A testing programme to help and encourage the industry to adopt a standards-based approach to live IP production is being enhanced. The JT-NM Tested programme, with the EBU as a core contributor, is designed to give prospective buyers – including EBU Members – a view on which IP production equipment supports a range of interoperability protocols. The next round of tests, to be validated at a gathering in March, will add testing of broadcast controllers and registries.
Two rounds of JT-NM Tested have already taken place, in April and September 2019. Catalogues documenting the test procedures, test equipment and results are available from the JT-NM website. Vendors that participate in the JT-NM Tested programme are encouraged to display badges indicating that they have done so.
Self-testing
The forthcoming round of testing will differ from the previous rounds in that vendors will perform testing at their own facilities, based on testing criteria published by JT-NM. The criteria will cover selected portions of SMTPE ST 2110, the AMWA NMOS specifications and the JT-NM TR-1001-1. Standards validation of vendor test results will be confirmed at a testing event scheduled for the week of 16 March 2020, ahead of this year's NAB Show.
The testing and validation process is open to any vendor producing equipment that makes use of the relevant portions of the aforementioned standards. Participation in past events is not a prerequisite for participation in the programme for NAB 2020. A new JT-NM Tested catalogue will be published with the results of this round of testing.
As in the previous rounds, the EBU Live IP Software Toolkit (LIST) and the AMWA NMOS Test Suite will be used for testing and validation.
JT-NM is the Joint Task Force on Networked Media. The EBU's partners in the consortium are AMWA (Advanced Media Workflow Association), SMPTE (Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers) and the VSF (Video Services Forum).
More information on the JT-NM Tested programme and information on how to join is available by contacting Bob Ruhl (bob.ruhl1@verizon.net).