Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

Tackling the complexities of IP-based broadcast operations

04/06/2020

By Rafael Fonseca, V.P Product Management, Artel Video Systems

By Jenny Priestley

Published: June 4, 2020

By Rafael Fonseca, V.P Product Management, Artel Video Systems

target=_blank title=Share on LinkedIn class=share-linkedin> By Rafael Fonseca, V.P Product Management, Artel Video Systems

https://www.tvbeurope.com/ip-migration/tackling-the-complexities-of-ip-based-broadcast-operations title=Share via Email class=share-email>

When broadcasters shift to media over IP, they merge two worlds: audiovisual/media and IT. In doing so, they increase the complexity of their infrastructure tremendously - to the point that traditional management methods involving heavy human interaction are no longer viable.

Prior to the IP migration, a broadcaster's workflow effectively stayed at the application layer because the network layer was straightforward. After all, SDI is very deterministic. SDI cables are run here and there, and maybe there is a switcher or other device in the middle. It's just not a dynamic environment.

Following their migration, broadcasters must deal with an infrastructure layer, the IP network, that makes decisions based on a programmed series of conditions. And those conditions change. If not now, then at some point in the future, the behaviour of the infrastructure layer might change based on time of day and day of the week, as well as other factors. These might also include issues, such as congestion or denial-of-service attacks, that can affect network performance or security.

Despite the added complexity of IP-based operations following the merging of AV and IT, the broadcaster must connect these two sets of devices and components so they can work together to fulfil a mission, such as a live broadcast. To make this happen, broadcasters are necessarily turning to automation and orchestration.

Automation Geared primarily to the infrastructure layer, or IT layer, automation helps broadcasters to address and overcome the complexity of dealing with smart, addressable devices that can advertise their capabilities. For the infrastructure to support operations effectively, thousands of elements must be provisioned, and it's not humanly possible to keep track of the immense volume of IP addresses and addressable names involved.

When broadcasters connect these addressable elements, the first thing that they do is find that first layer that gives them permission to participate in the network. After the capabilities of an element are advertised, it is connected to the application layer.

Automation is the only practical way to tackle that challenge - and to avoid the issues that would inevitably arise from human intervention and error. The task of connecting the infrastructure layer to the application layer is enabled by intrinsic intelligence, and the results of these connections are displayed for operators on a control console dashboard.

Orchestration Working at the application or media layer, orchestration leverages automation to ensure that the IT side of things properly supports signal flows and needed services.

Thanks to orchestration, the people working on a project can control and define the many elements of the production - receivers, microphones, cameras, and other sources, all providing different angles and shots - without having to deal with what's under the hood, the IT infrastructure.

This model effectively decouples users (with the exception of IT staff) from knowledge of how the network is set up. It's so magical, almost nonexistent from their perspective, that they don't even need to think about it. Through this decoupling, production and broadcast professionals gain greater freedom in exercising creativity and in developing content that will engage audiences. In short, they can create a better and more valuable product.

Monitoring, Diagnostics, and Troubleshooting The standards used at the application layer are critical to making all of this work. They include not only SMPTE ST 2110 and other standards, but also the IT standards dictated by the IETF and IEEE. While many of them have been around for a while and have become familiar, vendors making IP-based systems for broadcast can make different choices that affect interoperability at the networking level. Thus, for the broadcast engineer, it may seem that there is an issue at the application layer when in fact the problem stems from a fault in the fundamental networking infrastructure.

This is why monitoring, diagnostics, and troubleshooting capabilities are critical for broadcasters working in IP. With intelligence comes complexity - more knobs to be adjusted and more signals to be monitored and verified. Broadcasters need smarter, better tools because they're no longer just looking for the absence or presence of a flow or signal. They must be able to consider many other nuances pertaining to utilisation of a resource at the IP level.

Such nuances might include utilisation of a link, how much bandwidth is available in that link, and the bandwidth in that link based on what is being put through it. Consider an audio VLAN, for example. Audio really should not consume that much bandwidth compared to video. So, if ports handling audio suddenly are flooded and maxed even though a gigabit or 10 gigabits of bandwidth are available, something has clearly gone wrong.

Ideally, the monitoring dashboard will reflect not only absence or presence of flows and signals, but also information on resource utilisation and other factors that indicate network health. Such tools make it possible to see trends or patterns of degradation that often precede larger failures. Predictive alerts thus can alert operators to take appropriate action. While IP networks never will be deterministic, sophisticated monitoring tools can help broadcasters make their new infrastructure more visible and
LINK: https://www.tvbeurope.com/ip-migration/tackling-the-complexities-of-ip...
See more stories from tvb

Europe Stories

06/10/2025

France Tlvisions Wins Prestigious 2025 EBU Technology & Innovation Award in Groundbreaking Collaboration with Dalet

France T l visions, France's leading broadcaster, has received the 2025 EBU ...

04/09/2025

Monumental Sports & Entertainment and Dalet Win Prestigious 2025 NAB Show Project of the Year Award

Monumental Sports & Entertainment (MSE), in collaboration with Dalet, has been a...

