Whether we are talking about the cloud, the shape of our new working lives, or the migration toward IP workflows, one of the main words you will hear around the industry now is "hybrid." 

It’s an important concept; while the future of broadcast is based on transitioning to native IP environments, that does not have to be a "big bang" solution. Rather it can be a steady migration, one where the industry moves through several transition stages to reach the goal at the end of the roadmap.

Gracefully Moving Forward
The destination is not in doubt. IP allows broadcasters to scale and adapt easily, quickly spin up new services to meet changing audience demands for content, and flexibly configure and manage devices and workflows. It is where we want to be. However, not everybody is in a position to move at the same speed to this SDI-free future, and so there are distinct benefits to allowing the current hybrid IP/SDI infrastructures that we are seeing taking shape in the industry to flourish.

Maintaining a hybrid IP/SDI environment leaves options open for the future and ensures that broadcasters do not have to commit to an infrastructure investment in what are, by any stretch of the imagination, turbulent times. Once plans coalesce then the move can be consolidated, but if current plans are set for the foreseeable future while longer-term steps are not yet in focus, then SDI co-existing with IP is still a practical solution.

In some respects and in some types of equipment, it is a case of "If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it." SDI may remain the best choice, for now at least, for certain types of equipment and technologies, or for organizations of certain sizes and budget levels. The use of the SMPTE ST 2110 protocol (the set of SMPTE standards for sending digital media over an IP network) in a hybrid system means it is also easy to manipulate separate video, audio and ancillary data streams, providing IP-style benefits even with legacy setups.

There does, however, need to be a degree of forward-thinking at work here. 

Existing SDI-based control systems should be upgradeable to control IP sections in an ideal world as well. If they lie outside this remit, then companies need to determine if that will be handled by an IP control system (for instance, Pebble Control), which would then interface with the legacy SDI system. This type of integrated control solution can bridge the gap between IP and SDI, with both SDI and IP inputs and outputs offered in a single solution to support hybrid infrastructures.

Many organizations are transitioning to IP-based systems using their existing SDI infrastructure, which can create isolated areas of IP. These organizations must consider how to integrate IP into their current infrastructure and bridge between these resulting islands in order to move forward and eventually convert everything to IP. Which brings us to another key concept in the ongoing transition; interoperability.

The Importance of Interoperability
Interoperability is one of the key enablers of a smooth transition to IP workflows. To achieve true IP workflows, interoperability is essential to unlocking the benefits of using off-the-shelf IP networking technology to route signals from any source to any number of destinations on a network.

Interoperability describes the ability of an application or device to interact meaningfully and exchange information with another separately developed application or device. There is a difference between open protocols, proprietary protocols and closed protocols. Some companies add their own protocols, which can increase the difficulty of device integration.

For interoperability where multiple vendors are involved, which is everywhere nowadays as the old model of monolithic single-vendor installations has disappeared in the rearview mirror, sticking to standards and best practices is crucial.

There are two key points to talk about when it comes to accelerating IP deployments: the previously mentioned SMPTE ST 2110 and the AMWA¹ Networked Media Open Specifications (NMOS) suite of protocols. Together, these two advancements further the way IP networks transport media including uncompressed video, PCM audio and ancillary data that are carried over separate routable streams, as well as device connection management on a network.

Essentially, these protocols help join those islands together, now and in the future. Many manufacturers, Pebble included, are working within the SMPTE and NMOS protocols to simplify establishing IP native workflows. Interoperability also requires working with legacy and current systems and in this case, compliance with industry protocols produces definite benefits. For example, the ability to emulate legacy index-based matrices or routers means any IO or container can be connected using an SDI router protocol.

All this makes the hybrid IP/SDI environment possible and provides seamless backwards and future compatibility, regardless of an organization’s scale and scope. It enables an organization to migrate towards the IP future at the speed that suits them rather than having it imposed on them via external factors.

Managed Migration
While IP native facilities have been designed and constructed, it is hard to imagine any broadcaster fully transitioning to IP in one leap within an existing facility. While admittedly an increasing number of operations are going IP out of the cameras, often somewhere in the broadcast chain the signal gets turned back to SDI, edited, reproduced, repurposed and then sent for transmission.

All these islands can be managed though. By converting SDI to IP, broadcasters can create a hybrid workflow that allows for the integration of both existing and new technologies as part of a gradual transition. This is the benefit of a hybrid infrastructure; the ability to integrate existing workflows and technologies with new devices and technologies as part of a managed transition at a pace that suits the business imperatives of the organization concerned. 

And, in a hybrid world, this is going to be an approach that will continue to appeal for some years yet to come.

¹ AMWA is Advanced Media Workflow Association, which focuses on the industry’s move to IP-based architectures. Pebble works closely with AMWA and is significantly contributing towards a number of activities with them. By working with AMWA in this way Pebble is showing its commitment to championing open standards and interoperability.

