BT said that it has developed a trial of a software-defined network (SDN) architecture to enable a next generation highly flexible broadcast network.
The technology was trialled at the recent Innovation Week in BT’s Labs at Adastral Park, Ipswich.
BT demonstrated how multiple HD uncompressed video flows can be transported across a SDN through to a production studio via high-bandwidth network pipes. This will enable live footage to be captured remotely, allowing broadcasters the opportunity to cover events without needing to send multiple camera crews, potentially saving millions of pounds in the future as they look to move away from having studios on-site full of equipment.
The technology will allow broadcasters increased flexibility, with the ability to change the format of footage at the touch of a button as it passes across the infrastructure, said BT.
BT is using equipment and software provided by Nevion and Cisco for this specific piece of research. Nevion’s media nodes encapsulate raw video into the desired format before transmitting it over the IP network which is built using Cisco switches. The core SDN technology is provided by Cisco, with Nevion’s VideoIPath software providing the SDN management and orchestration.
BT said it has also successfully provided the UK’s first uncompressed video contribution network connecting all 20 Premier League football stadiums in a three year deal with the League’s international broadcasting outlet, Premier League Productions (PLP).
Mark Wilson-Dunn, VP of BT Media & Broadcast
We’re keen to explore how a broadcast infrastructure based on true SDN and related technologies could potentially allow us to build a brand new next generation and multi-tenanted global networkin the future in the same way as we led the way on MPLS and IP based media networks previously.
Peter Karlstromer, SVP, Global Service Provider, Europe, Middle East and Russia, Cisco
BT and Cisco have been working closely together for a number of years to develop innovative software-defined solutions that bring unprecedented flexibility to telecom services, including how broadcast content is distributed and shared.
