BroadcastPro Middle East hosted a roundtable in association with SAM (Snell Advanced Media) on October 5, 2015 at Conrad Dubai, to discuss IP in broadcast. The discussion revolved around the current issues and main challenges in deploying the new technology, as well as the way forward for broadcasters in achieving IP-centric workflows. The roundtable, which was […]
BroadcastPro Middle East hosted a roundtable in association with SAM (Snell Advanced Media) on October 5, 2015 at Conrad Dubai, to discuss IP in broadcast. The discussion revolved around the current issues and main challenges in deploying the new technology, as well as the way forward for broadcasters in achieving IP-centric workflows.
The roundtable, which was attended by technology heads of the regions leading broadcast entities and telcos, centred on the need for IP-based solutions in broadcast and why broadcasters need to move away from legacy systems.
The discussion was moderated by Tim Felstead of Snell Advanced Media and the panellists included Nick Barratt of MBC, Saleh Lootah, Omar Alzoubi and Afzal Lakdawala of Dubai Media Inc., Frank Kerrin of OSN, Peter Van Dam of Abu Dhabi Media, Yusuf M Al Buti of twofour54, Eyad Al Dwaik of Intigral, Muhammad Mather of Du and Oosman Kader of Etisalat.
While everyone agreed on IP going mainstream in the next two to five years, hybrid systems is the first step towards it. Many broadcasters pointed out that they were deploying IP in many of their systems but there is yet to be an end-to-end IP infrastructure in a broadcast facility. It also emerged that the move to IP would come sooner than later as broadcasters continue to adopt more file-based and virtual systems.
The talking points of the discussion included the economics of transition to IP and whether it was an opportunity or a cost. Also discussed were the broadcasters and the telcos perspective on the IP transition and how well they were prepared for it. Another key topic, was the standards for media over IP. A lack of standards and high cost of connectivity emerged as the main drawbacks in the move towards IP. The panellists pointed out the need for standards in production and creation as well as in delivery if legacy systems were to be replaced by IP.
Live production has been a hot topic of discussion in recent years. With a growing viewer interest in live events and their power to generate eyeballs and revenue, broadcasters want to make the most of the opportunity. Live production over IP was discussed at length and also if it was viable.
The discussions touched upon the cloud and virtualisation, as well as the likelihood of IP delivery replacing terrestrial and satellite infrastructure.
