January 2017 - IP Live Time To Embrace The Challenge

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TVBEurope Supplements

January 2017

IP Live: time to embrace the challenge Ready Today, Open for Tomorrow A simple guide to what IP could bring to you today, and tomorrow.

In association with

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Live IP: time to embrace the challenge For some broadcasters and media producers, the idea of moving to an IPbased live production environment is a scary prospect. But, argues Michael Harrit – marketing director, media solutions, Sony Professional Solutions Europe – there are so many positives with IP that now is the time to embrace that challenge

There is also the worry about the skills required

Y

concerns, over the next few pages.

to tackle production IP, the inherent security risks of everything being networked, the increased need for interoperability and the desire to ensure a smooth transition. We address these, and other

ou don’t need me to tell you this but

An IP-based infrastructure built on open

the way we produce live broadcast

standards allows a broadcaster or content

me give you some further reassurances. The

television is changing.

For those of you that are still unsure, let

creator to deploy flexible technology that can

problems we currently face when it comes to IP

On the one hand our much-loved SDI

adapt to future requirements. Once you have

will be reduced over time and it will inevitably

environments have just about reached their

installed your IP pipe you can, within reason,

become easier. The evolution of IT tells us that.

technical limits while, on the other, standard

pour anything you like down it: video, audio,

Similarly, we have seen other industries go

computer processors are now so powerful they

metadata, consumer data, anything. And unlike

through similar changes and successfully come

can perform almost all of the tasks that a live

SDI, an IP-based live production network

out on the other side.

production infrastructure requires.

does not have to be upgraded in order to

It means that the next time we, as an industry, look at a technology re-fresh for our OB trucks, studios or broadcast facilities it is unlikely that our

adapt to a new resolution or frame rate.

IP is format agnostic.

IP technology also enables audio and

Plus, there are lots of people ready to help, including Sony.

We believe that IP is not something to be scared of but something that should be

shopping lists will include specialist SDI boxes and

video streams to become omnipresent in the

embraced. Once you’ve read the rest of this

cables. Instead it will be consumer off-the-shelf

production ecosystem. This means that where

supplement, we think you’ll agree. n

(COTS) hardware and faster Ethernet networks.

connectivity was previously point-to-point, now

In short, live production is moving to IP, and that

everything can be multiplexed which

is what this supplement is focussed on. Not on

opens up the possibility for flexible

selling Sony (although we will do a bit of that) but

workflows that can be changed and

on helping you make that move.

re-shaped in minutes.

To many, the transition to IP cannot come

Then there is remote production.

soon enough. Broadcasters today are under

With less crew on site, centralised

increasing pressure to create more and better

resource sharing, optimised utilisation

quality content with the same (and sometimes

and reduced logistics costs, remote

less) money, facilities and staff. This demand

production offers up incredible

would be almost impossible to meet in our

possibilities. It even promises to be

legacy SDI world.

better for the environment.

For me, there is a clear business case for

Despite these obvious benefits,

moving to IP and it comes down to cost

we understand that the move to

and flexibility. Thanks to the gargantuan size of

IP can be pretty scary. Not

the IT industry and its constant R&D activity, COTS

necessarily because of the

hardware evolves quicker and is cheaper than

technology change but culturally.

specialist broadcast kit.

Within media and entertainment

At the same time, Local Area Network

we have traditionally opted for

bandwidth costs come down every year and

best-of-breed. But in the IP world,

already achieve speeds faster than we actually

our time-critical content is going to

need. Plus, with IP, it is possible to reduce the

stand or fall on a homogenous bank

amount of cabling required for live production.

of computing power. This will take

But cost is just one factor.

some getting used to.

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Ready Today, Open for tomorrow Imagine what could be possible with IP.

www.pro.sony.eu/iplivetraining

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Supplement

In association with

Live IP: dispelling the myths With so many differing opinions, the move to IP-based live production has become more complicated and political than it perhaps needs to be.

