Latest news with #SMPTEST2110
Broadcast Pro
6 days ago
- Business
- Broadcast Pro
Navigating the future of broadcast technology in the Middle East
From SMPTE ST 2110 and hybrid cloud deployments to AI-enhanced workflows, MENA broadcasters are transforming production and delivery models while contending with unique regional challenges in a rapidly evolving media landscape. As the lines between on-demand and linear broadcasting blur, content creation and delivery have become more complex than ever. From live sports to rolling news and premium entertainment, broadcasters are under pressure to move faster, do more with less and meet shifting viewer expectations across platforms. Reliable, scalable workflows powered by new technologies have reshaped how content is produced and distributed, driving innovation in everything from cloud migration to AI-powered automation. This backdrop set the stage for a high-level tech roundtable organised by BroadcastPro ME in partnership with Ross Video, where regional CTOs and industry leaders shared how their organisations are adapting and what the future might look like. The speakers at the roundtable were: Abdulaziz AlEissaee, Senior Specialist for AI at Abu Dhabi Media Amill Lone, CEO of Saudi Sports Company Aus Al Zubaidi, CISO, Director of IT and Media at MBC Group Brad Eliot, CTO at International Media Investments Hisham Sahrij, CTO at 1001 TV Omar Alzoubi, Head of Engineering Systems at Dubai Media Peter Van Dam, Chief Broadcasting Officer at the Saudi Pro League Shabbir Hussain, CTO at CNBC Arabia The discussion was moderated by Ross Video CEO David Ross and Deepraj Sandhar, Senior Sales Manager for the Middle East, Gulf, Pakistan and Africa. David Ross highlighted Ross Video's dual role as a live video production company and content creator. He noted the pressure on CTOs from declining revenues and the 'war for eyeballs', and emphasised the focus on efficiently creating high-quality content amid tightening budgets rather than on subscription video on demand (SVOD) or ad-supported video on demand (AVOD) platforms. He also briefly highlighted Ross Video's 33 years of consecutive growth and operational scale both globally and in the Middle East, as well as the 19 acquisitions the company has made in the last 14 years. SMPTE ST 2110 and the IP transition The conversation shifted to SMPTE ST 2110 as broadcasters shared how they are adapting operational models in a cloud-connected, IP-driven environment. Brad Eliot, CTO at IMI, the parent company of Sky News Arabia, acknowledged the challenges faced by traditional broadcast engineers in adapting to new technologies, while affirming the reliability of SMPTE ST 2110: 'Transitioning to 2110 presents a steep learning curve for legacy engineering teams, and the workflows are not initially as intuitive as traditional systems. That said, the technology is solid and we are making good progress with its adoption and use.' Eliot also highlighted the diverse technical landscape across the MENA region, noting the wide disparity in infrastructure and viewer expectations. 'In markets like Egypt much of the audience still relies on SDI-based viewing, while elsewhere we're seeing increasing demand for OTT, real-time streaming and on-demand content. The real challenge lies in how we manage production and distribution to meet these varied needs while maintaining cost efficiency and audience satisfaction.' Peter Van Dam, Chief Broadcasting Officer at the Saudi Pro League, questioned the need to move away from the 'magical standard' of SDI. 'While SMPTE 2110 is reliable and efficient, running it in an IT-driven environment means starting with the switch architecture. At large scale, hardware-based routing quickly becomes unsustainable, so software-defined approaches are essential. For many broadcasters in the Middle East, the format doesn't matter. Here it is more about the social aspect of watching a game together with others.' The right network design depends on operational priorities. Each deployment needs to balance flexibility, performance, lifecycle cost and maintainability. 'To understand broadcast infrastructure today, we have to stay grounded,' said MBC Group's Aus Al Zubaidi, CISO, Director of IT and Media. 'No matter who the vendor is, vulnerabilities are a given. Patching, hardening and maintaining resilience under continuous change is now part of the operational baseline.' Omar Alzoubi, Head of Engineering Systems at Dubai Media, pointed out that many professionals tread with caution with the transition to IP: 'Vendors continue to invest in 12G-SDI and established standards.' But he added that one of IP's key advantages is its flexible, signal-agnostic network ports that can support multiple formats depending on configuration and bandwidth. 'This flexibility allows broadcasters to dynamically route signals and efficiently scale their infrastructure as needs grow.' He also pointed out that while IP performs well in single-vendor environments, interoperability remains a challenge in the multi-vendor set-ups typical of many broadcast facilities. 'The move from SDI to IP is not just about replacing cables; it's a fundamental shift in technology, workflow, mindset and skillset,' he said, adding that IP adoption is progressing steadily, driven by maturing standards and improved compatibility. He cautioned, however, that it requires careful planning, especially in hybrid environments. Shabbir Hussain, CTO, CNBC Arabia, agreed. 