Over the last 12 months, MediaHub Australia performed an extensive RFP with major broadcast vendors for an internal project to refresh their existing Master Control environment from a traditional SDI based platform to a COTS and SMPTE 2022-6/7 and 2110 IP-based platform. When the RFP was complete, the winning tender was submitted by Magna Systems with the core technology coming from EVS Media Infrastructure Solutions.
As MediaHub’s Executive Head of Technology, Simon Scott, explains, “Our key requirements were to have flexible gateways or server devices to convert any incoming signal format from various service providers – who deliver as SDI/IP/ASI – to a standard IP format SMPTE-2022-6/7 or SMPTE 2110 for our MCR to process. One of the key needs was operational control surfaces to provide the same touch and feel of a traditional SDI routing system, but with the signals being managed in IP workflows. The EVS-based solution proposed by Magna satisfied all of these criteria.”
In fact, the gateway devices needed to be very flexible, have a small footprint and include support of advanced video processing such as sync, audio shuffling, legalising, audio processing, picture and up/down convert so signals can be made good on the entry point into the MCR platform without the need for banks of traditional modular processing cards.
Scott continued, “The core MCR system is being built with standard Common off the Shelf or COTS-based IT equipment including network switches and servers and any processing past the conversion gateways is done on standard IT equipment.”
The core part of Magna’s solution includes EVS Neuron IP gateways, EVS Cerebrum broadcast control systems and TAG mutli-viewers.
Scott added, “All of the EVS and TAG devices proposed and supplied by Magna were thoroughly tested in a vendor shootout by MediaHub’s engineering team and their technology was by far the leader of the pack in terms of meeting MediaHub’s RFP requirements. Specifically, the Neuron gateways shone as boundary devices to convert traditional SDI/ASI feeds to IP standards, or IP to IP bridging with IP multicast translation. They also provide video signal processing under the control of Cerebrum. Cerebrum itself excelled in routing control of both new and legacy systems, hard and soft panels for user controls, rules-based workflows and IP SDN with IP and SDI timeline management. Finally, the TAG VS multi-viewers give us a low latency mosaic generation of uncompressed and compressed IP feeds as 4K IP outputs for 4K displays in our MCR. The entire system runs in a full COTS environment with standard off the shelf IT servers, on 100G Network links back to the video core. It really is and was the best solution available by far.”
The Magna EVS solution will enable new workflows for MediaHub’s MCR, including 4K, HDR, and workflows that are in native IP. This in turn allows for a graceful transition between the current operations to the new IP paradigm with boundless expansion capability.
Scott concluded, “Magna and their EVS-based solution have provided MediaHub with dynamic flexibility in processing and monitoring various types of streams from ASI, IP Compressed, SDI, IP uncompressed and various video flavours including HD, SD, 4K, HDR, SDR and audio formats – all the while maintaining MediaHub’s high SLA and quality standards. I must also say the entire team at Magna, particularly Paul Maroni and Tim Banner, have been excellent throughout the process with demonstrations, pre-sales advice and design always on-hand.”
Magna’s group sales and marketing manager Paul Maroni said, “This is a ground-breaking solution for MediaHub, an organisation that continues to push the boundaries of technology in order to enhance its offering to its customers. We are delighted to be such a key part of their next phase of growth along with our technology partners EVS Media Infrastructure Solutions.”
EVS Director of Sales UK, Ireland, Africa & Australia for Media Infrastructure, Adrian Richmond added, “This solution very much represents a meeting of minds. MediaHub are a particularly forward-thinking organisation where technology is concerned, Magna are the region’s leading technology provider and supporter within the broadcast and telecoms industries and EVS produce best in breed IP solutions particularly in the form of our Neuron IP gateways and EVS Cerebrum broadcast control systems. We are delighted our products form the cornerstones and backbone of such an innovative solution and again thank Magna for being such a critical part of our success in the region.”
Magna’s EVS-based IP solution for Media Hub Australia is due to be installed and operational in the first quarter of 2021.
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