WAN IP Network – A Next Generation Broadcast Solution

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A New Concept – Migrate Your legacy Broadcast Infrastructure to IP

Next generation WAN IP networks are emerging as the clear front runner among competing transport technologies. Popular applications using next generation IP networks are numerous and include live sports, live event contribution, stadium-to studio and studio-to-studio connectivity, remote production, and mobile studios. Broadcaster adoption rates have been high and the reasons behind the success of IP WANs are compelling

IP Networks – An Alternative to Legacy Infrastructure

Television, event, and sports broadcasters have long relied on a diverse array of legacy and newer network technologies to deliver critical video, audio, and data signals from venue to destination. This varied mix of legacy and current WAN transport methods includes satellite and microwave feeds, SONET and SDH networks, dark fiber, MPLS networks, metro Ethernet, and ATM, DTM, and DWDM transmission systems.

While each of these technologies offers users benefits in terms of rate, reach, and cost, their continued use has left broadcasters with a disjointed set of networks that are expensive to operate, hard to provision, and difficult to troubleshoot. Due to network fragmentation and isolation (islands of connectivity), critical items such as Quality of Service (QoS) guarantees, end-to-end circuit visibility, multipoint connectivity, and error protection are often lacking in these solutions.

Over the past decade, however, the old rules surrounding broadcast video networks have begun to shift, with next generation WAN IP networks emerging as the clear front runner among competing transport technologies. Popular applications using next generation IP networks are numerous and include live sports, live event contribution, stadium-to studio and studio-to-studio connectivity, remote production, and mobile studios.

Broadcaster adoption rates have been high; the reasons behind the success of IP WANs are compelling.

The reasons behind the success of IP WANs are compelling and include the following key elements:

  • Scalable, high performance bandwidth to accommodate video signals at increasing bit rates (as with HD 4K and UHD 8K)
  • A common, shared network infrastructure that can transport video, audio, and data signals in all widely used formats
  • Adherence to standards, ensuring longer product lifecycles, improved vendor support, true interoperability, and future product enhancements
  • Intelligent network transport, including low latency, traffic prioritization, QoS assurances, lossless transmission, error control/correction, bandwidth management, and route failover options
  • Varied network connectivity options, such as point-to-point, point-to-multipoint, easy access to secondary distribution networks, multihoming, and signal aggregation
  • A rich set of standards-based (SNMP) network management and diagnostic tools to speed provisioning and troubleshooting
  • A future-proof network architecture that supports emerging networkcentric
    applications, including the greater use of data and reverse channels, remote production, live-to-file conversions, and streamlined workflows

The MD8000 series of Media over IP Transport solutions is Media Links’ flagship solution for transporting 4K, 3G/HD/SD-SDI, and DVB-ASI over IP networks. The MD8000 solution offers broadcasters, telecoms, and network providers a cost-effective alternative to traditional video transport services. The MD8000 family addresses the need for broadcasters and carriers to connect directly to native IP networks for long-haul, multiple-wavelength transport links, which results in significant cost savings.