OSLO—The Sony Group Company Nevion has published a new whitepaper exploring the different ways in which live media workflows can be orchestrated in IP-based production facilities.

The briefing digs into the benefits and drawbacks of automated routing, and makes the case for media-aware SDN (Software Defined Networks) for all but the smallest networks to get the most from IP.

“IP technology is the future of live production, so it’s crucial to get the underlying infrastructure right,” explained Olivier Suard, vice president of marketing, Nevion. “SDN is an optimum approach because it takes control of network resources to manage flows across the network. But controlling media flows is just one aspect of managing live productions. A holistic view of the control layer, combining LAN, WAN, cloud and broadcast control, can enable organizations to use IP technology to its full potential.”

The whitepaper noted that orchestration of media flows, covering device and network control, is increasingly taking place in IP-based local area networks (LANs), where it is fundamental to maximize performance, efficiency and scalability.

In assessing different orchestration approaches, the researchers pointed out that automatic routing (e.g. using on IGMP/PIM protocols) allows the network to decide itself how to route media flows. While this offers simplicity, it presents drawbacks in terms of managing bandwidth efficiency, speed of switching and security.

Instead, more organizations are adopting SDN routing, with an orchestration system making informed and media-aware routing decisions by maintaining a comprehensive view of the whole network topology and the IP media flows that operate across it, the study found.

The paper goes on to cover the many advantages of an SDN routing approach, which offers improved security, flexibility and centralized control, but this approach comes with its own considerations. This includes potential compatibility issues with legacy broadcast controllers, bandwidth management, network and service correlation and service assurance, Nevion reported.

Alongside key considerations related to device orchestration, the paper also looks at the implications for media orchestration within IP live production infrastructure. Not all orchestration systems offer the same capabilities. For example, in a hybrid approach combining cloud and on-premises resources, orchestration and broadcast control technologies need to meet the challenge by routing media flows across ground and cloud.

The new whitepaper, “Orchestrating Live Media Flows in IP-based Broadcast Facilities” can be downloaded from here: https://nevion.com/resources/whitepapers/ip-production-control/

Cloud technology is making itself at home in the broadcast sector, and not just in post-production or distribution, but increasingly for live production and playout. Flexibility, scalability and cost efficiency await the organizations that adopt these solutions, particularly when extra processing capacity is needed above the normal levels compared to building extra capacity in-house.

However, it remains unlikely that all production resources will find their way into cloud infrastructure. For example, running all broadcast processes is likely to work out more costly than owning some of the resources.

So where does this leave broadcasters? In practice, a mixture of on-premises (ground) and cloud production setups allows adopters to benefit from the best of both worlds. For example, everyday production and crisis-situations broadcasting might be handled by on-prem equipment, while cloud would handle peaks above normal usage, such as special events.

But the adoption of hybrid production raises questions as to how workflows spanning resources from on-premises to the cloud are effectively managed—otherwise production staff may be drawn away from focusing on delivering engaging content. Management of these workflows, or orchestration, is therefore essential.

Framing Orchestration for a Hybrid Future
Whether it’s live production in the cloud, outsourcing part of an on-prem production into the cloud as a hybrid workflow, or delivery of live content to a pop-up playout channel, they all require control over on-premises and cloud resources. They need to be connected with each other to ensure the safe and reliable flow of media.

Controlling and orchestrating connectivity and signal routing in the cloud itself can often be handled by established static-events automation tools. For example, predefined automation templates can be quickly deployed to create cloud infrastructure. But this approach does not extend to on-premises resource control, which is often essential for larger live productions or permanent workflows.

Orchestration systems for hybrid live production must therefore integrate both on-premises and cloud resources seamlessly. The goal should be for these workflows to be managed in the same way as a traditional master control room or production gallery, with end-to-end visibility, monitoring, and efficient management of both on-premises resources such as bandwidth, ports and equipment, and cloud instances.

Must-Have Features for Orchestration Systems
In hybrid live production setups, operators should simply be able to select a source and a receiver, whether they are based on-premises or in the cloud. The orchestration system should then be able to automatically allocate the required encoders, ARQ protection and cloud gateways from a managed pool of resources.

For example, choosing the right compression technology is often a balance between quality, bandwidth and latency, and configuration might cover codec parameters, encryption and network addressing.

All of these decisions should be made by the system in the background, ensuring that users aren’t presented with unnecessary complexity. To make the management process even more seamless for staff, an intuitive control surface, such as a familiar hardware panel or an easy-to-use software interface, would allow them to keep track of on-premises, ground-to-cloud-cloud-to-ground (GCCG) and cloud workflows.

A hybrid connection may cover a number of networks, including the on-premises production network, dedicated WAN links and unmanaged networks such as the internet. An orchestration system must monitor these network types and provide redundancy in the event of failure. It also needs to handle multi-vendor equipment, including IP switches, cameras, switchers, servers and multiviewers, to ensure end-to-end control. Transcoding between on-premises feeds and cloud receivers is also essential, alongside orchestration of the connectivity to the cloud and between cloud-native applications.

In order to make the best use of the pay-per-use model offered by a cloud solution, the orchestration system should be able to interface with public cloud providers and automate the scaling of cloud instances by spinning them up or down. If a connection is no longer needed, automatic termination of cloud processing instances can save on hosting costs. Where spinning instances up and down isn’t practical, such as for larger instances in a cloud-based video switcher, starting and stopping instances can also reduce costs, although typically not as much as the spinning option.

And just as importantly, no orchestration system should be lacking in effective security measures. While public clouds usually offer enterprise-grade security, the system must cover secure communication between on-premises devices and cloud instances. It can do this via encrypted communication protocols, role-based access control (RBAC), integration with identity and access management systems via Single Sign-On, ARQ stream encryption management and audit logging for full traceability of operations.

The Importance of an Integrated Orchestration Approach
As live production evolves, the broadcast industry is embracing hybrid models that blend the strengths of on-premises infrastructure with the flexibility of cloud. But to unlock the full value of this approach, orchestration must take center stage to provide the operational efficiency, cost control, and resilience. Systems that can intelligently and seamlessly manage resources across both environments will define the future of live production.

Looking ahead, AI could enhance the automation and efficiency of orchestration systems, automating complex workflows, reducing manual intervention, and minimizing human error. With dynamic scaling of resources also an AI-led possibility, organizations will be further empowered to make a success of hybrid live production and continue to create high-quality content for audiences.

PARAMUS, NJ—Sony Electronics has announced its agenda for the 2025 NAB Show, April 6-9 in Las Vegas. With its Central Hall home in the LVCC under construction, the company has temporarily set up shop in the North Hall, N439.

Sony says its booth and production introductions support four key areas: live production solutions, news and production workflows, imaging solutions, and virtual production. New highlights include a Super35mm camera system with Variable Neutral Density (VND), an ultra-compact Full-frame camera extension system, and a camera tracking solution for enriching content creation.

Sony’s enhancements and technologies support the latest industry needs and capabilities by enabling new forms of expression and productivity through cloud and IP protocols, cinematic capture, and Spatial Content creation, as well as augmented extended reality (XR) and virtual effects (VFX) workflows. The company is empowering broadcasters, cinematographers, production teams and content creators at all levels to bring their vision to life with more flexibility and efficiency.

“We are excited to connect with and empower the industry at NAB Show and debut innovations and advancements that address the unique and evolving needs of our customers,” said Theresa Alesso, President, Imaging Products and Solutions Americas, Sony Electronics. “We’ve taken a very intentional approach, by providing enhancements to our lineup. Through easy to download firmware updates, we’re adding more value, providing longevity, reflecting the requests of our users and offering a return on their initial investment. With our expansive network of solutions and expertise, we’re creating a more efficient and seamless workflow that enables creativity and meets our broadcast and production customers where they are.”

Cameras
Sony’s newest camera, the HDC-F5500V, is a Super 35mm 4K CMOS system camera for live production, features a global shutter imager and PL lens mount. A new optional software license adds VND capabilities for increased depth of field control and a wide range of brightness control through virtual iris capabilities.

Designed for the demands of today’s live productions, the camera provides beautifully detailed imagery and ND control during on-tally. It also offers workflow advantages including a wealth of features for HDR and SDR production, and the same infrastructure as its HDC-5500V 2/3-inch counterpart, including IP networking, remote multi-camera operation and an in-CCU (camera control unit) record option. It is planned to be available in summer 2025.

