SMPTE UPDATE /// SMPTE Dissects IP, Workflow /// By Bruce Devlin


ilm- and videotape-based content creation


processes traditionally have required a great deal of


manual intervention at various points along the workflow. But the migration toward information technology (IT) is radically changing the way media is managed, moved, and manipulated. Freed from their reliance on


physical media, the workflows employed in production, post- production, and distribution no longer need be time-intensive, expensive, and inflexible. In fact, the digital age gives companies in the entertainment and media industry many new opportunities and tools with which to improve their efficiency and enhance the viewer experience, while also reducing the cost of content creation and distribution. As increasing numbers of


content creators and distributors adopt IT-based solutions, they gain access to devices, technologies, and techniques that never could have been developed economically by the broadcast community alone. In turn, the arrival of the interconnected content creation and distribution workflow is changing not only the technologies being used, but also the business models and strategies embraced by media companies. Globally distributed and


collaborative production and post-production processes are increasingly being implemented by content producers, distributors, broadcasters, and multichannel video programming distributors (MVPDs). The changing nature of digital content also drives the IT migration, as next-generation broadcast technologies such as Ultra High Definition (UHD) require rapid evolution of infrastructure and a shift toward IP architectures. Despite significant forward


progress, it still is rare to find a media professional with a strong understanding of video and IP technologies and a


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comprehension of the business implications of those technologies. This means that there remains a need for education about the design, deployment, and effective use of IT infrastructure and IP networks. Technology and related


standards continue to evolve very quickly. Media facilities are producing, managing and distributing more content to increasingly segmented audiences, and multiplatform distribution is becoming increasingly complex. For these reasons, there is


always more that industry members can learn about the


over IT infrastructure in both streaming and file-based workflows. It will be led by me and my AmberFin colleague Ben Davenport. This one-day regional


seminar will give those working in film, television, or digital media a unique and valuable opportunity to gather with other industry professionals for an interactive and educational discussion of IP technology and communications as they relate to media. It will be offered February 11, 2014 in London and February 12 in Salford, This information will be


useful for all operational staff, whether from an IT or


Bruce Devlin


efficient, cost, and production- quality advantages afforded the entertainment media industry by adoption of IT networks, the seminar will move on to look at how these technologies and techniques can be adapted to achieve efficiency throughout the full media life cycle, from acquisition though production, playout, archiving, contribution, and distribution on multiple platforms. Topics will include an overview of the IP-based facility and workflow, the elements of a successful migration to IP, and roadmaps for workflow transition to IP in live production, contribution, and post-production. Professional content


Understanding Picture Quality Measurements – one of the topics at the SMPTE regional seminar.


use of IT to manipulate media, the influence and interaction of processing and algorithms -- and how all of these elements can be put together in a way that supports a highly efficient media business. Recognizing the need for further education on these topics, the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) has developed a regional seminar designed to advance the industry in managing issues related to the shift toward IP-based handling of media. Providing educational


opportunities to industry members is one of the three pillars of SMPTE’s mission. To this end, the organization is bringing its “Digital Media: Production to Distribution Using IP” seminar to the UK in February. The U.K. Regional Seminar will address the use of media


TV Technology Europe I February-March 2014


broadcast/media background, as well as other key personnel, including those who design systems. Attendees will gain the working knowledge they need to create and deliver content for any platform most effectively as IP-based environments grow. What makes these seminars


so unique is not just that they’re provided by SMPTE, the standards-development body whose work guides the motion imaging industry. Rather, it is SMPTE’s ability to call on the engineers actually inventing current and future media technologies that makes its regional seminars so valuable. There is no other source that provides such fresh insight in such a practical manner. The seminar will begin with a


brief history of the technology and an overview of fundamentals. After examining the many


producers will walk away understanding the impact and implications for their work if, for example, SDI were to disappear tomorrow. Systems and facilities designers will gain a clearer understanding of IP architectures and how to assure that, at the end of the day, they work as they must to support content creation and distribution. This seminar has generated


enthusiastic feedback in North America and Europe, and it should prove to be highly informative and interesting to all variety of professionals within the media industry. ///


Bruce Devlin is a SMPTE International Sections Director and CTO at AmberFin


Further information about the seminars, as well as the full UK section program of meetings and activities, is available at www.smpte.org/sections/ united-kingdom


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