Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

Live from the Rugby World Cup: Christian Gobbel, HBS CTO, on IP and the Future of Host Operations

07/10/2019

Live from the Rugby World Cup: Christian Gobbel, HBS CTO, on IP and the Future of Host Operations By Ken Kerschbaumer, Editorial Director

Saturday, October 5, 2019 - 7:47 pm

Print This Story

Story Highlights

In many respects the 2019 Rugby World Cup production efforts by International Games Broadcast Services, the joint venture launched by HBS and IMG Media, is a microcosm of the great transition the industry is undergoing. The IBC is a mixture of IP and SDI connectivity and some of the biggest rights holders don't even have a presence in country as connectivity allows them to operate from afar. And venue operations are split with NEP UK supplying four IP-based flypacks and NEP Broadcast Solutions out of Singapore providing four SDI-based flypacks.

Christian Gobbel inside the Rugby World Cup master control area.

For David Shield, Rugby World Cup project director and IMG Media, SVP Global Director of Engineering and Technology and Christian Gobbel, IGBS and HBS, CTO, the effort is providing plenty of learning opportunities about the role IP will play in host broadcast operations and how it will impact the type of services they offer. Having four IP and four SDI venue packs makes it easy to compare how they impact the way the production team goes about its business.

What's noticeable is how neat an IP installation is as there is a lot less cable, says Shield. Also, here at Tokyo Stadium, for example, the host compound is not in the same place as the rights holder compound. But with IP it's been brilliant as we can run fiber over to the rights holder compound and it's done.

Gobbel concurs, adding that in IP the cabling mess is confined within the rack as a single fiber optic cable can carry many signals that previously required a separate cable for each.

You can also preconfigure things much more than when you have a central router that has to have everything going to it, he says.

While the core infrastructure of the Rugby World Cup compound is IP based there are still plenty of SDI signals being sent around.

It's not really an IP kit as everything is SDI and then brought into the router which is IP, says Gobbel. It's really an SDI kit with an IP fabric switch in between.

One of the big questions facing host broadcasters is whether or not to allow rights holders to connect via IP or hand off signals via an SDI cable. IGBS decided that handing off signals in SDI is still the safest bet as it is a one-way connection. Relying on IP to distribute signals to rights holders opens up a return path whereby a rights holder could over-subscribe to multiple IP streams. That ability to oversubscribe could, potentially, take an IP-based facility to its knees.

The move to IP is a slow process as there is a need to make sure everyone understands that without SDN (software-defined networking) type of control over the multicast streams, like a whitelist and black list of available streams, someone at the remote end can subscribe to all of the streams, explains Gobbel. With a whitelist and blacklist we can make sure rights holders only subscribe to certain unicast streams.

For a host broadcaster one of the biggest challenges is handling commentary demands from rights holders. The Rugby World Cup does not have the dozens of rights holders that HBS has to juggle for a FIFA World Cup and that has allowed the IGBS team to be more flexible and meet some more specific needs from rights holders.

If you don't centralize commentary operations when working with multiple stadiums you will have a problem because a rights holder will always run into a problem so you want to bring everything to a central point and then deliver a service via ISDN or IP, says Gobbel. And if you look at Fox Australia, they are not here at all, but they have a sideline commentator and three commentators [upstairs in the media tribune] who can talk to each other. We bring the four split mics here to the IBC and then embed them in the unilateral feed which is going to Australia via IMG Media in Stockley Park, UK and Telstra.

Telstra connectivity is also being used to connect IMG Media in Stockley Park to the IBC at Tokyo Stadium, creating an IBC that is spread across thousands of miles. As a result, the IGBS team has been able to split up the management of right holder needs between the two facilities.

The IBC compound is the demarcation point as all of the signals come here and then IMG Media picks them up and distributes to rights holders like NBC, says Shield.

The result of all of the efforts is cost savings for all. IGBS can leverage staffers in London which means a smaller IBC and also less personnel in country. And rights holders like Fox Australia, ESPN Argentine, and NBC don't need to have staff and equipment in Japan.