The BRC-AM7 4K PTZ (pan-tilt-zoom) camera with AI-enabled Auto Framing and Tracking, which was announced at NAB 2024, is now available. New Version 2 firmware, planned for summer 2025, adds multi-person framing, face registration, enhanced tracking range, lead room effect, and it adds compatibility with the CNA-2 for remote productions.

The addition of the v2 software will ensure a common feature set and operational style with the ILME-FR7 Full frame camera. Planned for early summer 2025, both the BRC-AM7 and FR7 will add compatibility with Sony’s latest Camera Remote Toolkit for remote camera operation and settings adjustments.

The recently announced VENICE Extension System Mini adds flexibility to Sony’s flagship VENICE 2 full-frame digital cinema camera, enabling the camera’s sensor to be separated and extended from the camera body via a thin, detachable cable. It is approximately 70% smaller than the previous extension system, for use in small and challenging locations. When using two units side-by-side, stereoscopic clips can be captured naturally for Spatial Content Creation and VFX background capture. The system is planned to be available in summer 2025.

A v2 firmware update for the BURANO full-frame cinema camera will include new recording formats for faster sensor performance, led by a 3.8K Full Frame crop up to 120 fps and a 1.9K Super 35 mode that can capture up to 240 fps. Further additions include standardized SDI video output for monitoring across X-OCN and XAVC, as well as an improved on-screen display, enhanced image output, additional exposure tools, broader auto focus capabilities, and live event and multi-camera functionality.

Also on display will be the compact PXW-Z200 XDCAM and HXR-NX800 NXCAM 4K HDR handheld camcorders with network connectivity, AI-powered subject recognition, precise auto focus and the option to add MPEG HD422. The PXW-Z200 supports SDI output and timecode, and with firmware expected in summer 2025, will add XAVC MXF recording.

For the first time at NAB Show, the new HDC-P50A compact and lightweight POV box camera will be on display. Now shipping, the multi-purpose camera features a 2/3-inch 3-chip 4K global shutter image sensor, installation flexibility, up to 8x HD and 4x 4K output, direct IP connectivity, and full CCU integration while offering the same image quality and operational features as the Sony HDC Global Shutter family. The camera can be paired with an optional HKC-VND50 variable ND filter unit, as well as the CNA-2 camera control network adapter, for centralized monitoring and remote operations.

Sony will demo a v1.1 firmware update for its CNA-2 Camera Control Network Adapter, now with support for integrated management of multiple sites through Sony's Global Multi Camera System (GMCS), enabling remote operation of numerous cameras for large-scale sporting events and other applications. Furthermore, through the optional HZC-MSUCN2 license, simultaneous configuration changes and color adjustments for multiple cameras can be enabled via a web browser.

Monitors
Sony’s latest 4K professional monitors, the 16.5-inch BVM-HX1710 and BVM-HX1710N (with IP interface), offer a peak luminance of 3,000 nits, excellent contrast and deep blacks, and will come equipped with new operational tools including a side-by-side display feature enabling direct comparison between two 4K signals or between 4K and HD video.

In addition, closed captioning over 3G-SD1 1920x1080/59.94P and flexible control over the maximum brightness settings allows for adjustment in eight steps – from 4000 nits to 400 nits. Settings created on the BVM-HX1710(N) can be shared with the flagship BVM-HX3110 color-grading monitor. The BVM-HX3110 will also receive new capabilities through a free v2.0 upgrade that mirrors the BVM-HX1710(N)’s features. The BVM-HX1710(N) and v2 firmware for the BVM-HX3110 are scheduled for summer 2025.

Networked Transport
Key enhancements to Sony’s Networked Live portfolio include updates to the Live Production switcher lineup. Newly released v2.3 firmware for the MLS-X1, highlighted by the Conditional Action Macros feature, allows operators to pre-build actions that can be executed based on the status of the switcher, enhancing the efficiency of the production and reducing the burden on the technical director. Additionally, the M2L-X software-based production switcher is being demonstrated on Commercial Off the Shelf (COTS) equipment, as well as the cloud while the M2 Live cloud-based production platform will show new integration with third-party audio mixing boards.

Nevion, a Sony Group Company focused on real-time media transport processing and orchestration, will showcase recent updates. The software-defined media node, Nevion Virtuoso, expands with a new high-density AES/Analog/MADI converter and add-on that provides more audio sources. Virtuoso’s HEVC low-latency and low-bitrate technologies will also be highlighted. The Nevion VideoIPath Media Orchestration Platform, which can now orchestrate 5G and cloud environments, will be on display, giving customers greater flexibility for their contribution or production environments.

The PDT-FP1 portable data transmitter is updated with new features including support for external camera recording, in addition to high-quality live streaming from a connected camera and streaming app. Immediate workflow for delivering photos and videos from the field has been improved with the Transfer & Tagging app (T&T), as well as direct upload from camera-to-the-cloud services.

Together with the PDT-FP1 and NXL-ME80 media edge processor, Sony's CBK-RPU7 remote production unit transforms into a remote production solution. New enhancements to the solution add remote camera control, tally, capture with return video monitoring, and connection management via Nevion's VideoIPath, enhancing multi-camera operations and monitoring. Recent v1.2 firmware for the NXL-ME80 achieves more stable video transmission with even lower bitrate transmission, enhanced jitter resistance for increased stability, and newly equipped encryption functionality (AES256). It also provides virtually lossless ultra-low latency H.265/HEVC codec. Integration with Nevion Virtuoso is planned for a future update.

Sony’s Hawk-Eye Innovations, which provides sports organizations with leading broadcast production, officiating, and performance solutions, is showcasing HawkREPLAY—an instant replay broadcast solution for flexible on-premise, hybrid, and remote production workflows. It can be used alongside Sony’s HDC-5500 4x 4K camera or HDC-P50A POV camera and CCU for enabling 4K HFR and UHD pan and scan capabilities along with a cloud technology showcase. Within the Broadcast Solutions ecosystem, HawkNEST, an asset management and ISO record system, will also be on display with new Control Console and Channel Navigator tool features.

The DWX series expands with the DWM-30 digital wireless transmitter. For use in a range of professional audio applications including broadcast and live music, the updated model supports a wider range of frequencies and codecs, as well as multichannel simultaneous operation.

News and Production Workflow
Ci Media Cloud, a media asset management and collaboration service available as part of Sony’s Creators’ Cloud suite, has added new format support and exciting integrations to simplify and automate post-production workflows. Ci Workflow now supports nearly all camera RAW formats, making its self-service VFX pull solution even more powerful. Ci also added a DaVinci Resolve Studio extension which allows editors to seamlessly access Ci files, edit, relink, render, and share cuts without having to leave their NLE (non-linear editing).

Additionally, Sony has added direct camera-to-the-cloud support for FX3, FX30 and Alpha 7S III (sequentially) with additional model compatibility to come, allowing camera owners to automatically upload to Ci without the need for additional hardware.

Crispin, a Sony Group Company providing leading master control and asset management solutions, has rolled out new services, including CORE Dashboard, which provides customers with the ability to monitor all critical system components, playlist alerts or discrepancies, and a high-level supervisory view all within the CORE ecosystem, which empowers users with flexible browser-based user interfaces.

Record & Prep Manager (RPM) now includes Quality Control (QC) and prep functionality to accompany the scheduled recording, allowing for complete management of all resources available for prep and records. A new addition to the portfolio is List Assist, an innovative approach to playlist management using intelligent analysis for easy review and response to changes. FAST Wheel automatically creates a News rundown based on content available on a station’s website.

Sony’s Creators’ Cloud suite of software, services and apps includes Monitor & Control (M&C), a mobile app for video creators that enables wired or wireless video monitoring and precise remote-control for single or multi-camera operations. M&C is expanding functionality in the latest v2.3 update and will support additional features such as electronic crop framing functions for the PXW-Z200 and HXR-NX800 and improved focus maps resolution on mobile devices.

Virtual Production
Sony will showcase a suite of virtual production offerings that support Spatial Content Creation. New this year is the OCELLUS (ASR-CT1) camera tracking system, a marker-free tracking system that can be used both indoors and outdoors. The system is camera agnostic and uses four out of five image sensors on a sensor unit to track feature points on video signals. The OCELLUS is ideal for use in both broadcast applications such as news, sports and weather, as well as cinematic applications. The camera tracking system is expected to be available in fall 2025.

