Video Systems in an IT Environment: The Basics of Professional Networked Media and File-based Workflows

511 Pages·2009·7.199 MB·English

by  Al Kovalick

Video Systems in an
IT Environment: The Basics
of Networked Media and
File-Based Workfl ows
Video Systems in an
IT Environment: The
Basics of Networked
Media and File-Based
Workfl ows
Second Edition
Al Kovalick
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Dedication
This book is dedicated to my parents, Al and Virginia, and to my loving wife,
May, who provided constant support and encouragement during the entire
project.
Acknowledgments
This book would never have seen the light of day if it were not for many friends
and colleagues who assisted me along the way. Some helped as technical review-
ers, some as consultants, some as encouraging voices, and all as solid support-
ers. I am grateful to all of you. Thanks go to Frans DeJong, Santosh Doss, John
Footen, Brad Gilmer, Jacob Gsoedl, Mark Johnston, Greg Lowitz, Bill Moren,
Harlan Neugeboren, Charles Poynton, Michel Proulx, John Schmitz, Clyde Smith,
and Joanne Tracy.
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Contents
INTRODUCTION .................................................................................. ix
CHAPTER 1 Networked Media in an IT Environment ........................... 1
CHAPTER 2 The Basics of Professional Networked Media ................... 33
CHAPTER 3A Storage System Basics .................................................. 81
CHAPTER 3B Storage Access Methods ................................................ 121
CHAPTER 4 Software Technology for A/V Systems .............................. 157
CHAPTER 5 Reliability and Scalability Methods ................................. 197
CHAPTER 6 Networking Basics for A/V .............................................. 231
CHAPTER 7 Media Systems Integration ............................................. 267
CHAPTER 8 Security for Networked A/V Systems ................................ 317
CHAPTER 9 Systems Management and Monitoring ............................. 345
CHAPTER 10 The Transition to IT: Issues and Case Studies ................... 373
CHAPTER 11 A Review of A/V Basics .................................................. 399
Appendix A: Fast Shortcuts for Computing 2N .................................... 435
Appendix B: Achieving Frame Accuracy in a Non-frame
Accurate World ............................................................. 437
Appendix C: Grid, Cluster, Utility, and Symmetric
Multiprocessing Computing ............................................ 439
Appendix D: The Information Flood—One Zettabyte of Data ................. 443
Appendix E: 8B/10B Line Coding ...................................................... 445
Appendix F: Digital Hierarchies ........................................................ 447
Appendix G: 270 Million—A Magic Number in Digital Video ................ 451
Appendix H: A Novel A/V Storage System ........................................... 453
Appendix I: Is It Rabbits Multiplying or Is It Streaming? ..................... 457
Appendix J: How to Evaluate a Video Server ...................................... 459
Appendix K: Blade Servers ............................................................... 463
Appendix L: Solid State Discs Set Off Flash Flood .............................. 465
Appendix M: Will Ethernet Switches Ever Replace
Traditional Video Routers? .............................................. 467
GLOSSARY ......................................................................................... 469
INDEX ................................................................................................ 485
vii
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Introduction
There is a tide in the affairs of men, which, taken at the fl ood, leads on to fortune;
omitted, all the voyage of their life is bound in shallows and in miseries.
— William Shakespeare
A stute sailors know the optimal time to catch the tidal fl ood toward the har-
bor. If it is missed, a ship may be caught in a storm or stranded at sea. An able
captain and crew never pass up favorable currents. Today there is a different
tidal fl ood that many captains of ship are seeking to ride to safe harbor. What
is it? It is the tidal swell of information technology (IT) 1 that is being lever-
aged to create compelling video systems2 and fi le based— ” tapeless” — workfl ows
for broadcasters and other professional operations. In the big picture, we are at
the emergent stages of video systems designed from hybrid combinations of IT
standard platforms (storage, servers, routers, networks, fi rewalls, middleware,
software platforms, Internet, Web services, archives, etc.) and traditional A/V
methods and technology.
If you are conversant only in IT methods or comfortable only with tradi-
tional video techniques, then the hybrid combination may seem a bit strange
and worrying. Will IT methods, systems, and techniques be responsive enough
for the demands of real-time video? Can IT meet a 99.9999 percent reliability
goal? Can you run video over and through IT-based links and switches? Will
network congestion cause dropouts in your video? Will a virus or worm take
1 The “ IT” term is used throughout this book to refer to the standard platforms, systems, and
methods that comprise information technology as used by business process worldwide.
2 In this book the term “ video systems” includes audio systems and still graphics. As a composite,
they are denoted by the term“A/V” or“AV ” systems. The hybrid acronym AV/IT describes systems
that use a combination of IT and traditional A/V technologies.
Video Systems in an IT Environment
ix
Copyright © 2009 by Focal Press Inc. All rights of reproduction in any form reserved.
x Introduction
you off air? Can you upgrade your system while it is in use? Will the short
life spans of IT equipment lead to an unprofi table ROI and constant retooling
headaches? Is using IT too risky for your demanding operations? Are the soft-
ware components stable enough for mission-critical applications? Can you use
A/V(cid:2)IT technologies and create a “Broadcast IT ” system? These and countless
other concerns are discussed and resolved in this book. First, let us look a bit
deeper at the interesting cross-section of A/V plus IT.
Figure IN.1 depicts the two domains of interest to us and their all important
overlap. As the workfl ows, methods, and technology of the IT world and those
of traditional video mix and combine, compelling new formulations emerge.
The IT sphere consists of domain experts plus all the standard infrastructure
and systems that make up IT. However, the traditional time-based media sphere
consists of domain experts, video-specifi c links and routers, VTRs, cameras, A/V
editors, on-air graphics, effects processors, vision mixers, and much more. The
overlap region gathers selected components together from each domain, thereby
creating IT-based media workfl ows.
W hich domain has a greater gravitational pull on the other? In 2008, IT
equipment alone was estimated to be a $1.7 trillion worldwide market (source:
Forrester Research), while the entire worldwide broadcast equipment market is
estimated at $15 billion (source: DIS Consulting). This is about a 115:1 ratio,
and the smaller of the two is drawn to the larger to take advantage of the many
levers that IT can provide for video system design. The arrows in the fi gure
imply the gradual consumption of the A/V domain by the IT domain. Almost
all new A/V installations, across the board in scale, have large components of IT
Video Systems,
Methods & Technologies
Joint Systems Domain
– using concepts from
both regions
IT Systems,
Methods & Technologies
FIGURE IN.1 The joint systems domain of hybrid AV/IT systems.