Today, November 21st, marks World Television Day. Established by the United Nations in 1996, it commemorates the date on which the first World Television Forum was held, and celebrates the impact television has had, and the changing role it continues to play. The broadcast audio landscape has changed beyond recognition since that first Forum 28 years ago, and no more so than in the last two decades.
Looking back, the transition from analogue to digital technology was a huge shift, which not only required broadcasters to upgrade from legacy analogue infrastructures to SDI facilities but also enabled them to introduce ways to draw viewers closer to the action. The move to 5.1 surround sound, the increase in channels afforded by more cost-effective DSP, and the ability to save console setups and work on multiple layers, all provided opportunities to present content in unique and more creative ways.
That landscape is still evolving; in fact, the speed of change has only accelerated, with the move to IP enabling broadcasters to work remotely, deliver immersive and personalised audio, and lean into the cloud for additional resource.
IP flexes its muscles
IP has since proved to be the main enabler for flexibility across the entire broadcast industry, and the uptake of IP technology has enabled broadcasters to stay ahead of the game. Cost-effective to install and providing the ability to move many hundreds of signals down a single cable at low latency, the widespread adoption of SMPTE ST 2110 and NMOS has guaranteed interoperability between multiple manufacturers, as well as the potential to create scalable workflows, enable remote working and deliver continuous development.
With most broadcasters making the switch to IP at a pace that suits their unique workflows, Gateway products have helped bridge the gap to hybrid environments generating an increase in high-quality content in more cost-effective ways.
The rise of OTT streaming channels vying with traditional over-the-air (OTA) stations means that broadcast clients are facing greater competition for eyeballs, which in turn impacts subscriptions and ad revenue. The answer is for content providers to produce more compelling content, more efficiently, and deliver more value to retain eyeballs and underpin those subscriptions and ad costs.
The age of AoIP
AoIP provides the flexibility to do all this, enabling remote and distributed workflows with IP processing cores that can be located on site, on edge or on prem, delivering the ability to adapt a mix environment to the needs of a production rather than the other way around. Audio processing can power multiple independent mix environments from a single DSP core, which can be located anywhere in the world. It makes mixing systems capable of being used in any configuration to meet the changing requirements of a range of content creators, from podcasters to local news stations to the biggest live broadcast events.
It’s no surprise that Calrec has been on its IP journey for many years. The same year as it launched the RP1 remote processing engine, it also unveiled the Type R mixing system, its first native IP product. A few months later the company launched ImPulse, a powerful, IP-based, processing and routing engine, which was compatible with existing Apollo and Artemis control surfaces to provide a simple IP upgrade path for existing users.
Tomorrow’s world
Fast forward to 2024 and the company is continuing its quest to solve tomorrow’s audio challenges. Its new True Control 2.0, which launched at IBC2024, delivers expanded levels of control in two key areas. Firstly, it gives users far greater levels of remote control without the limitations of mirroring or parallel controlling, with control of an expanded feature-set including EQ, dynamics, routing, direct outputs and delay. More fundamentally, it gives broadcasters unparalleled flexibility to scale their remote productions as needed by expanding the number of products it works with.
The industry has come a long way since that inaugural World Television Day back in 1996. In another 28 years we’ll be in the second half of the century. What will television sound like in 2052? Answers on a digital postcard…