ESPN Argentina has a similar type of set up to Fox Australia, says Gobbel. It's a unique service which saves them a lot of money as they only need the commentator team on site.

One of the other issues with the move to IP has been PTP (Precision Time Protocol) and the synchronization of signals over a LAN. Gobbel and the IGBS team has worked extensively on solving the issue and it is using Arista switches as boundary clocks at both the venues and the IBC. A future solution, says Gobbel, could be to have a GPS-locked PTP source at a venue so that jitter or packet delay variation on the telco circuit does not become a critical issue.

A Riedel Artist system that has been part of the HBS arsenal since 2006 is at the center of intercom needs but Gobbel has an eye on intelligent trunking.

It's becoming more of a necessity as you have multiple team training grounds and infotainment teams that want to talk to others, he says. We are seeing bigger demand for trunking and also for wireless communications.

The potential for cloud-based and vi
LINK: https://www.sportsvideo.org/2019/10/05/live-from-the-rugby-world-cup-c...
See more stories from svg

Most recent headlines

13/03/2025

TAG Video Systems and Harmonic Partner to Deliver Enhanced Real-Time Monitoring for VOS360 Streaming Workflows at the 2025 NAB Show

TAG Video Systems and Harmonic Partner to Deliver Enhanced Real-Time Monitoring ...

13/03/2025

DigitalGlue Invites NAB Visitors to Experience New Features in Managed Storage Platform that Empowers Video Teams to Scale Effortlessly

DigitalGlue Invites NAB Visitors to Experience New Features in Managed Storage P...

13/03/2025

FOR-A America Theme - Connecting the Present, Building the Future - Comes to Life at NAB 2025 Exhibition

FOR-A America Theme - Connecting the Present, Building the Future - Comes to Lif...

13/03/2025

Ajit Pai Appointed President of CTIA

CTIA, the wireless industry association, has named former FCC Chairman Aji Pai as its President and Chief Executive Officer, effective April 1. He replaces Mere...

13/03/2025

NAB: FCC's 60 Minutes Investigation Is Unconstitutional, Invalid

he National Association of Broadcasters is urging the FCC to end its investigation of that controversial CBS interview with Kamala Harris stating there is no ...

13/03/2025

CBS Miami to Launch AR Coverage of Weather and Sports for March Madness

MIAMI CBS News & Stations continues to expand its use of augmented and virtual reality technologies with the planned launch of an augmented reality/virtual real...

13/03/2025

Meet the co-founder and chief customer success & innovation officer

Srividhya Srinivasan, co-founder and chief customer success & innovation Officer at Amagi, tells TVBEurope how staying ahead of the latest trends is essential f...

13/03/2025

FCC Chairman Carr Launches Massive Deregulation Initiative

WASHINGTON FCC Chairman Brendan Carr announced that the agency has launched a massive, new deregulatory initiative that could potentially subject virtually all ...

13/03/2025

SDVI Integrates Rally With Spectra Vail

SUNNYVALE, Calif. SDVI has announced that it has integrated its Rally media supply chain management platform with the Spectra Vail multi-cloud data management s...

13/03/2025

FCC Approves Gray's Acquisition of KXLT

ATLANTA Gray Media has announced that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has granted a waiver of its local ownership rules to permit Gray Media to acqu...

13/03/2025

NAB Show 2025 Exhibitor Insight: Blackmagic Design

TV Tech: What do you anticipate will be the most significant technology trends at the 2025 NAB Show?...

13/03/2025

Watch Student Naomi Soleils Folk Pop Performance on The Voice

Watch Student Naomi Soleils Folk Pop Performance on The Voice The songwriting major sang Stars by Grace Potter and the Nocturnals during the blind auditions. ...

13/03/2025

Italia 90 Republic of Ireland Squad, Riverdance, Cian Ducrot & B*Witched on Friday's Late Late Show

Here is your host, Patrick Kielty! Shake your Shamrocks, Patrick Kielty will be...

13/03/2025

RT Celebrating all things Irish this St. Patrick's Weekend

This St. Patrick's weekend, RT invites you to celebrate all things Irish, showcasing the very best of Irish sport, entertainment and live coverage from the...

