Viewers today are an uncompromising bunch. They expect an endless supply of content, and not only that, but it must also be of the highest quality. As broadcasters and content providers reimagine workflows to keep up with the demand for high-quality content, more and more providers are opting to either partially or entirely shift their operations to IP and cloud-based workflows, to realise the benefits on offer such as efficiency gains and scalability. But unsurprisingly, there are some hurdles along the way.
As video files are compressed and transported between applications, there’s a risk that quality may be compromised during encoding and decoding cycles. And additionally, there is the added challenge of latency which can significantly impact on the quality of the delivered content and a viewer’s overall experience, particularly for live production. Concern around latency is adding to industry reluctance to adopt IP and cloud-based infrastructures, and as a result there is still a reliance on on-premises SDI technology and dedicated network infrastructure for live content. And so, it was in view of these challenges that Amazon Web Services (AWS) launched AWS Cloud Digital Interface (CDI) in 2020.
AWS CDI is a network technology that allows users to transport high-quality uncompressed video inside the AWS Cloud, with high reliability and low network latency. It gives broadcasters and video providers the network performance and uncompressed video capabilities needed for live video workflows.
The technology provides a reliable, high-performance, and interoperable way of transporting high quality video in the cloud without the need for repeatedly encoding and decoding. It ensures that quality is maintained when video files are transported between cloud-based applications and services, while also keeping latency as low as 8 milliseconds.
Recognising the growing demand for high quality, low latency content, we added support for AWS CDI to our cloud playout solution, Veset Nimbus. The integration enables Veset Nimbus users to deliver higher quality video on their linear channels, with minimum latency. We’ve always been focused on enabling broadcasters and service providers to create and deliver professional linear TV channels, and adding support for AWS CDI will pave the way for higher quality content to be managed and delivered from the cloud.
Veset Nimbus is an intuitive cloud playout management platform designed to streamline professional linear channel operations with high levels of operational complexity. As a cloud playout, software-as-a-service (SaaS) solution, Nimbus takes full advantage of the cloud, allowing content owners to manage multiple linear channels flexibly, whilst future-proofing their operations. As a cloud solution, Veset Nimbus also provides greater scalability and high levels of redundancy while delivering high-quality video streams over IP.
To find out more about how Veset’s all-in-one cloud playout platform, Veset Nimbus, can help you to create, manage, and deliver high quality content on your professional TV channels, get in touch.
