InReview 2019 - 10

www.inbroadcast.com | InReview 2019

The Year Compliance
Moved Centre Stage
Behind the 8K, 5G and VR/AR headlines, monitoring and logging went quietly
about its business. But as Mediaproxy Chief Executive Erik Otto writes, 2019
proved just how crucial this background process is in the days of hybrid
broadcasting and multi-platform operations...

ome years in broadcast
at the same time ensuring they
technology are notable for
adhere to the relevant technical
big product launches or the
standards, 2019 could be seen
introduction of new technologies
as the year this essential but
destined to make a massive impact
previously background activity
on our industry. Other years are
came to the fore.
more about consolidation and
general evolution as technologies
The File-based Transition
and industry standards are
As a developer of monitoring,
Mediaproxy LogPlayer multi-panel view logging and analysis technology,
implemented and begin to be
adopted by broadcasters, facilities
Mediaproxy has long supported
and other service operators.
the transition to file-based
This year has been somewhat
operations. This new form of
unusual because it was a mixture
working has called for not only
of both. Emerging technologies
different compliance techniques
- notably 5G, 4K and now 8K,
at the playout centre but all
HDR (High Dynamic Range)
along the distribution chain. The
and WCG (Wide Colour Gamut)
advent of OTT streaming now
- started to make a real impact,
means content has to be checked
Advanced waveform search
with broadcasters beginning
and logged at every available
to consider what these would
opportunity, most crucially at the
mean in practical terms for both
edge points. Material has to be
themselves and their audiences.
delivered at the correct quality
Some
longer
established
according to the standards of the
techniques also began to come
specific regulator or government.
into their own. Virtual reality
There is also the priority to
(VR) and Augmented Reality (AR)
ensure programmes pass along
are now being combined with
the CDN (content distribution
Analysis of ratings schedule data network) in not only the correct
immersive production to create
new ways of programme making, while something that has been discussed format but also the correct version for
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine and promoted over the past decade, the destination devices or platforms.
learning (ML) are helping in the but IP is now seen as a reliable and
Broadcasting is coming to terms with
monitoring and analysis of the many robust foundation on which to build a being hybrid, as linear distribution,
delivery streams that are being sent to broadcast contribution or distribution using terrestrial, satellite or cable
multiple platforms and devices.
network. The general take-up of both networks,
increasingly
works
On top of all this is the cloud, which SMPTE ST 2110, which covers the IP- in tandem with OTT streaming
is increasingly accepted as an efficient based networking that enables OTT platforms and on-demand services.
and cost-effective way of storing and streaming distribution, and SMPTE Because of this many broadcasters
material, not just for archiving or ST 2022-6 (transport of high bit rate are assessing the possibilities of
as a contribution platform within a media signals over IP networks), has targeted advertising. This will bring
broadcast organisation, but also as the given system designers, broadcasters the opportunity to look more closely
distribution gateway for streaming and and service providers the templates at audience demographics, with
Video-on-Demand (VoD). In parallel to they needed to design and build the ability to track preferences and
the growing influence of the cloud is a effective modern broadcast systems.
viewing habits.
greater reliance on automation, which
With this has come the even greater
was already a viable tool in broadcast, need to apply more comprehensive The Advancing Toolset
combined with the introduction of ways of monitoring and correcting the
Mediaproxy
is
already
virtualised production and control many streams that carry video and looking at this new segment
environments.
audio programming. While compliance of the market with a suite of
logging has long been an essential part features that complement
The New Workflows
of how broadcasters work, providing our compliance tools. These
At the heart of these new ways the capability to monitor their output are based on an advanced
of working are IP networks for and the content of programmes model of 'outgoing and return'
both audio and video. Again, this is from an editorial perspective while monitoring that involves the

Mediaproxy
Monwall
interactive
multiviewer. This creates a new but
familiar way for broadcasters to
analyse and monitor hundreds and
thousands of profiles in real-time. By
using an interactive multiviewer, it is
possible to reduce the amount of time
it can take to resolve incidents.
A major part of this is the concept
of exception-based monitoring, which
uses IP penalty boxes that allow
broadcasters and MSOs (Multiple
System Operators) working at scale
to deal with QC (Quality Control) and
compliance more efficiently. This has
been integrated into both Monwall and
Mediaproxy's LogServer IP logging,
monitoring and analysis system, which
is 8K ready and also able to handle
HEVC and TSoIP encoded streams.
In the last few years we have seen
broadcasters of all kinds, including
public service, private and national
commercial networks, in different
countries expanding their operations
and, as a result, making the move into
IP-based compliance monitoring. This
shift in attitude has seen Mediaproxy
working with American broadcasters
CBS, ABC, FOX, NBCU and Discovery
Communications, as well as playout
providers such as Red Bee Media,
Globecast and Encompass. All of these
have installed LogServer systems to
improve and streamline their quality
assurance processes.
There is still a long way for
broadcasters to go with new
technologies, but 2019 gave some
reassurance that not only are we
going in the right direction but that
the industry as a whole is taking
compliance as seriously as it should.
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InReview 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of InReview 2019