Open Standards and IP Conversion in Live Events

Live event production has long been constrained by islands of production, the disparate systems and protocols that coexist within a production environment. Some video teams and equipment depend on SDI, while others use NDI, SMPTE ST 2110, or other protocols. While each of these formats has its advantages, the lack of interoperability between systems and protocols can create bottlenecks within a production workflow.

In a typical live event, whether it’s a concert, sporting event, or corporate presentation, the path that video signals take from cameras to monitors, switchers, and ultimately to large display walls or projectors involves converting signals between different formats. (This is especially true when both on-prem and remote production tools are in use.) Without a way to bridge different formats, the production team is left scrambling to ensure all devices can communicate effectively. 

While proprietary solutions can solve specific workflow challenges and reduce interoperability issues, they often create silos that limit the ability of different systems to work together. Providing a common language for communication among video devices and systems, regardless of manufacturer, open standards such as SMPTE 2110 and IPMX offer a more flexible, future-proof approach.

In addition to promoting interoperability, open standards ensure that live event producers have the flexibility to choose the best tools for their needs without being locked into a single ecosystem. As a result, production teams maintain the agility to adapt to various production environments, whether they’re working with IP-based cameras, fiber-based transport systems, or even internet-based video delivery. What’s more, the ability to route and discover video signals using open standards simplifies integration, making it easier for technical teams to configure and manage complex workflows. 

The specific needs of a live event production will dictate which aspects of an IP conversion system are most important. For many productions, latency is a critical factor, especially when dealing with live video that must be synchronized with real-time action. In these cases, using uncompressed video over IP, such as SMPTE ST 2110, ensures that there is no compromise in latency or quality. However, in scenarios where bandwidth is limited, live event producers might opt for compressed video formats, like JPEG XS, that provide visually lossless quality with minimal latency. This approach is particularly useful for productions that need to transmit video over gigabit networks rather than higher-bandwidth fiber connections.

For more standard network environments, protocols such as NDI and SRT offer a good balance between latency, quality, and bandwidth requirements. While these formats may involve some trade-offs in latency or pixel-perfect quality, they are ideal for delivering high-quality video over existing network infrastructure without the need for expensive upgrades. Whatever the situation, a robust IP gateway — like products within the Matrox ConvertIP family of ST 2110/IPMX-ready baseband converters and encoders/decoders — can support diverse applications, formats, codecs, and network types without compromising video quality, serving as a versatile tool for building and optimizing low-latency live production workflows. 

One of the most exciting benefits of adopting IP-based workflows and open standards in live events is the creative freedom that production teams can realize. By eliminating concerns about the underlying infrastructure, event producers can focus on what matters most: delivering an exceptional experience to their audience. Whether broadcasting a live sports event, streaming a concert, or producing a corporate presentation, they can deploy IP conversion technology to integrate the best tools for the job.

Given the growing pool of professionals with expertise in networking and IP infrastructure, it’s growing easier by the day for live event teams to manage these complex systems. With the right support, event producers can use video in new and innovative ways. 

IP conversion technologies and open standards are transforming live event production by enabling interoperability, enhancing flexibility, and providing new creative opportunities. The flexibility and scalability offered by IP-based systems make them an ideal solution for an industry that demands adaptability and innovation. As the use of IP in live video production continues to grow, open standards and IP conversion will play an ever more essential role not only in enabling interoperable live event workflows but also in ensuring that these networks can support the ever-growing demand for high-quality, low-latency video. Thus, moving into the future, live event producers will have more tools at their disposal to create engaging, dynamic productions that captivate audiences, whether on site or remote.