he beauty of IP is that its possibilities are almost infinite. This can also be its curse. Hardly anyone considers SMPTE ST 2110 IP an out-of-the-box solution that merely
requires users to disconnect their baseband SDI devices, throw in a few switches and then connect IP-compatible gear to them. That’s not how it works. For one, only a few greenfield installations start afresh with an all-new infrastructure. Plus, quite a few devices that broadcast operators use on a daily basis still don’t speak IP natively. As a result, almost any set-up needs to include gateways to which the existing pool of SDI devices can be connected. Their output signals are converted to IP streams which are then sent to the desired destinations. For SDI devices that need to output signals, the relevant streams are converted from IP back to SDI and transmitted to the relevant inputs on the device. Overall, it is safe to say that most devices used to ingest and output audio and video signals are not yet native IP devices. Units like Lawo’s .edge will therefore keep playing an important part for years to come. Even a cloud-based operation still requires both entry and exit points for sources and destinations that are unable to transmit IP streams by themselves. THE AGONY OF CHOICE When you enter into talks with a systems integrator or a vendor like Lawo, they usually ask questions about your envisaged workflow, the scope of the infrastructure versus short-term needs, the number of operators that need to work concurrently, their location for any given assignment and so on. You probably already have an idea – the case studies on Lawo’s website may have nudged you in one direction rather than the other. But during this round of preliminary talks, several equally appealing approaches or suggestions could be brought up. You should mull them over and get back to the sales representative with more questions. A true partner listens very carefully and happily provides feedback as to what is possible – and how. This information will allow you to compile a call for tender, which is also based on questions you asked internally regarding who needs what and how this translates into a workflow that can be built. Lists of desirable specs received from audio and video engineers are added to the final document. LOVE ME TENDER The next stage will be for you to sift through the received tender documents. Well-crafted responses not only list the products that match
IN CONTROL Lawo facilitates some complex broadcast workflows by being open
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