With another NAB approaching, the EBU Strategic Programme on Production Infrastructure has prepared the Media Node Maturity Checklist, a simple guide to help broadcasters assess the maturity and compatibility of IP-based production equipment.
The checklist aims to help organizations that are in the process of planning, building or expanding facilities built around the SMPTE ST 2110 standard, and focuses on features that help to greatly reduce the complexity of integrating and operating compatible equipment.
It is based on the Technology Pyramid for Media Nodes – a set of guidelines also provided by the EBU SP on Production infrastructures – which outlines the minimum ensemble of technologies that ST-2110-based media devices should support to allow broadcasters to design, build and operate facilities efficiently. The guidelines were developed based on the input of public service media organizations that have adopted IP-based technology in Europe and North America. The details of the Pyramid are published as EBU Tech 3371.
Using the Pyramid in discussions with vendors not only helps customers to identify key enabling features, but also to communicate the expectations of the engineering community with regards to the maturity of media over IP devices. The EBU believes this guidance will facilitate the production of more equipment that meets the minimum requirements of users in the field of IP-based production.