To counteract this, here is Sony’s myth-busting guide

Similarly, we support the fast-growing IP Live Alliance, which already brings together more than 60 leading equipment vendors and technical partners in the live production

Myth: Every vendor says they offer open standards but, in reality, they do not

One of the big challenges of moving to IP-based

space. Sony has also created the IP Live

live production is the interoperability of different

Studio in our Digital Motion Picture

systems, products and solutions. This is why

Centre Europe (DMPCE) at Pinewood

We cannot answer for other vendors but we can

Sony has taken a completely open approach

Studios in the UK.

assure you that Sony’s solution is not proprietary.

and has joined the Advanced Media Workflow

We were the first to market, yes, but that is not

Association’s Networked Media Incubator

interoperability real-life test bed for Live IP.

the same thing as being proprietary.

project and is following the AIMS (Alliance for IP

It features various partners from the IP Live

Media Solutions) roadmap. Joining AIMS allows

Alliance, including Cisco, Juniper, Imagine

end-to-end Live IP Production system that is

us to focus on, among other things, VSF TR-03

Communications, Tektronix and Leader, who

agnostic, flexible and open to any standards.

and SMPTE 2022-6 while association with the

are integrating and polishing their solutions

With the help of reprogrammable logic chipsets

Networked Media Incubator project will enable

alongside Sony’s core components.

and software upgrades, it will easily accept

us to work closely with other industry leaders

new benchmarks or methods as soon they

to promote the adoption, standardisation,

layers of interoperability as recommended by the

are standardised.

development and refinement of open protocols.

Joint Task force on Network Media (JTNM).

The truth is, Sony offers a proven and secure

At the same time, for those media companies with a business imperative to move to IP right now, we also have a ‘Ready Today’ solution.

This has the Network Media Interface (NMI) at its heart and makes use of COTS hardware. The NMI is the technology that enabled Brazil’s TV Globo to have a 4K-capable IP-based truck ready for summer sports events in Rio this year.

Myth: Sony’s solutions are not interoperable with those from other vendors

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This platform serves as an intensive

In addition, Sony’s solution covers all seven

The key planes of interoperability Compression

SMPTE RDD 34 (LLVC)

Identity

NMOS, NDCP

Device Control

NDCP, AMWA NMOS

Connection Management

SIP, AMWA NMOS

Discovery & Registration

NDCP, AMWA NMOS

Essence Encapsulation

SMPTE RDD 40, VSF TR-03, SMPTE 2110

Timing

IEEE 1588, PTP, SMPTE ST 2059

Flow Control

SDN, Netconf

Flow Switching

Destination Time Switch

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Supplement Myth: IP is not secure or robust enough for the demands of live production

Fundamentals for IP Live Production’ training

We know that in a live broadcast environment

knowledge of IP in the context of live production

that’s based on well-understood, carefully

and prepare attendees for working on an IP

rehearsed procedures and processes, there are no

project. This training is available to all and provides

second chances. Production teams need a rock-

a general overview of IP for live production. It is not

solid infrastructure in which they can be confident

specific to Sony solutions.

course. Combining online learning with hands-on coaching, the goal is simple: to provide a basic

that changes can be made instantly at the touch of a button. And any new methodology needs to be at least as robust, secure and reliable as the legacy system it replaces.

Conflicting with that, an IP network is by

Myth: A hybrid approach won’t reap any benefits. The move to IP is all or nothing Although a wholesale move to IP-based live

nature non-determinist, due to possible packet

production is possible, we also know that ripping

loss, packet congestions, buffer overflows or

out and replacing everything in one go is not

jittering phenomena.

practical or financially viable. Many broadcasters

That is why, to ensure professional quality of service, Sony’s IP Live Production system complies

will want to continue to use SDI alongside IP, at least in the short term.

with advanced SMPTE standards 2022-5 and 2022-7.

Similarly, to protect content and provide added assurance, Sony’s IP Live Production solution features trusted security protocols such as TLS or AES encryption.

Myth: Broadcast engineers don’t have the skills to manage an IPbased live production infrastructure In reality, most broadcast engineers would have all the capabilities required to manage an IP-based

“Having Sony as a strategic partner in this project gives us confidence that it will be delivered successfully” Raymundo Barros, CTO of TV Globo, first 4K IP Truck for the 2016 Brazil summer events

live broadcast, and would be far better qualified than a pure IT engineer.