'While nothing has changed operationally, engineering remains complex. The biggest challenge today is finding the right talent who understand both broadcast and IT, and how we train them.' While SMPTE 2110 remains a widely adopted standard, David Ross explored alternatives like direct memory access (DMA)-based video at the roundtable. He explained that with DMA one device can write directly into another's memory space, allowing the receiving computer to focus entirely on video manipulation rather than spending resources on sending and receiving packets. He noted that this approach eliminates the need for frame buffers, unlike SMPTE 2110, where everything requires a frame sync. In contrast to SDI, which flows naturally, 2110 involves more processing overhead – something DMA helps reduce significantly. Building hybrid cloud strategies The discussion then moved to cloud strategies. Trying to manage workloads on specific clouds whenever possible and adopting that as a standard infrastructural code makes it easier when moving massive workloads on cloud, the panel agreed. However, they noted that regional and operational constraints still demand a selective, well-planned approach. 'We adopted a cloud-first mindset several years ago, but we've remained strategic and selective in execution,' clarified Al Zubaidi. 'Not every workload belongs in the cloud. Many make more sense to keep on-premises due to reliability, cost predictability or operational integration. Our linear broadcasting stack, for example, remains largely on-site. It's stable, fully amortised and well understood by our teams. When we need agility or burst capacity, we expand into cloud environments. A diversified hybrid strategy gives us control, flexibility, and avoids overreliance on any single platform.' Amill Lone, CEO of Saudi Sports Company, remarked that it 'can't go fully on cloud in Saudi Arabia … we must maintain a regional presence, and most of our deployments are developed in close collaboration to support this. We are leveraging technology, though some fine-tuning is still needed, especially in live football, where speed is critical and where there are strong opportunities for monetisation.' How AI is reshaping content creation and revenue models As businesses manage complex streaming workflows, automation, powered by AI, is playing a growing role in streamlining processes. In news production, the goal is to move information efficiently from reporters to the control room and ultimately to on-air broadcast. AI systems assist by making real-time decisions on whether to include an over-the-shoulder graphic, what templates or visuals to apply, and how to format content for different platforms. But there is also an ongoing discussion in newsrooms about balancing authentic journalism with the increasing use of generative AI. 'Fake news detection is a major focus for us,' said Eliot. 'A significant portion of our editorial workflow is dedicated to verifying the authenticity of incoming reports. Using AI to create visual assets from conflict zones where we can't safely send crews is one thing; applying it to core journalistic storytelling, however, is another.' Abdulaziz AlEissaee, Senior Specialist, AI, Corporate IT at Abu Dhabi Media (ADM), said the network has implemented several AI use cases, including a smart editor tool that generates articles from trusted sources. 'You could, for example, select an article about an event in Germany and integrate it with coverage of a local event. We've also created our own avatars that can quickly turn an article into a video, making it appear as though a real person is speaking on social media.' He added that ADM has strict policies in place to ensure transparency with regard to how it uses AI. He further noted that ADM showcased a similar proof-of-concept (POC) at Gitex last year but pointed out that 'the lack of data sets is an area that needs improvement'. Hussain pointed out that CNBC Arabia is using AI 'for live Arabic transcription for the US stock closing every day … being a financial channel, getting the precise terminology is vital. We've trained the AI to make it context-oriented and built a specialised finance glossary, which is about 85% complete.' He pointed out challenges such as converting feeds from English to Arabic and transcoding from Avid to mp4, which AI upgrades are helping to accelerate. Dubai Media has also conducted several POC projects including voice-to-text services aimed at enhancing metadata for archiving, with some systems demonstrating high accuracy even in early machine learning stages, added Omar Alzoubi. David Ross pointed out here that Ross Video worked with Fox News during the US election on an AI feature that synchronised election graphics with live speech. 'For election updates, the channel had an announcer showing different states and countries, some with the same names. Traditionally, it was very difficult for a person in the control room to keep up. We built an AI system and tied that with augmented reality to create all the states. As the announcer spoke, it went through a speech-to-text processor and then back to control graphics in real time. The data came from conventional election data sources, and it ran more naturally than any election graphics had ever done before.' Most of these transformations have primarily been evident in sports broadcasting, commented Van Dam. 