TVTechnology

How PCoIP® Technology Can Save Broadcasters Time & Money While Boosting Cybersecurity

COVID-19 and the need to work from home is transforming the way broadcasters produce, play- out, and distribute content. This post-KVM model prevents hostile players from hacking into broadcasters via home/remote user computers. Meanwhile, the reduced bandwidth allows many more home/remote users to connect to a broadcaster’s office or studio without overloading the corporate IT system, because so much less data is going back and forth. Industrial Light & THE SOLUTION: TERADICI’s PCoIP Magic Overcomes TECHNOLOGY

‘Dailies’ Issues with All of the post-KVM features outlined above are provided by Teradici’s PC-over-IP PCoIP Technology nfortunately, the current KVM (Keyboard- (PCoIP) communications protocol. PCoIP Video-Mouse) model of remote access is not uses advanced display compression to n the motion picture industry, adequate for this task. The reason: home- provide end users with on-premises or ‘dailies’ are raw, unedited sets of based/remote users lack secure connectivity cloud-based ‘virtual machines’. Teradici’s Ifootage shot during the production to their corporate workstations and servers. virtual workspace architecture compresses, day that are shared for review U This is because their KVM infrastructure is encrypts and transmits only pixels to a among key players. For a company designed to support local connections to broad range of software clients, mobile like Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) – nearby LAN resources, rather than delivering clients, thin clients and stateless PCoIP renowned for its visual effects in the high-performance user experiences over Zero Clients1, resulting in a highly secure, Star Wars films and other blockbusters long distance WANs. Meanwhile, existing easily scalable, and accessible-anywhere – sharing digital dailies meant moving corporate IT infrastructures cannot ‘scale up’ computing environment. files 100 GB or larger via IP from its San to support a high volume of off-site users; Francisco offices to other locations. particularly when it comes to these users From a user’s perspective, there is no The process was slow and potentially collaborating on high resolution content difference between working with a local insecure, with the risk of dialies stored (such as 4K) over IP-based networks. computer loaded with software, and an on someone’s local computer being endpoint device receiving streamed pixels hacked, stolen and ransomed by As well, such KVM remote access often from a centralized virtual/real computer. hostile players. requires dedicated hardware to function Video editing is unaffected, because Teradici properly. Home PCs, Mac devices and PCoIP technology can deliver full-motion To solve all these issues, ILM became laptops are not designed to support video up to 4K at high frame rates with an early adopter of Teradici’s PCoIP this level of connectivity. Nor are they smooth frame playout to a local computer, technology and PCoIP remote equipped with the processing power and including Windows, macOS, and zero client workstation solution. Today, encrypted cybersecurity resources to properly produce devices. PCoIP solutions are also compatible pixel streams of the company’s dailies content and safely communicate with with multi-monitor and hardware and other project files are available corporate workstations and servers. peripherals such as a wide range of Wacom to approximately 350 users at various pen displays and tablets. Industrial Light & Magic sites. To save The move to cloud-based storage, energy and equipment costs, these production, and playout systems is helping HOW PCoIP users view the dailies on Teradici PCoIP to ease this bottleneck, as is the creation of TECHNOLOGY WORKS Zero Clients. ‘virtualized’ work environments that are also based in the cloud. But the cybersecurity PCoIP is a virtual display protocol specifically “Teradici’s PCoIP technology has and access issues associated with home/ designed to deliver high-quality desktop made it easier and faster for our very remote users will never be solved with the computer experiences anywhere, regardless dynamic, distributed team to work current KVM model. This is why a ‘post-KVM’ of task or location. together,” said Kevin Clark. ILM’s model is required. Director of Information Technology. With PCoIP technology, the entire “The PCoIP remote workstation In the post-KVM model, the ‘video’ that computing experience is compressed, solution enables very effective the user sees on their screen is actually encrypted and encoded in the broadcaster’s communications, and also helps us transmitted as an encrypted stream of data center (physical or virtual) before being get the best possible high-resolution pixels from the broadcaster’s own server transmitted across a standard IP network media viewing results every step of to the user’s local computer (or other to PCoIP-enabled endpoint devices. This the