38 OPINION
THE PATH IS CLEAR
Jamie Dunn, Deputy CEO, Lawo
As the industry continues to wrestle with the commercial challenges that skyrocketing contents rights fees bring and consumer viewing habits turn into an ‘anywhere, anytime, anyhow’ model, the adoption of standard IT technologies running processing software for core media infrastructure can provide cost savings and fl exible commercial solutions. This is now a tangible reality. The largest global events in the past 18 months have utilised software-based processing for live production at scale. Let us therefore refl ect on how broadcast infrastructure requirements are defi ned and procured. Imagine a processing engine for an audio mixing console running on the same standard server as multiviewers, stream transcoders, UDXs and numerous other processing functions. The server – either on-prem or in the public cloud – acts as a generic audio and video platform that handles all processing tasks. This is at the heart of the EBU’s Dynamic Media Facility (DMF) initiative, which is based around
the ability to start and stop different types of software functionality on the fl y, adding and removing resources as and when you need them.
“We are at a stage where further dramatic cost reduction is only possible through increased asset utilisation”
This technical fl exibility is not only the enabler to dramatically reduce hardware investments: together with fl exible licensing possibilities, it forms the foundation for addressing the commercial ‘squeeze’ currently being felt across the industry. We are at a stage where further dramatic cost reduction is only possible through increased asset utilisation. Stopping functions when not needed and freeing up the processing capacity for completely different tasks maximises the utilisation of standard IT investments.
That addresses optimised hardware utilisation, but what about other strategies to drive cost savings? Customers are looking for a continuous stream of added value for the investments they make. The combination of technical and commercial fl exibility provides this. Imagine no longer investing in single-function licences, but having the ability to use a pool of function- agnostic credits that can be allocated to any app at any time.
When the function is stopped, the credits
return to the pool and can immediately be used for a completely different function. Add to this the ability to use these credits for new broadcast functions that come online over the years of the investment period, and the true value of a software- based tech stack running on standard IT servers becomes crystal-clear. Now imagine a server real-estate that can shrink as more potent servers become available or smaller ones can be used… The path is clear! 8.B90
DYNAMIC DRAGONFLY OFFERS A NEW ANGLE ON VIDEO WALLS
Craltech/ Villrich Broadcast BY DAVID FOX
Dragonfl y is an easy-to-use creative controller for video walls that handles design, management and delivery, offering considerable creative freedom, according to Craltech. Users can place screens at any angle, using different-sized displays in a creative layout, and rotate and scale the video to fi t. Dragonfl y has 4K input and four HD HDMI outputs, with cascading capabilities that can scale from
Upon refl ection: Craltech’s Dragonfl y has a glittering future as a video wall controller
small setups to massive video wall installations.
Craltech has also introduced a compact AVoIP platform, the W10 Mini. It distributes
up to 4K2K 60Hz 4:4:4 video and audio over standard 10Gb (SDVoE) IP network switches to an unlimited number of displays without sacrifi cing latency, video
quality or bandwidth. Suitable for control rooms, studios, esports or production, it also distributes KVM and can be used as an SDVoE encoder or decoder, for fi bre or copper installations. Up to 16 independent sources can be displayed on one output. Also new is Craltech’s Octo 8x8 seamless matrix, sending eight HDMI sources to eight 4K or HD displays at up to 4K60p 4:4:4. Each output supports downscaling individually, and it offers matrix, video wall and multiview functions, plus a web server. 12.A52
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