Page 17 - Highlight_Issue_3_final_web

FACING UP TO THE CHALLENGES

We therefore have two challenges: the move to IP and commodity • Protocols such as Network Digital Interface (NDI), carrying
IT solutions and the need to rethink spectrum. This means compressed video, uncompressed multi-channel audio and
we need to look at potential new solutions. 5G is an obvious metadata, are commonly used for smaller scale productions.
candidate to support production but we know that we have
challenging requirements in terms of quality and reliability. • There are numerous protocols that support audio production as
well as control and monitoring.
The media production industry is already transforming and has One challenge with media production is that it is not a single
started embracing more IP and cloud technologies:
identified workflow. The challenges and equipment deployed
• The SMPTE 2110 protocol suite defines a set of media protocols change depending on the event being covered. A Tier 1 event –
to carry uncompressed and lightly compressed video and audio like an Olympic Games or football World Cup – is on a completely
signals over (fixed) IP infrastructures. different scale (in terms of quality and capacity) to a live news
insert. Budgets, timescales and skill sets vary wildly: a large
• The AMWA Networked Media Open Specification (NMOS) sporting event can be planned years in advance with resources
suite defines a set of media orchestration and control procedures deployed to support the event. In this instance, the focus is on
to set up and manage audio–visual flows in IP-based production resilience and quality. For news production, speed of deployment
infrastructure.
is often the critical factor, the ability to go live, from anywhere, at
any time brings its own challenges.

WORKING WITH 3GPP

The media production industry has been using LTE and 4G for several The aim for the SA4 study is to identify whether there is a need to
years to help fill gaps in coverage, to increase flexibility and to reduce develop additional service layer specifications, e.g. extending the
cost, and we have been engaged with work in 3GPP to understand uplink streaming capabilities of the 5G Media Streaming Architecture
how we can use mobile technologies to complement our workflows. (TS 26.501) for media production.
These are usually deployed as “best-efforts” links on a Public Land
Mobile Network (PLMN), and can work really well for news and small- One clear objective of the study is to identify existing workflows and
scale sporting events. However, to meet the demands of existing protocols already used or to be deployed in the media production
professional production technologies it may be better to use a Non- industry. The general aim is to re-use and possibly extend existing
Public Network (NPN) to guarantee the network Quality of Service media device control procedures and media protocols when deployed
demanded by top-tier live events. in combination with a 5G System. This is important because 5G
services will be an enhancement, rather than a replacement, for many
3GPP TSG SA WG1 (SA1) has previously studied media production media production functions.
use-cases in the VIAPA work item and derived requirements in TS
22.263 which identified KPIs, but not the characteristics of the traffic The initial need for the study was identified by the European Union
being carried. Horizon 2020 5G-RECORDS project which is looking at 5G uses for
professional media production. The study started in April 2021 and is
aiming to conclude in Spring 2022.
“The 5G System could be deployed
Since April, SA4 has been working with several different industry
in production studios and outside organizations to collect input. The 3GPP Market Representation
Partner for the media industry vertical, 5G-MAG, organized a
broadcast locations to carry high workshop which was attended by many different media producers

bit rate video and/or audio with and media device OEMs, and has supported drafting activities. Inputs
are also circulated through the EBU’s 5G Content Production group.
low latency and high reliability.” The FS_NPN4AVProd study is documenting its findings in TR 26.805,
as well as identifying key issues that can optimize 5G networks to
support the requirements of the media production community at
3GPP TSG SA WG4 (SA4) is responsible for the specification of all levels. The main challenges identified so far are related to the
codecs for speech, audio, video, graphics and other media types synchronization of multiple devices, device control and monitoring,
related to emerging services such as extended reality (XR) and online traffic separation and prioritization, and the trade-off between quality
gaming, as well as the system and delivery aspects of content.
and latency. Another issue is that media devices tend to be inherently
Recently, SA4 began a Release 17 feasibility study called FS_ multicast with a single camera or microphone being routed to several
NPN4AVProd focusing on the needs of the media production receivers simultaneously.
industry. The 5G System could be deployed in production studios and More about 3GPP WG SA4 and Multimedia Codecs, Systems
outside broadcast locations to carry high bit rate video and/or audio and Services is at: www.3gpp.org/specifications-groups
with low latency and high reliability. There are often multiple media
|
production devices and other networks that need to interoperate.
I ssue 03 - O ct ober 2021 17