Ed Calverley, manager at large, SMPTE UK, discusses how organisations can help their engineers as they make the move from SDI to IP workflows
By Contributor
Published: May 14, 2024 Updated: May 15, 2024
Ed Calverley, manager at large, SMPTE UK, discusses how organisations can help their engineers as they make the move from SDI to IP workflows
target=_blank title=Share on LinkedIn class=share-linkedin> Ed Calverley, manager at large, SMPTE UK, discusses how organisations can help their engineers as they make the move from SDI to IP workflows
https://www.tvbeurope.com/ip-migration/opinion-why-its-important-to-give-broadcast-engineers-support-in-the-move-to-ip title=Share via Email class=share-email>
Any engineer who has worked in broadcast systems in the last 20 years will have at some point configured an IP address. Understanding the logic behind the numbers entered as part of that address, and what mechanisms are in place, are becoming as important to broadcast as understanding how signals travelling down wires represent audio and video signals.
Until recently, all most broadcast engineers needed to worry about was baseband' signals (a term with many varied meanings but generally referring to real-time signals carried in an uncompressed form over dedicated wires - e.g. SDI or Analogue/AES3 Audio). Modulated RF and compressed/multiplexed signals were the domain of specialist teams - much like the computer and networking hardware that has been powering post production systems were supported, in part, by dedicated IT teams.
With the move away from centralised SDI routing infrastructures, those uncompressed signals are now being carried as packets of IP data over complex networks. In order to diagnose connectivity issues, engineers can no longer trace signals flowing down coaxial cables but instead need to embrace a new set of tools providing visibility of what data is flowing down the shared pipes between network switches and routers.
Now that's not to say that all engineers need to be enrolled on Cisco CCNA training. On the contrary, that sort of education is generally only needed for those specialist Network Engineers who will directly configure and administer the networks. Broadcast engineers need to know what they don't know' enough to appreciate the design choices being made by the specialist network designers. Broadcast engineering teams should be given appropriate access to interface with the networked systems, this may include the full ability to make architectural changes as the nature of issues in a broadcast setting often demands engineers are empowered to do what needs to be done' - though in most cases, strict change management processes are essential which will allow time for the specialists to get involved and ultimately call the shots.
So back to IP media training - the world of standards published by SMPTE and others has always been a complex landscape. People can build their knowledge about standards through reading them (or being trained by someone who has), but to properly understand them people need hands-on experience, or at least to see real systems in action, especially ones which have issues. Engineers truly learn by solving problems - that's why the older generation of engineers are so valued - they've seen so many things break and have been involved in figuring out how to fix them. Nobody wants to face issues in their day-to-day work, but when they do occur, confident engineers who have some basic knowledge of how systems interoperate will do their best to poke and prod until something they do makes the situation better. Over time, engineers learn what poking and prodding has the best effect and some may fully square the circle in understanding exactly why an issue occurred and was resolved.
So, don't expect any training course to be a silver bullet that magically makes engineering teams able to support the new systems being built - but it is an important part of the journey to knowledge. Exposure to real systems and discussions between colleagues willing to openly share experiences are even more important - opportunities for this internally within companies is given (though sadly not always prioritised). External groups such as SMPTE UK promote engagement and discussion between colleagues from across the industry and should be encouraged and supported, as often a little bit of insight or a new perspective can be the key to solving long-open issues.
Changing gears a bit to talk a bit more about my experience through Q3 Media Training. I've personally delivered our standard IP Media Networks course well over 20 times now, as well as some variants based upon it. No two courses have ever been exactly the same as I keep learning more and more - both from the SMPTE standards, which keep evolving, but also from the questions and discussions I have with people through the training. Even the so-called experts' in the field are still learning. How different manufacturers implement things varies significantly and making sense of it all can be a real challenge. The IP rack in our #BigPinkDemoKit has IP Media systems (2110/PTP/NMOS) from 10+ different vendors and can demonstrate both the good and the bad. Understanding the cause of the bad behaviours has been a struggle - but one that has lead to a better understanding of what's actually going on inside the devices and the networks.
From a general training point of view we see a wide range of clients, from those who are willing to invest in giving their staff the grounding that will lay the foundation for further learning, to those with more unrealistic expectations as to what can be achieved by a short course. We aim to pack a lot into our training sessions as the concept of know what you don't know' is our number one belief as to what makes a
Europe Stories
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
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...
01/05/2026
January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...
01/04/2026
January 4 2026, 18:00 (PST) DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION
Douyin Users Can Now Create And Share Videos With Stun...
09/01/2026
RT Player has 157 million streams, up 10% year-on-year
An increase on 2024, RT...
09/01/2026
RT 2FM has today announced the highly anticipated list of 2FM Rising Artists for 2026, kicking off 2FM Rising week for the eighth year on The Tracy Clifford Sh...
09/01/2026
RT to Host the 2026 RTS Ireland Awards
Thursday, 16 April 2026 | Dublin Royal Convention Centre
The RTS Ireland Television Awards 2026 | Gradaim RTS 2026 | R...
08/01/2026
An evidence-based analysis on disinformation and information manipulation in Sudan's ongoing conflict is published today. (January 8th 2026).
Thomson Found...
08/01/2026
In 2025 we launched the Spotify Partner Program to give creators more ways to tu...
