Ip Era in Tv Production Industry

Introduction to the IP Era in TV Production Industry

According to Goldman (2018), we are on the verge of a revolution in how professional media facilities handle audio, video, and ancillary data. This shift—from serial digital interface (SDI) to Internet protocol (IP)—is as monumental and significant as the industry’s transition from tape to file-based operations. However, it can be seamless if engineers plan the transition carefully. For the past several decades, the professional media industry has used different variants of SDI to move around high-quality real-time video.

Challenges of SDI in Modern Media Production

Industry-specific interfaces, protocols, and infrastructure limit effectiveness in addressing the challenges of modern media production and distribution, including scalability and complexity concerns. Since the development of SDI many years ago, we have entered the information technology (IT) age. With computers being ubiquitous and hundreds of billions of devices in use worldwide, it has become possible to realize significant economies of scale in working with IT technology. By moving away from the industry-specific interfaces, protocols, and infrastructure of SDI and towards IP, and leveraging the more scalable and cost-effective interfaces, protocols, and infrastructure of IT, professional media facilities gain the freedom and agility to rapidly deploy new solutions. This transition allows them to quickly realize new capabilities that can simplify operations, reduce costs, and improve their competitive potential.

Top Reasons for Transitioning to All-IP

• To enhance the flexibility and agility of the video plant, with "video" meaning professional media, including video, audio, and ancillary data.
• To enable compatibility with network interfaces on COTS Ethernet switches and COTS servers.
• To achieve the flexible association of streams into desired groups of media.
• To establish network-based registration and discovery of devices, streams, and media capabilities.
• To realize much greater density than was possible with SDI, over an inherently bidirectional connection.
• To create a standard suite that is agnostic to the specific video and audio formats being carried on it, and which uses the same carriage mechanism regardless of resolution, bit depth, frame rate, number of channels, and so on.

Implementation and Industry Acceptance

We are now beginning to see implementation solutions for transitioning to all-IP, all at once. The viability of this approach has become evident through a series of interoperability demonstrations for professional media over IP. SMPTE is one of eight sponsors of what is known as the IP Showcase, a multi-vendor interoperability demonstration that first took place at IBC 2016 and has continued at key trade shows, including the SMPTE 2017 Annual Technical Conference & Exhibition, with standing-room-only crowds for presentations related to the IP migration. These demonstrations highlight the industry's commitment to embracing IP solutions, showcasing the potential for increased efficiency and innovation in media production.

Conclusion

The transition from SDI to IP represents a significant evolution in the media production industry. By adopting IP-based solutions, facilities can address the limitations of SDI, unlocking new possibilities for scalability, flexibility, and cost-effectiveness. As the industry continues to embrace this change, it is crucial for professionals to stay informed and prepared for the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead.

References

• Goldman, M. (2018). The IP revolution in media production. Journal of Media Technology, 45(3), 112-120.