07/08/2025

Tata Motors & Dolby Bring Dolby Atmos to Harrier.ev, Redefining In-Car Entertainment Experience

July 8 2025, 22:30 (PDT) Tata Motors & Dolby Bring Dolby Atmos to Harrier.ev, R...

11/07/2025

Superman' Filmmaker James Gunn Reveals the Playlists Inspired by Your Favorite Characters

If you've ever wondered what might be playing in Clark Kent's headphones...

11/07/2025

AI and Multimedia Authenticity Standards Collaboration

AI and Multimedia Authenticity Standards Collaboration launches two papers to guide the future of AI integration, today at the AI for Good Global Summit The...

10/07/2025

Taliban repression silences award-winning Afghan woman journalist

The current holder of the prestigious Thomson Foundation Young Journalist of the Year Award has been forced to stop reporting over fears for her safety in Afgha...

10/07/2025

A New Report Puts Aussie Artists in the Spotlight

Spotify is turning up the volume on Australian music with a multipronged initiative designed to highlight the dominance of Australian artists on the global stag...

10/07/2025

Spotify Toasts Oasis's Return With Exclusive Ways for Fans to Get Closer to the Music That Defined a Generation

This is not a drill: Oasis is back on the road-marking its first live performanc...

10/07/2025

Spotify and Youth Music Open Doors for Future Artists

The music industry depends on fresh ideas, bold voices, and emerging talent. Yet across the U.K., too many young musicians lack the space to develop their craft...

10/07/2025

VEON and Cohen Circle Secure Investor Commitments for Kyivstar Listing

10 Jul 2025 VEON and Cohen Circle Secure Investor Commitments for Kyivstar Listing Kyiv, New York, Dubai, and Philadelphia - July 10, 2025 - VEON Ltd. (Nasdaq:...

10/07/2025

From Treehouses to the Deep Sea: A First Look at Sky Kids New Adventures

Thursday 10 July 2025 The Very Small Creatures Jaime's Treetop Tales Emerald BooSnoo! Christmas Mashup Pip & Posy's Spooktacular Party The Very Sm...

10/07/2025

Millions of Sky customers set to enjoy even bigger rewards as Sky VIP loyalty programme gets a major upgrade

Thursday 10 July 2025 Brand new rewards are coming to Sky customers, with free ...

10/07/2025

Comscore Achieves Full JIC Certification for National TV Measurement Including Persons-Based Data

Comscore Achieves Full JIC Certification for National TV Measurement Including...

09/07/2025

Sky becomes UKs fastest major broadband provider with launch of new 5 Gbps Full Fibre speed and WiFi 7 hub

Wednesday 9 July 2025 Sky Broadband now has the UK's fastest broadband spee...

09/07/2025

2025-07-09

CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA Apple today announced Jeff Williams will transition his role as chief operating officer later this month to Sabih Khan, Apple's senior...

08/07/2025

MediaSafe Africa: A New Digital Safety Resource for Journalists

In an era where digital threats to journalists are becoming increasingly aggressive and widespread, MediaSafe Africa launches as a vital online resource to help...

08/07/2025

Spotify's Our Game, Our Sound' Campaign Champions Community and Joy in Women's Football

This summer, as the energy builds for one of the biggest moments in women's ...

08/07/2025

Richard Watsham to depart UKTV following highly successful 14-year tenure

UKTV today announces that Richard Watsham, Chief Creative Officer at UKTV and Global Director of Acquisitions for BBC Studios/UKTV, has decided to step down fro...

08/07/2025

Harmonic Sets DOCSIS 4.0 Record with 14 Gbps Downstream Speed at CableLabs Interoperability Event

SAN JOSE, Calif. - July 8, 2025 - Harmonic (NASDAQ: HLIT) today announced a reco...

08/07/2025

Arvato Systems optimizes customer communication with AOK Niedersachsen

Arvato Systems Optimizes Customer Communication with AOK Niedersachsen New project in the statutory health insurance sector Arvato Systems and AOK Niedersach...

08/07/2025

2025-07-08

On August 7, Apple Arcade is adding four exclusive games to its diverse catalogue of more than 200 fun games for players to enjoy, all free from ads and in-app ...

07/07/2025

** MEDIA ALERT ** VIZ Media Ignites AX 2025 with Star-Studded Panels, Exclusive Reveals, and Immersive Experiences

** MEDIA ALERT ** VIZ Media Ignites AX 2025 with Star-Studded Panels, Exclus...

07/07/2025

2025-07-07

CULVER CITY, CALIFORNIA As Apple Music marks its 10th anniversary this year, Apple unveils its most ambitious creative project to date: a brand-new state-of-the...

07/07/2025

RT Announces Mark Bignell as new Commissioning Editor for Comedy

RT has announced that Mark Bignell has been appointed Commissioning Editor for Comedy following a public competition. This senior editorial position will drive...

