The IP Showcase has become a must-see exhibit for anyone deploying IP technology for real-time broadcast. Once again it is sponsored by major technical and standards organizations within the broadcast industry — Audio Engineering Society (AES), Alliance for IP Media Solutions (AIMS), Advanced Media Workflow Association (AMWA), European Broadcasting Union (EBU), Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE), and Video Services Forum (VSF).
"Faced with the inevitability of a transition to IP-based operations in broadcast, the industry almost unanimously chose a standards-based approach, uniting behind SMPTE ST 2110/ST 2059, AES67, and AMWA IS-04/05," says Brad Gilmer, executive director of the IP Showcase. "Now, three years later, we are seeing expansion beyond the early adopters, and as the industry as a whole begins to make the IP transition, the organizations involved in the IP Showcase are laying the groundwork to make installation, maintenance, and security straightforward and much simpler. We're raising the bar for what people should expect when implementing IP-based operations."
New for the 2019 NAB Show is the IP Showcase Future Zone, where visitors will be able to see demonstrations of Part 1 of the new Joint Task Force on Networked Media (JT-NM) Tech Stack (JT-NM TR-1001-1). SMPTE ST 2110 has successfully defined the transport layer of IP systems, and now JT-NM Tech Stack simplifies and streamlines installations of IP systems.
Also in the Future Zone, visitors will see demonstrations of a set of technologies that are being considered for inclusion in the JT-NM Tech Stack Part 2 to address event and tally (AMWA IS-07), audio channel mapping (AMWA IS-08), as well as grouping (AMWA BCP-002) and API security: communications (AMWA BCP-003). Together with Tech Stack Part 1, the Tech Stack Part 2 candidates comprise a suite of open specifications that simplify the construction, maintenance, and operational functionality of true multivendor SMPTE ST 2110 systems.
The IP Showcase Theater also returns as the destination for education, a vital element as the industry progresses through the phases of IP adoption. Vendors, broadcasters, service providers, and integrators alike will highlight their solutions to the challenges related to the transition from SDI to IP. With a full slate of presentations on IP technology and installations to choose from, professionals ranging from broadcast/IT engineers and CEOs to TV producers can learn how to unlock the full potential of using IP for real-time professional media.
The IP Showcase will also highlight representative installations, providing a one-stop exhibit for those interested in learning why so many broadcasters are turning to IP technology and how they are using it. The IP installations to date have demonstrated clear benefits, such as the ability to scale easily, format flexibility, and resource sharing, and with that success, the number of installations continues to grow at a significant rate.
JT-NM Tested Program at IP Showcase
A new feature of the IP Showcase at the 2019 NAB Show will be the JT-NM Tested program, a program designed by the Joint Task Force on Networked Media (JT-NM) to offer prospective purchasers of IP-based equipment more and better-documented insight into how vendor equipment aligns to the SMPTE ST 2110 and SMPTE ST 2059 standards.
Testing of vendor-supplied equipment for the JT-NM-sponsored program was administered by the EBU and IRT — two top European technical bodies — at an event that was held the week of March 18 at the Fox Networks facility in Woodlands, Texas. Vendors who both attended the event and agreed to make their test results public have earned the right to display a JT-NM Tested badge with their product(s) at the 2019 NAB Show and will be listed in the JT-NM Tested catalog, available at the IP Showcase booth and online. In addition to detailed test results, the catalog describes all test criteria and methodology as well as listing hardware and software versions of all products tested, offering complete transparency of the entire evaluation process.
"As the industry continues to move to IP-based operations, users need to have confidence that equipment from various vendors actually conforms to the standards adopted by the industry, and the JT-NM took the initiative to begin to address some of these requests from users," adds Brad Gilmer. "At NAB 2019, with our inaugural JT-NM Tested event, we're taking an important first step. While not a certification program, the JT-NM Tested catalog documents a valuable snapshot in time of how vendor equipment aligns to key parts of SMPTE standards, providing prospective purchasers and users with a reference as they begin their equipment evaluation and qualification process."
Thirty-five companies with 72 products participated in the first ever JT-NM Tested program. The catalog of results will be released the first day of the 2019 NAB Show.
The JT-NM continues to partner with vendors, users, and key partners such as AIMS to provide information that aids the transition to IP. Along with the JT-NM Tested program, the IP Showcase is also introducing the JT-NM Tech Stack series of protocols that simplify and streamline installation of IP systems.
Reference resources:Audio Engineering Society (AES): www.aes.org
Alliance for IP Media Solutions (AIMS): www.aimsalliance.org
Advanced Media Workflow Association (AMWA): www.amwa.tv
European Broadcasting Union (EBU): www.ebu.ch
Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE): www.smpte.org
Video Services Forum (VSF): www.videoservicesforum.org
AIMS: www.aimsalliance.org/white-papers/
AES67: www.aes.org/standards/blog/2018/4/aes67-2018-published
AMWA: www.amwa.tv/specifications
EBU: tech.ebu.ch/docs/tech/tech3371.pdf
SMPTE ST 2110: www.smpte.org/st_2110
VSF Technical Recommendations: videoservicesforum.org/technical_recommendations.shtml
Joint Task Force on Networked Media (JT-NM): jt-nm.org
The IP Showcase will take place at the Las Vegas Convention Center at Booth C12634.
www.ipshowcase.org
