Even though Internet Protocol (IP)-based systems are still in a phase where standards need to evolve and necessary features need to be consolidated, the opportunities they offer in terms of remote and centralised production are simply superior, Christian Gobbel, HBS' Chief Technical Officer told attendees at last week's SVG Chairman's Forum in Las Vegas. We will see IP-based broadcast operations being used more and more in the coming months and years.
Kicking off NAB week, the SVG Chairman's Forum panel allowed Gobbel, alongside IMG's David Shield and Alan Bright, to discuss how IGBS, a 50-50 joint venture between IMG and HBS, will take advantage of IP technology to create new ways to handle Master Control Room (MCR) operations and more later this year at the Rugby World Cup 2019 in Japan.
However, HBS has already seen the benefit of the evolving technology in an operational environment. Infront, HBS' parent company, together with ORF, were the Host Broadcaster of the 2019 FIS Nordic Championships that took place in March in Seefeld, Austria. HBS, tasked with the technical set-up and MCR operations for the event, commissioned a fully IP-based data transportation network, which allowed for decentralised video and audio switching. The set-up consisted of a central core system (pod), interconnected to multiple distribution pods redundantly via fibre. Once connected, the core and distribution pods functioned as one non-blocking switching unit.
The decentralised switching system was especially apt for the FIS Nordic Championships event, where competition locations Seefeld and Bergisel were separated by about 25 kilometres and production facilities were split across three areas (HB TV compound, RHB compound, IBC). The set-up allowed for easy transport of multiple signals through the existing dark fibre infrastructure provided by Austrian telecom company A1.
Easy fibre transportation of the video and audio isn't the only revolutionary thing about the IP-based switching network. Owing to the decentralised nature of the set-up, individual units can be installed in different physical locations and are interconnected either via dark fibre or WAN infrastructures. Pre-packed IP pods can also be installed much faster compared to a conventional SDI-based system, which requires SDI routers and distribution amplifiers.
With five different competition and production locations, the 2019 FIS Nordic Championships were an exciting engineering challenge, Gobbel explained. The technical infrastructure that was implemented allowed for time-saving, more flexibility in the workflows and will have a positive impact on the production of events of all sizes.
At Seefeld, around 60 VandA circuits were interconnected redundantly over a distance of 800m between the HB facilities and the IBC, with distribution of feeds made available both at the IBC and at the RHB TV Compound next to the IBC. In total, more than 40 feeds and isos were made available to the rights holders taking advantage of the decentralised nature of the IP distribution network.
The deployment at the Rugby World Cup 2019 will be a bigger test, but, as Christian explained at the SVG Chairman's Forum, the cost-effective and future-proof approach using IP-based systems offers a lot of potential benefits to the industry.
Share this page
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
02/06/2026
Tennis Channel has completed a transition from satellite-based distribution to a...
02/06/2026
Daktronics has announced the 2026 High School Video Summit, a two-day educational event for high school educators and student production teams, taking place Jun...
02/06/2026
Fandango will bring Telemundo's live Spanish-language coverage of the FIFA W...
02/06/2026
All Women's Sports Network (AWSN) has announced the live television schedule...
02/06/2026
Spalk, a cloud-based multilingual commentary and production platform, has announced three new partnerships: Ligue 1 (English and Portuguese highlights), Eurolea...
02/06/2026
NHL Network's 2026 Stanley Cup Final coverage began June 1 with NHL Tonight: Stanley Cup Final Media Day from the Carolina Hurricanes' Lenovo Center at ...
02/06/2026
Matrox Video has announced the Maevex MGX Series, a lineup of IPMX-ready video e...
02/06/2026
Marshall Electronics will exhibit at InfoComm 2026 (Booth C7521), showcasing a lineup of 4K and HD compact POV cameras for corporate, education, hospitality, wo...
02/06/2026
The Professional Audio Manufacturers Alliance (PAMA) and Shure Incorporated have...
02/06/2026
MultiDyne Video and Fiber Optic Systems will exhibit at InfoComm 2026 (Booth C50...
02/06/2026
Advanced Systems Group (ASG) has announced the promotion of Joe Marchitto to Western Regional CTO. In his new role, Marchitto will oversee system design across ...
02/06/2026
The NHL has announced that Brothers Osborne will headline a free outdoor concert...
02/06/2026
CP Communications has announced the appointment of its first two female executives in the company's 40-year history. Tabitha Coleman has been named Vice Pre...
02/06/2026
The Lighting Design Group (LDG) has announced the completion of Studio C at Yahoo's headquarters at 770 Broadway in Manhattan. The studio launched April 24 ...
02/06/2026
Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd. (Z) has announced a partnership with FIFA to broadcast FIFA World Cup 2026, FIFA World Cup 2030, FIFA Women's World Cup 2...
02/06/2026
Behind The Mic provides a roundup of recent news regarding on-air talent, including new deals, departures, and assignments compiled from press releases and repo...
02/06/2026
The department is broadcasting NCAA Baseball Super Regionals at Plainsman Park this weekend
Broadcast and production crews at Division I institutions are busy ...
02/06/2026
The initiative is extends beyond the league's arenas to team training rinks,...
02/06/2026
Olivia Wilde, Seth Rogen, Pen lope Cruz, and Edward Norton appear in The Invite by Olivia Wilde, an official selection of the 2026 Sundance Film Festival. (Co...
02/06/2026
Musically intelligent soft synth gets upgraded
Scaler Music will be probably be best known to many for their music theory tools, but their product range al...
02/06/2026
Powerful new vocal-production tool announced
Described as a vocal performance station , Klevgrand's latest plug-in combines pitch-correction with harmo...
02/06/2026
Launched alongside Go Green sale extension
McDSP have just released the latest addition to their APB line-up, DC-2 Dual Compressor, and have also announced ...
02/06/2026
Create custom tools for Ableton Live 12 Suite
Ableton have just introduced a new open JavaScript toolkit that allows anyone to create their own custom tools...
02/06/2026
Now features full H90 algorithm library
Eventide have announced the upcoming launch of the H9 Harmonizer Gen 2, a new and improved version of their hugely p...
02/06/2026
Plus UAD Half Yearly Sale now live
The latest arrival to the Universal Audio range delivers a new native pitch-correction plug-in that's capable of deli...
02/06/2026
Rohde & Schwarz to present comprehensive performance, conformance and spectrum-m...
02/06/2026
BTL Laboratory becomes Taiwan's first test house with a CTIA Certification c...
02/06/2026
blueCORE standalone processors headline solutions designed to simplify the trans...
02/06/2026
If you've kept up with this article series, you know by now where to start w...
02/06/2026
With new DSP configurations and flexible licensing options, Calrec is removing the barriers to virtualised audio, giving broadcasters the freedom to scale produ...
02/06/2026
The TV agency was one of the earliest adopters of Nielsen's local television...
02/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/06/2026
Grass Valley today announced that Australian News Channel (ANC), operator of Sky News Australia, has deployed Grass Valley AMPP to transform its newsroom produc...
02/06/2026
Studio Technologies, a leading manufacturer of high-quality audio, video, and fiber-optic solutions, announces its new Model 385 Mic/Intercom Beltpack. The Mode...
02/06/2026
The Riedel Group today announced the appointment of Gudrun Scharler as CEO of Riedel Networks. She succeeds Michael Martens, who has led Riedel Networks since 2...
02/06/2026
More signals, higher quality, and outstanding ingest and streaming flexibility deliver professional results in a small, all-in-one footprint...
02/06/2026
farmerswife will be featured on the Modena Media & Entertainment stand at this year's Mediatech Africa 2026, giving visitors an opportunity to explore the l...
02/06/2026
PTZOptics will showcase a new generation of intelligent video workflows at InfoComm 2026, June 17 19, Las Vegas. Visitors to booth N8227 will see how PTZOptics ...
02/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/06/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/06/2026
Wuppertal June 2, 2026
Gudrun Scharler Appointed CEO of Riedel Networks The Riedel Group today announced the appointment of Gudrun Scharler as CEO of Riedel N...
02/06/2026
Back to All News
Discover Your Next Book-to-Screen Obsession With Our New Dedicated Hub
Product
02 June 2026
Global
Link copied to clipboard
Dear most vor...
02/06/2026
New LinkedIn Data: 90% of C-Suite Leaders are Continuously Building Skills to Lead in the AI Era Published on Jun 2, 2026 Categories: Data and insights
Lin...
02/06/2026
Trust has become a commercial issue With global advertising spend forecast to exceed US$1 trillion this year*, the commercial consequences of weak governance co...
Even though Internet Protocol (IP)-based systems are still in a phase where standards need to evolve and necessary features need to be consolidated, the opportunities they offer in terms of remote and centralised production are simply superior, Christian Gobbel, HBS' Chief Technical Officer told attendees at last week's SVG Chairman's Forum in Las Vegas. We will see IP-based broadcast operations being used more and more in the coming months and years. 