way.” endpoint device such as a thin client or zero protocol also supports many of the services client device) so the content itself remains available to physical machines, including a For the full story, go here. secured in the data center. The encrypted keyboard, mouse, USB, multiple monitors, connection between the broadcaster’s printers, and audio devices. office/studio and the home/remote user delivers a remote computer experience to For a broadcaster operating on PCoIP, anywhere over any network. the protocol eliminates all of the issues PCoIP Technology Conquers Distance for Survivor South associated with home/remote access; bandwidth-efficient collaboration without Africa including hacking by hostile players. Yet as the delays associated with distributing large far as the home/remote user is concerned, files to local computers. The value of PCoIP ased in South Africa, Afrokaans PCoIP technology lets them do everything is that files do not need to be moved at all. Film & Television produces they have always done on their physical This means that files stay centralized, secure BSurvivor South Africa, this computers; just as if nothing had changed. and off local computers where IP theft can country’s version of the U.S. hit Survivor occur. This is why Industrial Light & Magic TV series. THE BENEFITS OF PCoIP – the people behind Star Wars – are using FOR BROADCASTERS Teradici PCoIP to allow users to collaborate During Season Six (2018), Afrokaans on dailies. (See inset box for details.) could not begin editing until hard The benefits associated with Teradici PCoIP drives containing footage were shipped are profound and varied. Here are the ones Innately Secure: Teradici PCoIP’s from the show’s Philippines shooting that stand out. 4 architecture does not expose the location to South Africa. Their editors broadcaster’s content, database, or also had to drive to a third-party post- Best of Both Worlds: Teradici PCoIP operational systems/playout facilities to production facility in Johannesburg 1 combines the security advantages of unauthorized users; significantly reducing to do their work, more than 800 classic mainframe computers (accessed hacking threats. Meanwhile, Teradici miles away from their Cape Town by ‘dumb terminals’) with the power PCoIP traffic is protected using AES 256 headquarters. and performance of today’s cloud- encryption, which complies with the based virtualized production/playout highest government security standards. For In Season Seven (2019), Afrokaans environments. At the same time, Teradici broadcasters, the savings in cybersecurity upgraded to Teradici Cloud Access PCoIP provides all users with the computer defences, detection, and after-attack Software enabled by PCoIP technology interface and experience that they are expenses will be considerable. and cloud service provider Brave accustomed to; meaning Channels to collect, store, and edit that there’s no learning curve in moving Platform Agnostic: The fact that the show. As soon as footage from to this technology. 5 Teradici PCoIP can be used on all this season’s Samoan location was major mobile, laptop, desktop, and thin uploaded into the cloud, Afrokaans’ Works with Major Production client endpoints is a major benefit. So is editors could start working on the show 2 Software: Teradici PCoIP is being the fact that Teradici PCoIP works with all immediately. “With Teradici Cloud supported by major players such as Adobe major operating systems and hypervisors, Access Software we can log in from and Avid in the broadcast production plus cloud platforms such as AWS, Google anywhere, on any device, to use all of industry. Adobe recommends Teradici’s Cloud, and Microsoft Azure. The result is our usual post-production software Cloud Access Software to deliver the best true portability for broadcast employees: as if we were in a post-production user experience when running products Suddenly working from home is no longer facility,” said Darren Lindsey, Afrokaans’ such as Adobe Premiere Pro from the cloud. an issue for them or their employers. Supervisor Producer. Meanwhile, Avid | Edit On Demand uses Teradici PCoIP technology to connect users Teradici’s Cloud Access Software – which is Moving to PCoIP technology has to its cloud-based virtualized editing system, based upon PCoIP technology – can serve allowed Afrokaans’ editors to access which is based on Media Composer and as an end-to-end, ultra-secure software footage over networks with as little Avid NEXIS. solution for access to such cloud platforms. as 10 Mbps bandwidth. The footage is As well, Cloud Access Software can support secure because it is safe within Brave Efficient Collaboration: Moving to next-generation virtualized studios and Channels’ cloud, while editors and 3 this post-KVM architecture enables home/remotely located virtualized edit other staff can work on it wherever they are and whenever they choose. The result: “We’ve been on or ahead Footnote 1: PCoIP Zero Clients employ purpose-built Teradici Tera2 processors in place of of schedule all season,” said Handrie many components of a traditional x86 client, such as a general-purpose CPU, local data Basson, Afrokaans’ Founding Partner storage and application operating systems. They provide an interface for a display, keyboard and Executive Producer. and mouse. All of the software and data resides on a server, which means PCoIP Zero Clients don’t need software drivers or antivirus/anti-malware software. For the full story, go here. PCoIP allows DNEG to open VFX studios anywhere