'We work with a company called Sports Life. They collect a large amount of player data for injury prevention. We are trying to see how we can extract that data to create graphics and give that additional experience to the fan. If I look at Formula One with all the data-how fast they go, which gear they are in – that's the entertainment part, and this is where data becomes crucial role.' OTT platforms provide further AI implementation opportunities, especially in content writing systems, added 1001 TV's Sahrij. 'We have explored many AI engines and systems, most recently commentator dubs for LaLiga in Spanish. We had an Arabic commentator, but the 30-40 second delay on the live stream was a deal-breaker. However, we're using technology VOD, not for live.' He also noted the use of AI for personalisation. 'We cannot have something as close as Netflix or YouTube, but we are using the same model – testing engines such as server-side ad insertion (SSAI) that TikTok uses.' Van Dam and Lone lauded AI's ability to transfer analytical data to graphics and repackage content to create highlights or banners, as well as integrate them into scheduling systems. They remarked that this has enormous monetisation potential. The road ahead As regional broadcasters navigate fast-moving viewer demands and technological shifts, one theme echoed across the roundtable: innovation must be strategic, scalable and grounded in local realities. From hybrid cloud deployments and IP transitions to AI-enhanced storytelling and monetisation, MENA media leaders are not just adapting, they are helping define the future of broadcasting. The road ahead is complex, but with continued collaboration, experimentation and a clear focus on audience experience, the region looks well-positioned to lead the next wave of media transformation.
Broadcast Pro
16-07-2025
- Business
- Broadcast Pro
Pebble to showcase future-focused automation solutions at IBC 2025
A key feature of Pebble's current offering is Automation 2.0, which supports multi-site workflows, remote access and disaster recovery, all from a unified interface. Pebble is turning its vision to the future of broadcast automation with a comprehensive showcase of its latest innovations at IBC 2025, taking place from 12 to 15 September at the Amsterdam RAI. The company will present solutions designed to manage increasingly complex broadcast operations while maintaining the speed and precision demanded by modern audiences. Peter Mayhead, CEO of Pebble, said: 'In this hugely competitive field, broadcasters need to be able to react to unpredictability. Operations are complex, but viewers expect the highest standards and precise control. Live events only amplify these demands, requiring real-time decisions, rapid response, and flawless execution. Pebble's automation solutions are designed to handle this pace and complexity, giving operators the confidence to deliver with speed and accuracy.' Mayhead continued: 'We see the future for automation as providing support so that the smartest decisions are made, creating valuable competitive and operational benefits.' Pebble software is capable of managing everything from single-channel systems to expansive multi-service, multi-tenant facilities. The platform can control both best-of-breed component architectures and Pebble's Integrated Channel engine, and supports SDI, SMPTE ST2110, and NDI content flows with equal efficiency. Pebble is an active supporter of industry initiatives to standardise interoperability in IP architectures. 'The real benefits of software-defined architectures lie in responsive agility,' Mayhead stated. 'Intelligence in the automation platform, combined with a readily reconfigurable architecture, give broadcasters and content enterprises the flexibility to respond instantly.' A key feature of Pebble's current offering is Automation 2.0, which supports multi-site workflows, remote access, and disaster recovery, all from a unified interface. The platform includes 'Remote,' a web-based monitoring and control system that enables authorised users to interact with broadcast systems securely from anywhere, at any time. Built-in redundancy and robust cybersecurity measures further enhance operational resilience and protection. Mayhead stated: 'The future will be built on innovation in content, presentation, and monetisation. Broadcasters and network operators around the world turn to Pebble because they recognise our ability to not only provide a solid technological foundation but also to help them navigate the increasing complexity of live, real-time broadcasts, enabling them to maintain precision, reliability, and speed in this ever-evolving industry.' Stand 8.C58
Broadcast Pro
24-05-2025
- Business
- Broadcast Pro
Advanced Media showcases RED Cine-Broadcast module featuring V-RAPTOR XL
