The EBU has once again partnered with the IRT, and now also BBC R&D, to run the ‘JT-NM Tested’ programme – an initiative designed to give prospective buyers a better view of how well certain ST-2110-based IP production equipment supports a range of interoperability protocols. The results are available in two JT-NM Tested catalogues.
This time, the scope of the tests was expanded to go beyond the basic media over IP transport layer – the data plane – and to include functionality that helps to automate deployments and improve security. Specifically, the tests were aligned with JT-NM TR1001-1, a response to the user requirements captured in the EBU ‘Pyramid for Media Nodes’ and published as industry guidance document EBU Tech 3371 – ‘Minimum User Requirements to build and manage an IP-based Media Facility’.
"Following a successful initial round of ST 2110 testing, the inclusion of TR-1001-1 was the next logical step", said Andrew Bonney, Senior R&D Engineer at BBC R&D. "This will give end users confidence that the fundamentals of device configuration and operation can be achieved in a standard way, with near zero manual configuration."
The outcome of this testing round is documented in two JT-NM Tested catalogues: one specifically focusing on the implementation of the fundamental SMPTE ST 2110, ST 2059 and ST 2022-7 standards; and the second listing test results for compatibility with the AMWA NMOS specification and further protocols listed in JT-NM TR1001-1.
The tests were performed this summer over the course of one week, using the EBU Live IP Software Toolkit (LIST) and AMWA NMOS Test Suite. The testing event was kindly hosted by Riedel Communications in Wuppertal, Germany.
JT-NM Tested is not a certification programme. All vendors who submit their equipment to be scrutinized for one or both of the catalogues can use the relevant labels on their units, regardless of the outcome.
“The programme is designed to generate a snapshot in time of how available equipment conforms to key supporting standards in the ST 2110 ecosystem, and to provide prospective buyers and users with a reference for their equipment evaluation and qualification process”, said EBU Senior IP Media Technology Architect Willem Vermost.
Ievgen Kostiukevych, Senior IP Media Technology Architect, added: “We hope to be able to repeat these testing events in order to encourage the industry to adopt open standards and specifications in both the data plane and the control plane.”
JT-NM is a joint industry association formed by AMWA, EBU, SMPTE and VSF.