❝ As video-over-IP in broadcast infrastructures is high-speed Ethernet ( 10Gbps or higher ), all IP connections will basically be Ethernet fibre connections … SDI-based fibre connections will become more and more of a niche .❞
❝[ Fibre will play a substantial role in the transition to IP-based broadcast systems .] This is particularly apparent , when it comes to uncompressed or lightly compressed , high-resolution and high frame rate video signals ... Fibre allows for expanding bandwidth and
fast adjustment to new workflows .❞
January-February 2017 DISTRIBUTION 23
❝ As video-over-IP in broadcast infrastructures is high-speed Ethernet ( 10Gbps or higher ), all IP connections will basically be Ethernet fibre connections … SDI-based fibre connections will become more and more of a niche .❞
— Jan Eveleens , CEO , Axon Digital Design
that is required is the change of firmware on the frame .
Most broadcast infrastructures will increasingly use fibre , even as SDI begins to fade into the background , predicts Jan Eveleens , CEO of Axon Digital Design .
“ As video-over-IP in broadcast infrastructures is high-speed Ethernet ( 10Gbps or higher ), all IP connections will basically be Ethernet fibre connections ,” he describes .
“ SDI-based fibre connections will become more and more of a niche , as SDI gets replaced by Ethernet / IP over time .”
Cost will also be a defining factor , Eveleens says , with Ethernet 10Gbps small form-factor pluggables ( SFP ) being “ much cheaper ” than SDI SFPs , not to mention how point-to-point connections can be easily implemented with Ethernet fibre solutions .
However , in long distance connections , SDI-based fibre solutions still hold precedence , or as long as high-speed , long-range Ethernet / SFPs remain relatively expensive , he points out , adding : “ But , the advantages offered by Ethernet / IP , including the ability to carry / multiplex a lot of general purpose data traffic with your video , will convince most users to go on the Ethernet / IP fibre route on longer-haul connections .”
Whichever approach broadcasters choose to go with , Axon says it is ready to meet all operational requirements . Most of the company ’ s products , Eveleens reveals , have had optional SFP slots for SDI inputs and outputs for “ quite some time ”. This allows customers to add a fibre input or output to Axon products ; alternatively , they can also choose to use a coax SFP for an extra copper I / O . “ Our newer products also have Ethernet SFPs to support video-over- IP as an option , so effectively we already offer both fibre options to customers ,” he concludes .
Another company who sees fibre playing a substantial role in the transition to IP-based broadcast systems is Lynx Technik . “ This is particularly apparent ,” says James Merchant , product manager , Lynx Technik , “ when it comes to uncompressed or lightly compressed , high-resolution and high frame rate video signals .
“ In order for an infrastructure to effectively handle these types of data rates , fibre connectivity is an ideal solution — fibre allows for expanding bandwidth and fast adjustment to new workflows ,” he adds .
With the obvious advantages fibre hold over the traditional copper cable , including being more flexible , cost-effective and future-proof , there are other factors that makes fibre a superior option to other delivery platforms , Merchant argues . “ One of the most important advantages is that fibre
Expect 2017 to be an “ exciting year ” for distributed routing and fibre , even as the “ fear factor ” surrounding IP continues to dissipate .
is agnostic to the type of signal that is being transported . Also , signals can be transported in either direction and the number of signals being transported can easily be expanded by using WDM ( wavelength division multiplexing ), CWDM ( coarse wavelength division multiplexing ), or even DWDM ( dense wavelength division multiplexing ) optical multiplexing systems .”
Like Riedel ’ s O ’ Neill , he advises broadcasters to use single-mode fibre cables in their facilities , seeing how the majority of available multiplexing components are designed for single-mode fibre .
Lynx Technik , for a long time synonymous with its range of yellobrik modular brick products , last year launched its greenMachine concept that is literally green . This , Merchant explains , proffers a “ radical new approach ” to traditional signal processing , based on general purpose hardware processing platforms that are 100 % app-driven .
He continues : “ Users can mix and match apps to build their own customised green- Machine system … Our greenMachine solutions are specifically designed to make the transition to new standards as straightforward as possible .”
Again , the key here is perhaps to accommodate the varied needs of broadcasters as they adopt technologies at their
❝[ Fibre will play a substantial role in the transition to IP-based broadcast systems .] This is particularly apparent , when it comes to uncompressed or lightly compressed , high-resolution and high frame rate video signals ... Fibre allows for expanding bandwidth and
fast adjustment to new workflows .❞
— James Merchant , Product Manager , Lynx Technik
own pace . “ We will be offering various greenMachine models that have traditional non IP-based interfaces , as well as models with a combination of IP-based and non IPbased interfaces ,” Merchant emphasises . “ All models will also have fibre interfaces that allow for the seamless integration between IP-based and non-IP-based fibre systems .”
Expect 2017 to be an “ exciting year ” for distributed routing and fibre , even as the “ fear factor ” surrounding IP continues to dissipate , Riedel ’ s O ’ Neill projects .
“ I ’ ve had many discussions about distributed routing and our IP roadmap throughout Asia-Pacific ,” he says . “ Sure , I still have to wrap the occasional fibre cable around my finger to prove that it isn ’ t going to break . And my redundancy demonstrations with MediorNet still raise eyebrows when I ’ m able to show how we can plug and unplug the cables and switch them around , and the signal still comes back automatically .
“ But , the conversation has shifted from ‘ Should I install 3G-SDI cable ?’ to ‘ Just how much single-mode [ fibre ] is enough ?’ — and that is a good feeling for us .”
It is also providing the impetus for Riedel to innovate and build on its existing product portfolio , including an upcoming network multi-viewer for MediorNet , that will allow users to reduce the size of their core router , as they will no longer need to go in and out of the multi-viewer .
Riedel will also introduce an IP gateway product later this year , and has prepared cost models that show how customers can significantly reduce the initial cost of a new OB truck or studio while leaving the door open for expansion or new formats in the future .
A future for the broadcast industry that will undeniably see fibre playing a prominent role , O ’ Neill reiterates : “ In a few years , you will find it hard to buy any equipment that doesn ’ t have fibre connectors . There are a number of network-attached devices that are moving from the playout and distribution world , into the content creation world .
“ Therefore , I truly believe the only way forward for broadcasting , is to move to fibre .”
Broadcast Australia pilots solar PV solution for broadcast transmission
Broadcast Australia has successfully introduced a renewable energy solar PV ( photo voltaic ) solution at its Muswellbrook site in New South Wales , an endeavour that has been awarded with the IABM International Award for Excellence in Sustainability .
Deployed with 96 solar panels and German battery storage technology , the new PV system has allowed Broadcast Australia to take a remote site “ almost entirely off the national power grid while continuing to deliver quality broadcasting , radio and critical emergency services ” for 50,000 end-users within a 500km radius .
Peter Lambourne , CEO of Broadcast Australia , said : “ Broadcast Australia is proud to trial this renewable energy solution — and take Australia ’ s first transmission site off-grid . The system has been designed with the ruggedness and reliability demanded by the Australian outback , where many sites are extremely remote and operate under harsh conditions .”
The 72 batteries used for the project can store 215kWh of power , producing enough solar energy to run the Muswellbrook transmission system for up to 43 hours , and take just over 5.5 hours to charge at full efficiency .
Some of the challenges Broadcast Australia faced included ensuring that the solar solution was reliable enough to meet a roundthe-clock load requirement while still being commercially viable . The Muswellbrook site consumed more than 40mWh from the grid on an annual basis , and therefore the system had to produce enough power to maintain optimum performance once offline .
To meet this requirement , the team at Broadcast Australia designed a system of solar panels producing 39kWp , 72 batteries producing 215kWh , alongside three SMA inverters that can be monitored online . The incumbent 15kVa diesel generator was then retained as a backup system to counter periods of adverse sunlight .
The solution was mobilised in 2014 and achieved savings of
38mWh per annum ( equivalent to 95 % of the site ’ s baseline ), with a “ complete reduction ” in outages and zero disruption to services for customers .
It is this kind of investment , according to Broadcast Australia , which has allowed it to deliver an efficiency dividend to the country ’ s national broadcasters , the ABC and SBS , every year in the form of price rises below the consumer price index ( CPI ) and “ significantly below ” the average price increases in power .