08/01/2026
On Wednesday in Los Angeles, Spotify welcomed creators and press to a brunch cel...
08/01/2026
TSA awards Rohde & Schwarz contract for advanced airport screening ahead of Socc...
08/01/2026
The review looks back at DPA's miniature microphone development over the years. It compares the evolving technologies from the original mics through CORE an...
08/01/2026
Comscore Launches Audio Targeting and Measurement Capabilities with The Trade De...
08/01/2026
Tonight, on RT Prime Time at 9:35pm on RT One and RT Player
Tonight, Prime T...
08/01/2026
The Late Late Show celebrates the very best of traditional Irish music with its first-ever full special dedicated entirely to the tradition
Lisa Canny | Kevin...
08/01/2026
It will be murder on the dancefloor when Dancing with the Stars returns this S...
07/01/2026
Spotify is launching a week-long celebration spotlighting creators at the center...
07/01/2026
We know people use Spotify not just to listen, but to share the songs, podcasts, and audiobooks they love with their friends and family. When we launched Messag...
07/01/2026
This week, all eyes are on the podcast industry as the Golden Globes recognizes ...
07/01/2026
Podcasts are stepping onto a new stage this week as the Golden Globes recognize the medium for the first time. To mark this milestone moment, we're hosting ...
06/01/2026
Spotify is launching a week-long celebration spotlighting creators at the center...
06/01/2026
Lorde. A$AP Rocky. JENNIE. Baby Keem. KATSEYE. That's just a taste of who...
06/01/2026
Channel 4 and UKTV are giving viewers even more reasons to stream, with UKTV's U service set to feature thousands of hours of free, unmissable and bingeable...
06/01/2026
Tuesday 6 January 2026
An update on our Sky Mobile prices
Devesh Raj, Chief Operating Officer, Sky
Today, we've announced some changes to the prices of ...
06/01/2026
Comscore Launches Daily Program-Level Reporting with Deduplicated Insights on Sh...
06/01/2026
Comscore Completes Recapitalization Transaction with Preferred Stockholders Foll...
05/01/2026
Bad Bunny's DeB TiRAR M S FOToS defined the sound of 2025 for listeners eve...
05/01/2026
As the clock struck midnight and 2026 was born, so was an exciting range of new ...
05/01/2026
These Sacred Vows starring Tom Vaughan-Lawlor, Justine Mitchell and Jason O'...
05/01/2026
DANDANCING WITH THE STARS RETURNS TO SHAKE UP SUNDAY NIGHTS
Reigning Rose of Tr...
02/01/2026
Any Given Day: Cork University Hospital premieres Wednesday 7 January on RT One and RT Player at 9:35pm
RT will debut a powerful new six-part documentary se...
02/01/2026
Friday 2 January 2026
All episodes of Heated Rivalry will be landing on Sky and...
02/01/2026
Sequins, chat shows, live sporting action, ground-breaking docuseries and brand-new Irish drama to kick off 2026
New Year, New Content Coming Soon across RT
...
01/01/2026
The Quantum 852 is situated in the 6,500-seat Seoul-based place of worship, a church which is home to a 1,000-person choir and a 50-piece orchestra. There are f...
01/01/2026
Formed in 2002, OneRepublic have enjoyed huge international success, with over 18 billion streams on Spotify alone. Their current tour, Escape to Europe, contin...
01/01/2026
We had been using the club's previous console for the last ten years, so we researched manufacturer information very carefully, says venue audio manager Mr...
30/12/2025
Your live countdown to 2026 with Inhaler, David Gray, Lyra, Garron Noone, Sharon...
29/12/2025
From crisper Lossless audio and immersive music videos in beta to new Audiobooks+ plans, custom transitions between tracks, and in-app Messages, we keep levelin...
24/12/2025
RT has unveiled an exclusive first look at the new Dancing with the Stars promo...
23/12/2025
The year is winding down, the weather outside is frightful, and it's the perfect time to escape into a story that warms the heart. For listeners looking for...
23/12/2025
23 Dec 2025
VEON's Beeline Kazakhstan and Rakuten Symphony Collaborate to A...
22/12/2025
For a decade, popular German podcast Fest & Flauschig has hosted an annual Chris...
22/12/2025
Monday 22 December 2025
Sky extends PGA TOUR partnership until 2029, as Sky Spo...
22/12/2025
Siobh n McSweeney, Rory McIlroy, Elon Musk, Catherine Connolly, Jim Gavin, Ivan Yates and Traitor Paudie Moloney lead new characters for Callan Kicks the Year 2...
22/12/2025
Winner announced in the picturesque surroundings of Wicklow's Avondale Tower and Treetop Walk
Andrew Trimble wins the show in his first series as coach
Th...
22/12/2025
The 2025 winners have been announced today, Sunday 21 December, for Ireland's largest choral competition Choirs for Christmas hosted by RT lyric fm.
Ove...
21/12/2025
John Shortt named Young Sportsperson of the Year Kerry are the Team of the Year
...
19/12/2025
With Playout Release 2025.4, ToolsOnAir continues to push professional playout w...
19/12/2025
19 Dec 2025
VEON's Mobilink Microfinance Bank Launches Islamic Banking Oper...
Ed Calverley, manager at large, SMPTE UK, discusses how organisations can help their engineers as they make the move from SDI to IP workflows
