5G-Virtuosa project completes initial technical IP-based studio set-up

5G-Virtuosa project completes initial technical IP-based studio set-up posted: 18/06/2020

Products from multiple vendors integrated in a SMPTE ST 2110 compliant environment

The participants of 5G-Virtuosa, the EU-funded project exploring 5G and virtualization in broadcast production, announced today that the first technical step of the initiative has been completed at Nevion's Service Operations Center (SOC) in Gdansk, Poland. The step involves the integration of multiple products from various vendors, with most of the work done remotely because of the COVID-19 situation.

The purpose of the EU project VIRTUOSA is to explore Scalable Software Defined Network Architectures for Cooperative Live Media Production exploiting Virtualized Production Resources and 5G Wireless Acquisition . In practical terms, this means demonstrating through real-life examples how 5G can be combined with virtualization concepts to enable broadcasters to produce live content (such as sports or music coverage) more efficiently and cost-effectively across locations, to meet growing consumer demand.

The project participants are: Nevion AS (Norway), Mellanox Technologies LTD (Israel), LOGIC media solutions GmbH (Germany) and IRT - Institute for Broadcasting Technology (Germany).

The first phase of the project involves setting up an IP-based studio, built on industry standards (SMPTE ST 2110 and NMOS) and integrating equipment from multiple vendors, including: video cameras, a vision mixer, and a server from Sony; a multiviewer from TAG Video Systems; an audio mixer from Stagetec; a media analyzer from Telestream; IP switches from Mellanox; a PTP-compliant time and frequency synchronization from Meinberg; software-defined media nodes from Nevion; and all of it managed by an orchestration and SDN control system from Nevion.

The set-up has now been transferred to IRT's premises in Munich, Germany, where tests will be carried to ascertain the compliance of the complete set-up to industry standards.

Markus Berg, Head of Future Networks at IRT explains: After a slight delay because of the COVID-19 situation, we are pleased that we are now in a position to start testing. The set-up is the fundamental building block that we will be using to create the 5G remote production planned for later phases of the project. The compliance to standards is a key part of the tests, and very important for IRT, as an internationally renowned research and innovation center for audiovisual technologies.

The 5G-VIRTUOSA project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No 866656.

About Mellanox Technologies

Mellanox Technologies (NASDAQ: MLNX) is a leading supplier of end-to-end Ethernet and InfiniBand intelligent interconnect solutions and services for servers, storage, and hyper-converged infrastructure. Mellanox intelligent interconnect solutions increase data center efficiency by providing the highest throughput and lowest latency, delivering data faster to applications and unlocking system performance. Mellanox offers a choice of high-performance solutions: network and multicore processors, network adapters, switches, cables, software and silicon, that accelerate application runtime and maximize business results for a wide range of markets including high performance computing, enterprise data centers, Web 2.0, cloud, storage, network security, telecom and financial services.

About LOGIC media solutions GmbH

LOGIC is a German-based media infrastructure architect and distributor of professional broadcast and telecommunication equipment. Almost 20 years of experience on the market and excellent connections to the German media companies makes LOGIC one of the leading value-added reseller not only in regards to IP based productions. Solutions based on traditional SDI technology as well as services within the cloud can be covered with the portfolio and team LOGIC provides to their customers.

About Institut f r Rundfunktechnik GmbH (IRT) -Institute for Broadcasting Technology

With more than 60 years of experience, the IRT is a world-renowned research and innovation center for broadcasting and media technology. It observes, evaluates and develops new technologies in the digital audiovisual media with the aim of strategically adapting the idea of broadcasting to new market environments. Around 100 employees conduct research in Munich in close cooperation with shareholders and clients for innovative solutions in the fields of Next Generation Audio, Future Video, Artificial Intelligence, Metadata, All IP / IT, IP Distribution, Portals and Services, Accessibility and 5G. Its shareholders are the broadcasters ARD, ZDF, Deutschlandradio, ORF and SRG / SSR. In addition, the IRT works together with a large number of customers from the broadcasting, media and industry sectors. The cooperation with international research partners offers access to worldwide trends and developments. In cooperation with universities, the IRT promotes the training of junior staff.

About Nevion

As the architect of virtualized media production, Nevion provides media network and broadcast infrastructure solutions to broadcasters, telecommunication service providers, government agencies and other industries. Increasingly based on IP, virtualization and Cloud technology, Nevion's solutions enable the management, transport and processing of professional-quality video, audio and data - in real time, reliably and securely. From content production to distribution, Nevion solutions are used to power major sporting and live events across the globe. Some of the world's largest media groups and telecom service providers use Nevion technology, including AT&T, NBC Universal, Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc., NASA, Arqiva, BBC, CCTV, EBU, BT, TDF and Telefonica.

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