Additionally, Sony’s Virtual Production Tool Set, a series of resources that streamlines pre-production and on-set workflows, is gaining new features which will be previewed to bring pre-visualization to life, before a production takes place. Updated software addresses viewing angle correction, and adds Crystal LED off-axis color compensations. In addition, it provides rendering of high picture quality CG backgrounds at high frames per second by ray-tracing acceleration, and also supports real-time moiré alerts for VENICE 2 operation.

For more information about Sony’s presence at NAB Show, please visit https://pro.sony/nab.

OSLO—A new survey highlights the growing importance of live event programming, particularly sports, for the broadcast industry with the finding that live events are the preferred type of broadcast content for 40% of TV viewers around the world, proving more popular than any other type of programming. 

The survey involved consumers in the U.S., U.K., Spain, Germany, France and the Nordics and is based on research commissioned by Nevion, a Sony Group Company that was carried out by research house Vitreous World.

The most notable finding of the research was that more consumers in the regions surveyed prefer to watch live broadcast events (40%) than on-demand content via streaming services (31%) or scheduled programming by TV stations (29%).  

Unlike other content, live programming is also resonating with different demographics and that it is breaking down the generational divide by being universally popular among age ranges. Of the three main content types available to consumers today, live event broadcasting is the preferred choice of 58% of 18-24 year-olds and 31% of over 65s.

In another notable finding, the survey also found that live event broadcasts were a communal activity for many, with viewers seeking shared and memorable experiences. Almost one-in-five (19%) watch live broadcast events with someone else in-person at least once a day, and 59% use social media or messaging platforms to talk to friends and family about key moments.

With live event engagement remaining high, live broadcasters need to be exploring how they can continue to win new subscribers while also keeping current customers subscribed to live event channels, the researchers reported. 

With high visual quality (30%) and specific content offerings (24%) vital for consumers to continue resubscribing, broadcasters will need to focus on providing these benefits now and in the future. Looking ahead to the next 12 months, a quarter of consumers surveyed (25%) say that they will primarily consume live broadcast events.

“Our results show that live event broadcasting is not only more popular than on-demand and scheduled programming, but that it is a powerful unifier across generations. Broadcasters now have a great opportunity to tap into the unique advantages of live events to draw in new customers and keep current ones engaged. With the right technology, they can transform the logistics and economics of mission critical live production to create compelling new content types in the highest visual quality,” says Olivier Suard, vice president of marketing, Nevion.

PARAMUS, N.J.—Sony Electronics has announced that its Networked Live production ecosystem will be used in newly implemented production environments at Riot Games. 

Riot Games, which is a major developer and publisher of popular player-focused games like  League of Legends and Valorant, has been a customer of Nevion, a Sony Group Company, since 2019. 

During this time, Riot deployed Nevion VideoIPath orchestration and Nevion Virtuosos with JPEG XS to build a global, follow-the-sun remote production solution allowing them to produce tournaments and events from any of their production facilities.

As part of the newest deal, Riot Games will install Sony’s MLS-X1 modular live switcher and expand its use of VideoIPath for broadcast control while adding a federation of resources, which is designed to allow orchestration systems to collaborate within and between locations.

The MLS-X1 is an agile and highly scalable switcher that enables multiple units to be connected for simplified expansion that accounts for the future. Resources for the switcher can be divided up allowing it to be used as multiple smaller processing units or combined to support larger shows, based on the demands of the production.  Riot will use the MLS-X1 in Dublin, Ireland, and their second remote production site in Seattle, which has begun full operations this year, the company reported. 

VideoIPath provides orchestration and Software Defined Networking (SDN) control for connecting, orchestrating, and optimizing media flows across a variety of networks (Serial Digital Interface [SDI] and Internet Protocol [IP]). Riot recently upgraded these capabilities to include modern broadcast control for the new Seattle remote production center. Additionally, through the use of the system’s federation functionality, Riot will connect their Dublin and Seattle locations to leverage multiple autonomous instances of VideoIPath, the companies said. 

“Technology is such a vital component to Riot's ability to execute innovative esports productions that ultimately help us connect and engage meaningfully with esports fans around the world,” said James Wyld, principal infrastructure engineer, Riot Games. “Our experience with Sony’s Networked Live ecosystem has allowed us to create a powerful, globally connected model that delivers flexibility and efficiency in how we produce our shows. We chose to expand our footprint with Sony because we see that they share the same commitment, passion and vision for innovation that will help us further elevate our live broadcast and create mind-blowing experiences for fans.”

“Riot Games is continuing to push the boundaries of live event production through the use of innovative technology,” added Kento Sayama, deputy vice president, imaging solutions, Sony Electronics. “With the incredible advancements we have made to our Networked Live offering, and through continued support and consultation, Riot Games has enabled centralized resource sharing across the globe that provides ubiquity and prioritizes collaboration. We look forward to strengthening our relationship, and ultimately allowing fans to enjoy the excitement of gaming in real-time.”

Sony explained that Networked Live is a comprehensive portfolio of solutions, products, services, and partners that combines hybrid on-premises and Cloud processing with network connectivity to transform the logistics and economics of critical, high-quality live production. It does this by enabling resources (places, people, and processing) to be connected, used, and shared optimally and seamlessly in productions – regardless of their locations. For more information, visit https://pro.sony/ue_US/live-production/networked-live. 

OSLO, Norway—Nevion, a Sony Group Company, has released the 2023 long-term support (LTS) edition of its VideoIPath media orchestration platform with new features and capabilities designed to make it easier for users to orchestrate, operate and monitor their broadcast infrastructure and media networks.

VideoIPath is a key component of Sony’s Networked Live offering and is widely deployed by broadcasters and telecom service providers worldwide for contribution, remote production, facilities, OB trucks and GCCG (ground-to-cloud-cloud-to-ground), Nevion said.

An open system, VideoIPath can be integrated into existing environments with interfaces to any device and support for familiar control surfaces, it said.

The new release offers a new graphic user interface (GUI) with a modern look and feel. It enables improved search and filtering, faster refresh of the interface when changes occur and more customization options that allow users to tailor their user experience. The GUI now enables linking between different applications, which reduces the number of clicks required and increases operator efficiency, it said.

VideoIPath’s functionality to manage broadcast operations is a key area of focus for the 2023 LTS release, which emphasizes enabling workflows that take advantage of the flexibility offered by IP, including in hybrid SDI/IP environments. One example is support for camera control workflows and fast switching in IP. The release also now offers support for GPIO connection management and logic, Nevion said.

The company also has enhanced VideoIPath’s network and resource orchestration capabilities.     

Nevion has placed a special emphasis on scalability and performance. The release contains new north-bound interfaces, including legacy protocols, to support systems and control surfaces familiar to users, as well as multiple south-bound drivers for production equipment, it said.

“This 2023 LTS release represents a significant step forward, with new functionality building on the existing broadcast operations, resource orchestration and monitoring capabilities of VideoIPath,” said VideoIPath product manager Arne Johan Martinsen. “While some of the new features were pre-released during the year for use in specific projects, we are pleased to enable all our customers to benefit from them as part of their upgrade plans.”

More information is available on the company’s website.  

NEW YORK—Amagi has partnered with Nevion to enable broadcasters to be faster, more agile and cost-effective in creating and delivering live content to viewers, especially premium content sports, Amagi said. 

The combined solution allows production teams, wherever they are located, to spin up and tear-down pop-up channels in the cloud and use them seamlessly in combination with their ground production, thereby overcoming the latency issues often associated with these types of hybrid workflows, it said.

The partnership brings together the cloud-based master control room (MCR) functionality of Amagi CLOUDPORT and the orchestration capabilities of Nevion VideoIPath. The solution makes it easy for production teams to integrate cloud-based MCR capabilities into ground-based production workflows without relying on technical specialists, it said.

"Amagi's collaboration with Nevion signifies partnership for progress in broadcast technology," said Srinivasan KA, co-founder and chief revenue officer of Amagi. "By combining capabilities of Amagi CLOUDPORT with Nevion's VideoIPath, broadcasters now have an advanced solution to elevate hybrid-cloud broadcast workflows, aiming to set a new standard of operational efficiency in the industry."

Amagi CLOUDPORT's support for VSF TR-07 (JPEG XS over TS) enables high-quality, ultra-low latency video transport between the ground and the cloud as if they were in the same truck or facility, the company said.

