VNP 100 application note: At home Production Workflow, REMI Introduction The At home Production Workflow model improves the efficiency of the production workflow for changing remote event locations by keeping the production in a fixed location and avoids the use of OB production trucks. This model allows the TV production companies to keep specialty production personal and equipment in one location to provide a more comfortable workflow due to minimum changes of the production environment. This workflow saves costs by only shipping a minimum amount of equipment and number of people to the event places. This TV production model is gaining popularity for Sports and Special Event TV production, where venues for each production changes constantly. Traditionally, these types of contribution backhaul feeds are transmitted via high cost satellite links, as many of these event sites don t have a fiber network. Today more and more larger and frequently used event sites are receiving fiber connections that provide a reliable alternative backhaul transmission method that uses HD SDI lease lines or Private IP network connections that provide some savings of the contribution cost. In recent years, the internet availability, capacity, and reliability has improved to the point where it can be used as a much lower cost alternative, or path diversity option for contribution video backhaul. Technology can be applied to further improve the Internet reliability and enable the Internet as a very cost effective means to backhaul contribution video signals for At home production workflows. The VNP 100 is well fitted as a contribution video transmission platform for in At home, also called REMI production workflows. The VNP 100 is a compact and flexible solution utilizing a high performance encoding/decoding and IP processing systems that provide excellent video quality with low coding latency and bandwidth requirements. The VNP 100 can be used for At home production backhaul via Satellite, Fiber lease lines, and Private IP networks as well as the Internet. The VNP 100 facilitates one and two way connections enabling intercom communication, providing studio timing reference signals for cameras, and Program Return feeds. Typical REMI Setups At home production workflow contribution system using satellite backhaul Traditional satellite back haul systems have been used for most video/audio contribution, as no other viable backhaul network has been available. Today s high performance video encoding enables multiple video signals to be transmitted via the same satellite transponder bandwidth, where traditional methods could only carry a few video channels. The VNP 100 encoding technology enables up to 8 AC Video Solutions Page 1 of 8 For expert consultation contact:
contribution quality video signals, up to full video resolution of 10 bit/422 formats with up to 128 audio channels, using only one transponder segment. This enables At home production workflows using existing satellite backhaul systems, as shown in figure 1. The 8 channel encoding and DVB ASI multiplex equipment only takes 3U of 19 rack space, which fits into vans and fly pack solutions. The very low encoding latency provided by the very high quality encoder enables real time two way communications between the Home studio and the remote site. The system can be configured to provide 7 contribution video channels transmitted to the studio with one return Program Video feed, intercom audio, and multiple serial data control signals. The return Program Video signal can be used to synchronize all cameras at the remote site to the studio reference timing with VNP 100 s on board frame synchronizer. Figure 1: 'At Home' production workflow contribution system using satellite backhaul The encoder and ASI multiplex system ensures constant video/audio channel latency, regardless of the transmission data rate throughout the system, with inter channel (inter video audio channel) differential delay less than 4mS exceeding most REMI specifications. The VNP 100 encoder system also enables transmission over IP network infrastructures proving a simultaneous path redundant backhaul feed over a private network or the Internet at a very low cost. The internet connections may also be used to transmit the Return Program Stream from the studio to the venue. AC Video Solutions Page 2 of 8 For expert consultation contact:
At home production workflow contribution system using HD SDI lease lines Metropolitan event places and frequently used event places are often connected to a HD SDI video lease line network or private IP networks that provide the user an alternative to using a satellite network for backhaul. Fiber based HD SDI and private IP networks are typically designed to provide high reliability with high available bandwidth and low transmission latency. Figure 2:'At Home' production workflow using HD SDI contribution The VNP 100 At home Production workflow solution is very well fitted to function as a high quality multi channel low latency video/audio contribution solution connected directly to a Private IP network or a HD SDI lease line network using the VNP 100 Ethernet to HD SDI bridging functionality, as shown in figure 2. The VNP 100 Ethernet to HD SDI (ETHoSDI) bridge capability provides one or two way low latency transmission of Ethernet over one or two way HD SDI lease lines. The VNP 100 ETHoSDI bridge provides up to 1 Gb/s of Ethernet transmission capacity using one HD SDI circuit, which can carry up to 8 120Mb/s mezzanine level encoded video/audio signals or sixteen video/audio streams encoded at 50Mb/s each using only one HD SDI lease line. The System provides in excess of 950Mb/s Ethernet data transmission capacity when HD SDI lease lines are used. An example of a REMI setup over a two way HD SDI lease line service is shown in figure 3. The VNP 100 Ethernet over HD SDI bridge function provides high quality, low latency interconnection of the Remote site LAN and the Studio LAN. The solution uses two SDI or HD SDI lease lines where one lease line transmits the camera feeds from the remote site to the studio and the return Program feed is transmitted from the studio to the venue using the lease line in the opposite direction. This solution also provides LAN connectivity for computers and intercom equipment in the field. SDI and HD SDI lease line services provides very high transmission at low latency enabling a round trip delay including encoding/decoding and some IP packet recovery less that a second. AC Video Solutions Page 3 of 8 For expert consultation contact:
Figure 3: 'At Home' production workflow using a Two way HD SDI Service Network In some cases, SDI HD SDI lease lines are only available in one direction at the venue. In these cases the return Program Video feed can be transmitted over the internet from the studio to the venue adding only a small amount to the round trip delay. Figure 4: 'At Home' production workflow using a one way HD SDI lease line and an internet for the return Program Video AC Video Solutions Page 4 of 8 For expert consultation contact:
At home production workflow contribution system using the Internet At home production workflow or REMI contribution solutions can be achieved by using the Internet for backhaul transmission, and are very cost effective. An example of this solution is shown in figure 5. Four VNP 100 units, an intercom system, and a network router can be mounted into a 4RU 19 fly pack for easy shipment and installation at a remote event venue. The system is preconfigured and only needs to be connected to a power supply, the Internet, and A/V equipment at the Remote venue. A similar system is setup at the production studio. Figure 5: 'At Home' production workflow using Internet contribution The REMI solution is capable of being monitored 24/7 and configured by remote Network Operation Centers. The system can be reconfigured one the fly to support different numbers of contribution feeds, program return channels, control data channels, and intercom setup. Each of the 8 video/audio channels can be reconfigured with regards to direction, video/audio interface, and compression setups at any time supporting changing needs. As the Internet provides two way communication, the system provides delivery of one or two Return Program channels, on site interview capabilities, as well as remote control of camera lighting and audio systems needed for remote Crewless Studios. In cases where multiple IPS s have access to a remote venue, it will be possible to provide redundant path protection to the At home production workflow system to significantly increase the connection reliability. AC Video Solutions Page 5 of 8 For expert consultation contact:
Service Management & Monitoring Tool The IPtec, Inc. Service Management and Monitoring Tool (SMMT) is capable of saving, scheduling, and Ad hoc video/audio services with the ability to monitor a complete network of VNP 100 units over the internet from one or multiple sites. The SMMT provides multiple user accounts that can be setup with different privileges. The user privileges are Admin (can perform all SMMT functions), Operator (can operate the SMMT except manage user accounts, Devices and IP addresses), Tester (can test circuits which are not in use) and View (can monitor all connections and devices). Multiple users can operate and monitor the same network based on the user privileges. Below is one example of the SMMT display. The SMMT display can be provisioned to show more or less details of the network depending on the specific user requirements. Only the network elements and SMMT control and monitoring features matching the user s privileges will show up on the SMMT screen. Figure 6: SMMT screen shot Single or Multi computers and Monitors can be used to display separate functions of the SMMT, such as Connections lists, a network diagram with the VNP 100 units (with or without connection lines showing the active connections), monitoring windows for specific connections, and alarms and history tables. All the SMMTs running on different computers will be updated continuously to reflect any changes. AC Video Solutions Page 6 of 8 For expert consultation contact:
Figure 7: SMMT Multi User Example The SMMT can display the connections graphically with Connection Lines as well as connection lists or they may be hidden. Without service disruption, the SMMT performs real time monitoring of SNMP accessibility of all VNP 100 units, collect all alarms generated by the VNP 100 units, and collect real time performance measurements on all connections operating between VNP 100 units connected to the network. Figure 8: SMMT Graphical Connection SNMP accessibility of the VNP 100 is identified when the perimeter of the device is colored blue. The VNP 100 unit to the far right, New Device 201, has a brown edge color and means that communications to the unit is lost. VNP 100 units with blue perimeters are in communications with the SMMT and report no faults/alarms. The VNP 100 with the red edge is displaying a major alarm. The perimeter is yellow for a minor or white for informational alarm. The connection with an alarm is also shown in the connection and alarm list. AC Video Solutions Page 7 of 8 For expert consultation contact:
Figure 9: SMMT alarm display in connection list and alarm table. The SMMT can also display connection performance statistics for any connection running between two VNP 100 units. The connection statistics display IP packet counters, bit rates, network packet delay variation, lost IP packets and network delay between the two VNP 100 units. The connection statistics are read from the involved VNP 100 units every few seconds. Figure 10: Statistics The SMMT can be programmed to trigger and report statistics for units based on special events occurring for a specific unit that is under special monitoring. The SMMT keeps a history log of all alarms generated by the VNP 100 units and the performance statistics of all connections made since the log last was cleared. This provides the user the ability to go back in time to verify connection performance and use this information for troubleshooting. Alarms detected in real time by the SMMT can be emailed to the user accounts. AC Video Solutions Page 8 of 8 For expert consultation contact: