applied sciences Article Transitioning Broadcast to Cloud Yuriy Reznik, Jordi Cenzano and Bo Zhang * Brightcove Inc., 290 Congress Street, Boston, MA 02210, USA;
[email protected] (Y.R.);
[email protected] (J.C.) * Correspondence:
[email protected]; Tel.: +1-888-882-1880 Abstract: We analyze the differences between on-premise broadcast and cloud-based online video de- livery workflows and identify technologies needed for bridging the gaps between them. Specifically, we note differences in ingest protocols, media formats, signal-processing chains, codec constraints, metadata, transport formats, delays, and means for implementing operations such as ad-splicing, redundancy and synchronization. To bridge the gaps, we suggest specific improvements in cloud ingest, signal processing, and transcoding stacks. Cloud playout is also identified as critically needed technology for convergence. Finally, based on all such considerations, we offer sketches of several possible hybrid architectures, with different degrees of offloading of processing in cloud, that are likely to emerge in the future. Keywords: broadcast; video encoding and streaming; cloud-based services; cloud playout 1. Introduction Terrestrial broadcast TV has been historically the first and still broadly used technology for delivery of visual information to the masses. Cable and DHT (direct-to-home) satellite TV technologies came next, as highly successful evolutions and extensions of the broadcast TV model [1,2]. Yet, broadcast has some limits. For instance, in its most basic form, it only enables linear delivery. It also provides direct reach to only one category of devices: TV sets. To Citation: Reznik, Y.; Cenzano, J.; reach other devices, such as mobiles, tablets, PCs, game consoles, etc., the most practical Zhang, B.