APB PANELLISTS
2 EDITORIAL
IP no more an option , start transition plan now
In the first APB issue of 2016 , we kicked off the year with this thought-provoking headline : Will broadcast IP gain momentum ?
The answer is arguably a resounding YES , even if we are perhaps years away from the day when broadcast facilities will be converted to all-IP infrastructures .
At some of the biggest broadcast trade shows around the world , technologies such as 4K / Ultra HD , HDR and VR have threatened to steal the show ; yet it is IP , in an almost unassuming manner , which has dominated discourse .
To say that broadcasters ’ interest has been piqued is an understatement . The real question on their lips is this : How can IP improve my operational efficiency , and how can I successfully integrate IP without disrupting entrenched workflows and practices ?
Convincing broadcasters of the feasibility of IP can be a daunting challenge , not that there is any lack of effort . The LiveIP Project , for instance , demonstrated throughout the year IP-based live broadcast production workflows using open standards and demonstrating interoperability .
An international , multi-vendor platform put together by Belgian public broadcaster VRT and the European Broadcasting Union ( EBU ), the LiveIP Project delivered its first full-IP live on-air broadcast in June .
At IBC 2016 , an IP Interoperability Zone sponsored by IABM and the Alliance for IP Media Solutions ( AIMS ) featured demonstrations from more than 30 companies on IP interoperability .
Interoperability , of course , is the driving force behind the work of AIMS , an independent trade alliance formed in December 2015 to advocate for open standards and interoperability in broadcast IP . While competing IP video systems and standards may currently abound , AIMS ’ goal is to push for the adoption of a ‘ one interoperable approach ’, based on the unifying standard of SMPTE SD-2110 .
Will these initiatives be enough to encourage broadcasters to embrace IP ?
The transition to full IP will most likely be a gradual one but in reality it is a matter of practicality .
This is likely to encompass several investment
cycles ; as more affordable IP-based products and solutions enter the market , costs will be driven down . Lingering issues such as latency , vulnerability to cyber-attacks and managing redundancy ought to be more adequately addressed and along the way , an old ally is unlikely to fade from the limelight — yet .
SDI is not dead ; on the contrary , it has a key role to play in the transition to IP . While the latter may eventually prove to be a superior technology to SDI , a hybrid approach to IP will be unavoidable for a number of years to come , as the risk of going all-IP today remains high .
In any case , broadcasters need to start planning for the transition to IP , based on a careful analysis of how this can best address their current and future needs .
Beyond technological challenges however , deeply entrenched mindsets also need to be addressed . Resistance to change is perhaps understandable , particularly when factoring in systems that have worked well for many years , as is the case with SDI .
Could a hands-on experience with an IP-based system potentially tip the scales ? In collaboration with BroadcastAsia organiser Singapore Exhibition Services and systems integrator Ideal Systems , APB will be setting up an IP Interoperability Lab at BroadcastAsia2017 .
Besides showcasing interoperability between components from different manufacturers , broadcasters in Asia-Pacific will be invited to shoot , ingest , edit and stream their content — all based around a real-time live IP set-up .
As you start planning for your transition to IP , we encourage you to visit BroadcastAsia2017 from May 23-25 , and join APB and our partners as we examine how IP can best work for you .
Watch this space … and have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year ahead !
SHAWN LIEW MANAGING EDITOR
December 2016 ( volume 33 issue 11 )
EDITORIAL managing editor Shawn Liew , shawn @ editecintl . com contributing editor Millette Manalo-Burgos , millette @ editecintl . com contributing editor ( technology ) Karl K Rossiter , karl @ editecintl . com reporter Josephine Tan
CORRESPONDENTS n India Shirish Nadkarni , shinads @ yahoo . co . uk
n USA Mike Feazel , mfeazel @ gmail . com
PRODUCTION production editor Zuraini Ridzwan , zuraini @ editecintl . com junior sub-editor Genevieve Chan , genevieve @ editecintl . com senior multimedia designer Raymund Jaudian , raymund @ editecintl . com multimedia designer Waldomar Zuniga , waldomar @ editecintl . com ad / office administrator Irene Lok , irene @ editecintl . com accounts manager Tan Hui Min , huimin @ editecintl . com
MARKETING director - sales & marketing Jessie Tan , jessie @ editecintl . com manager - sales & marketing Lynn Chee , lynn @ editecintl . com
CIRCULATION & PROMOTIONS executive - circulation & promotions Jotham T Lim , jotham @ editecintl . com
PUBLISHING publisher / editorial director Andrew Yeo , andrew @ editecintl . com
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