In Broadcast - March 2015 - 46

46

www.inbroadcast.com | Vol: 5 - Issue 3 | March 2015

InMedia

The Future Of IP In Broadcast
John Halksworth, Senior Product Manager, Adder Technology, examines how
IP-based technology is changing the face of broadcast technology...

T

he evolution of the broadcast
industry is shaped by many
factors, especially its convergence with
IT.
Whereas in the past broadcasters
relied on traditional hardware and
equipment to meet their requirements,
from outside broadcasting and the
gallery control room, through to
post production, nowadays there is a
growing focus on the use of software,
IP and less proprietary technology.
If looked at as a microcosm of the
industry, the gallery control room
presents the perfect example of
this change, with one of the main
inﬂuencers being the use of IP as
a standard network infrastructure.
The use of IP, however, also extends
beyond the boundaries of the studio
control room. One of the growing
applications can be found in KVM
or Keyboard, Video and Mouse
technology.

As a result, one keyboard and mouse
per computer is no longer needed, as
multiple machines can be controlled
from one workstation.
This is particularly beneﬁcial for
the control room trend of including
more high deﬁnition screens on work
stations, which enables operators to
manage multiple workﬂows, as more
space is needed on desks.
Switching & Extension
IP-based KVM brings efﬁciency
and productivity to the control room
because it enables operators to switch
between machines and effectively
perform multiple tasks from one
desk. By having this ability to switch
between devices from a single desk,
multiple users can switch between
computers as required.
Two users can view the same
computer from different screens, and
while only one user can have control,
the other user can follow what is

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KVM Technology
KVM technology is not new. However,
when used with an IP network as
the means for transporting signal,
its applications provide innovative
solutions to often common problems.
High performance IP-based KVM
allows video content and data to be
monitored anywhere - within the
broadcaster's organisation, be it in the
same building, different studio or even
another country - in real-time. Over a
standard IP network, information can
be stably and securely shared between
machines and users.
The implications for the control room
are numerous; physical computers can
be removed from the environment
and placed in a dedicated server room
that is secure, clean and temperature
controlled.
This frees up much-needed
space in the room and on desks,
and eliminates excess heat and
noise.

going on in real-time. This assists in
optimising staff resources in situations
where a full staff complement is not
needed, such as a late night news
broadcast, and is also beneﬁcial for
shift changeovers.
Network-based
extension
also
means that HD video can be shared
between operators or on a common
video wall in the control room, thus
removing the limitations of traditional
AV equipment; high quality data and
pixel perfect content can be delivered,
regardless of the distance between
users.
Beneﬁts Of IP-based KVM
The use of IP-based KVM solutions
within the broadcast sector deliver

KVM technology allows remote
monitoring

beneﬁts such as reliability, scalability
and ﬂexibility. To expand an IP-based
KVM video system all that is required
is more end points, quickly and easily,
ensuring that any number of machines
can be added.
There is no need for specialist IT
knowledge when adding endpoints
to an IP-based system as it is easy to
set up and can be maintained by the
IT department, unlike proprietary
devices.
However, one of the biggest
advantages is cost-effectiveness; the
control room's IT infrastructure is built
on IP, which ensures that the base is
already there and negates the need for
further costly technology investment.
It also ensures that broadcasters
can move away from the use of
bespoke hardware, ensuring greater
interoperability and future prooﬁng.
IP-based KVM technology also
provides the studio and gallery with
greater failover and redundancy
options. If all machines are linked via a
high performance KVM system and one
piece of equipment fails, an operator
can simply move into another studio/

workstation, type in a command and
access the same computing resources,
immediately recovering what he or she
was working on.
If need be, all users within a studio
can slowly migrate to the next
studio with no downtime or loss of
productivity.
Changing Technology
The broadcast industry has changed
drastically over the last decade,
keeping pace with both viewer demand
in terms of content, quality and choice;
expansion of new ways in which to
consume this content, and with the
changes and advances in technology.
While many environments are still
built around proprietary technology,
the opportunity that IP presents and
the beneﬁts it is currently yielding for
broadcasters is immeasurable.
As the use of IP develops across the
broadcast workﬂow, and its inherent
beneﬁts of ﬂexibility, scalability and
reliability continue to be enjoyed,
it will take root in wider broadcast
applications and change the face of
the industry.
The convergence
with IT has
beneﬁts for
broadcast control
management
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