Growing live eSports Productions Over IP posted: 21/06/2017
Digital Tree Media's eSport production using the NewTek IP Series solution
For signal transport, the video encoding, commands and communication would all be handled with NDI, NewTek's IP video protocol. NDI is natively supported by IP Series, and implemented into hundreds of other hardware and software components via a freely available API to enable frame-accurate live video switching over the network, even up to 4K at 60p.
Switching itself was centralized on the IP-Series' two VMC1 Video Mix Engines, NewTek's 44-input, hybrid SDI and IP video switchers. Using both Video Mix Engines, the entire show would need to be controlled by one operator per 45-minute segment. Digital Tree added a VMC1 4S control surface, NewTek's four-stripe control panel connected over-the-network as the operator interface, capable of mixing sources from both.
Esport commentators provide play-by-play and analysis, meet-and-greets and on-camera interviews
Networking
With connectivity simplified and all sources routed over IP, the SDI cabling problem was solved. Digital Tree looked next to the network.
The network had to host CubeCraft's game traffic in addition to all of the NDI signals going over the same network, so Digital Tree considered one or two 10-Gb connections for the IP Series.
However, since NDI efficiently optimizes video bandwidth on standard Ethernet networks, they didn't need to invest in overly robust IT gear and ultimately the team brought in a 1-Gb network. They used two 1-Gb connections to link into the IP Series, and one 1-Gb connection for each of the desktop systems.
Computer sources
The final major component of the solution was to grab the full-screen output of the Minecraft desktops, showing each player's POV during gameplay.
Their initial plan was to use a free NDI scan converter utility; however, once they had the systems up and running, they had to lock each player's gaming screen permanently into a full-screen takeover and needed more flexibility, so they explored plug-in options.
Looking out from the lounge, rows of 48 gaming workstations in the foreground await Minecraft players registering in the background
Thanks to the freely available SDK toolkit made available by NewTek, there's a growing community of developers and partners creating software that extends the functionality and compatibility of NDI, and Digital Tree found its solution with the free Open Broadcaster Software (OBS) utility.
OBS is used in the gaming industry by thousands of players to capture their games for streaming. Its community members wrote a plugin for OBS to send video game output over the network via NDI, making it available like any other source to the IP Series.
The free availability of NDI development tools was crucial in this deployment, Cole says. Because of the support of NDI within the development community, our potentially show-stopping hurdle took only 20 minutes to fix.
The Minecraft Zone at Insomnia - the UK's largest gaming festival - is fully networked for tournament play
IP Series in action
By opening day, Digital Tree had designed and set up an all-IP, live video production that captured and streamed 44 in-person gamers, multiple in-studio cameras, two E-sport commentators, and several fan-favorite YouTubers, and done so in under a month. The constraints were challenging, but the IP Series solution could answer each of them easily.
It was very easy to set up, and equally easy to use. We plugged the control surface in and connected via DHCP, and that was it. It wasnt a situation where we spent half a day trying to figure out where the connections go. It a case of selecting all of our inputs through the input manager, and it was done, said Digital Tree's John Cole. We just booted it up every morning on the stand. All those IP connections would reconnect, and we were ready to go for another day. It was a very simple set up that just worked for us every day of the event.
In terms of daily use of the system, Cole says, the NewTek solution made it easy to transition from an SDI workflow to all IP without a hitch. NewTek's IP Series was a very smooth learning curve, and more an extension of what weve been using in the past than a complete relearn of a brand-new environment. We have members of staff come and operate it who had never touched a video switcher before.
The NewTek IP Series VMC1 in this rack allows up to 44 video inputs, ideal for Esports tournaments
The uncertainty of networking issues, typically a concern for productions this size, was also put to rest. We never saw saturation through that network, he says. Everything ran fine. Games were completely unaffected. Regular NDP requests that Windows would make were completely fine. For our purposes, it was just a normal network that happened to have 44 live streams of video running on top of it.
Finally, the use of a LAN instead of a traditional video infrastructure was the single biggest difference in terms of getting a large live production designed, set up and running in record speed.
