Complex workflows often involve diverse teams of partners and collaborators exchanging files in the fastest time possible. FTP no longer delivers the speed and operational simplification needed so we must now turn to acceleration technology geared towards media file transfer to meet the demands of modern media workflows.
IP networks provide us with untold flexibility, but this flexibility presents us with interesting challenges of control. Developments in SDN (software defined networks) are leading the way through the separation of the control and data plane. And as we discover more of what SDN means, we soon realize that broadcasters are closer than they may think in achieving its operation.
With viewers demanding to watch what they want, where they want, and how they want, it’s not surprising we’re seeing an unprecedented growth in broadcaster OTT requirements. However, the change in delivery format from traditional broadcasting is providing us with some interesting challenges.
More broadcasters are seeing the benefits of moving their operations to the cloud, especially as we are becoming more reliant on remote working. But the transition isn’t necessarily a linear move and hybrid working practices help us balance the unique requirements of large media files and the flexibility cloud systems offer.
Whether we’re routing signals or remotely operating equipment, the need for reliable system control is one of the most important aspects of a broadcast facility. But as we migrate to IP, some of the working practices we took for granted with SDI operation don’t necessarily transfer and this is most evident in signal routing.
Recent international events have overtaken normality causing us to take an even closer look at how we make television. Physical isolation is greatly accelerating our interest in Remote Production, REMI and At-Home working, and this is more important now than it ever has been.