipment - including both physical and cloud-based virtual devices - remotely. AES70 is currently the only available professional protocol that is sufficiently feature-rich, reliable, and multivendor-friendly to support this.
Easier to adopt AES70 is already supported by a broad spectrum of leading manufacturers, including Focusrite, RTS, Bosch, DYNACORD and d&b audiotechnik (a full list of products can be found at the OCA Alliance website). Noting the technology's recent inclusion in the prestigious RH Consulting Networked Audio Products report, Wetzell says that awareness of AES70 is gradually spreading through the industry . Nonetheless, the OCA Alliance is now advancing plans designed to make AES70 more appealing to a wider cross-section of companies.
Invited to consider the roadmap for AES70 in the wake of its 2022 update, Berryman responds: In the near-term, the priority will be to make AES70 easier for manufacturers to adopt. This initiative will have three components: firstly, more and better documentatio
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
09/10/2026
September 10 2026, 06:00 (PDT) Dolby Expands Dolby OptiView Platform with New Capabilities at IBC 2026
New Sports Intelligence helps providers better unders...
07/10/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...
29/09/2026
Oak View Group (OVG) has announced Cisco as an Official Technology Partner, with plans to standardize infrastructure across its venue network on Cisco solutions...
29/09/2026
SportsNet Pittsburgh (SNP) won three honors at the 2026 Mid-Atlantic Emmy Awards.
Program awards went to Bucs BP in the Sports Program Live category (produced ...
29/09/2026
The Professional Women's Hockey League has announced home openers for all 12 teams for the 2026-27 season, along with a broadcast partnership with CBC under...
29/09/2026
Manifold technologies has been recognized as a contributor to the Media eXchange...
29/09/2026
FuboTV has announced My Local Sports, allowing subscribers in select markets to add their local regional sports network (RSN) as an add-on to a Fubo Sports subs...
29/09/2026
Asian News International (ANI), a wire agency and video news provider based in India, has deployed Grass Valley's AMPP Media Operating System and Framelight...
29/09/2026
South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) has deployed Ikegami UHK-X600 cameras as part of an upgrade to IP-based production infrastructure. The deployment ...
29/09/2026
REMI, REMCO models will drive the bulk of the broadcaster's NHL productions ...
29/09/2026
Three years in, the facility is supporting more centralized race production, com...
29/09/2026
NBC, Peacock, and NBSN are carrying all four Wild Card series with a production ...
29/09/2026
19 Nonfiction Projects Across All Stages of Production to Receive More Than $1 million in Support as Documentary Film Program Approaches 25th Anniversary
LOS ...
29/09/2026
Two new plug-ins launch alongside updated bundles
Zynaptiq have just announced the launch of two new plug-ins, alongside new and improved versions of two of...
29/09/2026
All-in-one bus processor revealed
Wes Audio's ng product range has come a long way since it was first introduced, and now includes a tasty selection of ...
29/09/2026
eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({ content_source:......
29/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/09/2026
Ikegami announces that the South African Broadcasting Corporation, SABC, has chosen Ikegami UHK-X600 camera systems as part of an advance to IP-based operation ...
29/09/2026
Blendkit Offers 20% Discount to Celebrate Crossing 150K Asset Milestone
Brie Clayton September 29, 2026
0 Comments
Blendkit, the largest 3D asset libr...
29/09/2026
Interactive streaming specialist Ease Live supported more than 76.5 million fan sessions across three major European media operators during this summers FIFA Wo...
29/09/2026
Ease Live has added support for VAST (Video Ad Serving Template) to its graphical overlay technology, opening up new ways for broadcasters, streamers and rights...
29/09/2026
Rise AV has announced the launch of the inaugural Rise AV Awards, a new global awards programme celebrating the women, advocates and organisations across the AV...
29/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/09/2026
Clear-Com announced that First Baptist Nashville has upgraded its production communications with a Clear-Com intercom solution as part of a comprehensive sanct...
29/09/2026
Blackmagic Cinema Camera 6K Captured Action Shots for Sketch
Brie Clayton September 28, 2026
0 Comments
Camera's portable design and dynamic range...
29/09/2026
Kean Production Services Deploys AJA ColorBox to Deliver Consistent, Accurate Co...
29/09/2026
Berklee Alumni and Faculty Nominated for the 2026 Latin Grammy Awards A total of 28 Berklee alumni and faculty earned nominations across 20 categories this ye...
29/09/2026
Berklee's K-Pop & Beyond Explores Connections Between K-Pop and Hip-Hop Now in its fifth year, the series brings together artists, industry leaders, and s...
29/09/2026
We tend to think we live in a digital world, with hopes and fears around artificial intelligence (AI), quantum computing, data centres and the next big technolo...
29/09/2026
Today, in partnership with the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), Apple relea...
29/09/2026
Final Cut Camera, the professional filming app for iPhone, receives a major upda...
29/09/2026
RT lyric fm is proud to announce the annual Choirs for Christmas competition callout. Warm up those vocal chords and join us on RT lyric fm for a celebration ...
28/09/2026
The NHL has announced Adobe as an Official Creative, Marketing and AI Partner beginning with the 2026-27 season. The partnership will provide the league and its...
28/09/2026
MultiDyne will exhibit at CABSAT 2026 (October 5-7, Dubai Exhibition Centre), showcasing an expanded technology portfolio following its June 2026 acquisition of...
28/09/2026
ARRI and HONOR have announced the HONOR Magic9 Pro Max, a flagship smartphone carrying ARRI branding on the device and packaging as the first product-level expr...
28/09/2026
Net Insight has added the Nimbra 1020G to its pan-Asian live media trial network, giving customers and partners in the region a way to evaluate ST 2110 and JPEG...
28/09/2026
Vindral has been named a recipient of a 2026 Technology and Engineering Emmy Award by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences in the category of We...
28/09/2026
Interra Systems will exhibit at CABSAT 2026 (Stand B2-37, Dubai Exhibition Centre, October 5-7), demonstrating its BATON QC platform, ORION monitoring solutions...
28/09/2026
Two years into its new production facility, the TOUR is expanding centralized wo...
With new features that are supportive of decentralised and remote production, the AES70 network control standard seems poised for a new level of recognition in broadcast with its latest update, writes David Davies