13/03/2025

GTC 2025 - Announcements and Live Updates

What's next in AI is at GTC 2025. Not only the technology, but the people and ideas that are pushing AI forward - creating new opportunities, novel solution...

13/03/2025

T-Mobile, Thales and SIMPL ease IoT deployments with a flexible and secure connectivity solution

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn By combining T-Mobile's robust network, Thal...

13/03/2025

Relive the Magic as GeForce NOW Brings More Blizzard Gaming to the Cloud

Bundle up - GeForce NOW is bringing a flurry of Blizzard titles to its ever-expanding library. Prepare to weather epic gameplay in the cloud, tackling the genr...

13/03/2025

Gaming Goodness: NVIDIA Reveals Latest Neural Rendering and AI Advancements Supercharging Game Development at GDC 2025

AI is leveling up the world's most beloved games, as the latest advancements...

13/03/2025

Drop It Like It's Mod: Breathing New Life Into Classic Games With AI in NVIDIA RTX Remix

PC game modding is massive, with over 5 billion mods downloaded annually. Mods p...

12/03/2025

Como o Impacto Cultural e Financeiro da Indstria Musical Define Seu Sucesso em 2025

O Spotify acaba de lan ar o relat rio Loud & Clear deste ano, uma vis o transpar...

12/03/2025

Cmo el impacto cultural y financiero de la industria musical define su xito en 2025

Spotify acaba de presentar el informe Loud & Clear de este a o, una mirada trans...

12/03/2025

Nourish Mind, Body, and Soul This Ramadan With Spotify

Ramadan, a period of profound spiritual significance for Muslims worldwide, is a time for fasting, prayer, reflection, and community. Enrich your experience thi...

12/03/2025

How the Music Industry's Cultural and Financial Impact Define Its Success in 2025

Spotify has just unveiled this year's Loud & Clear report, a transparent loo...

12/03/2025

FAST now transcends back catalog content

More than 70% of FAST programming has been produced since 2010, according to new Gracenote report NEW YORK March 12, 2025 Gracenote, the content data busin...

12/03/2025

Viamedia Adopts ShowSeeker Pilot To Streamline Ad Workflows

GEONA, Nev. Independent digital and linear advertising rep firm Viamedia will adopt cloud-based ShowSeeker Pilot as its primary ad campaign and order management...

12/03/2025

Mediagenix Appoints Wael Yasin as Sales Director Central Europe

BRUSSELS Mediagenix has announced that Wael Yasin has joined the company as sales director Central Europe....

12/03/2025

Omdia: Global Online Consumer Expenditure to Hit $6.6 Trillion by 2029

LONDON A new study highlights opportunities for shoppable TV and the massive impact online consumer spending is having on the economy, with Omdia predicting tha...

12/03/2025

Comcast Technology Solutions Upgrades to Interra Systems BATON Version 9

CUPERTINO, Calif. Interra Systems has announced that Comcast Technology Solutions has integrated recent updates to BATON Version 9 into its operations....

12/03/2025

Nevion announces new 400G addition to its eMerge SDN media fabric offering

Nevion announces new 400G addition to its eMerge SDN media fabric offering Brie Clayton March 12, 2025 0 Comments High-capacity switch enhances existi...

12/03/2025

DaVinci Resolve Studio Delivers Cinematic Sound for Adam Bol

DaVinci Resolve Studio Delivers Cinematic Sound for Adam Bol Brie Clayton March 12, 2025 0 Comments Feature film relies on DaVinci Resolve Studio for ...

12/03/2025

SVT Leverages Ateliere Live to Pioneer 100% Software-Defined Production at Rally Sweden 2025

SVT Leverages Ateliere Live to Pioneer 100% Software-Defined Production at Rally...

12/03/2025

Berklee Awards Fenway Neighborhood Improvement Grant to Four Organizations

Berklee Awards Fenway Neighborhood Improvement Grant to Four Organizations A total of $17,000 will be distributed among the Boston-based nonprofits. By Madd...

