Russell Trafford-Jones, Author at The Broadcast Knowledge

Video: Routing AES67

Posted on 8th April 2019 by Russell Trafford-Jones

Well ahead of video, audio moved to uncompressed over IP and has been reaping the benefits ever since. With more mature workflows and, as has always been the case, a much higher quantity of feeds than video traditionally has, the solutions have a higher maturity.

Anthony from Ward-Beck Systems talks about the advantages of audio IP and the things which weren’t possible before. In a very accessible talk, you’ll hear as much about soup cans as you will about the more technical aspects, like SDP.

Whilst uncompressed audio over IP started a while ago, it doesn’t mean that it’s not still being developed – in fact it’s the interface with the video world where a lot of the focus is now with SMPTE 2110-30 and -31 determining how audio can flow alongside video and other essences. As has been seen in other talks here on The Broadcast Knowledge there’s a fair bit to know.(Here’s a full list.

To simplify this, Anthony, who is also the Vice Chair of AES Toronto, describes the work the AES is doing to certify equipment as AES 67 ‘compatible’ – and what that would actually mean.

This talk finishes with a walk-through of a real world OB deployment of AES 67 which included the simple touches as using google docs for sharing links as well as more technical techniques such as virtual sound card.

Packed full of easy-to-understand insights which are useful even to those who live for video, this IP Showcase talk is worth a look.

Watch now!

Speaker

Anthony P. Kuzub
IP Audio Product Manager,
Ward-Beck Systems

Video: Multicast ABR

Posted on 5th April 2019 by Russell Trafford-Jones

Multicast ABR is a mix of two very beneficial technologies which are seldom seen together. ABR – Adaptive Bitrate – allows a player to change the bitrate of the video and audio that it’s playing to adapt to changing network conditions. Multicast is a network technology which efficiently sends a video stream over the network without duplicating bandwidth.

ABR has traditionally been deployed for chunk-based video like HLS where each client downloads its own copy of the video in blocks of several seconds in length. This means that you bandwidth you use to distribute your video increases by one thousand times if 1000 people play your video.

Multicast works with live streams, not chunks, but allows the bandwidth use for 1000 players to increase – in the best case – by 0%.

Here, the panelists look at the benefits of combining multicast distribution of live video with techniques to allow it to change bitrate between different quality streams.

This type of live streaming is actually backwards compatible with old-style STBs since the video sent is a live transport stream, it’s possible to deliver that to a legacy STB using a converter in the house at the same time as delivering a better, more modern delivery to other TVs and devices.

It thus also allows pure-streaming providers to compete with conventional broadcast cable providers and can also result in cost savings in equipment provided but also in bandwidth used.

There’s lots to unpack here, which is why the Streaming Video Alliance have put together this panel of experts.

Watch now and find out more!

Speakers

	Phillipe Carol Senior Product Manager, Anevia
	Neil Geary Technical Strategy Consultant, Liberty Global
	Brian Stevenson VP of Ecosystem Strategy & Partnerships, Ericsson
	Mark Fisher VP of Marketing & Business Development, Qwilt
	Jason Thibeault Executive Director, Streaming Video Alliance

Video: Blockchain & the Hollywood Supply Chain

Posted on 4th April 2019 by Russell Trafford-Jones

At The Broadcast Knowledge, we’re continuing to cut through the hype and get to the bottom of blockchain. Now part of the NAB drinking game along with words like AI and 5G, it’s similarly not going away. The principle of blockchain is useful – just not useful everywhere.

So what can broadcasters do with Blockchain, and – given this is a SMPTE talk – what can film studios do with it? It’s doubtless that blockchain really makes secure, trusted systems possible so the mind immediately jumps to using it to ensure all the files needed to create films are distributed securely and with an audit trail.

Here, Steve Wong looks at this but explores the new possibilities this creates. He starts with the basics on what blockchain is and how it works, but soon moves in to how this could work for Hollywood explaining what could exist and what already does.

Speaker

Steve Wong
Cloud & Platform Services General Manager, Telecom, Media & Technology
DXC Technology

Video: Holographic update: Light Fields and the Future of Video

Posted on 3rd April 2019 by Russell Trafford-Jones

Recording Light Fields sounds like sci-fi as it allows you to record a video and then move around that video as you please changing the angle you look at it and your position. This is why it’s also referred to as holography.

It works by recording the video from many different viewpoints rather than just from one angle. Processing all of these different videos of the same thing allows a computer to build a 3D video model of the scene which you can then watch using VR goggles or a holographic TV.

In this talk from San Francisco Video Tech, Ryan Damm from Visby.io talks us through some of the basics of light fields touching and brings us up to date with the current status. Google, Microsoft, Intel are some of the big players investing in R&D among many smaller startups.

Ryan talks about the need for standardisation for light fields. The things we take for granted in 2D video are compared with what you have with light field video by way of explaining the challenges and approaches being seen today in this active field.

Watch now and learn!

Speaker