In Broadcast - October 2020 - 22

22

www.inbroadcast.com | Vol: 10 - Issue 10 | October 2020

InReply

SIPitPro - Compliant Codecs
and Apps
Andrew Steward, Managing Director of SIPitPro discusses
the developments and trends in audio codecs...
InBroadcast: Can you give us
a brief overview of what we can
expect in the next few months
within your sector?
Andrew Steward: Broadcasters
are currently suffering due to the
COVID pandemic, something we have
never seen before. The industry is
having to find new ways of working
whilst maintaining social distancing
measures which in turn is causing
many technical headaches and
incurring additional costs. SIPitPro
provides the broadcaster with a simple
and cost effective tool to interact with
other broadcasting companies, without
the need for excessive on-site people,
time or IT expertise.
As our industry emerges from the
COVID crisis I see that there will be an
increased requirement for the ability
to simply deploy AoIP codecs on a job
without the uncertainty of "will they
work with the other brand or network".

physical location and SIPitPro
takes care of the rest.

InB: What challenges did
you face when designing the
product /service?
AS: Early on in the development
process we became increasingly
aware that the manufacturers
of SIP compliant AoIP codecs all
had slightly differing implementations
of the SIP protocol. In turn, these
variations would often prevent
various brands of audio codec from
establishing connections reliably with
other parties. At SIPitPro we used
our experience to actively filter the
exchange of SIP messages though
the cloud server to ensure that these
variations are kept to a minimum
and provide the end user with a solid
platform that could be relied upon.
NAT (network address translation)
and PAT (port address translation) will
always cause issues for point-to-point
InB: Can you explain the benefits connections though the public internet
in regard to the latest product / using routers. It becomes difficult to
service announcements?
know what the final public facing IP
AS: SIPitPro is a cloud-based SIP address and port numbers are as they
platform that offers free registration are often remapped. Many codecs will
and codec hosting. We offer a secure use an internet service called STUN to
environment for both hosting and aid the discovery of a codecs public IP
controlling clients' codecs within their address and port number on the open
own private domains. If required, internet. However, it soon became
clients can operate within their own apparent that STUN does not always
domain or choose to simply share their work when used with more stringent
codecs with other registered clients/ edge routers or NAT firewalls.
organisations. Calls can be initiated Typically, a codec will send an enquiry
from either the end user equipment to the designated STUN server which
or remotely using the web portal will respond with the IP address and
controls. We support a vast range of port number that it received. This
AoIP manufacturers allowing them to information would then be used by the
interconnect via the SIPitPro platform codec to declare its public IP address
at ease. This is a truly plug-and-play and port number during the initiation
service that only requires the Audio of a SIP call. However, this process
codec to be programmed once. After can fail as more stringent firewalls will
this, the codec is free to change allocate a new public port number to
the codec when the destination
IP address changes from the
STUN server to that of the
receiving codec.
The solution is to use a TURN
server. Our TURN servers
are dynamically hosted in
the SIPitPro cloud space.
The SIPitPro dashboard
It is created in a suitable

SIPitPro platform and this is growing
on a weekly basis. The ability to share
your codecs with other participating
companies anywhere in the world for
instant connectivity has significant
benefits. The reach of SIPitPro is truly
global and can save broadcasters a
significant amount of money, reducing
both setup costs and call charges
especially on long haul jobs.

InB: Any future product
innovations ahead that you can
discuss?
AS: Here at SIPitPro we are
about to upgrade the servers with
a new feature called SIPitCast.
This feature will allow the user
to add a virtual codec to their
Increasing broadcast
existing portfolio of codecs.
applications for AoIP codecs
Once created you may share
geographical location as the SIP call this virtual codec with other SIPitPro
progresses. It works by providing a clients in the normal way, granting
fixed point in the network that each each client access to it from within
codec can stream to. This overcomes their own codec portfolios. At this
all of the issues of NAT and PAT as point you may establish a SIP call to
SIPitPro learns the public IP address your SIPitCast virtual codec using an
and port numbers of each codec audio algorithm of your choice. Whilst
your call remains active, participating
during the streaming process.
The use of TURN has some added clients may connect to your virtual
bonuses as well, it can allow the RTP codec and receive a copy of your audio
streams to be back hauled though the stream as required. We see that this
accelerated Google network further will be a useful tool when many users
minimising end to end audio delays. In need to receive a copy of the same
addition, the SIPitPro dashboard can audio stream, and particularly when
monitor vital statistics, such as packet multiple commentary languages need
loss and jitter, of the RTP streams and to be distributed during live events.
The ability for SIPitCast to perform the
indicate any issues to the web portal.
In short, TURN server technology casting function in the cloud greatly
represents the most reliable way simplifies the hardware infrastructure
of achieving guaranteed NAT and at the event venue saving both time
PAT translation every time you and cost.
Beyond this we plan to expand the
initiate a call. The ability of SIPitPro
to automatically learn about your SIPitCast feature to provide SIPitTalk,
public IP address and port number functionally similar to SIPitCast,
is important when using modern, providing full mix minus services
ever more secure, NAT routers. This hosted in either G722 or high Quality
will save a broadcaster valuable IT OPUS formats.
resources when rigging for an event.
InB: Can you advise on your
All you need is a DHCP allocated
address and open internet, then ideal market for these products/
SIPitPro will establish a secure audio services?
AS: SIPitPro has been developed
connection every time.
primarily for the Outside Broadcast
InB: Which territories do you think market. However, the service is equally
applicable to the radio industry,
will show particular interest?
AS: Think of SIPitPro as an ISDN where stations require ingest of audio
replacement service that encompasses content from external news and
an ever increasing catalogue of SIP weather sources which, to date, has
compliant codecs and apps. We are been traditionally provisioned on ISDN.
We also see that there is a
creating a one stop cloud platform
for broadcasters that is simple to requirement for SIPitTalk in high
setup and use. Simplicity of the setup quality OPUS mode. This feature
process and control via the cloud would facilitate remote collaborative
portal is fundamental to our product. audio sessions for musicians, taking
At present we have an impressive list advantage of the extended dynamic
of companies already registered on the range that OPUS offers.
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