(Source : The IBC Daily)
IP is taking off , and SMPTE ST2110 is poised to be the infrastructure of choice by broadcasters in the future. And there are some very good reasons for this, including: reduced complexity thanks to bidirectional capabilities and fewer cables; increased agility, due to easy configuration, re-routing possibilities and smaller facilities; and greater cost-savings as a result of the use of commercial off - the-shelf (COTS) equipment – or so we thought.
But one of the questions that must be asked is whether simply going IP reduces costs in the long-term. Due to rising resolutions, higher frame-rates and other features such as HDR, we have increasing amounts of data to manage, store and transport. However, our bandwidth is jammed already. Uncompressed HD60 with its 2.5Gbps may work fine on standard 10GbE cables and switchers. But uncompressed 4K60 runs at 9.9Gbps and uncompressed 8K60 requires a staggering 39.8Gbps.
Hence, this presumably ‘cost-saving’ COTS equipment can soon become a pricy 25, 40 or even 100GbE network. Now imagine having to route multiple streams over your network. This way, the ‘cost-saving IP promise’ suddenly turns into a costly trap.
As an evolution of that, we are now seeing the first implementations (software and hardware) of a new codec called TICO-XS. The ISO JPEG XS standardized technology has essentially been created for one purpose at heart – to replace uncompressed video – meaning the design-focus has been on retaining perfect quality at an imperceptible latency, with minimal implementation complexity. The outcome is a technology that meets all these requirements and simultaneously reduces bandwidth by down to one-tenth of the original. Consequently, TICO-XS powered workflows require no more than 10GbE cabling and switchers for either HD, 4K or 8K.
“Eventually, with TICO-XS, the three advantages of IP... cannot only be realised, but actually enhanced”
Gael Rouvroy , CEO and director of technology at intoPIX
On top of that, SMPTE is expanding its ST2110 suite by adding a standardized way to deal with compressed essence, such as JPEG-XS, over IP networks in the form of ST2110 part 22. As a result, the industry has a fully standardized and inter-operable way to simplify its full IP workflow and realize its full potential.
To learn more about TICO-XS, its ISO JPEG XS standardization, and how TICO Alliance members have enjoyed simplified workflows with TICO RDD35, talk to the intoPIX experts at IBC2019.
