Redundant 1G/ 10G connections for the transmission of video and data services
The assignment was to transport the live TV signals produced by the TV programme providers BR, MDR, ZDF, Eurovision Service (ESSA) and ORF from various winter sports broadcasting locations to the respective "home studios". On the basis of node- and edge-disjunct line routing, the VIDI specialists provided 1 Gbps and 10 Gbps dedicated lines for the transmission of the required video and data services.
The MediaLinks MD8000 media adaptation technology was primarily used. The video services were mostly transmitted in HD format with a video compression rate of 250 Mbps.
Extensive tests
The network connection was made via redundant 1G/ 10G connections. All video signals are "Hitless Protected" and JPEG2000 compressed. "The data services are also Hitless Protected", explains Wasim Azab, VIDI project manager.
The construction of the necessary technology for the respective "Contributions-Network" began about one week before the actual deadline, including handover to the customers. This was followed by extensive tests to check all functionalities in advance of the events. In this phase the VIDI Network Management System (VIDI NMS) was also implemented and included in the upcoming tests. The VIDI NMS, developed in-house, ensured the configuration, operation and seamless monitoring of the entire transmission network during and before the events.
Impressions from the events:
Vierschanzentournee 2019/2020
- Oberstdorf Schattbergschanze
Biathlon World Cup 2020
- Ruhpolding Chiemgau Arena
Central tool for monitoring - VIDI NMS
Quality and security of the solution were the top priorities in this network design. Therefore, the Network Management System (VIDI NMS) is always the central tool for monitoring all signal connections and ensuring transmission quality. "The detailed evaluations and network analyses of the system were already a valuable aid during the network set-up phase and are of course all the more so during the 'hot' phases of live operation," says our expert Wasim Azab.
The VIDI NOC in Darmstadt continuously monitored all video and data services via its own VIDI network management system (VIDI NMS) and coordinated the deployment of service staff on site at the venues.
Unforeseen events such as necessary extensions, short-term changes in signal formats or new bandwidth requirements posed no problem for the experts, says Azab. "This is where our decades of experience in the implementation and project planning of live TV events helps us - to the complete satisfaction of our customers," summarizes the VIDI man.
More about this in the FKT March 2020 issue - Fazination TV Winter Sports