12/03/2025

Offering a broad umbrella for IP standards

TVBEuropes Jenny Priestley sits down with new SMPTE president Richard Welsh to discuss his aims for the organisation going forward, its efforts to attract a you...

12/03/2025

Warner Bros Belgium takes a new approach to its post production workflows

The new process has significantly enhanced operational efficiencies, with automation freeing up creators to concentrate on higher value tasks By Matthew Corrig...

12/03/2025

Another VFX company suspends operations

Jellyfish Pictures, which has offices in London and Sheffield, said it has been battling hard in the face of strong headwinds over the last 12 months By Jenny ...

12/03/2025

Bitcentral to Showcase AI-Powered Innovations for Smarter...

Visit Booth #W2213 to Experience the Latest in AI-Driven Content Discovery and Workflow Automation Bitcentral, a leader in media workflow solutions, is set to ...

12/03/2025

Jeff Lilly Named WGN-TV Director Of Technology

CHICAGO Jeff Lilly has been named WGN-TV director of technology effective March 17, 2025, according to Ric Harris, WGN-TV vice president and general manager....

12/03/2025

Survey: Consumers Want More Shoppable TV Experiences

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. A new study from LG Ad Solutions indicates that consumers want more features that would allow them to shop for products on the connected T...

12/03/2025

IP Showcase To Focus On IP, Broadcast Tech Convergence at 2025 NAB Show

BOTHELL, Wash. The Alliance for IP Media Solutions (AIMS), Advanced Media Workflow Association (AMWA) and the Video Services Forum (VSF) will once again present...

12/03/2025

Comcast Boosts Internet Speeds for More Than 20 Million Customers

PHILADELPHIA Comcast announced that it has upgraded Xfinity Internet speeds for more than 20 million customers for no additional cost....

12/03/2025

Create with Maxon: Cinema 4D Fundamentals Workshop - March 12-14

Create with Maxon: Cinema 4D Fundamentals Workshop - March 12-14 Brie Clayton March 11, 2025 0 Comments Makin' Waffles with Elly Wade During Marc...

12/03/2025

Ross Video Strengthens Cloud Leadership with Appointment of Aaron Tunnell

Ottawa, Canada - March 12, 2025 - Ross Video is pleased to announce the appointment of Aaron Tunnell as Business Development Director, Cloud Solutions, reinforc...

12/03/2025

VEON to release 4Q 2024 trading update on 20 March 2025

12 Mar 2025 VEON to release 4Q 2024 trading update on 20 March 2025 Dubai, 12 March 2025 - VEON Ltd. (NASDAQ: VEON), a global digital operator, today confirms ...

12/03/2025

Getting Set for the Winter Olympics: Inside SVT's Ongoing Software-Based Production Evolution

Getting set for the Winter Olympics: Inside SVT's ongoing software-based pro...

12/03/2025

Seamless SMPTE 2110: A Discussion on Making the Move to IP Less Painful

Seamless SMPTE 2110: A Discussion on Making the Move to IP Less Painful Leaders from Netflix, Monumental Sports & Entertainment, LinkedI, and Megapixel address ...

12/03/2025

Opening Doors of Perception: Meta's Ajit Ninan on Rethinking AR/MR Perceptual Displays

Opening Doors of Perception: Meta's Ajit Ninan on Rethinking AR/MR Perceptua...

12/03/2025

Sky Sports Unveils Exciting Plans for 2025 Formula 1 Coverage

With the 2025 Formula 1 season set to begin in Melbourne on March 16, Sky Sports is gearing up to deliver its most comprehensive F1 coverage yet. Following a th...

12/03/2025

Unicanal and Trece TV revolutionize Digital TV in Paraguay with Rohde & Schwarz transmission solutions

Unicanal and Trece TV revolutionize Digital TV in Paraguay with Rohde & Schwarz ...

12/03/2025

Honoring Service, Celebrating Sport: Rohde & Schwarz UK Sponsors NavyFit Rugby Double-Header

Honoring Service, Celebrating Sport: Rohde & Schwarz UK Sponsors NavyFit Rugby D...