How broadcasters can make an incremental move to an all-IP environment posted: 24/07/2019
by Olivier Suard, Vice President of Marketing, Nevion
According to research carried out on behalf of Nevion, in 2018, over 40% of global broadcasters had already started moving towards IP. Since then, this trend has become increasingly prevalent as broadcasters want to leverage the flexibility of IP to transform their workflows to do more with less .
The key to an effective and cost-efficient move to IP lies in considering how to move incrementally to the new technology, leveraging, where possible, existing investments.
Processing and connectivity
The move to IP is largely focused on the network, rather than the production equipment: broadcasters most commonly are or envisage using a mixture of SDI and IP equipment connected to an all-IP network. Adaption equipment is normally used to connect the SDI equipment to the IP core network. That said, connecting a lot of SDI equipment to an IP network may work out to be quite expensive. Furthermore, it might not be necessary, as that equipment will often be used together within the confines of a studio or control room. In these baseband islands , converting SDI signals to IP and back to SDI may be superfluous and using baseband routing technology may be the most cost-effective way to distribute signals.
Similarly, signal processing, such as audio embedding onto SDI signals or SDI frame synchronization, may be best done directly in a baseband environment rather than converting to IP, processing and converting back to baseband. Some may argue that broadcasters should, therefore, keep the existing large Master Control Room (MCR) matrices to handle this. This, however, is likely to be overkill in many cases. Also, if all the equipment needs to be connected centrally, it doesn't help solve the cabling headache.
Consequently, the most cost-effective distribution and routing for such islands is likely to be compact SDI routers located within the baseband islands. As these routers take on part of the job done by the MCR routers, they also need to offer a high level of redundancy and include SDI processing capabilities. These baseband islands can then be connected to the rest of the IP network through adaption equipment.
The use of fiber technology
The transport of baseband signals beyond studios has traditionally been handled by fiber, with technology providing the interface onto and from the fiber. As the industry moves to IP, the requirement for high data-rate transporting will continue to grow - with uncompressed HD requiring a minimum of 10GbE data rates. Fiber remains ideally suited to transport signals any distance longer than a typical patch cable.
While IP is transported over fiber, the conversion of baseband to optical links is still a less costly solution than baseband to IP conversions. Hence, if equipment located far away is baseband, it can be a more cost-efficient solution to transport the signals through baseband EO converters. As a result, optical transport technology will continue to be relevant in an IP world and any investment in that technology for the transport of signals today is an investment in the transport network of the future - using fiber to transport IP as well as baseband.
Mixed environments
While adaption equipment can ensure that the SDI world is connected to the IP world, and vice versa, a crucial issue is how to orchestrate and control flows between the two environments. Most media network management and control systems have been developed for SDI technology and cannot manage IP. Conversely, IP network management systems don't handle SDI. This is particularly problematic where the preferred option of a broadcaster is to keep some form of SDI routing in the network, for example, within specific studios. This calls for a versatile orchestration and SDN (Software Defined Network) control system that can handle both SDI and IP environments.
These systems hold a complete view of the network and can control both IP and SDI routers, as well as adaption equipment and other appliances. Therefore, this type of orchestration and SDN control system can provide deterministic paths through a mixed SDI/IP network infrastructure, which makes it possible for broadcasters to have the mixed SDI/IP environment most suitable for them.
Nevion slx-Series 2
In other words, with the right orchestration and SDN control systems, broadcasters don't need to move to an all-IP network at once. Instead, broadcasters can choose equipment based on functionality and cost, rather than SDI or IP connectivity and gain greater flexibility which makes for a more cost-effective transition to IP.
Broadcast control systems
Production staff are typically used to a specific broadcast control interface and are often reluctant to move away from it. However, popular broadcast control systems are not designed to control IP networks. The solution is to ensure that the broadcast control system can interface with the orchestration layer which is typically done via APIs provided by the broadcast control system and implemented in the orchestration system.
A tight coupling of the familiar broadcast control systems and the orchestration layer ensures that production staff can maintain their existing method of working, even as the underlying network technology evolves.
A smooth transition to IP
Building an all-IP network from scratch is a luxury reserved for those broadcasters moving to new facilities and starting with a greenfield site. For most broadcasters who are using IP to build out capacity or are adding new IP studios or control rooms, it's essential, for both practical and financial reasons, to maintain some SDI capability in the network.
Fortunately for broadcasters, the moving from baseband to IP can be an incremental transition wi
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
13/11/2026
The UIM E1 Series wraps its third season this week with the Bombay Sapphire E1 Miami GP, Nov. 11-14, on Biscayne Bay at the Miami Seaplane Base on Watson Island...
13/11/2026
In-venue and creative video staffers at the professional and collegiate level ha...
13/11/2026
Singer-songwriter Benson Boone will headline entertainment for the Discover NHL Winter Classic between the Utah Mammoth and Colorado Avalanche at Rice-Eccles St...
