Why? When? How?
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
techMEDIA TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION issue 17-i • september 2013 UHDTV Why? When? How? Plus • QC PROGRESS REPORT • IN-SOURCE, OPEN SOURCE • SEMANTIC WEB: GETTING STARTED • REGULATING MEDIA CONVERGENCE and more... tech.ebu.ch viewpoint news A future based on running code tech-i Lieven Vermaele, EBU Director of Technology & Innovation contents way that may lead to better and cheaper Issue 17 • September 2013 software. This is the open source software world. Here there is no permanent infrastructure for defining standards in the traditional sense; no standards 3 News & Events committees; no physical meetings. Instead, 4 News & Events progress is based on shared best practices, 5 News & Events on available code, definitions and tools. And, based on their success in the 6 Software community, these best practices become Development de facto standards – standards by practice. 7 Member profile: tDA t the helm of the EBU’s With this in mind, our job must be to 8 SP update: Quality technical activities I’ve foster a platform where the code that is Control witnessed much change in most relevant for our industry is Athe industry. For the majority maintained and developed. As in our 9 The uHDtV equation of our Members, to a greater or lesser physical groups, we should facilitate extent, we’re now firmly in a post- discussion about requirements and code, 10 EBU/DVb uHD analogue era of file-based production and but now such discussion should take place Workshop digital delivery, and in some cases, HDTV. almost entirely online. We have taken Progress with digital radio broadcasting already some steps towards instigating an 12 EYD Test Shoot has been slower, and I could not claim to online community of software 13 In my Opinion: have an easy answer. But, as I hand over development and sharing during 2012 and Frame rates the reins to a new Director of Technology 2013, and we have exciting new & Innovation, I will be following developments in the pipeline (see page 6). 14 Access services carefully how a recent phenomenon plays This aligns well with the priorities of 16 Media Convergence out: the growth of the software-driven the EBU, where Members act at different broadcaster. speeds and under varying circumstances. Green paper At the EBU we see media production In our community we should learn from 17 Binaural Audio starting to become more software and the leaders and help those that are further application-oriented. Media client services behind. A platform where we can share 18 Semantic Web are also moving in this direction, with features, apps and code can create the plenty of evidence available from our opportunity for Members to stay ahead of Cover Story: This issue of tech-i takes a closer EUROVISION colleagues. One future the game. Members’ in-house developers look at some of the issues surrounding the scenario at the centre of our long term will have access to the code; but the wider development of UHDTV technology. Among strategy for Technology & Innovation is community of ‘geeks’ will also contribute the articles is a report on the recent shooting “media production as simple as a and bring their fresh and innovative ideas. of the Eurovision Young Dancers contest. Our smartphone”. For the Members this will Such a platform can shorten the cover photograph was taken during that shoot. demand new competencies and a different learning curve for Members, giving them See page 12. way of managing their architecture. At the access to better solutions that can also © European Broadcasting Union 2013 EBU, we too have to adapt our services to prove to be cheaper. Though broadcast cope with this evolution, and in the last equipment vendors will need to change All rights reserved. The reproduction of eighteen months we’ve been taking the their role in this new world, it also opens articles in tech-i is authorized only with first steps into this new era. up new possibilities for them. They can the written permission of the publishers. In the traditional world of SDI cables build products and service offerings based The responsibility for views expressed in and islands of dedicated specialized on the open source approach. tech-i rests solely with the authors. hardware – the historically familiar In the past, the “paper” produced by Published by the EBU architecture of most broadcasting the EBU has been the basis of a justifiable Technology & Innovation Department organizations – our project groups and worldwide reputation for expertise and 17a, L’Ancienne-Route, standardization activities have served the leadership in media technology CH-1218 Le Grand-Saconnex Members well. The recommendations, innovation. Our recommendations, Switzerland. interoperability guidelines and common reports and guidelines will continue to standards defined and approved via these play a key role. But we shall add to that a Editor-in-Chief: Lieven Vermaele Managing Editor: Eoghan O'Sullivan groups have reduced the costs of new dimension, where the EBU acts