NAB
The pandemic forced many broadcasters to adopt remote
working policies out of necessity. But this move revealed something more:
remote operations using the cloud and IP-based networks are an effective way to
transmit content and streamline costs.
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This in turn also helps broadcasters optimize their
resources and talent, whether in a centralized broadcast facility or across a
decentralized production team, and prepare for the future.
The model and its evolution has been charted by encoding
hardware developer Matrox in a new white paper, “REMI Solution Guide.”
REMI (REMote Integration), or remote production, is a
workflow in which live event content is captured at a distance and live camera
signals are transmitted to a central studio for production and distribution.
Already widely used by large media producers, remote
production presents several advantages, the most significant being that it
minimizes the costs and bottlenecks associated with traditional on-site
production.
For instance, remote production removes the need to send OB
vans and additional personnel to the venue. “Expensive” production staff can
remain in the central production facility, and only a few camera operators are
required on-site.
With REMI, the same crew and production equipment can cover
both the same day. For example, the crew could cover an afternoon soccer game
in New Jersey and be in New York City by evening for a music concert.
Cloud-Based Production
According to the paper, use of the cloud is changing the
nature of remote production and allowing for new ways of working. The
cloud-based approach involves live production migration from systems on premise
to cloud-based platforms, where they can be offered as Software as a service
(SaaS).
Cloud-based production represents another opportunity for
massive savings.
“REMI helps broadcasters get maximum use of existing
production gear while cloud-based REMI enables them to save on the cost of the
traditional production gear.”
With more broadcasters moving to OTT and Direct-to-Consumer
business models, cloud-based production is fast becoming an efficient solution
that provides opportunities to increase content output, streamline workflows,
and reduce costs.
Designed to help organizations maximize their use of
in-house production equipment, the Matrox Monarch EDGE encoder and decoder pair
can transport multiple synchronized camera feeds over dedicated WAN, LAN, or
internet, and back to the studio for SDI-based vision mixing. The Monarch EDGE
encoder synchronizes and securely delivers remote camera feeds to master
control rooms or the cloud for production with remarkably low latency.
Moreover, if using cloud-based tools for remote production, the Monarch EDGE
encoder can deliver feeds to cloud, get them from the cloud, and then ingest
them into the SDI infrastructure.
The vision outlined in PwC’s Global Entertainment and
Media Outlook 2021-2025 is that every part of the “live program will be
produced at a fraction of the cost, in the cloud, with audio, graphics
overlays, switching and replays, staff as well as talents all in different
locations, collaborating in real-time as if they were in the same physical
venue.”
The reality, however, is more complex, with mainstream
adoption not quite here yet, “due to the unpredictable (and often overlooked)
costs associated with cloud computing, such as bandwidth, storage, and contract
fees,” suggest Matrox.
The paper also warns of equipment failure where instability
in one piece of equipment can lead to errors in the data flow and signal
degradation.
“The sheer number of possible hardware and software
configurations, the quality of the network infrastructure, and the reliability
of each device, highlight the intrinsic complexity of these setups,” the paper
continues.
“Moving any operation to a different infrastructure provider
often means not only overcoming technical design limitations but also finding
cloud developers who are familiar with the underlying technology of multiple
cloud infrastructures and can help make the transition as easy as possible.”
The implication is for users to integrate their systems with
Matrox gear.
“Although not yet mainstream, cloud-based production is set
to become the norm,” the white paper concludes, “as it significantly reduces
the cost to produce and distribute content.”
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