The integration with VideoIPath simplifies the workflow, including connectivity, for production and master control operators who can now seamlessly synchronize on-screen graphics, digital video effects and commercial breaks with minimal retraining effort. By putting the production team in control of hybrid workflows, the solution optimizes operational efficiency and significantly reduces costs, it said.

"This combined capability, which has already been deployed at a major U.S. broadcaster, marks a significant milestone in the industry's evolution, showcasing how our technology empowers broadcasters to achieve unparalleled efficiency and agility," said Jan Helgesen, head of product and solutions at Nevion. 

"With Amagi CLOUDPORT and Nevion's VideoIPath, customers looking to create hybrid cloud workflows can achieve spin-up, spin-down automation, enabling a single producer to manage production control on premise plus master control and ad insertion via a browser. Nevion is proud to join forces with Amagi, bringing our seamless connectivity, configurations, and resource management capabilities to enable this technological and workflow-transforming leap."

More information is available on the Amagi and Nevion websites.

OSLO, Norway—Nevion’s VideoIP media orchestration platform was successfully used to demonstrate dynamic prioritization of live media signals over 5G connectivity as a proof of concept (PoC) during the coronation of King Charles III in May, the company said today.

Nevion parent company Sony conducted the test along with private 5G SA Networks developer Neutral Wireless and the research and development arm of BBC, it said.

While there is a lot of interest in using 5G in live production due to its speed, the fact that it is a best-effort technology can make it unusable in applications where there is a high-level of contention for available bandwidth. That situation is particularly acute in public 5G networks; however, it can also be the case for dedicated 5G networks with many pieces of equipment connected, it said.

The PoC aimed to demonstrate that media signals could be prioritized on a standalone non-public network (SNPN) using quality of service (QoS) control, it said.

The test employed elements of Sony and Nevion’s Networked Live offering. Media transport relied on Sony prototype transmitter boxes affixed to each camera. The transmitters provided ultra-low-latency HEVC video encoding. They were connected to the Neutral Wireless 5G SNPN via an Xperia 5G smartphone, the company said.

Nevion VideoIP provided network and resource orchestration and was used to interface with the 5G network’s Network Exposure Function (NEF). It configured the QoS for individual flows based on dynamic information about bandwidth and signal priorities. The video signal from a camera currently transmitting, for example, was assigned a higher priority compared to a non-transmitting camera, it said.

“Our vision of creating a unified hybrid on-prem and cloud-distributed environment requires a network orchestration able to control the flow of signals end-to-end, across various fixed and mobile networks. In recent years, we have built a solid experience in using 5G in production, most notably through the Nevion-led EU-funded 5G VIRTUOSA project. This PoC is one further step in demonstrating the viability of 5G in live production, especially in high demand environments,” said Andy Rayner, chief technologist at Nevion.

More information is available on the Nevion website.

OSLO, Norway & TEL AVIV, Israel—Nevion and TAG Video Systems have partnered on an effort to simplify deployment of IP-based broadcast production solutions focused on integrating each other’s products and developing associated delivery and support services, the companies said this week.

The move formalizes and extends the relationship they have established over many joint projects for major broadcasters around the world, they said.

Nevion’s VideoIPath media orchestration platform is already integrated with TAG’s software-based IP multiviewer, which is part of the company’s Realtime Media Performance Platform. The integration enables the optimized routing of video signals across IP networks into the multiviewer, which also offers probing and monitoring capabilities. VideoIPath will continue to be enhanced to take advantage of the capabilities of TAG’s platform, they said.

Nevion’s Virtuoso software-defined media node also integrates with TAG’s multiviewer, using SMPTE ST 2110, JPEG 2000 and JPEG XS to provide video signals to the platform. The Nevion and TAG engineering teams are also cooperating on a best end-to-end solution in which Virtuoso is used as a reference node in TAG’s labs, they said.

The partnership will see Nevion strengthen its professional service and support capabilities to handle TAG’s platform more deeply to simplify deployment and use of the overall production solution, they said.

“The transition to IP workflows has greatly accelerated in the past two years,” said TAG zero friction officer Kevin Joyce. “To provide clients the greatest value to empower their business, technology providers like TAG and Nevion need to proactively join forces and unite their expertise. This partnership will not only help our customers reduce complexity but will also help enhance both companies’ solutions with the mutual goal to better support our media companies’ business.” 

Jan Helgesen, head of product and solutions at Nevion, framed the partnership in the context of an effort the company is making to advance the IP ecosystem for broadcast. “Nevion, together with its parent company Sony, have been developing an ecosystem of solutions, products, services and partnerships called Networked Live to enable broadcasters to enable mission critical live production from anywhere at any scale,” he said. “This ecosystem is deigned to make it easy for our customers to make the choices that are right for them. This partnership with TAG, which is built on very complementary offerings and years of working together, is therefore an important part of Networked Live.”

More information is available on the TAG Video Systems and Nevion websites. 

See Nevion at NAB Show booth C8101 and TAG Video Systems in booth W1672.

OSLO, Norway—Nevion has received ISO 27001 certification after a rigorous assessment of its information security management systems by independent certification body NEMKO.

Compliance with ISO 27001 assures companies and individuals doing business with Nevion that the company manages risk in a structured and appropriate way, it said.

“This is Nevion’s first ISO 27001 certification process, yet in terms of security, the company is where most companies are three years after certification. Nevion's Integrated Management System environment and how it’s used appear to be state-of-the-art,” said Morten Celius, lead NEMKO auditor.

Nevion has been certified for ISO 9001 (Quality Management System) since 2005 and ISO 14001 (Environmental Management System) since 2016. Obtaining the ISO 27001 certification was the logical step for an organization involved in handling data and valuable content, especially as Nevion has been developing systems and processes for years to ensure they are managed securely, it said.

The certification covers how business data is handled and product development. The latter is particularly important as more products shift from hardware to software, it said. 

“This certification is extremely important for us, our customers, our partners, and anyone interacting with us. It underlines how seriously Nevion takes security,” said Nevion CEO Thomas Heinzer. “Like our other ISO certifications though, this is part of a continuous process of improvement, which we are committed to.”

Nevion is a Sony Group Company.

More information is available on the company’s website.

OSLO—Virtualized media production solution provider Nevion has announced that Norwegian broadcaster TV 2 and telecom service provider Telenor will be building a ground-breaking sport production ecosystem using Nevion solutions, products and services. 

TV 2 owns the television rights to multiple domestic sports leagues in Norway, including men’s and women’s football (soccer), handball and ice hockey and the new technical ecosystem will help it deliver the highest quality video, the companies reported. 

The ecosystem involves over 60 venues and multiple simultaneous games as well as the fact that TV 2 is contracting several production companies to produce the content. 

“Our objective is to create the most compelling sports content for our audience, and that means using the highest production values for all leagues, both elite and lower tier,” Svein Henning Skaga, solutions architect at TV 2 explained. “This would normally be a logistical and financial challenge, but the new production ecosystem allows us to overcome this.”

Using the system, all games are to be produced remotely, with TV 2 producing the final program to be aired – effectively making this a distributed production, with centralized production hubs. TV 2 can also produce other events directly, from the venues or new locations.

TV 2 has contracted Telenor to build the WAN infrastructure needed to achieve these objectives and provide it as a service to them. 

Telenor, together with Nevion and TV 2, is now creating the remote-production solution linking venues, production companies and the broadcaster itself. The solution is based on Nevion’s software-defined media node, Virtuoso; its SDN media fabric, eMerge; and its media orchestration platform, VideoIPath, the companies reported. 

The Virtuosos are used to provide the reliable and secure transport of video, audio and data signals over Telenor’s network which connects venues, production companies and TV 2. This involves, amongst others, the encoding of uncompressed SDI and SMPTE ST 2110-20 signals as JPEG XS (SMPTE ST 2110-22), Nevion said. 

The 25G/100G eMerges are used as access switches, providing aggregation amongst others.

VideoIPath orchestrates the media flows between every location involved. Using the multi-tenanting feature of VideoIPath, Telenor enables the production companies to control the flows involved in their own productions – effectively offering orchestration as a service to them.

Some production companies are also using VideoIPath’s new broadcast control functionality to manage the connectivity, Nevion said. 

