Nevion joins forces with EBU, VRT and leading vendors to deliver IP studio

Oslo, Norway, 14 August 2015

LiveIP project features standards-based IP production network built using Nevion technology.

The European Broadcast Union (EBU) and Belgian public broadcasting company VRT have today unveiled the LiveIP Project, a multi-vendor system integration to showcase IP-based live broadcast production featuring Nevion equipment and software. The collaboration between EBU, VRT and a group of innovative industry partners including Nevion sees the implementation of a live TV production studio at VRT’s premises in Brussels. It uses state-of-the-art IT-centric hardware and software to enable broadcasters to produce programmes quickly, efficiently and cost effectively.

A scaled down version of the studio will be shown as a proof-of-concept demonstration on the EBU stand (10.F20) at this year’s IBC Show in Amsterdam from 11 to 15 September 2015.

The multi-phase LiveIP Project is part of Sandbox+, an international joint platform for collaborative innovation put together by VRT, EBU and iMinds. Industry technology partners participating in the project include Axon, Dwesam, EVS, Genelec, Grass Valley, Lawo, LSB, Nevion, Tektronix and Trilogy who provide all the elements of a live production chain driven by IP.

Nevion, a leader in transporting media from the camera to the home provided the infrastructure in the form of the IP network connecting the cameras, the monitors, the switchers and the mixers to demonstrate the implementation of a live TV production studio at VRT’s premises in Brussels.

Nevion’s technology is used to transport standards-compliant video (SMPTE 2022-6) and audio (AES67) IP signals transparently over 10 Gigabit Ethernet, as well as provide redundancy and clean switching on the IP layer. Nevion’s eMerge Ethernet media switches and Nevion media gateways transport and convert between baseband and IP when needed.

LiveIP is a software-defined network, with Nevion’s VideoIPath management software controlling switches and edge devices through the industry-standard Openflow protocol. Nevion’s VideoIPath integrates with VRT’s existing VSM studio control seamlessly meaning users can perform switching using the environment they are familiar with – all part of making the transition to IP smooth and painless.

Geir Bryn-Jensen, CEO, Nevion said: “This project has been instrumental in promoting the value of producing live content via IP, and we at Nevion have been very proud to work alongside such innovative partners in the broadcasting industry to help make it happen. We have demonstrated that some of the concerns broadcasters have, like performance, reliability, deterministic network behavior and clean-switching can be addressed now.”

Nevion’s will demo how IP can co-exist with baseband technology to enable broadcasters to transition smoothly and cost-effectively to IP in the studios and beyond on booth (1.B71) at IBC.