Network management
File transfer and network management and control were covered on the first day in presentations and demonstrations. The most courageous demo was probably the one given by SVT's John Glimberg. Using a live link with one of the regional stations in Sweden, he showed it was possible to remotely control the News play-out of this station using standardised software and IP connectivity.
HD and DVB-S2
There is quite a lot to understand about optimising your network and isolating traffic to guarantee the appropriate quality of service for your data transport. Several broadcasters showed how they approached these problems. Carrying HD material for example was seen as demanding, but certainly not unduly so for emerging networks.
One of the key wireless technologies for contribution and distribution may soon be DVB-S2. Its efficiency and many options were clearly explained by Alberto Morello (RAI). Alain Danré (France3) detailed the business case for his organisation's DSNG replacement project.
Security
This year military security expert Alan Woodroffe (Secure Systems Support) gave the audience a look at security requirements for military usage. Outside the trenches it seems the biggest shift regarding security is from shielded, entrenched operations to more mixed environments. Simply because outsourcing and partenering have created mixed organisations which do not support brick walls, as Andy Leigh (BBC) explained clearly.