VideoIPath is also to be federated with TV 2’s existing VideoIPath system, which already orchestrates media flows within and between the broadcaster’s SMPTE ST 2110 production facilities. The VideoIPath federation allows media flows to be controlled easily end-to-end by TV 2, without compromising on the performance, resilience, and security of their own system, Nevion said. 

In addition, Nevion is providing a full range of professional and support services, including consultancy, infrastructure design, device configuration, device integration, setup of the orchestration system, testing and troubleshooting.

“This project is highly innovative from both a business and technical standpoint, and we are excited to be part of it,” said Thomas Heinzer, CEO at Nevion, which is owned by Sony. “We are obviously pleased our flagship products and their latest features are being used. We are also very happy about the collaboration between TV 2, Telenor and Nevion to make this production ecosystem a reality.”

OSLO—Sony’s Nevion virtualized media production division announced today that its flagship media orchestration platform VideoIPath now supports federation, or the ability for multiple autonomous instances of VideoIPath to collaborate within and across locations. This unique development is a major breakthrough in distributed multi-site media production, as it allows production resources to be shared and used seamlessly, regardless of where they are located, and without compromising on orchestration performance, reliability and security, the company said.

With broadcasters, media and production companies increasingly seeking to increase the flexibility and cost-effectiveness of their live productions by moving to remote and distributed production, the need to share, control and connect studios, control rooms, people, on-premise and Cloud processing across multiple sites via LANs, WANs, 5G and GCCG (Ground-to-Cloud-Cloud-to-Ground) presents one of the biggest challenges in enabling this type of production.

Nevion VideoIPath is a powerful, scalable, secure and easy-to-use orchestration systems and now with federation support, individual VideoIPath systems—for example at each site—can now collaborate with other VideoIPath systems to share, control and connect resources across locations securely.

As each system is autonomous and in charge of its own resources, it continues to function and collaborate, even if problems occur in other parts of the federation. The federation capability also enables VideoIPath to reach new heights in scalability, to handle all the production resources and all the media streams involved.

While remote and distributed production are obvious applications for VideoIPath’s federation functionality, the capability can also be used to compartmentalize networks within facilities, for example between ingest, production and playout.

VideoIPath’s federation capabilities are also a great opportunity for telecom service providers. Federation allows them to provide a WAN orchestration that can operate seamlessly with broadcasters’ orchestration, to bring together the customers’ facilities.

Arne-Johan Martinsen, VideoIPath Product Manager at Nevion said: “Nevion and parent company Sony are committed to enabling content producers to share production resources wherever they are located. This new VideoIPath federation functionality is a key part of achieving this. By hiding the complexity of the underlying infrastructure from users, and providing scalability, reliability and security, VideoIPath allows content producers to focus on creativity, while increasing efficiency and effectiveness.”

Nevion will discuss these new developments at the Sony Stand (13.A10) at IBC 2022, Sept. 9-13 at the RAI Amsterdam.

OSLO, Norway—A new survey of broadcasters across the world has found that less than a three in ten (27%) see cloud adoption as a tech priority in their organizations—a lower figure than those naming 5G technology as a priority (34%). 

But almost 9 in 10 broadcasters (89%) said they intend to adopt cloud technologies in the next year, according to a new survey commissioned by Nevion that polled 250 senior technology decision makers within the broadcast industry across 10 regions. 

The survey also found a growing appetite for the use of cloud for specific applications, with nearly two thirds (63%) stating that they have already started applying it to post-production/file-based production.

The survey also highlighted a number of concerns about the suitability of using cloud for live production. Just under half (45%) of those polled had reservations about performance issues such as latency and a further 40% cited security concerns. 

For some organizations, the need for a broader shift in thinking is perceived as a challenge, with 39% stating that conservative attitudes towards cloud technologies within their company was the biggest barrier to adoption.

Overall, however, the survey found that senior technologists in broadcasting were seeing the benefits of cloud technologies and were embracing the idea of cloud-based technologies for live production. Over two thirds (71%) of the respondents said they believe all-public cloud environments for live production will be possible in the future.

“Our research confirms that cloud technology is generating a lot of interest in the broadcast industry,” said Olivier Suard, vice president of marketing at Nevion, a Sony company that provides virtualized media production technologies. “At the same time, however, it also shows that there are different levels of commitment being made by broadcasters and media companies to adopt the technology in the short and even medium term, especially in the case of live production.” 

“While some organizations are considering an all-Cloud approach, others are still choosing to stay with more traditional on-premise production, or are looking to move to a hybrid Cloud and ground solution,” Suard continued. “Regardless of the approach, Sony and Nevion are working together to ensure that broadcasters have the right mix for their business, creative and operational needs.”

Nevion commissioned the U.K. research house, OnePoll, to survey 250 senior technology decision makers within the broadcast industry on their attitudes to cloud adoption within their organization. The respondents came from 10 regions across the globe, including Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Japan, the Nordics, Spain, the UK and the U.S. 

The survey can be downloaded here. 

OSLO, Norway—Nevion, a Sony Group Company, is adding up-, down- and cross-conversion (UDC) capabilities to its Virtuoso software-defined media node, the company said today.

The solution provides low-latency, native-IP and high-quality video conversion for live broadcast and media production applications, including remote and distributed production, it said.

The initial release the new UDC function enables conversion between different video formats typically used during production, including HD-to-HD cross conversion, HD-to-UHD up conversion and UHD-to-HD down conversion.

The video processing supports high-quality de-interlacing and interlacing and resolution scaling with built-in legalizer and frame synchronizer with PTP support. This functionality is built for native SMPTE ST 2110-20 IP connectivity with SMPTE ST 2022-7 hitless switching transport protection on dual 25GigE, the company said.

One 1RU Virtuoso can run up to 16 video conversion processes at the same time or combine conversion with other media function capabilities, such as SDI/IP adaptation; MADI and AES3 audio adaptation; audio embedding/de-embedding, processing and mixing; or video encoding and decoding, making the product well-suited for use in server farms, the company said.

“Virtuoso is a very versatile and cost-effective platform that can be used for a variety of live production and distribution applications. UDC is an important addition to Virtuoso’s existing video functionality, offering high-density processing capabilities that will be very attractive in production environments,” said Inge Hillestad, company vice president of product management, Virtuoso.

More information is available on the company’s website.

OSLO, Norway—Nevion, a Sony Group Company, will feature newly added broadcast control functions for its Video|Path media orchestration platform at the NAB Show, April 23-27, in Las Vegas.

New functions include tally, distribution, salvos, alias naming, endpoint grouping, destination monitoring, a soft panel application for operators and other enhancements to the Video|Path GUI. This initial enhancement is part of a larger plan to provide a consistent system for both broadcast control and network orchestration that supports the complete production lifecycle, the company said.

The additions make the system simpler and more cost-effective to deploy and upgrade workflow control, it added.

Sony and Nevion are working together to leverage Sony’s experience in broadcast control to enhance the product. First up is broadcast control functionality for IP-based broadcast facilities, master control rooms, OB production trucks and other mobile production units, the company said. 

The new release also adds Sony’s NS-BUS IP-based management protocol to the list of supported equipment interfaces, thereby allowing Video|Path to work with Sony hardware panels (MKS-R1620 /R1630/R3210/R4020) and offer connection management to Sony’s SDI-IP converters (NXLK-IP51Y and NXLK-IP50Y) and XVS series switchers, it said.

Sony and Nevion remain committed to maintaining VideoIPath as an open and vendor-neutral platform that allows integration with third party systems and devices, including broadcast control, to provide customers with choice, the companies said.

Nevion Video|Path simplifies video, audio and data routing across both SDI and IP networks (IGMP and SDN), connecting locations, equipment and functionality. Deployed by broadcasters and telecom service providers in local area network (LAN) and wide area network (WAN) applications worldwide, Nevion Video|Path manages underlying complexity and resource capacity to enable incremental transition from SDI to IP, it said.

See Nevion at NAB Show booths C10901, N101LMR and N102LMR.

More information is available on the Nevion website.

WEYBRIDGE, U.K. and OSLO, Norway—Pebble and Nevion today announced a new integration between Pebble Control, the company’s IP connection management solution, and Nevion’s VideoIPath orchestration and SDN (software-defined network) control software.

The integration will enable Pebble Control customers to control SDNs as well as traditional IGMP-based networks that may already be controlled by the solution, Pebble said.