The new Cine-Broadcast Module transforms RED's high-end cinema cameras into professional broadcast systems, offering flexibility for a range of live production needs. Advanced Media Trading (AMT) has showcased the Red Cine-Broadcast module, featuring the RED V-RAPTOR XL. This flagship model in the RED lineup of advanced cameras offers the most versatile and powerful cinema camera performance in the market. The RED Cine-Broadcast Module unlocks the flexibility and modularity to turn the most advanced cinema cameras into the most advanced broadcast cameras. It brings cinema quality to broadcast production and highlights groundbreaking imaging technology. RED's Cine-Broadcast module is designed to bring filmic, full-frame imagery to live broadcast workflows. It enables 8K live cinematic streaming and is compliant with SMPTE ST 2110 standards. It provides all functionalities such as colour pipeline for seamless camera shading and iris control with industry standard RCPs. The Red Cine-Broadcast module's most exciting characteristic is its 3x and 4x super slow-motion capabilities, which is suitable for high-end sport, concerts and live event production that require best-in-class image quality. It has been deployed in major sporting events by CBS Sports, NBC Sports Group and La Liga. Capable of doing up to 120FPS at 8K and with a full-frame-sized sensor, the module provides dynamic range, depth of fields and the well-known pleasing image that people are used to only in cinema. Jeff Goodman, Vice President of Product Management at Red Digital Cinema called the Red Cine-Broadcast solution 'a significant advancement in creative flexibility for the industry'. Goodman sad: 'It allows broadcasters to elevate the visual experience by introducing large-format, cinematic storytelling into the world of live content, without compromising on speed, reliability or standards compliance. It works seamlessly within traditional broadcast ecosystems, while adding a myriad of highly advanced IP-based solutions all within the same product.'
Broadcast Pro
23-05-2025
- Business
- Broadcast Pro
Bridging the Latency Gap with Broadcast in a Streaming World
Even with advancements in delivery platforms, it's not uncommon for digital audiences to experience delays of tens of seconds or more compared to traditional broadcast of the same content. As media companies in the Middle East and beyond navigate the transition from traditional broadcast to IP- and cloud-based operations, one challenge continues to stand out: latency. In the world of live production and streaming, timing is everything. Delay can create a disconnect between the content and the audience, affecting engagement, brand trust and ultimately monetisation. So whether it's sports, news or interactive programming, latency now plays a central role in determining the quality of experience for streaming viewers and the value of the content they're consuming. Traditional television broadcast has long been the benchmark for low-latency performance. Over-the-air signals historically were near-instant, synchronised and predictable. Streaming delivery, on the other hand, is still catching up. Even with advancements in delivery platforms, it's not uncommon for digital audiences to experience delays of tens of seconds or more compared to traditional broadcast of the same content. These highly engaged audiences – who are increasingly viewing sports and other live content on mobile devices – expect real-time delivery, and significant delay is considered unacceptable. So what's the hold-up in content delivery with streaming? Well, there isn't a single culprit – latency is a cumulative result of multiple workflow steps, including cloud-based operations. Transmitting content over long-distance networks introduces latency, as does processing at remote cloud servers, encoding and decoding processing, and the monitoring and feedback loop. All of these delays add up fast. For media companies, the challenge is to address these issues without sacrificing quality. Fortunately, the media industry around the globe is making progress on multiple fronts when it comes to bridging the latency gap with traditional broadcast. Low-latency protocols like LL-HLS and CMAF are moving from theory to development, reducing sources of delay in the delivery systems. Meanwhile, JPEG XS is being integrated into live production environments to reduce latency in the contribution and production networks while maintaining origination quality. JPEG XS stands apart from other codecs because it wasn't designed with the goal of maximising compression efficiency. Instead, its main objective is to retain the benefits associated with an uncompressed stream – visually lossless quality, super-low latency and low complexity. JPEG XS achieves visually lossless quality through modern intraframe encoding. In addition, it supports a constant bitrate and high dynamic range (HDR), and aligns well with SMPTE ST 2110 for IP network transmission. And while other codecs used in live production workflows can accumulate significant latency in the encoding and decoding stages, JPEG XS delivers extremely low latency – a handful of milliseconds for combined encoding and decoding. Furthermore, despite the acceleration of cloud-based playout, media companies are realising that not all workloads belong in the cloud and not all latency is created equal. As a result, hybrid 'ground and cloud' architectures are gaining traction as a way to optimise performance. By running latency-sensitive processes at the edge or on-prem while leveraging the cloud for scale and elasticity, media companies can better balance speed and flexibility. This balance is essential in live environments where the ability to deliver real-time content is now a baseline expectation.
