IBC 2016: Nevion spotlights Virtuoso platform, standards and interoperability

Nevion will be launching Nevion Virtuoso, a new software-driven media node platform, at IBC 2016 in Amsterdam. Nevion Virtuoso features wide-ranging functionality field-upgradable through software.

The new platform is designed to meet the challenges of an IP-based live production environment where the distinction between facilities and contribution is blurring, and where virtualization will play an increasing role, leading to faster time-to-production and greater cost-effectiveness.

The new Nevion Virtuoso platform can be used to perform a variety of tasks, including compression and decompression, transport protection, monitoring, and signal processing, which can be changed on demand through software licensing. The initial release of platform is focused on wide area network (WAN) functionality, such as contribution networks, with local area network (LAN) functionality for campus and in-facility being announced in the near future.

Previously launched Nevion products, including the NX4600 H.264 media gateway, the TNS4200 monitoring probe and the CP4400 for high-density DTT adaptation, are all based on the Nevion Virtuoso platform.

Geir Bryn-Jensen, CEO, Nevion explains: “The IP revolution is not just about swapping one technology for another: it’s a game changer, with the potential to transform live production radically. With IP, the production control room no longer needs to be in close proximity to the studio floor; remote locations such as regional studios or sports venues, can be considered extensions of the central studio; and equipment no longer needs to be dedicated to a particular location, and can be shared or even virtualized. The versatile Nevion Virtuoso platform, together with Nevion’s VideoIPath management software, are designed to enable to full potential of IP-based lean production to be realized.”

The Nevion Virtuoso version launched at IBC 2016 supports multi-format video compression and decompression (including J2K-HD, J2K-UHD, Linear/SMPTE2022-6, H.264/AVC), IP adaptation, transport stream adaptation, redundancy mechanisms, reliability features, video protection and encryption suite, monitoring and alarm handling suite. The platform is ready to evolve towards new standards such as SMPTE 2210 as they are agreed, through software upgrades.

In addition, Nevion will demonstrate the interoperability of its solutions with equipment from wide range of other vendors. On its booth at the show, Nevion will show how production will move from baseband to IP and onto virtualization, using a standards-based approach.  Demos will include equipment from AJA, Arista, Grass Valley and Tektronix, and software solutions from Elemental.

At the IBC IP Interoperability Zone, Nevion will be providing the software defined network (SDN) backbone of the award-winning, multi-vendor VRT-EBU LiveIP studio production set-up, which will be used by IBC TV to shoot, edit and produce some of the programs covering the IBC 2016 conference and exhibition. The VRT-EBU LiveIP project, which involves 12 technology partners, is entirely based on open standards, including SMPTE 2022-6, AES67/RAVENNA, PTP and OpenFlow.

Nevion will also be involved in showcasing the work of Joint Task Force on Networked Media (JT-NM) at the IBC Interoperability Zone, with interoperability demos featuring common recommendations for transport, timing, registration and discovery.

Janne T. Morstøl, Chief Strategy Officer at Nevion explains: “Nevion truly believes in, and actively supports, open standards and the company has been a participant in the work of the VSF for over 15 years, an active member of the AMWA and a founding member of the AIMS alliance. At IBC, we are once again demonstrating together with our partners our commitment to offering choice to our customers through interoperability.”