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With changing dynamics of media in Broadcast, data transfer rates are multiplied with HD and UHD formats. Also as IP based media workflows are gathering pace networking infrastructure is becoming critical to broadcast workflow.

With changing dynamics of media in Broadcast, data transfer rates are multiplied with HD and UHD formats. Also as IP based media workflows are gathering pace networking infrastructure is becoming critical to broadcast workflow.

Getting the right mixture of Fibre and Copper

Broadcast network engineers are often divided between Fibre and Copper as the network of choice for Backbone connectivity. While fiber promises the highest switching speeds at the least latency, Copper provides cost-effective connectivity and simplified distribution. This decision between the two should be made based on the organization size, speed, and latency requirements. For a small organization without Network engineers and moderate bandwidth requirements copper-based 10G connectivity would be better suited as setup and cabling are faster. For a large organization with high bandwidth requirements and long-running cables, fiber is the best choice.

Why 10G Everywhere isn’t the answer

Over specified networking isn’t the smart way of solving networking issues. A lot of broadcast systems out there need only Gigabit networks to run.

Example: An FTP server used to send media from remote locations. FTP servers are often connected to an Internet bandwidth of few Mbps. So the throughput of the system practically cannot exceed the Gigabit network limit at any point in time. So it’s very important to identify systems that require 10G or higher connectivity and the ones which need only gigabit connectivity.

Identifying the bottlenecks

Often even with the best network architecture, the networking team is often made accountable for slow data transfers. The cause for slow data transfer could often be non-network related. Below are few common non-network related bottlenecks to check for:

Storage: One of the main reasons for slow data movements is storage performance. Storages Systems are optimized to work at their best up to a certain IOPS. Once the IOPS increases a threshold the storage performance either saturate or can even deteriorate. Proper resource utilization planning through storage management software can help in avoiding storage-related throughput issues.

NLE Performance: HD and UHD video rendering is a highly resource-intensive process. Unless it’s a modern NLE workstation older machines struggle in this department and delays caused are misinterpreted as network delays. It’s very important to have a well-designed workstation for HD and UHD NLE’s.

Up-linking Bandwidth: All critical machines such as Servers, Storages, and NLE machines should be connected to the backbone network with the highest bandwidth connectivity. Primary distribution switches up-linking to the backbone switches should be carefully planned to avoid bottlenecks at uplink ports.

Karthavya a core software company has a decade of experience in implementing high-speed network systems optimized for Broadcast workflow. Contact us for more information.