Pebble Control can discover devices in the VideoIPath system and issue connection requests based on user input. Additionally, VideoIPath users can now take advantage of advanced Pebble Control features, such as its container logic concept, it said.

“IP networking is a complex area and can seem daunting to customers as they transition to a new technology. Our Pebble Control application offers broadcasters standards-based interoperability for IP broadcast facilities or workflows of all scales,” said Pebble CTO Miroslav Jeras. “We have architected the system around the concepts of ease of use, interoperability and reliability. With the addition of VideoIPath integration, our customers can further expand their IP systems to more complex COTS network architectures and wide area networking applications.”  

OSLO, Norway—NEP recently selected Nevion to provide equipment and services as part of an update to the Norwegian DTT network’s headend and regionalization.

At the heart of this was Nevion’s CP524 TS Adapter, which provides input switching (based on SMPTE ST 2022-7), multiplexing, DVB-T adaptation (MIP insertion), IP to ASI conversion and monitoring (TR 101 290 priority 1). It also provides switching with relay protection.

The Nevion gear takes DTT’s main multiplexed input feed from two different sources, selects and creates the regional feeds, then forwards them over fiber to 10 different regions for transmission. The CP524’s redundancy helps ensure transmission is not compromised in the event any part of the flow is disrupted.

“The Nevion CP524 in particular provides a perfect solution for Transport Stream processing for regionalization with multiple SFN adapters in a single unit. We look forward to continue delivering DTT in Norway with the help of Nevion’s solutions”, says Janis Jansons, director, Technology & Operations, Media Services at NEP Norway.

For more information, visit www.nevion.com.  

TOKYO—Sony has announced that it is purchasing Nevion AS, a provider of virtualized media production systems.

Sony has been a minority shareholder in Nevion since July 2019. This deal sees Sony acquire the remaining shares of Nevion, making it a subsidiary of Sony.

With the deal, Sony says that it is enhancing its portfolio, providing end-to-end IP and cloud-based production technology for broadcasting and other applications. This comes during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has accelerated trends related to remote production, as productions need to be able to combine on-premise and cloud capabilities. Sony says that this investment will enable it to work more closely with Nevion on integrated platforms.

“Through this investment, we will take the scope of IP-based remote production to the next level as one of our highly focused business fields,” said Mikio Kita, vice president of Media Solutions, Sony Imaging Products & Solutions Inc. “As the Sony Group, we pursue technologies to achieve ‘Remote,’ ‘Reality’ and ‘Real-Time’ solutions. With Nevion’s acclaimed expertise, we will deliver more integrated and optimal experience for our customers.”

No financial details on the acquisition were provided.

OSLO, Norway—Nevion, a provider of networking technologies for communications providers, has released a global survey of broadcasters that says 82% believe that cellular networks like 5G will eventually replace traditional broadcast distribution like DTT/DTV and satellite as the preferred way to access TV content, with over a third (37%) of these respondents expecting this to begin happening within one to two years.

The company says the research was conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Nevion, and polled 225 broadcasters across Europe, Australia, China and Northern America with the aim of understanding how they envision using 5G and their perceptions of the technology.

The results are from a survey Nevion reported on in June that said more than 90% of broadcasters surveyed expected to adopt 5G technology over the next several years. 

Ten percent of those surveyed anticipate that it will take more than three years for 5G to overtake traditional services but the vast majority (94%) of broadcasters agree that 5G will likely increase the consumption of content. Nevion said that as increasing numbers of people favor streaming over conventional linear television delivery, the capabilities of 5G will help to cater to this audience and the demand to be able to stream content on the go.

With 5G set to enable viewers to stream live content on any connected device no matter where they are, Andy Rayner, chief technologist, Nevion, said, “5G technology can potentially deliver OTT broadcast services with the quality required not only for mobile devices, but also for TV screens at home. This could mean, as our research uncovered, that 5G is eventually likely to usurp DTT for consumers at home as well as on the move. In the long term, it is likely that 5G mobile technology could become the standard means to deliver terrestrial television. However, it is expected that both DTT and 5G delivery (when ready) will co-exist for a reasonable time.”

Nevion noted that “there are clear shortcomings with the current capabilities of mobile technology compared to DTT, which is highly optimized for power-efficient digital linear broadcast distribution and that there is also a key distinction between the potential of Service Provider offerings for broadcast media consumption and the use of the 5G radio technology to provide future real-time broadcast distribution capability.”

These views regarding 5G as the primary means of distribution of TV content are reflected in the research findings. Half (50%) of the broadcasters surveyed think the biggest challenge of using it will be network performance issues and coverage issues (42%). This is followed by issues with reliability (26%) and network security (22%), as well as some broadcasters expressing concern about the environmental impact of 5G.

Rayner concluded, “Ultimately, we are only just scratching the surface of 5G, and although broadcasters already see its potential value, at this stage industry-wide explorations into the technology are ongoing. It is too soon to say exactly at which point in the broadcast chain 5G will provide the most value. As such, broadcasters currently delivering with DTT will need to work with experts to follow the evolution of 5G broadcast capability.”

LYSAKER, Norway—A new global survey of broadcasters has found 92% expect to adopt 5G technology over the next two years.

The poll, carried out on behalf of Nevion, surveyed 225 broadcasters across Europe, Australia, China and North America with the aim of understanding how they envision using 5G and their perceptions of the technology.

It found that over a third (39%) of respondents expect their organization will be ready to adopt 5G within a year, while a further 53% believe they will be able to do so within the following year.

The survey also found 94% of broadcasters think that their country has the infrastructure ready to adopt 5G, but only 46% of broadcasters have tested 5G’s capabilities within their organization.

Almost two-thirds (65%) of respondents said they would consider adopting 5G for remote production, while 61% would consider using it for distribution as a potential replacement for DTT, satellite or cable. Broadcasters would also consider using 5G technologies for OTT services (33%) and contribution (29%).

While broadcasters are mainly considering 5G for remote production, only one-fifth (20%) think 5G’s ability to provide a more portable and flexible primary link for (some) outside broadcast production is its biggest benefit. However, 42% think the biggest benefit from 5G will be providing a cost-effective back-up for contribution links.

Andy Rayner, chief technologist, Nevion, commented: “It’s positive that broadcasters are expecting to move forward at pace with 5G. However, there is still a lot of work to be done before it can be implemented into live environments, and given the current climate worldwide, testing and developments may have slowed down. Over the next year or so, it will be a case of broadcasters looking in earnest at the potential of 5G in the value chain and testing the technology’s capabilities within their organizations—something over half of broadcasters are yet to do.”

OSLO, Norway—In what it is saying is the first large-scale application of TICO video compression, virtualized media production systems provider Nevion shared that its software-defined Virtuoso media node was one of the tools used by China’s Media Group (CMG) during its live broadcast of the 70th anniversary celebration for the People’s Republic of China.

For the event, CMG had more than 120 Virtuoso units to broadcast the live 4K footage across China Central Television’s TV stations and websites, as well as 4K movie theaters.

The Virtuoso has a TICO media function that enables encoding and decoding of UHD/4K video for transport over 10GE/IP or 3G-SDI links with a 4:1 compression ratio and latency of a few milliseconds. The Nevion platforms help to ensure TICO encoding and decoding of all 4K/UHD signals from the OB vans, on-site cameras and microwave links in and around Tiananmen Square. Compress signals were transported between two master control rooms, four 4K studios and CCTV’s 4K playout system at different site as 3G-SDI TICO streams over Nevion’s fiber transmitters and receivers.

In addition, 4K PGM signals were encoded by Virtuoso using lightweight TICO compression technology and sent back to LED screens in Tiananmen Square.

The production required three encoding-decoding cycles for each 4K/UHD signal.

WUPPERTAL, Germany—In August, another round of JT-NM interop tests took place in Germany to test a slew of company products and if they met the qualifications for JT-NM’s standards, including the newly announced JT-NM TR-1001-1. Three companies—Grass Valley, Lawo and Nevion—have announced that their tested products passed the tests for both TR-1001-1 and the previously developed SMPTE ST 2110 standards.

GV’s XIP-3901-UDC-IP agile processor, IPVU monitoring gateway, K-Frame X video production center and Kaleido IP multiviewer systems all passed the tests. Nevion’s software-defined media node Virtuoso also passed. Lawo did not specifically announced which of its products passed the test, but noted that all did.

