NEP Australia Selects Tektronix To Monitor Hybrid IP/SDI

Tektronix has announced that NEP Australia has selected the firm as a key technology provider for the broadcaster's move to an IP-enabled production infrastructure based on the SMPTE ST-2110 standard for video over IP.

NEP has purchased a range of Tektronix equipment for its IP build out including both standalone and rackmount PRISM hybrid IP/SDI media analysis instruments as well as SPG8000A hybrid sync generator and PTP grandmaster clock units, ECO8000 automatic changeover devices and WFM5200 waveform monitors.

NEP Australia is transitioning from an SDI infrastructure to an all-IP infrastructure for outside broadcast and live production. The catalyst is the construction of two IP enabled centralized production hubs and four new all-IP OB trucks. During the transition NEP will run a mix of all-IP OB trucks and legacy SDI trucks with an IP layer allowing connectivity to either hub.

The need for a gradual transition to IP created a significant challenge for NEP to efficiently monitor and troubleshoot this complex hybrid environment – a challenge solved by PRISM.

Tektronix PRISM is the first monitoring solution of its kind to combine ST-2110 analysis with full SDI support, making it ideally suited to NEP's requirement. It gives NEP's broadcast and network engineers real time monitoring and analysis of IP streams and the associated content, enabling early identification and diagnosis of network or content issues including intermittent loss of video, audio, or data content. PRISM's IP capabilities including analysis of PTP synchronization timing, support for SMPTE ST 2022-7 redundancy and SMPTE ST-2110, IGMP V3 and API support for easy system integration into network management systems, and IP stream capture for deep dive analysis.

Marc Segar, director of technology, NEP Australia, said: "We have relied on Tektronix instruments for monitoring and QC for many years and see them as an important trusted partner. With local support from their Australian channel partner, TekInsite Video Technologies, Tektronix has played an important role in our decision to move to an ST-2110 infrastructure, going so far as to send a principal engineer to Australia to conduct real operational testing with PRISM on site in our Sydney facilities. Currently, PRISM is the only monitoring solution fully capable of meeting our requirements."

Alongside PRISM in NEP's build out will be the SPG8000A hybrid master sync generator and PTP grandmaster clock that provides PTP (SMPTE ST-2059) timing for its ST-2110 compliant IP video network.

Charlie Dunn, general manager, Video Product Line at Tektronix, said: "Even for broadcasters such as NEP that are committed to a modern all-IP infrastructure, the transition to IP will take several years before it's fully implemented. With support for both IP and SDI in the same platform, PRISM is uniquely positioned to help broadcasters make a smooth transition to IP while preserving their legacy investments. And, as a software-enabled platform, it can support their needs well into the future as standards and technologies continue to evolve."

tek.com

(MH)