13/11/2026
Blackmagic Design has announced the Blackmagic Ambisonic Microphone, a 7th order ambisonic microphone array that captures spatial audio for immersive video prod...
13/11/2026
SMPTE has announced that The Studio B&H and Riedel Communications will provide the video infrastructure and communications technology for the Solutions Hub at t...
13/11/2026
The Hollywood Professional Association (HPA) has announced the theme and program focus for the 2027 HPA Tech Retreat, which takes place Feb. 14-18, 2027, in La ...
13/11/2026
Football Manager 27 Touch is available on Apple Arcade starting today. The game ...
13/11/2026
MotoGP has announced a two-year media rights agreement with ESPN covering the Un...
13/11/2026
Apple Sports, the free iPhone app, has added the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) to its lineup of supported sports, in time for Saturday's UFC 334. The...
13/11/2026
The NBA and Fanatics Studios, the joint venture between Fanatics and entertainme...
13/11/2026
ESPN held its annual EDGE Innovation Conference last night and offered up an ove...
13/11/2026
Regional sports network gives Ithaca College, SUNY Cortland students a platform to thrive
One of the biggest games in Division III college football will be pla...
13/11/2026
Studer-inspired 500-series PWM compressor unveiled
The HLabs range already includes a couple of Studer-inspired offerings in the form of the PRE169 and EQ16...
13/11/2026
Download Now!
To view the white paper, please enter the following details:
--
First Name* First Name
Company*
Country* Please select your countryA...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Blue Lucy, the workflow orchestration and integration platform for broadcasters, rights owners and localisation companies, today announced an integration with c...
13/11/2026
Krotos announces Black Friday offers on Studio Pro and Studio Max
Brie Clayton November 12, 2026
0 Comments
First-year annual plans start at US$195.99...
13/11/2026
Blackmagic Design Announces Blackmagic Ambisonic Microphone
Brie Clayton November 12, 2026
0 Comments
New 7th order ambisonic microphone with 108 MEMS...
13/11/2026
Meet the Berklee Student Setting Planetary Motion to Music With his compositional platform SoniKosmos, Javier Roqueni aims to make the universe the ultimate i...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , er...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , er...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Share
{alert(Link copied)}).catch(err => {console.error(Failed to copy: , err)}) data-platform=copy_link data-action= class=font-ui-heading py-2 text-sm tex...
13/11/2026
Amagi, the media industry cloud company, today announced a partnership with Golden Times Media Technology (stock code 920021.BJ), a Beijing-based media and tech...
13/11/2026
CGI (TSX: GIB.A) (NYSE: GIB), one of the largest independent IT and business consulting services firms in the world, together with its Malaysian partner, Cedar ...
13/11/2026
SMPTE, the home for media professionals, technologists and engineers, today announced that The Studio B&H and Riedel Communications will provide the video infra...
13/11/2026
iWedia, a global leader in connected TV software solutions, will present its software-first approach to DRAM optimization at Android TV APAC Summit 2026 in Bang...
13/11/2026
Beginning today, November 13, Apple HomeView is available for purchase at Apple Store locations, on the Apple Store online, and in the Apple Store app in select...
13/11/2026
From pediatric research to smart hospitals, AI is helping care teams spend less time on routine tasks and more time with patients.
Health systems and startups...
12/11/2026
Industry leaders examine how Dynamic Media Facility, Media eXchange Layer, and c...
12/11/2026
The junior Tar Heel is embracing the technical and creative challenges of live production while emerging as a leader and mentor in the control room...
12/11/2026
Gracenote, Nielsen's content intelligence business, has released its fifth a...
12/11/2026
RTL Deutschland will bring the NHL to free-to-air TV in Germany starting Nov. 30...
12/11/2026
Clear-Com supported On Air 2026, a 24-hour student-led broadcast connecting 45 u...
12/11/2026
uniqFEED has opened a Remote Operations Center (ROC) in Madrid, Spain. It is already operational, delivering virtual advertising for LaLiga matches. The ROC is ...
12/11/2026
Disney, ESPN and the NBA will present Dunk the Halls, the third real-time animated NBA game using Sony's Beyond Sports data visualization technology, on Chr...
12/11/2026
Van Wagner has launched Van Wagner RELAY, a digital platform for official athlet...
12/11/2026
Deal brings together two of the industry's most established graphics brands and significantly expands Vizrt's footprint in U.S. sports and regional broa...
12/11/2026
Euro TV Production GmbH of Austria has upgraded its outside broadcast vehicle with Lawo technology. The mc 36 Classic console in service since 2019 was replaced...
12/11/2026
Tagboard has launched Spark Resize, an AI-assisted tool now in beta that takes an existing graphic and produces a new version for a different aspect ratio or sc...
How broadcasters can make an incremental move to an all-IP environment posted: 24/07/2019 
