Rohde and Schwarz recently demonstrated multiple workflows for broadcasters, highlighting clear migration paths from SDI to IP to the cloud at NAB Show 2022. With the launch of platform agnostic studio production, playout and transcoding capabilities, Rohde and Schwarz delivers all the robustness that broadcasters and production companies expect from traditional broadcast workflows with added flexibility and scalability that the cloud offers.
In partnership with Qualcomm, Rohde and Schwarz also showcased 5G Broadcast with a full live streaming demonstration at the show. The demonstration delivered content to smartphone devices and highlight Broadcast/Multicast capabilities over 5G. Content was then re-transmitted using a 5G Broadcast signal over-the-air, giving show attendees a first-hand look at an advanced live mobile experience.
Jörg Fries, Vice President Broadcast, Amplifier and Media Solutions at Rohde and Schwarz said, “Broadcasters and content providers need solutions that support their growth strategies and allow their businesses to adapt to our rapidly shifting market. Whatever technology they migrate to, the 24/7 capability and uncompromising quality that lies at the heart of the media and entertainment businesses must never be disrupted. Rohde and Schwarz understands this fundamental business need and we continue to deliver the rock-solid reliability that our brand is known for, combined with the future-proofing and agility of cloud and innovations like that of 5G Broadcast.”
As part of its commitment to helping customers make their journey from SDI to IP to cloud in ways that meet their specific needs, Rohde and Schwarz offers a range of solutions that deliver on-premise and/or virtualisable workflows.
As well as allowing broadcasters to handle tasks such as ingest, transcoding and quality control (QC), customers will benefit from cloud playout ability to rapidly spin up/spin down channels as and when needed. This approach makes it faster and more cost effective to test out new business models or to support one-off projects.
Rohde and Schwarz and Pixel Power together presented integrated workflow solutions, from ingest to playout, that include broadcast-wide monitoring, multiviewing and storage.
- Studio Production – R+S highlighted its live, multi-camera for ingest, transcoding and studio playout functionality for studio production using existing and software solutions for storage that synchronises content from the facility with the cloud storage. Within a single workflow, studio content being ingested could be passed straight to master control for scheduled or immediate playout. Monitoring and Multiviewing from the cloud, using SRT, brings multiviewer mosaics and monitoring content back to the studio.
- Post Production – R+S CLIPSTER, which has for many years been the gold standard solution for mastering and distribution of feature films and episodic TV, sees a new competitive CLIPSTER MKII release. The new CLIPSTER platform brings greater functionality to a wider audience at a more competitive price. R+S also recently launched its dedicated post production storage solution, SpycerNode SC, bringing high performance computing power, speed, and reliability to post production workflows.
- Delivery – Using AWS, directly from the show floor, Pixel Power presented Playout, Branding and Automation workflows via the public cloud as well as demonstrating an on-premise solution. With integrated, software defined, virtualisable monitoring and multiviewing, a powerful portfolio for playout and transmission suites is now available within one system. Fully embedded graphics and branding come with 30 years heritage and experience and offers workflow solutions for a range of sophisticated in-channel and cross channel branding and promotion as well as playout.
- Distribution – Television and radio transmitters have been at the heart of R+S broadcast technology for more than 70 years. R+S presents its leading-edge software-upgradable TV transmitters as well as the new 5G Broadcast and ATSC3.0 technologies that redefine the future of content delivery on the move. Rohde and Schwarz transmitters fully support ATSC 3.0 core features, including multiple physical layer pipes (PLP), multiple subframes and single frequency network (SFN) capabilities for optimal spectrum utilisation. They also support ATSC 3.0 layered division multiplexing (LDM), helping network operators maximise coverage in different reception scenarios, including fixed and mobile reception.
- 5G Broadcast – To bring a live 5G Broadcast demonstration together, Rohde and Schwarz used its end-to-end 3GPP compliant solution that comprises a 5G Broadcast enabled R+S TLU9 transmitter, supported by a Spinner filter, and the Broadcast Service and Control Center (BSCC2.0) acting as a core network. The 5G Broadcast solution is built on the 3GPP Rel-16 feature-set, operating in a Receive-Only Mode (ROM), Free-To-Air (FTA) and without the need for a SIM card (SIM-free reception). The 5G Broadcast dedicated mode will be demonstrated with a standalone transmitter while operating within the UHF band.