14 TVBEurope News & Analysis In IP we trust
By Dan Cox Global Head of Marketing Counterpoint Systems
INTERNET PROTOCOL has been used for many years as an option for transporting video and audio content over wires, fibre and wireless (including satellite and handheld), yet IP has yet to be widely adopted as mainstream by European broadcasters. At the annual IBC held in Amsterdam, industry professionals meet to discuss the latest technologies and trends. IBC provided a platform for case studies from international broadcasters, showcasing how IP is being used successfully throughout the content lifecycle. Phil Tudor, principal engineer at BBC Research & Development has been working on high-speed IP networking projects for live production and the origination of content. By sending IP streams from live events such as music festivals, back to centralised production teams without them having to go to the location, the BBC is able to reduce the cost of broadcasting live events such as Glastonbury.
Bringing camera feeds in
from music stages over IP dramatically speeds up the editorial process, getting content to air in up to half the time, and sharing it rapidly via the BBC’s social media presence. The technology also unlocks a richer experience for the consumer, as it facilitates streaming of multiple feeds live from an event. A viewer is able to switch between cameras or choose to watch the director’s edit of an event. A veteran of IP, Stephen Flood was sending MPEG-2 video live to air over IP in 1999, but it’s only in October 2013 that the European Broadcasting Union is entering into the second round of testing of contribution over IP (streaming live content into broadcasters and webcasters) before making any recommendations that broadcasters adopt the approach. Founder and managing director of The Auriga Network, Flood believes integrating IP into the traditional broadcasting ecosystem is key, as this provides rock-solid redundancy by
IBC2013: Trust in IP also engenders greater trust in the content it delivers
making sure there is no single point of failure. It also significantly lowers the cost of entry to live broadcast for niche content providers. Despite the reluctance of
broadcasters to trust in IP, consumers have widely adopted it, as evidenced by the growth in IPTV, digital services such as Netflix and high profile internet channels on YouTube.
JVC upgrades for live streaming
be uploaded in the background via FTP using the camera’s Clip Trimming function, which allows users to select, copy and dub sequences via a single button push. “Streaming and FTP upload
is a very important issue, for people to get content very fast from location to studio,” said JVC product manager, Gustav Emrich.
The HM650 uses WiFi, 4G or 3G connections via USB. The latest free firmware allows it to stream SD (a requirement of many European customers) at a choice of 0.3, 0.5, 1.5, 3 or 5Mbps, 1280x720 HD resolution at 1.5, 3 or 5Mbps, and 1920x1080 resolution at 2.5, 5 or 8Mbps. The camera features three HD
JVC product manager Gustav Emrich with the company’s upgraded GY-HM650 By David Fox
JVC UPGRADEDits compact GY-HM650 camcorder to do live streaming and demonstrated it with a twice-daily internet show at
last month’s IBC in Amsterdam. With an integrated dual encoder, video can be streamed live while recording full HD to the camera’s SDHC/SDXC memory card. Material can also
1/3-inch 12-bit CMOS sensors, 23x autofocus zoom lens, and light sensitivity of F12 at 2000 lux. The latest firmware upgrades its control and storage settings, improves image quality and adds an improved autofocus algorithm.
www.jvcpro.eu
Ubiquitous consumption of media means broadcasters have to be able to deliver content to their customer’s IP-connected devices. Trust in IP also engenders
greater trust in the content it delivers, argued Duncan Burbidge, CEO of StreamAMG. Burbidge’s IP-based Stream Cloudsourcer was used during the Iranian elections to get video
and images from Iran to the BBC in the UK. The BBC was able to validate authenticity of content because of the embedded metadata. Burbidge also explained how
broadcasters are able to trust in IP workflows and processes; metadata that travels with IP content allows control over what can be done to it at any stage in a workflow, and also ensures that information about the intellectual property rights to that content are respected (the ‘other’ IP!).
The success stories presented
at IBC illustrated how lowering the production costs means more content can be produced (eg, covering a less popular sporting event), and reducing the investment required to broadcast live content opens the way for new entrants focused on in niche markets. Content can be delivered in high quality (which customers are prepared to pay for), and because it can be rapidly integrated with social media networks, it is trusted because it’s recommended and shared by friends. “IP is creeping in,” BBC
R&D’s Phil Tudor explained. “Conventional infrastructure providers are all heading in this direction.” The case seems compelling for the broadcast industry to do the same.
European debut for Pro 2 Scan Converter
By Michael Burns
THE BRIGHTEYE Mitto Pro 2 scan converter from Ensemble Designs made its European debut at IBC. The company said the Pro 2 would provide a host of advanced features for those needing to integrate video or imagery from the web or computer into their video productions. It boasts high image quality, HDMI or analogue audio input, proc amp controls for image and colour correction, adjustable timing, preset memories and a test signal generator to verify signal output from the unit. “Having tools to adjust for
washed out or blown out video, or errors in colour, is key to using material from sites like YouTube and Skype,” said John
Pichitino, technology evangelist for Ensemble Designs. Pichitino also highlighted the preset memories feature, which allow instantaneous switching between multiple windows open on a single computer screen. “Manufacturing equipment here at our facility in Grass
www.tvbeurope.com October 2013
The tool set in the Mitto Pro 2 is aimed at getting the best looking video to air with the greatest ease
Valley, California allows us to rapidly respond to changes in manufacturing process, discounted hardware, and the latest technology,” said David Wood, president and chief design engineer at Ensemble Designs. “The advantage to the customer is a superior product at a reduced price.”
www.ensembledesigns.com
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