To take 48 PCs, convert them to SDI and run SDI connectors through traps in the floor and over to our control area, would have been completely ridiculous to do in terms of man hours and the sheer physical amount of cabling. Trying to keep track of all those cables. Making sure theyre all labeled properly, and debugging why one cable doesnt work when the other 47 do. Whereas the software-driven IP Series is very flexible in that, if you want another input, you just select it from a dropdown. And its done.
4-stripe control panel for the IP Series VMC1 can switch between 44 inputs while connected to the network
Cole concludes, There's no question that the most valuable benefit we saw from the NewTek IP Se
Most recent headlines
17/02/2025
TVBEurope talks to the team who brought a piece of broadcasting history back to life on BBC Wales last night
By Jenny Priestley
Published: February 14, 2025 ...
17/02/2025
Eligible studios will receive the relief directly from their local authorities, with no need to submit a claim
By Matthew Corrigan
Published: February 17, 20...
17/02/2025
As DEI initiatives come under pressure in the USA, supporters of Rise, which promotes diversity in the media and entertainment sector, discuss the continuing im...
17/02/2025
EIB Global loan will partially fund SES's continued O3b mPOWER medium earth orbit (MEO) fleet expansion enabling additional capacity worldwide. O3b mPOWER s...
15/02/2025
At Nielsen, Business Resource Groups (BRGs) play a critical role in nurturing a ...
15/02/2025
Innovation to empower creativity: Explore the latest in Lightroom
Rob Christensen February 15, 2025
0 Comments
Whether you want to remove distracting ...
15/02/2025
Wisycom, a worldwide leader in RF technology and provider of wireless solutions, announces a new distribution agreement with EQUAPHON. An Argentinian profession...
15/02/2025
DPA Microphones, the leading manufacturer of high-quality microphone solutions, is pleased to welcome Nicholas Nick Mariano and Vincent Vince Divine to the ...
15/02/2025
Tuxera, a leading provider of quality-assured file systems and networking solutions, will showcase how Tuxera Fusion SMB enables unprecedented performance for m...
15/02/2025
Bitmovin's latest Video Developer Report indicates an increasing role of AI, the slow adoption of next-generation codecs, and continuing challenges when it ...
15/02/2025
When Michelin Enterprises set out to promote its prestigious Hotel Guide in the new Sleepless in the Kitchen , campaign, veteran German/Slovenian gaffer Robert...
15/02/2025
Formula E, the world's first all-electric racing series, revolutionizing motorsport with cutting-edge technology and a commitment to sustainability has sele...
15/02/2025
Agile Content, a global leader in TV and video technology solutions, announces its rebranding to AgileTV.
The transition to AgileTV stems from a commitment to ...
15/02/2025
Hiltron Communications will promote the latest additions to its range of satellite communication products, systems and supporting services at GovSatCom 2025. Th...
15/02/2025
Following the success of the original Airglow Booklight, DoPchoice debuts a new addition to their inflatable line the Float. This lightweight, inflatable, round...
15/02/2025
LAS VEGAS Marshall Electronics has announced that it will debut its newest camera controller, the RCP Plus, at the 2025 NAB Show at Booth N2649 between April 5 ...
15/02/2025
ATLANTA Gray Media has named Blake Sebo as the next general manager of KTUU and KYES, Gray's NBC and CBS affiliates in Anchorage, Alaska....
15/02/2025
KOKKEDAL, Denmark DPA Microphones will feature its new CORE+ technology for distortion-free microphone sound at the 2025 NAB Show, April 5-9, in Las Vegas....
15/02/2025
SWANSEA, U.K. QuickLink will launch StudioPro-NDI and StudioPro-3, two new models of its QuickLine StudioPro video production platform, at the 2025 NAB Show, Ap...
15/02/2025
Live From 2025 NBA All-Star Game Weekend: After 25 Years, Turner Sports All-In F...
15/02/2025
NASCAR Driver Cam on Max Embraces Cloud-Based Workflow for 2025 Season Chris Brown of WBD Sports says Mobii will play key part in delivering signals from the tr...
14/02/2025
Last month, we officially launched the Spotify Partner Program, a powerful new m...
14/02/2025
From an island off the coast of Lutruwita to the global stage in France SBS & ...
