IBC launches interoperability zone

IBC is launching a zone specifically dedicated to IP interoperability at this year’s show.

According to IBC, the transition to IP is one of the biggest challenges facing broadcasters and media companies today, with fears over limited inter-working and a lack of recognised standards the most common brake on progress.

The IBC IP Interoperability Zone, presented for the first time this year with the cooperation of the Alliance for IP Media Solutions (AIMS) and the IABM, will demonstrate the work of the JT-NM (the Joint TaskForce on Networked Media: a combined initiative of AMWA, EBU, SMPTE and VSF) and the AES on a common roadmap for IP interoperability.

Central to the IBCFeature Area will be a live production studio, based on the technologies of the JT-NM roadmap that Belgian broadcaster VRT has been using daily on-air as part of the LiveIP Project: a collaboration between VRT, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and LiveIP’s 12 technology partners.

The new initiative will see a 150 square metre area in Hall 8 given over to the zone. With dedicated demonstrations showcasing interoperability and the IP studio at its heart, the zone also provides space for visitors to discuss the benefits and challenges of IP workflows, according to the IBC.

“Visitors will be able to see verified technical interoperability over IP from more than 30 companies and the same technology being used in a real production environment. It will be a showcase for the reality of the technology and a demonstration that the industry is converging on a common roadmap,” said Michael Cronk, VP of core technology at Grass Valley and chairman of AIMS.

Peter White, CEO of IABM, the body that represents vendors across the broadcasting industry, said, “For a number of years now the industry has needed a way forward to collaborate on IP interoperability. It was critical that the industry’s vendors came together to achieve this and at IBC we will see the fruits of the labours of the organisations behind the JT-NM and theLive IP project.”

The IP Interoperability Zone can be found on stand 8.D10