As quality and availability of bandwidth has improved, so Internet protocol (IP) has become a cost-effective alternative to satellite as a means for broadcasting video contribution and distribution. However, in order to overcome the challenges of packet loss, jitter and transmission quality problems, broadcasters have typically turned to dedicated high-speed bandwidth solutions, which minimise the cost benefits of using IP for broadcast.
Now, thanks to the innovative VideoFlow Digital Video Protection (DVP) solution from Graphic Image Technologies (GIT), broadcasters can easily turn the public Internet into a live content distribution network, using VideoFlow’s 3V technology to maximise the quality of video streams while minimising cost.
“IP networks were originally designed to handle data transfer, where the speed of complete delivery was not necessarily an issue and packet drops are not noticed. For example, with email, it makes little difference to the end user what order the data packets arrive in and if there is a lag between them. With live video however it is critical that packet delivery is timely and reliable, since missing or delayed data will cause jitters and a poor user experience.
“VideoFlow DVP provides sophisticated packet recovery with state-of-the-art error correction that offers 100% protection against packet loss with minimum bandwidth requirements. This effectively enables broadcasters to use public Internet for live video feeds and distribution,” says Mark Chertkow, MD of GIT.
The VideoFlow DVP solution is a client server model made up of a number of devices specifically designed to handle packet loss information.
The system monitors and analyses the health of the video stream and stores error correction information for every video packet sent, applying optimum error correction to recover any missing packets quickly, using the least bandwidth possible, to maximise efficiency and cost effectiveness and minimise the need for overprovisioning of bandwidth to cover packet loss.
“The VideoFlow solution has several benefits for broadcasters. Expenses can be decreased as it is no longer necessary to provide dedicated, overprovisioned bandwidth for broadcasting, and quality of broadcasting can be guaranteed using low cost public Internet networks. The solution also integrates seamlessly with existing infrastructure, protecting broadcaster’s existing investment, and is scalable to future technology to further improve returns,” Chertkow adds.
For areas where public Internet is still scarce, the VideoFlow DVP solution is able to integrate with satellite data channels, reducing the amount of costly satellite capacity required and thereby lowering broadcasting expenses from and to remote areas. VideoFlow is fully compatible with GIT’s existing range of Harmonic encoders and decoders, working between the two to enhance the IP link and provide improved quality at lower bandwidth requirements.
“The VideoFlow DVP product line provides added value to network operators and content deliverers by actively protecting video against normal network behaviour such as jitter and packet loss. This in turn helps broadcasters to improve their service to customers, delivering the best quality video experience at the lowest possible cost,” Chertkow concludes.
VideoFlow DVP is available for order immediately from GIT.