Broadcast Pro
05-05-2025
- Business
- Broadcast Pro
Pebble: 25 years of playout excellence
Over the past 25 years, the journey has been defined by collaborations with top broadcasters, a dynamic most clearly seen in the MENA region. In 2000, Pebble was founded with a clear purpose: to build the most dependable and capable automation solutions for broadcasters. Twenty-five years later, that vision remains firmly in place, refined, evolved and shaped by the transformation of media technology, audience expectations, and the increasing complexity of broadcast operations across the globe. From the early days of robotic tape libraries and fiddly D-connectors to the software-defined, multi-channel, cloud-ready systems of today, playout has undergone a revolution. Pebble has lived that journey, not just witnessing the changes but driving them quietly, consistently, and with a singular focus on automation excellence. Evolution with Purpose At the turn of the millennium, automation systems were fundamentally about machine control: getting the right tape in the right VTR at the right time. Today, they manage hundreds of channels simultaneously, deliver content to multiple platforms, adapt dynamically to localisation requirements, and handle complex graphics, metadata and audio workflows. Pebble's strength has always been in anticipating change. We understood early that broadcasters needed not only scalable systems, but ones that are agile, secure, and able to support hybrid deployment models. That foresight is embedded in our flagship technologies: Pebble Automation, Integrated Channel, and Pebble Remote, which now underpin some of the most sophisticated playout environments in the world. Trusted Across the MENA Region Our journey over the last quarter-century has been shaped by partnerships with leading broadcasters, and nowhere is that more evident than in the MENA region. Pebble systems power a diverse set of operations, from high-profile public broadcasters to innovative media hubs pushing technical boundaries. In Saudi Arabia, for example, Asharq Media will shortly start deploying a 3+3+3 SMPTE ST 2110 channel configuration using Pebble's Integrated Channel and Automation platforms, enabling seamless redundancy for critical news delivery replicating their 3+3+3 2110 setup in the UAE that went on air five years ago and was one of the first 2110 NMOS-driven playout setups in the world. Also, in KSA, Intigral's 8+8 channel expansion for Saudi Telecom brings together playout, ingest, and content management in one unified Pebble environment, simplifying workflows and futureproofing operations. In Jordan, Al Mamlaka TV leverages Pebble's technology for a tightly synchronised disaster recovery system, while Tanzania's Azam Media has scaled up to 12 fully redundant channels, supporting their rapid growth. These projects reflect the diversity and demands of today's broadcast landscape. They also speak to why broadcasters in over 70 countries place their trust in Pebble. Technology that Adapts Modern computing can do almost anything. But not every solution is fit for the unique challenges of live broadcasting, especially in a world where viewers expect flawless delivery across multiple screens and platforms. That's why our systems are built with resilience, agility, and security at their core. Pebble Automation delivers five-nines uptime as standard. Integrated Channel allows customers to deploy playout wherever it makes most sense: on-premises, in the cloud, or both. And Pebble Remote provides secure, web-based control and monitoring, supporting remote operations that became vital during the pandemic and remain essential today. We don't dictate how broadcasters work. Instead, we provide tools that adapt to evolving workflows, that simplify operations, and that make it easy to do the right thing, even under pressure. Looking Forward Broadcasting has never stood still. As streaming platforms move into live and sports content, they are discovering just how hard live playout really is. Meanwhile, traditional broadcasters face their own pressures: rising costs, fragmented audiences, and the urgent need to modernise operations without disrupting on-air output. Pebble is focused on helping them meet those challenges without compromise. Our approach combines proven technology with an openness to new ideas and continuous investment in our solutions. The question broadcasters face today is not just about technology. It's about viability. How do they deliver high-quality content, with all the customisation and flexibility today's audiences demand, in a way that is sustainable, both financially and operationally? Pebble's answer is clear. With 25 years of experience, we've developed tools that deliver feature-rich playout, unmatched reliability, and trusted service. And as our customers in MENA and around the world have shown, the future belongs to those who choose solutions built to adapt.
