unlimited number of input and output streams. Yet the number of IP-native contribution devices is still relatively small, and sometimes expensive. Plus, IP is a whole different ball game and more complex to set up and understand – simply connecting a unit does not automatically mean the other devices on the IP network are aware of its availability and feature set. As a result, purchasing a larger SDI router has remained the solution of choice for many broadcasters, even though broadcast productions may no longer be run from a single location. IP networking has been in use for quite a while, to cover long distances between the points of ingest and the places where the resulting signals are combined, sequenced and processed. The growing popularity of distributed production scenarios makes this web of connectivity even more intricate. Some SDI routers available today even provide IP conversion for long-haul essence transport. But the number of streams is usually just a shadow of the router’s input/output capacity, and so only moderately helpful. Requiring all signals to be sent to a single place – a monolithic SDI router – is becoming increasingly impractical. Sure, the router can be controlled from other locations, using broadcast control tools like VSM, but it still physically resides in one place – resulting in massive amounts of cabling. Operators who require flexibility may end up having to send their video and audio signals to a central hub, and from there to a second, third or fourth router in other locations. This often involves several SDI to IP to SDI hops – and a lot of configuration hassle.
DI connectivity has become one of the cornerstones of today’s – and tomorrow’s – broadcast and AV infrastructures. This may be a surprise to those
who thought it was on the way out, being rapidly replaced by IP-native contribution devices. Those who use SDI connectors and cables, and one day decide to look up what the acronym stands for (serial digital interface), will be surprised to find that ‘SDI’ means different things to different people. CAUGHT IN THE SDI TRAP A lot of a devices used in the broadcast and AV worlds are still equipped with SDI connectors. These are hooked up to an SDI router that allows operators to send incoming signals to the required destination, most commonly an SDI switcher. As broadcast operations grow, more of these inputs and outputs need to be made available – and therein lies the rub. At some point, the only way to add more capacity is to replace the existing SDI router with an even larger one. That is expensive and bad news for the environment. The alternative is to migrate to IP, because an IP network can – at least in theory – transport an
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THE FUTURE OF VIDEO INFRASTRUCTURE
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