ounded in 1998, DNEG has won five ‘Best Visual Effects’ F(VFX) Oscars for their work on the films Inception, Interstellar, Ex Machina, Blade Runner 2049 and First Man. They’ve also done VFX for many Marvel films, including the 2019 blockbuster Avengers: Endgame. bays. Because the traffic between the two THE TIME TO ACT In this time, DNEG has grown from is handled by Teradici PCoIP – which is IS NOW one small studio London to 11 studios installed as a software agent between the worldwide – and counting. The user and the broadcaster’s data systems – Even without COVID-19, the many company’s desire to open new studios there’s no need to secure the IP pathway advantages provided by Teradici’s PCoIP anywhere motivated them to move using a Virtual Private Network (VPN). and Cloud Access Software make it the from expensive graphics workstations logical next step for broadcasters working to PCoIP-enabled Zero Clients using Simple and Automated Deployments: with home/remote users. Teradici Cloud Access Software. DNEG 6 Cloud Access Software includes a implemented this change when it simple management environment called Now that COVID-19 has spurred the move opened a new studio in Montreal, Cloud Access Manager that enables users to to home/remote users and virtualized Canada. seamlessly connect to different computers broadcast production/playout, this is the and/or different clouds; depending on the perfect time for broadcasters to make this Using PCoIP infrastructure, DNEG was project or content at hand. transition. Combined with Teradici’s Cloud able to provision virtual workstations Access Software, PCoIP technology has for 200 artists in record time. The Enables Virtualization: Beyond the power to bring broadcast production virtual workstations running on Zero 7 supporting secure communications, into the 21st century, and out of the grasp of Clients matched or exceeded the Teradici Cloud Access Software can aid pandemics and hackers alike. performance of physical workstations broadcasters in moving from physical running on expensive high-end production facilities to virtualized broadcast Installation is a simple as downloading the computers, while being simpler to set production/playout systems, where all components from Teradici’s website and up and far more secure. Meanwhile, operations are in the cloud. Relinquishing installing on corporate workstations and the money saved by reducing demand physical facilities substantially reduces home computers. Broadcasters have the on DNEG’s server and storage infrastructure and operational costs for option of deploying Teradici Cloud Access resources covered the cost of buying broadcasters, while increasing their ability to Manager (included with your subscription) the Zero Clients and Teradici licenses. spin up or spin down new services based on or third-party connection brokers to market demand. manage their deployment. “Any VFX firm that’s not using virtual workstations is underutilizing its Relief from Upgrade Headaches: The bottom line: Teradici PCoIP workstations, leading to higher 8 Software and hardware upgrades technology combined with the company’s costs,” said Graham Jack, DNEG’s are vastly simplified when broadcasters Cloud Access Software is the secure, CTO. “Teradici Cloud Access Software adopt Teradici Cloud Access Software. efficient, and reliable way for broadcasters is the best solution because Teradici They can start by implementing it on to connect to home/remote users, and to understands VFX challenges and is their existing computer workstations. transform their production workflows to committed to solving them.” When the time comes, broadcasters work in a cloud-based virtualized world. can replace these physical workstations Even without COVID-19 as an incentive, For the full story, go here. with virtualized infrastructure or cloud- the time for broadcasters to make this based virtual workstations connected to move is now. cheaper, simpler thin clients that support remote connections; no local storage and (Note: Pricing for all Teradici products minimal memory is required. (Some form can be found here. 30-day trials are of technology to upload video from home/ available, and the products can also be remote users will still be needed, but any acquired through the leading public cloud actual video editing will be done remotely marketplaces, including AWS, Google Cloud, over a PCoIP connection.) and Microsoft Azure.)