With the passing grades, all of these products have shown that they are capable of working in a multi-vendor environment in an IP media network.

The official results of the test program will be published in a JT-NM Tested catalog and made available during the IP Showcase at IBC 2019, Sept. 13-17.

OSLO, NORWAY—Nevion, a provider of virtualized media production technology, says it has added a new JPEG XS encoding and decoding media function to its Virtuoso software-defined media node. The new functionality is already being rolled-out by “a leading global broadcast network” to get video in and out of content hubs, as part of a centralized live production infrastructure solution—the world’s first official deployment of the technology, according to Nevion.

JPEG XS (ISO/IEC 21122) is a new encoding standard for video that achieves pristine visually lossless output (both for one-time and multiple concatenated compression), at sub-millisecond latency, i.e. a fraction of a video frame. High quality compression is achievable with ratios up to 10:1 and beyond, depending on the application.

Read More:JPEG XS Reduces Cabling Bandwidth Needs

This makes JPEG XS extremely attractive for low latency real-time transport of HD and 4K/UHD video over wide-area networks (WANs). It also makes it suitable for bandwidth-constrained campus and facility local area networks (LANs) when uncompressed transport is not a viable option.

The Nevion Virtuoso JPEG XS media function is powered by TICO-XS from intoPIX and offers both encoding and decoding capabilities, and multi-channel support. It takes uncompressed video in either SDI and IP (SMPTE ST 2110-20) formats, and outputs JPEG XS encoded video for transport over IP (SMPTE ST 2110-22). The solution also provides transport protection using SMPTE 2022-7 based SIPS (Seamless IP Protection Switching).

The JPEG XS media function can also be combined with the Virtuoso’s extensive audio capabilities, for example to enable encoded video and audio to be transported as separate SMPTE ST 2110 flows, and be synchronized at the receiving end.

“We are very excited to have added JPEG XS to the many media functions that can be configured dynamically on Nevion Virtuoso,” says Johnny Dolvik, Chief Product and Development Officer at Nevion. “We are also very proud of the fact that it is already being deployed. We have no doubt this is the first of many deployments, as JPEG XS provides an exceptional balance between compression ratio and latency.”

As well as JPEG XS, Nevion Virtuoso already offers JPEG 2000, TICO, and H.264 encoding capabilities.

Nevion Virtuoso and the new JPEG XS media function will be on show on Nevion’s booth (1.B79) at IBC 2019.

OSLO, Norway—Nevion and Sony Imaging Products & Solutions Inc. today announced a strategic partnership to provide IP-based broadcast production solutions as well as an investment by Sony in Nevion to become a minority shareholder in the company.

“This is an exciting alliance for Nevion, its customers and its partners,” said Nevion CEO Geir Bryn-Jensen. “It is based on very complementary solutions, products and know-how, and will allow us to offer a lot more to our customers, both existing and potential, than we have been able to until now. It will also give us a much greater scalability and reach.”

Nevion offers IP media networking solutions that support real-time transport, processing, monitoring and management of video, audio and data used in production. Partnering with Sony will give the company’s customers the benefit of fully integrated, standards-based media production solutions and make it easier to move to IP for remote and studio productions.

“Through this strategic partnership, we will be able to expand our end-to-end IP solution offerings that allow customers to produce live content connecting multiple locations,” said Mikio Kita, senior GM, Media Solution Business Division, Professional Products & Solutions Group, Sony Imaging Products & Solutions Inc. “Working together with Nevion, we will deliver an integrated and optimal experience for our customers.”

More information is available on the Nevion website.

NEW YORK—Public broadcaster WNET is coming up on the one-year anniversary of a successful remote production control deployment.

In early 2018, the station enabled remote control of WLIW in Plainview, Long Island, production via a JPEG 2000-based transport solution from Nevion. Since then, the company’s Virtuoso software-defined media node platform has been used to transport audio and video streams from the Plainview station to WNET’s New York City headquarters.

The system has proven to be reliable and agile “with no faults” since its rollout, said Frank Graybill, Director of Engineering, WNET.

Virtuoso seamlessly backhauls multiple camera and audio feeds from the WLIW studio to WNET’s Manhattan control room without requiring production personnel in Plainview.

This approach does away with the need for guests and staff to travel to the Manhattan studio to produce WLIW programming as well as eliminates the costs involved in building a staffed facility for these productions in Long Island, Nevion said.

Rather, WNET repurposed an existing WLIW studio and deployed the Nevion Virtuoso low-latency, high-quality transport with JPEG 2000 encoding for live remote production controlled in Manhattan.

This setup makes it possible for the broadcaster to conduct interviews on short notice, which allows WLIW to produce more timely, relevant content to tie into local breaking news stories.

“We have been thoroughly impressed with the Virtuoso solution. Its GUI is user-friendly, and the software is easy to understand, which allowed us to have the system up and running within a matter of hours,” said Graybill.

WNET purchased the Virtuoso solution from Dynamic Performance Technology, a Nevion certified business partner.

More information is available on the Nevion website; information on Dynamic Performance Technology is available on its website.

Over the last 20 years or so, fixed telecoms service providers have undergone fundamental changes in the way they operate. Late into the 20th century, they were still focused on delivering one thing and one thing only to customers: telephone services for voice communication. You only need to take a look at the names of many of these companies — Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (NTT) in Japan, American Telephone & Telegraph (AT&T) in the United States and Telefónica in Spain — to understand their singular focus.

The current telco landscape looks vastly different and there are numerous reasons why. Firstly, deregulation measures were introduced across several countries, which meant that the providers who previously enjoyed a monopoly within the voice industry began to face fierce competition. Next there was the growth of mobile communications, which slowly came to dominate the market and resulted in consumers using their home landline telephones less frequently.

Last but not least, there was the mainstream popularization of the Internet, which enabled OTT voice services such as Skype, for example. Unencumbered by having to create and maintain a network infrastructure and by regulatory overheads of the traditional telcos, these new players won over consumers through the simple fact that they were cheaper to use — and often completely free.

In a relatively short space of time the telecom industry was turned on its head, and the traditional companies within it had to reconsider their business models and cost structures. They did this by focusing their efforts on data transport (for both consumers and businesses) and the provision of content (for consumers), while rebuilding their networks using IP technology to provide the versatility and cost-effectiveness necessary. The move proved an overwhelming success, with many telcos now formidable forces across various industries and mediums. IP was a real enabler of this transformation.

Strangely enough, the broadcast industry is currently faced with almost very similar challenges to those that the telcos overcame at the turn of the century. With new entrants to the market threatening to disrupt the revenue models that traditional broadcasters have relied on for so long, broadcasters are now choosing to adopt IP technology in order to stay relevant and continue thriving.

The adoption of IP has already largely happened in the wide area network (WAN) contribution field — the long-distance transport of video/audio signals from a sports stadium to a main broadcasting center, for example — but that is largely because that part is typically handled by telcos. However, broadcasters are now looking to also utilize IP for data transport across their local area networks (LAN) within the production facilities, for cost and flexibility reasons, including the need to support ever greater picture quality (including UHD/4K and HDR).

However, unless there are already individuals within these companies that have expert knowledge of IP, many will struggle to leverage the technology effectively. This is why, when considering how to leverage IP, there are many lessons to be learned from looking back at the telecoms journey and analysing how these companies embraced the change.

CONSIDER TELCOS AS PARTNERS IN THE JOURNEY TO IP

Telcos have gained a wealth of experience and knowledge in running carrier-class networks and data centres over IP — the kind of things that used to be considered strictly IT expertise. This is exactly the kind of knowledge that will prove essential to broadcasters as they begin their journey towards an IP-based future. So it could make a lot of sense for broadcasters to partner up with telcos to leverage their expertise and learn from them directly.

Most broadcasters have already outsourced all their IP WANs requirement to telcos. As we see IP slowly being used to transport signals across LANs, we will no doubt see these outsourced for the very same reason.

BE FEARLESS IN TAKING RISKS

Broadcasters have been slower to adopt IP than telcos, and this is largely due to the industry’s conservative outlook towards technology, as well as a tendency to consider their own requirements as superior. Many are concerned that a move towards IP could inadvertently result in a huge loss of revenue if their networks were to ever fail, both during and after implementation. However, it is foolish to assume this is a problem exclusive to broadcasting — banks, telcos and plenty of other industries face similar risks.

