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The needle on the compass pointing to the direction of television broadcasting technical progress is the latest Test & Measurement category of broadcast TV equipment to be introduced and exhibited at the 2016 NAB Show.
The number of vendor specific playout and edit systems continues to increase year on year. Consequently, the different types of media and metadata files required by broadcasters follows suit. The unfortunate result is a complex system that compromises quality through multiple transcoding. All this increases the potential for lost air time because of human error in highly automated playout systems causing unnecessary delays in the programme chain.
Adaptive-bit-rate technology is a boon to multi-channel delivery, in part because of reduced bandwidth requirements. A downside is that ABR signals need specialized testing. Fortunately, specialized test solutions are available to easily and objectively make the needed analysis.
Compromise is in the air between the broadcasting and cellular industries in the wake of the recent Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2016 in Barcelona. This was highlighted in a presentation by Günther Oettinger, EU (European Union) commissioner for the Digital Economy & Society, who urged the broadcasting and broadband sectors to collaborate more closely over development of converged services and frameworks that meet the common requirements of all media and Internet services, particularly with regard to mobile devices.
Building the technical core for a cable, satellite or broadcast system starts with predicting the transport needs. Add to that requirement constantly changing viewer demands and needed support for new technology like 4K, UHD and HDR. Now ask yourself, what state-of-the-art monitoring technology will be needed to ensure proper system performance?
Live OTT has been the butt of various recent announcements focusing on security, quality and synchronization with traditional broadcast signals over satellite, digital terrestrial, cable or multicast IPTV. The goal is to enable delivery of premium content including TV shows and news but especially live sports to multiscreen devices at high quality, while minimizing the impact of piracy by illicit stream redistribution.
In lobbying to get rid of the CableCARD, the cable television industry shot itself in the foot. Now, FCC chairman Tom Wheeler has taken the lead in using their misstep to loosen the industry’s monopoly on cable set-top boxes. It is all shaping up to be a huge fight with billions of dollars at stake.
Broadcasters didn’t invent wireless. They invented how to bring wireless news and entertainment content to the public for free, and make money at it. Since the first US wireless broadcast with sound 106 years ago, radio and TV broadcasters have built the largest, most powerful wireless networks in the world and people love it. Wireless is in broadcasting’s DNA. The unique key to its future success is equal bandwidth for all.
