READING, ENGLAND—At the NAB Show, Quantel said that with the move to IP infrastructures the media industry is facing the biggest transition since it went digital 30 years ago. The replacement of SDI infrastructure with IP offers content creators greater flexibility, lower capital and running costs, and the ability to do new things. The company said that there’s no argument that IP in production “is going to transform our industry.” There is however much discussion about how IP technology is best employed for production.
The issue is so important that the EBU, SMPTE and VSF set up a joint task force--the JT-NM--to stimulate new business opportunities through the exchange of professional media across networks, taking advantage of affordable IT-based technology. The EBU says on its website: “By participating in this Task Force, the EBU will take advantage of the window of opportunity to influence and contribute to standards-setting for interoperable systems, before proprietary technologies become more widespread.”
Quantel said it believes that interoperable systems using standard IT technology are critical to achieving the potential benefits of IP. To that end, the company has submitted a response to the JT-NM Request for Technology (RFT) that showed how standard IT and web technology could be used to meet all 124 ‘Super User Stories’ in the RFT.
The future for our industry lies in using standard IP infrastructure; attempting to modify IP infrastructure for the needs of broadcast production cuts us off from the economies and flexibility offered by mainstream IP. The innovative broadcast industry can add the services and facilities it needs in IP systems at the system’s edge, not in the IP core.
“The move to IP is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for the media industry,” said Simon Rogers, R&D Director, Quantel, “It’s vital that we stick with mainstream IP technology if we are to gain the maximum benefit from this transition. Short-term proprietary solutions are not the way forward. Quantel applauds the work of the JT-NM in this area and we will continue to engage with them as they progress their crucial work.”