as a Email: [email protected] connecting, interchanging and integrating. custodian of open source code, equipping Tel: +41 22 717 2745 But how can we help in a more its Members to gain maximum benefit in software-oriented world? the world of software and apps. I wish Design: Louise Tait Companies make and sell their own Simon Fell and his team success in this Printed on FSC Certified paper proprietary software, but there is another brave new adventure. by New Goff n.v. 2 tech-i | tech.ebu.ch | september 2013 news diary WEBINAR: WRC-15 27 SEPTEMBER @ 14:00 CET A number of agenda items at the World Radiocommunication Conference 2015 (WRC-15) will impact on broadcasters. This free online webinar provides an insight into the key issues. http://tech.ebu.ch/webinar-wrc15 WEBINAR: MEDIA DISTRIBUTION VALUE CHAIN 25 OCTOBER @ 14:00 CET As EBU Members increasingly reach beyond traditional linear television and beyond the living room, this free online webinar will explore similarities and differences between the traditional broadcast distribution model and the internet distribution model. http://tech.ebu.ch/webinar-mdvc NETWORK TECHNOLOGY SEMINAR 2013 FORECAST’13 ROUND-UP OF THE MEDIA & IT 6-7 NOVEMBER, GENEVA RENDEZVOUS The move towards increased use of IP networking and cloud The EBU's annual seminar dealing with broadcasting computing by broadcasters brings a need for greater awareness of technologies, spectrum management and related topics, security issues. In his keynote at this year’s Network Technology bringing together broadcasters, network operators, Seminar, BBC’s Andy Leigh outlined where the new opportunities can regulators, policymakers, industry stakeholders and also mean new risks. It was a hugely useful overview of what’s certain analysts. This year’s theme: Mission Critical for Public to be an area of growing concern. Service Media. Security concerns aside, NTS 2013 brought plenty of examples of http://tech.ebu.ch/forecast13 how the media industry can benefit from the use of innovative network technologies – but also where tried and trusted methods are still the best. For example, the use of IP for audio and video EBU DEVCON contribution is on the rise, with a better understanding of Quality of 18-19 NOVEMBER, GENEVA Service requirements and well-adapted Service Level Agreements. However it seems that, for now, some “conventional” methods like DVB-S, SDH or DTM remain the best for low latency, high quality and Learn about best practices in software engineering for high reliability applications. media and get hands-on experience with some of the It’s not only in contribution that IT-based technologies are making tools and topics that broadcasters will be tackling in inroads. The next media frontier they are set to cross is the live future. production environment. NTS delegates heard about the various http://tech.ebu.ch/devcon13 initiatives under way to identify the technologies and standards required to make fully networked production environments a viable proposition. UHDTV: VOICES & CHOICES 25-26 NOVEMBER, GENEVA Storage is another big topic covered by the NTS radar. The storage requirements of broadcasters are continuously growing with modern production methods generating huge amounts of data, including very large files. A session dedicated to the topic explored some of the Building on the success of the joint EBU/DVB fact-finding technologies that might address these needs, including cloud and workshop held in London last May, this workshop aims object storage and Erasure Coding techniques. to find agreement on the detailed technical parameters All EBU Technology & Innovation seminars are expected to look into required for UHDTV services. the crystal ball to identify possible future trends. Among the http://tech.ebu.ch/uhdtv13 technologies put forward as possible solutions for media network needs in future was optical switching, particularly for cost-efficient Looking further ahead... high-bandwidth applications. More generally, delegates heard about PRODUCTION TECHNICAL ASSEMBLY the potential for open source solutions that provide customization TECHNOLOGY SEMINAR 2014 while avoiding vendor lock-in. 2014 12-13 June Finally, and more important than IP networks, there was plenty of 28-30 January NETWORK TECHNOLOGY human networking! Around 110 people attended our Media & IT DIGITAL RADIO SUMMIT SEMINAR 2014 Rendezvous this year, sharing the ideas and experiences that make the 2014 24-25 June EBU Network Technology Seminar such a valuable event. 12 February The presentations are available to EBU Members from http://tech. BROADTHINKING 2014 ebu.ch/nts2013. Next year’s event will take place on 24-25 June. 26-27 March tech-i | tech.ebu.ch | september 2013 3 news MDN WORKSHOP 2013 IBC 2013 MEANINGFUL EXCHANGES ON METADATA SEE YOU IN AMSTERDAM The EBU’s Metadata Developer Network held otherwise find cooperation difficult. its third annual workshop in Geneva at the Rights metadata has been a huge The EBU stand at IBC is always a hive of start of June, writes NRK’s Tormod Værvågen challenge for broadcasters.