However, it is true to say that where the pointto-point world of SDI provided a certain peace of

With this in mind we’re enabling broadcasters

mind, the IP live production is more complicated.

to take a hybrid approach using our NXL-318FR

Sony can help in two ways.

chassis and our NXL-IP40F boards. This technology

The first is through the Live System Manager

converts regular SDI A/V signals into IP signals and

(LSM), a software application that streamlines

vice versa. This means that broadcasters can

the set-up and operation of an IP-based live

have IP-based live production at the core, with

production workflow. Based on software-defined

legacy SDI devices at the edge. These can then

network technologies, the LSM is capable of

be replaced with network IP devices over time,

managing device connectivity, performing

ensuring a smooth transition.

maintenance analysis and achieving virtual

We even offer a starter kit for IP live. This

cross-point switching. This means, for example, that

includes two IT routers, two SDI-IP gateways, the

an operator doesn’t need to manually declare

LSM software, two years technical support and

IP addresses for connected devices. Instead, a

access to our ‘Network fundamentals for IP Live

Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP)

Production’ professional training course.

server takes care of that.

While the LSM overcomes a lot of potential IP

From end-to-end solutions and starter kits to

problems, broadcast engineers will still need to get

professional services and training, if you are

to grips with network technology fundamentals

considering moving your live production

that apply to live production including: network

infrastructure to IP, Sony can help.

protocol stack and message flow; the structure

You can get in touch with us directly here

of packets and frames; network routing and

www.pro.sony.eu/imageipworkflow or sign

switching principles; virtual networks; and

up for our latest IP Live news to hear more

multi-point and multi-casting technology.

about our offers and solutions including free online

To that end, Sony Professional Europe, working

e-learnings. To find out more about our training

with Juniper Networks, has designed the ‘Network

options visit: www.pro.sony.eu/iplivetraining n

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Why Sony? Still wondering which vendor is best positioned to help you move to live IP? Here are five great reasons to choose Sony so you can be Ready Today, Open for Tomorrow.

1. We offer flexible, interoperable solutions that are based on open standards Our large portfolio of IP-native high-end open production solutions is interoperable with a complete eco-system of systems within the IP Live Alliance.

2.We can make your life easier with the Live System Manager Simplify your migration to IP by letting the LSM do a lot of the hard work for you, from IP address setting to device configuration.

3. We deliver industry-wide, non-Sonyspecific training Our training courses do provide guidance on using Sony systems but they concentrate on IP live production in general, giving course attendees a full and honest insight into how to successfully put in place and manage IP-based workflows.

4.We have a long history of innovation We’ve been developing IP-based production technology for more than 15 years and we want to share that know-how with the industry to help it to successfully make the move to IP. 5. We’re here for the journey From initial consultancy and planning to technical implementation, operational support and training, Sony’s Professional Services division can help design and deliver a solution that complements your business goals and ensures a smooth migration to IP-based live production.

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In association with

TV in 2020: re-imagining live production with IP

Remote, immersive, and smart: thanks to the opportunities afforded by IP-based technology, live television production could look quite different in the year 2020, suggests Nicolas Moreau, IP Live marketing manager, Sony

M

aking predictions about the future is a tricky business. Even with my many years of media and entertainment industry

experience, knowing precisely what is around the corner is almost impossible. But one thing is for sure.

With SDI being phased out in favour of IP-based networks, live production will never be the same again. And this transition is just the start. Connecting all of the production pieces together using IP is the first step to achieving some new and potentially

very cool things.

Remote production Remote production is one such idea, offering the ability to produce live broadcasts away from the actual event, by sending raw camera feeds, audio and equipment control over a telecoms network to a central studio facility.

Various sports broadcasters have already successfully deployed remote production set-ups and more will follow but the

‘In 2016, in a world where we expect to be able to get instant information on all viewing devices at the touch of a button, on-screen data is increasingly crucial for engaging the viewer and is vital for the production team telling the story’

opportunities go far beyond simply reducing the number of staff and the amount of equipment needed on location.

Assuming the appropriate level of connectivity is

breadth of the action. This could be translated

New and different types of content

to many different live events.

