Axon previews Industry-First Audio Video Bridging Innovations

posted:

08/04/2013

New uncompressed live video content over standard Ethernet delivery infrastructure ‘signals the beginning of the end for SDI

Axon, the broadcast infrastructure, monitoring and control specialist, will use NAB 2013 as a platform to call all broadcasters to embrace the benefits of an AVB-based (Audio Video Bridging) future. An open set of standards established by the IEEE, AVB is expected to transform the way broadcasters manage and deliver live video production content over Ethernet. Axon will provide a technology preview showcasing the practical applications of AVB in its market-leading Synapse product range.

The AVB innovations are in direct response to the fast moving media landscape. Consumers are demanding quality live content instantly across a growing range of platforms. Broadcasters need flexible and future-proof infrastructures to deliver on these changing media consumption behaviours.
Peter Schut, chief technical officer at Axon, said: ‘AVB will signal the beginning of the end for SDI (Serial Digital Interface) technologies. AVB takes it to a new level, and means low-latency as well as predictable and reliable delivery of live uncompressed video. We welcome conversations with broadcasters, manufacturers and partners at NAB to demonstrate the benefits of an AVB-enabled future.’

AVB-enabled technologies will be incorporated into Axon’s market-leading Synapse range of interfacing and conversion products from 2014 meaning that broadcasters can future-proof their operations – handling a hybrid SDI and compressed IP world today and an uncompressed AVB world tomorrow. ‘We don’t expect broadcasters to throw out their existing infrastructure but simply to be prepared for whatever the future brings in this rapidly changing media world,’ added Schut.

He continued: ‘The problem with existing video over IP technologies is that they work in a highly compressed, non real-time environment. We’ve been researching the potential of AVB for a long time but, frankly, we’ve been waiting for the IT industry to catch up. Until now, bandwidth and network speeds just haven’t been able to deliver live uncompressed production content effectively. Now the speed and reliability is there, we can begin to deliver on our innovations, and broadcasters can begin to reap the benefits of AVB-based infrastructures.’ These include greater productivity, instant connected access to the network, more flexible set-up and multi-use switching - enabling broadcasters, for example, to easily switch from delivering a game show to a live tennis match.

The heart of broadcast
Axon will also be using NAB to position and reinforce the central and mission-critical role its solutions play in a broadcaster’s infrastructure - under its new company strategy, ‘The heart of broadcast’.

Audio and video (AV) equipment connections historically were analogue one-way, single-purpose and point-to-point. Even digital AV standards often were point-to-point and one-way such as S/PDIF for audio and serial digital interface (SDI) for video. This connection model resulted in masses of cables, especially in professional broadcast applications. Removing the inherent bandwidth, speed and set-up problems of single wire SDI infrastructure, the move to an AVB infrastructure means more flexibility, ease of use and instant connected access to the network – providing broadcasters with a predictable, reliable, consistent and uncompressed video delivery experience.

About Axon
Headquartered in The Netherlands, and with offices across the world, Axon develops, manufactures and markets high quality broadcast equipment for the conversion, processing and compliance recording of audio and video signals. Products integrate advanced signal processing techniques, innovative engineering and modular flexibility and provide high quality, affordability and reliability within mission-critical broadcast applications.