14/02/2025
The future of electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) land systems is evolving so that ...
14/02/2025
Here are 5 reasons why you should attend ISE 2025
Discover more about Calrec: Learn more about Calrec's legacy of innovation in broadcast audio solutions ...
14/02/2025
World Radio Day: On the same wavelength
By Graham Murray, International Sales Manager at Calrec
To mark World Radio Day, Calrec's International Sales Ma...
14/02/2025
DALLAS and TYSONS, Va. Tegna has concluded a broadcast rights agreement that makes Tegna's KFAA in Dallas the exclusive local television partner of the Dall...
14/02/2025
Amazon's Prime Video has released a new app for Apple TV that the streamer said delivers an improved streaming experiences with faster scrolling, improved s...
14/02/2025
CLEVELAND Telos Alliance announced a software update for its Axia Quasar XR and SR line of audio-over-IP (AoIP) mixing consoles and will show the offering at th...
14/02/2025
Puget Systems Returns to HPA Tech Retreat 2025 with New Analysis Tools for Puge...
14/02/2025
Glass Animals: Tour of Earth Uses Blackmagic Live Production Workflow
Brie Clayton February 14, 2025
0 Comments
80six deploys Blackmagic URSA Broadcas...
14/02/2025
A dispute between Paramount and Youtube TV that would have pulled CBS stations and Paramount's cable channels from the streaming service has been temporaril...
14/02/2025
Colourist Deidre (Dee) McClelland details how she helped shape the distinct look and feel of whimsical Oscar-nominated stop-motion film, Memoir of a Snail
By C...
14/02/2025
BitFire said it intends to introduce forward-looking services that simplify the launch of live production workflows, and enhance real-time collaboration
By Jen...
14/02/2025
The claim by the liquidators is the latest twist in the ongoing saga of the companys collapse at the end of 2021
By Matthew Corrigan
Published: February 14, ...
14/02/2025
A carriage dispute between YouTube TV and Paramount could come to a head today (Feb. 13), with the virtual pay TV provider threatening to pull all of the progra...
14/02/2025
ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J. LG Electronics USA has opened a new in-house, state-of-the-art virtual production studio at its 360,000-square-foot North American headqu...
14/02/2025
NEW YORK In a bid to help local broadcasters find new ways of monetizing their content, the Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement (CIMM) and TVB have relea...
14/02/2025
WASHINGTON Three Democratic U.S. Senators have sent a stern letter blasting FCC Chair Brendan Carr for the weaponization of the agency for attacking broadcast...
14/02/2025
Years after launching the streaming service Apple TV+ in November of 2019, Apple has finally released a version of its steaming app for Android devices....
14/02/2025
FOOTHILL RANCH, Calif. Red Digital Cinema will make its V-RAPTOR [X] and KOMODO-X camera systems available with Nikon's premier Z Mount, providing filmmaker...
14/02/2025
DAYTONA, Fla. The Fox Sports production of this year's Daytona 500 will see the addition of a few new tech elements and the continued unfolding of the broad...
14/02/2025
Watch Bryson Battles Blind Audition on The Voice Get a Four-Chair Turn Michael Bubl said the Boston Conservatory at Berklee musical theater senior might have...
14/02/2025
2025 Daytona 500: FOX Sports Looks To Ride Super Bowl LIX Momentum Into NASCAR S...
14/02/2025
14 Feb 2025
VEON's Kyivstar and the Come Back Alive Foundation Raise USD 2....
14/02/2025
Max Renews THE PITT, Starring Noah Wyle, For A Second Season
Max
Warner Bros. Television Group
The Pitt
New Episodes Of The Medical Drama From John...
14/02/2025
This year, Technicolor proudly celebrates 110 years of shaping the magic of cinema pioneering color, visual effects, and innovation that bring unforgettable l...
14/02/2025
NBA All-Star: More Games, More Teams, More Music, More Sound From the Court Turner Sports' team will deploy familiar tech to capture all the audio By Dan D...
14/02/2025
LIV Golf Continues To Innovate With Drones, Data-Driven Graphics, and All-Access...
Growing live eSports Productions Over IP posted: 21/06/2017 