Tokyo, Japan, September 4, 2019 – In support of the many broadcasters still transitioning from traditional SDI to IP-based systems, the FOR-A® booth at IBC 2019 will include hybrid IP/SDI products, such as: the USF-10IP IP Gateway, the SOM-100 media orchestration platform, and the MBP-1000VS-IP video server.

FOR-A has an array of production switchers, video servers, processors and test signal generators that support both 12G-SDI/4K and 3G-SDI/HD resolution. The company is a proponent of 12G-SDI technology as an ideal format for sports and other 4K productions, because it offers reliability, ease of operation and industry-standard interfacing.

IBC 2019 will be held from September 13-17 at the RAI Amsterdam. FOR-A will exhibit in Hall 2, Stand A51.

One product that serves as a bridge between IP and baseband environments is FOR-A’s USF-10IP IP Gateway series. The USF-10IP series is a 10 GbE video-over-IP module series that offers high-quality conversion of any standard IP video format, including: SMPTE ST 2022-6/7 and SMPTE ST 2110. The unit also acts as a translator between SDI baseband and IP systems and is compatible with 4K UHD (2SI/SQD) and multi-format input/output video.

Available modules offered in this series include: the USF-10IP, which converts between IP formats; the USF-10IPSDI6-FS, which comes standard with one 12G-SDI input and one output, 2SI/SQD conversion, and offers simultaneous conversion of up to six inputs/outputs selectable with six streams; and the USF-10IPSDI12-FS module, which also comes standard with one 12G-SDI input and one output, as well as 2SI/SQD conversion, and offers simultaneous conversion of up to six inputs and six outputs, selectable with twelve streams. The USF-10IPSDI-6-FS and the USF-10IPSDI12-FS offer a TICO encoder/decoder. With this encoder/decoder, 12G-SDI 4K UHD uncompressed images can be compressed to TICO and processed via 10GbE network.

An integrated baseband/IP control and monitoring system, the SOM-100 is also designed based on hierarchical architecture using Ember+ for a flexible system configuration to be used in a mixed SDI/IP environment. It delivers seamless interoperability between baseband and IP equipment and traffic management. The SOM-100 provides operation of a variety of video equipment such as SDI/IP/RS422 routers, multi viewers, video processors, tally devices and button panels, and monitored centrally from its GUI.

At IBC 2019, the MBP-1000VS-IP IP video server, the ESG-4200 test signal generator, the MFR-3000 routing switcher, the USF-10IP-SDI6-FS IP gateway, the MV-1220 multi viewer, the Media Links MD8600 video gateway and the MDX4090 IP video switcher & router are controlled by the SOM-100 in a SDI/IP hybrid system.

SDI and IP routing switchers are managed as one routing switcher in a virtual group. The SOM-100 can execute routing system control and process control, so that it supports collective operational changes of multiple pieces of equipment and executes time reservation. The system also features a web interface for easy access from multiple computers.

A 12G-SDI/IP multi-channel video server, the MBP-1000VS series is ideal for 4K editing environments, offering multi-input/output 4K and HD support and ingest, playout and 4K recording functionality. FOR-A is offering a range of MBP-1000VS interfaces for 12G-SDI or video over IP transmission, including 12G-SDI, 3G-SDI, and SFP+, to accommodate varying user needs for inputs/outputs and size of internal storage (SSD). The MBP-1000VS-IP includes a SFP+ port for 10 Gbps video over IP I/O. It supports up to eight-channel MPEG-2 codec or four-channel 4K XVAC™ codec and can switch channels from encoding to decoding as needed. Supported formats for video over IP include SMPTE ST 2022-6 and ST 2110.

BERKSHIRE, ENGLAND— Bluebell Opticom Ltd., announced the launch of the Edgware SMPTE 2022-7 IP encapsulator. Edgware interfaces 3G-SDI signals directly with IP networks.

Edgware consists of a compact, cost-effective pair of modules—an encapsulator and a decapsulator—that transport SD/HD/3G-SDI signals over IP networks using SMPTE 2022-6 or SMPTE 2022-7. The result is adaptive IP transport with hitless IP routing according to the latest video-over-IP standards.

Edgware is built for use in a wide range of environments, including broadcast facilities, outside broadcast trucks, sports arenas, ingest operations, news studios, post houses, A/V departments, and educational and medical institutions. The system comes with a simple PC interface through which users can configure network transport and monitor the link. The system plugs directly into a 10G Ethernet network, and no other ancillary equipment is required.

Edgware is available now and will be on display at the 2017 NAB Show in Joseph Electronics' booth, C6648, where Bluebell will be exhibiting with its U.S. distribution partner.