As the AoIP debate continues to confuse and delight in equal measure, what is clear is different scenarios require specific solutions. So is there a solution that encompasses open standards and existing proven AoIP technologies to the benefit of all? By definition, network infrastructure (switches, routers and cables) is protocol and technology agnostic, it carries data. This is one of the primary reasons to use IP technology in a broadcast facility, the same infrastructure can carry different formats of video and audio data. Key to developments are open standards, ensuring the widest potential future interoperability. Key to real-world installations are system requirements and technology choices driven by the application, or specific usage case. The market share of AoIP technology stacks is also an important factor to consider for interoperability. At this point on the standards adoption curve for audio, the use of licenced AoIP technology stacks provides the widest guaranteed interoperability and greatest functionality when considering audio specific routing requirements.

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The evolution from baseband to IP turned into a revolution in 2020, as the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic forced the streaming and broadcast industries to double down on remote production workflows and technologies. With studios shuttered, broadcast operations centers empty, and OBS trucks parked, video technology companies and producers have turned to IP-based production like never before, embracing its efficiency, flexibility, and ability to cost-effectively meet rapidly changing requirements.

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As we’ve seen with the global events of the last eight months, a world without video would be dreadful. Imagine this situation without global connectivity, or the sharing of information. 100 years ago, Spanish Flu devastated the world, and one explanation for that outcome was a lack of information. We have come a long way since then, and the media and entertainment world has played a vital role in dealing with the current pandemic.

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The Connect segment of the BaM Content Chain® encompasses the moving of content, whether real-time (live) or file-based, within and between facilities. This covers a wide range of products and services including IP (and SDI) infrastructure, routing, interfacing and conversion, file-based delivery as well as bandwidth and connectivity services including internet, fiber, satellite, microwave, and cellular. Connect was already one of the fastest growing segments of the BaM Content Chain®, and the Coronavirus pandemic lockdown has dramatically increased demands on connectivity; according to the most recent IABM survey, Connect is the only BaM Content Chain® segment that is still growing during the pandemic. We spoke to IABM members about the drivers of change and trends in this BaM Content Chain® block, what effects they have felt to their business as a result of the pandemic, how they are responding, and what we can expect next in this dynamic sector.

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Pennsylvania Cable Network (PCN), a non-profit statewide cable television network with 10 million viewers, uses direct fiber connections to distribute live programming from its main HQ site in Camp Hill to the Comcast and Verizon cable systems and previously used satellite links to distribute to an additional 30 headends across the state.

According to Dean Vaccher, PCN Engineer, a key driver for replacing the satellite-based transmission with distribution over IP was the addition of high definition (HD) channels to PCN’s channel lineup. Previously, it only distributed standard definition (SD) NTSC 525 channels over C-band satellite links, with a yearly cost consuming a large chunk of its network operations budget. By replacing its satellite-based transmission with distribution over IP, PCN would be able to add HD channel distribution at a significantly lower cost than satellite.

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Lockwood Broadcast Group has been on the cutting edge of video delivery over IP since its inception. It has been involved in IP multicasting since 2007 and was among the first broadcasting companies to distribute HD content over IP.

Before using VideoFlow, Lockwood had worked with several vendors for video transport with various levels of success. "We looked at everything out there, tried numerous products but couldn’t find anything that gave us both the reliability and the operational efficiency that we need," said Bob Pectelidis, Lockwood's Corporate Director of Engineering.

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