04/07/2025

Spotify Partners With The Reading Agency to Bring the Summer Reading Challenge to Life Through Audio

The Summer Reading Challenge has inspired children across the U.K. to embrace a ...

04/07/2025

Official trailer revealed for new season of BAFTA-winning Sky Original comedy Mr Bigstuff, coming 24 July

Friday 4 July 2025 Watch the trailer here https://youtu.be/Od5WpvWmDr8 Further...

04/07/2025

Join RT Radio 1 for The Pitch, a new series exploring the heart of Ireland's GAA Clubs

The Pitch comes to RT Radio 1 airwaves this Sunday at 7pm. The Pitch is a brand...

03/07/2025

Introducing: New Carts

For our Vario-Jib, as well as for a repertoire of weights, we now have carts that make transport easier...

03/07/2025

Introducing: Slider Drive Unit

One of our latest innovations: Slider Drive Unit! Our Vario Slider not only comes with improvements and new features, but also with its own drive unit! Our i...

03/07/2025

Introducing: ARRI EVO 360

The 360 EVO lives up to its name: 360-degree rotation not only on the pan axis, but also on the roll axis, enables filmmakers to take their creative visions eve...

03/07/2025

Panther at BSC EXPO 2025

What a buzzing few days at BSCExpo in London! We were thrilled to connect with so many talented professionals from the world of cinematography. A huge thank ...

03/07/2025

"The whole rig had to be detachable mid-episode

ADOLESCENCE - Shot with Panther Tower"The whole rig had to be detachable mid-episode Netflix limited drama series Adolescence has been gaining attentio...

03/07/2025

** MEDIA ALERT ** Shonen Jump Store Hosting Los Angeles Pop-up During Anime Expo 2025

** MEDIA ALERT ** Shonen Jump Store Hosting Los Angeles Pop-up During Anime Exp...

03/07/2025

Sky Arts Unveils New Mozart Season, Celebrating the Legacy of Classicals Greatest Maestro

Thursday 3 July 2025 David Harewood and Matthew Broome in Mozart: Genius for Hi...

03/07/2025

Sky announces 2025 Sky WNT Fund Recipients

The Sky WNT Fund supports Womens National Team players with a 30,000 bursaryThursday 3 July 2025 Sky Ireland has announced the four recipients of the 2025 Sky...

02/07/2025

NAB 2025: Calrec expands ecosystem providing ultimate flexibility

Calrec expands ecosystem at NAB 2025 giving broadcasters access to dynamic workflows and ultimate flexibility Helping broadcasters meet the shifting needs of me...

02/07/2025

VEON Raises USD 200 Million in Private Bond Placement

02 Jul 2025 VEON Raises USD 200 Million in Private Bond Placement Dubai, July 1, 2025: VEON Ltd. (Nasdaq: VEON), a global digital operator ( VEON ), announces ...

02/07/2025

Dom Chinea opens his Cornish Workshop for new series on U&YESTERDAY and U

Brand new factual series follows mechanic and self-taught engineer Dom Chinea as he makes the move of his life to the far west of Cornwall UKTV today announces...

02/07/2025

Rohde & Schwarz acquires ZES ZIMMER Electronic Systems GmbH and expands its T&M portfolio for power electronics

Rohde & Schwarz acquires ZES ZIMMER Electronic Systems GmbH and expands its T&M ...

02/07/2025

Riedel Communications Launches RefSuite Ecosystem for Sports Officiating, Coaching, and Production

Wuppertal July 2, 2025 Riedel Communications Launches RefSuite Ecosystem for S...

02/07/2025

ABC Appoints New Chair

Andrew will serve as Chair of ABC alongside his role at NED, APL Media, where he supports the executive team with strategic insight and global expansion plans. ...

01/07/2025

ITV Celebrates Best Sunday of 2025 with Code of Silence

The launch of Code of Silence, coupled with the Britains Got Talent semi final, gave ITV its best Sunday night of 2025. The first episode of the new crime dr...

01/07/2025

Romola Garai joins Shaun Evans in ITV thriller BETRAYAL, as filming begins in the North West

ITV and Mammoth Screen have announced the start of filming for Betrayal, a gripp...

01/07/2025

Movicom Selects Clear-Com to Power Communications for Global Live Events

eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({ content_source:......

01/07/2025

KIT Plugins release NOIZ One Vox

Vocal-processing plug-in joins NOIZ Hub series Launched in 2024, KIT Plugins' NOIZ Hub series was created with the aim of providing a range of professio...

01/07/2025

7 Day Mastering: New course from Mastering.com

New self-paced learning programme announced Mastering.com have announced the availability of a new online course designed to cover the fundamentals of maste...

01/07/2025

cetecom advanced certifies Rohde & Schwarz test solution for the verification of Next Generation eCall functionality

cetecom advanced certifies Rohde & Schwarz test solution for the verification of...

01/07/2025

Teresa Smith Announced as Commissioning Editor for Factual Entertainment

RT has announced that Teresa Smith has been appointed Commissioning Editor with responsibility for Factual Entertainment following a public competition. This s...