Modern broadcast facilities adopting video and audio over IP have found themselves working with thousands, or tens of thousands, of IP streams. Expecting humans to keep track of all these flows, monitor their quality and efficiently fault find is a virtual impossibility.
Compression is the ultimate enabling technology behind broadcasting. Without it, life would be very difficult indeed. In this new series, the whole topic will be explored at some depth.
In the final article in this series, we look at datasets, their importance and why GPUs are critical for machine learning.
Like a lot of new ideas in film and TV, high dynamic range pictures are easy to like. The fear is that they’re far harder to create. In reality, HDR isn’t necessarily a huge burden, certainly not in the way that stereo 3D can be. It’s often been possible to take well-shot images which were produced with no thought of an HDR finish, and make them available in HDR via a fairly straightforward re-grading process. Most people are aware of the truism that proper exposure is the cinematographer’s first responsibility, and we should probably hold on to that thought.
Of all the disruptive technologies that have emerged in the media and entertainment industry over the past few years, newsgathering and the fast turnaround production and delivery of breaking stories to many platforms is one of the most significant. Operating at the ‘speed of news’ is no longer a luxury but a necessity in today’s highly competitive landscape.
Broadcast and remote production over cellular are coming of age in the 5G era as was evident at the recent IBC 2022 in Amsterdam. Remote production is being extended in the field by highly portable “5G in a box” systems, while for broadcast there is an active debate between two alternative architectures, one enhancing the existing mobile infrastructure and the other imposing an overlay via the HPHT (High Power High Tower) model.
Broadcasting is totally dependent on waves which crop up in a surprising number of places. Sound waves and light waves form the message, which is delivered by further types of wave.
At this year’s IBC Show in Amsterdam, finally in-person after two years, remote production solutions were scattered throughout the exhibition floors, to no real surprise. Reduced costs, travel and shipping expenses, scalable infrastructure and efficient use of resources were all cited as advantages, while a few reasons for migrating carefully were also discussed.
