Switch from SDI to IP Live Production
The days are numbered for SDI. It’s now only a matter of time before SDI will lose out to IP, with the move expected to happen sooner rather than later thanks to the many cost and practical benefits offered by IP over SDI.
Why, when and how SDI is being replaced by IP technology?
The ability to use IP technology to simplify the cabling and AV setup of live events, creating new capabilities way beyond those of conventional SDI-based environments has been around for some time. Sony brought out its first IP live production product, the NXL-IP55, back in 2012, and has been working tirelessly to further enhance the ability of its IP-based technologies over the last few years.
The future possibilities of IP technology in live production are immense, and look set to truly revolutionise how outside broadcasts are handled as well as impacting on many other areas of production. Sony’s Networked Media Interface is set to revolutionise the design of broadcaster/production environments, enabling the movement of audio and video between studios and other rooms in a much more straightforward way than with an SDI infrastructure. On top of this, the Networked Media Interface has moved on to the point where images (including 4K images), audio and camera control can be transmitted to and from locations many hundreds of kilometres apart with no perceived delay, opening up a world of possibilities and potential applications.
This sweeping change has to remain sensitive to current operational practice, so it’s essential the move away from SDI to IP continues to incorporate SDI devices within new IP-based systems and IP-based live production workflows. There also needs to be standardisation in processes, and working partnerships established between key technology providers to enable the transition from SDI to IP technologies to be as smooth running as possible.
What does IP Live mean for you?
Sony’s IP Live solution was showcased at NAB 2015.