Extended IP-based networks, especially fibre

present, remote production not only allows the

networks, have the potential to make it easier and

equipment operators at the event to work, as the

More data services

more affordable for niche and ad hoc events to be

name suggests, remotely from a central production

The extraction, manipulation, analysis and

covered live by broadcasters. This could widen the

gallery but it means that other members of the

distribution of data is now big business in

breadth of content that can be made available.

team could also be spread far and wide.

broadcasting but it is also crucial to the live

Again, this idea makes use of remote production

television experience. Imagine watching a live

capabilities but it relies heavily on the connectivity.

piped to wherever the production talent is in the

football or cricket match with no on-screen

With improved networks and a strong Point of

world. So, potentially, the camera team could be

information at all. No score, no clock, no match

Presence from the Internet Service Providers,

on the ground at an event in one continent, the

statistics. It would be like stepping back in time

however, we can expect to see the connectivity

graphics operator or sound mixer could be at his or

to the 1970s. In 2016, in a world where we expect to

costs decline, which will make much of this possible.

her station in another and the whole production

be able to get instant information on all viewing

could be switched from a central gallery in a third.

devices at the touch of a button, on-screen data is

Virtualisation and the cloud

increasingly crucial for engaging the viewer and is

We are already seeing an increase in the amount

vital for the production team telling the story.

of broadcast and production systems that are

Using IP networks, the raw signals could be

This in turn opens up further possibilities for other key production functions and roles to be arranged and located differently to how they are now.

Real-time IP networks give production teams the

being virtualised. Some are being deployed in the

Technically speaking it could be possible to

chance to access even more data and make it

cloud, others locally. Although the camera optics

dispatch people to the four corners of the globe

available to those viewers in real-time. Connected

will never be virtualised, once the pictures have

but still work in real time as if they were in the

to the cloud via IP, production teams could

been acquired and the signal has left the CCU,

same studio or OB truck.

theoretically pull statistics for every player that ever

everything else can be translated into software.

played the game or recall any metadata-logged

And if the functions of live production can be

election with lots of small bureaus connected to a

video clip from history to illustrate a point during

translated into software – and therefore can

large HQ in order to cover the length and

live commentary.

run on a regular PC and server – then they

I like to visualise it like the night of a political

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Supplement can be virtualised in the cloud or a data centre.

Virtualisation could lead to the end of the master control room and the studio gallery as we know it.

Or, perhaps more realistically, it could make them more flexible places to work. The beauty of virtualisation is that it enables instantaneous function and revision changes so workflows can be switched quickly and easily.

Of course, there are still bandwidth considerations and I am certain that the RAW output from the camera censor will never go directly to the cloud. The CCU output might, though, which offers up further possibilities. But it is probably fair to suggest that the physical performance of live production in 2020 will be transformed by the move to software and virtualisation.

Virtual reality production While the underlying technology that moves signals around a TV facility has changed dramatically over the years, the tools we use to manipulate the pictures and sound haven’t. We still use knobs and dials, switches and screens.

What if the production environment itself could be virtualised? What if the live studio director, technical director or the vision mixer could control the production in a virtual world through a virtual headset? If the applications are virtual, then perhaps the user experience could be virtual too?

This would be immersive, not for viewer but for the content producer. IP makes this possibile.

Smart OB trucks IP has started to penetrate the OB market with the first IP-based trucks going live this year.

One of the benefits of IP is that it reduces the amount of cabling required, in turn reducing the footprint of the vehicle itself. Smaller, lighter trucks are definitely a benefit - as long as the production staff have the room they require, of course.

This lines-up the possibility of developing smart OB trucks. Let’s say, for example, that a big event requires more horsepower than a single IP-based truck can offer. Instead of having to find a bigger truck, two smart trucks could be combined together. Thanks to IP connectivity, and using pre-set software functions that can be recalled at the click of a mouse, they could then dovetail and act as one, sharing resources. The opportunities are limited only by the imagination.

Now, I will be the first to admit that some of these things I have mentioned here will not come

‘IP may not be the solution to every broadcast problem but it certainly has the potential to provide more options when it comes to producing live TV’

There are so many more options in the brave new IP world. IP may not be the solution to every broadcast problem but it certainly has the

to pass. I have no crystal ball. But the fact that I

potential to provide more options when it comes

can even make these suggestions shows you how

to producing live TV. n

much more flexible IP is than SDI.

Find out more www.pro.sony.eu/imageipworkflow

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