SXnet: A Practical Approach to Digital Video Networking—A Migration Path to Digital Video Distribution as Applied to the Broadcast News Operation

The arrival of digital video equipment in the broadcast industry brought high expectations of increased efficiency and convenience in addition to improved picture quality. Many believed that video and audio material would be treated similarly to computer files for managing, processing, and transferring via computer networks and servers. This analogy to computer data systems–as used in office automation, for example–is too simplistic and cannot be applied directly to the demanding video and audio system architecture of a broadcast facility. Stringent requirements must be placed on broadcast A/V systems to deliver high volumes of data, in continuous streams, to a multitude of users. Realtime throughput and predictable delays are all essential for on-air applications. While many approaches are available, this paper discusses the concept and implementation of a novel peer-to-peer networking system that addresses the specific requirements of the news broadcast environment. The paper emphasizes the merit of a simple solution to manage A/V material between MPEG-2 4:2:2 MP@ML Betacam SX workstations.

Print ISSN

0036-1682

Published

1999-03

Content type

Information

DOI

10.5594/J17096