These concerns should not stand in the way of IP adoption. The ability of the technology to transport huge amounts of data across long distances with minimal latency has been proven many times over by now, and the broadcast specific layer that sits on top of IP to make it work in facilities (e.g. the SMPTE 2110 standard) is also quickly coming on stream.

SEE IP AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO EVOLVE

Just as we witnessed with telcos, IP technology can often prove to be the catalyst that allows businesses to evolve and expand. There’s no better example of this than British Telecom. Around 20 years ago, like many other telecom companies, it focused solely on delivering telephone services to its customers, but it now encompasses broadband network connections and original broadcast content via its BT Sport channels. Broadcasters now have this same opportunity, and so they must reconsider who they are, what they do and how they can expand their services to the public.

UNDENIABLE OPPORTUNITIES

Despite the continued hesitancy from some broadcasters towards IP, the opportunities available through the technology are undeniable. For a better chance of leveraging IP to the best of its abilities, broadcasters could do far worse than learn from the telcos that have been on this journey before, and learn how to reap all the rewards that lie at the end.

Olivier Suard is vice president of marketing for Nevion.

AMSTERDAM—Nevion, a media transport provider, is the latest manufactuer to make its products Tico-enabled. Tico, which was developed by intoPIX, is a compression technology designed to be the standard for moving live content over IP networks.

Nevion is adding Tico to its Virtuoso software-defined media node. The Virtuoso system provides real-time IP adaptation, compression, protection, monitoring, aggregation and signal processing functionality.

Virtuoso enables Tico UHD/4K encoding and decoding for transport over 10GE/IP or 3G-SDI video links, with a visually lossless 4:1 compression ratio and a low latency. It also offers multi-channel bidirectional Tico UHD/4K compression in a 1RU media server.

OSLO, NORWAY—Virtualized media production system provider Nevion isn’t constraining itself to a single booth at IBC 2017, instead announcing that it will have a presence at multiple locations throughout the show floor.

Nevion will have its own booth (1.B71) where it will demonstrate interoperability with equipment from Meinberg, Phabrix and Tektronix. It will also highlight support for multi-vendor IP networks with equipment from Arista, Cisco, Juniper and Mellanox.

Other company booths where Nevion will have a presence include BT (D.02) with its media nodes and VideoIPath for BT’s next generation outside broadcasting network; Huawei (4.C70) will have a demonstration of an IP media network with Nevion’s VideoIPath controlling Nevion media nodes and Huawei switches; as well as SMPTE 2022-6 and SMPTE 2110 capable media nodes at Arista (8.A21), Cisco (1.A71), Elemental (5.C80), Phabrix (10.B12) and Vizrt (7.A20).

Andy Rayner, chief technologist at Nevion, will also be giving a presentation—“Essential Elements of the Evolution to Essence”—at the IP Showcase (E.106) on Sept. 15, 16 and 17.

OSLO, NORWAY—Nevion, a provider of virtualized media production solutions, will be showcasing how its IP-based solutions for contribution, facilities, remote production and digital terrestrial TV (DTT) can enable broadcasters to ‘connect better, share better and broadcast better’ at IBC 2017.

This year’s show, which takes place between Sept. 15-19 at the RAI in Amsterdam, will see Nevion announcing and demonstrating a range of new features delivered as software updates for its flagship products, VideoIPath management orchestration software and Virtuoso, the software-defined media node platform.

These updates are designed to deliver the convergence required by broadcasters as IP blurs the distinction between the local area networks (LANs) being deployed in their facilities and wide area networks (WANs) used for contribution, remote production and distribution.

The new release of the VideoIPath software will extend further the existing WAN-based media software-defined network (SDN) capabilities into the LANs. Some of the highlights of the new release are the new Flow app and the Panel app, which provide advanced workflow connectivity within facilities.

Nevion Virtuoso’s latest software upgrade adds studio-over-IP functionality to its existing WAN capabilities, including support for the SMPTE 2110-30 (audio over IP) standard. It will also extend its support for 4K transport with TICO encoding.

Nevion will of course also be showing the latest developments across its product range, including Flashlink (optical transport), Media Gateways and Ventura (encoding and transport), nSure (monitoring), cProcessor (TS processing) and VikinX (baseband and IP switches).

Johnny Dolvik, Chief Product and Development Officer, Nevion, says: “There is no doubt that the broadcasting industry is in the midst of a major business transformation, in which lean production will play an increasingly important role. IP and IT technology can help deliver this transformation, but only if considered across the whole production chain—not just in the studios as seems to be the focus at the moment. With IP, production resources can be connected more readily and shared with unprecedented agility, over great distances, enabling production to be leaner and nimbler. Nevion’s latest developments showcased at IBC should be seen in that context—enabling better broadcasting.” 

To see Nevion’s newly-upgraded products and learn more about its opinions on the current broadcast landscape, visit booth 1.B71. 

NEW YORK—Nevion will make its way from Norway to the halls of the Javits Center for this year’s NAB Show New York, with a pair of products that showcase the journey to virtualization. This includes the VideoIPath 5 software and the Virtuoso, which is making its U.S. debut at the show.

VideoIPath 5is a software upgrade in architecture and functionality that is designed to enable a higher level of scalability, responsiveness and ease of use. The new upgrade also features a series of new enhancements for monitoring links, devices and services.

Meanwhile, the Virtuoso platform is capable of performing compression and depression, transport protection, monitoring and signal processing. The initial release of the Virtuoso is focused on wide area network functionality, like contribution networks; local area network functionality for campus and in-facility use is expected in the near future, per Nevion.

Nevion will display both products at its booth, 924, during NAB Show New York, which takes place Nov. 9-10.

OSLO, NORWAY—Nevion’s Sublime X2 family of routers is going 4K, as the company has announced that the hybrid, compact system can now process and route quad-stream UHD/4K in addition to SD, HD and 3G signals. The Sublime’s new processing capabilities include audio embedding, clean-switching and line synchronized quad-stream alignment.

Nevion’s Submlime X2 video and audio router is currently available in 32x32 and 64x64 sizes. With its new software update, the router can handle UHD/4K streams and 3G/SD/HD simultaneously through sectioning of the ports, which allows for both square and non-square routing configurations. These configurations can be changed on the fly without interrupting unaffected signals.

In addition, the Sublime X2 router is designed to help with the transition to IP in facilities, according to Nevion.

OSLO, NORWAY—The European Broadcasting Union and VRT, a Belgian broadcaster, made an important step in its development of IP capabilities, recently overseeing a LiveIP Project for a remote production and broadcast of a live musical concert. Using several broadcast technology partners, including media transporter Nevion, the event was a complete multivendor live production chain that relied exclusively on IP.

Nevion offered its support with its software defined network infrastructure as well as its Flashlink CWDM technology, which allows optical bi-directional IP-streams to be modulated on a single 10 km long fiber optic cable. During the broadcast, 25 Gbit/s of IP data were transported in each direction, connecting four IP cameras, 10 microphones, intercom, control signals, camera return signals and a visual intercom system.

The concert venue was located in the Bozar Center for Fine Arts in Brussels and was connected to the LiveIP control room at VRT’s studios by a 10 km long fiber optic cable. This project was an extension of the LiveIP full IP local studio that was set up in August 2015.

OSLO, NORWAY—Broadcasters move to IP for live production could become the standard in the next 10 years, according to a report by Futuresource Consulting on behalf of Nevion. The transition to IP is already well underway, with VPs of technology and chief engineers from around the world believing that it will only pick up pace from here.

Out of those surveyed for the study, 41 percent had already begun the transition to using IP for live production. Live events that currently use IP include large set piece events like the Olympics and World Cup, where 100 percent of the identified workflows had started the transition. For other live broadcasts, about 63 percent of regular large events, like football matches, are using IP, and 33 percent of live studio broadcast programs.

Only 7 percent of respondents said they had no plans to transition to IP in live production. Most of those who responded this way cover regular large events and regular daily events.

According to the report, 50 percent of respondents anticipate making the move to IP for live production by 2020, with huge set piece events being the driving factor.

“We still may be in the early days of the transition to IP across the whole production, but the trend is gathering pace,” said Geir Bryn-Jensen, CEO of Nevion. “So while they’re not replacing their SDI infrastructure wholesale in their facilities, the change is happening and the foundations for a migration to IP are being laid now.”

To read the full report, click here.