Grass Valley, CenturyLink demo remote production over 100G link
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Louise Duffy
| 28 June 2019

Grass Valley and CenturyLink are reporting to have to run successfully an ultra-high bandwidth test directly from cameras at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida to a remote production location in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Using CenturyLink’s 100Gbps high-speed Vyvx network and Grass Valley’s DirectIP feature, the test set out to demonstrate that uncompressed multi-camera signals can be delivered to and controlled from a remote production facility, eliminating the need for large production crews and complex outside broadcast set-ups on location.

Multiple Grass Valley LDX 86N cameras were deployed in Miami running at 10Gbps each, demonstrating the IP workflow between cameras, switchers and XCU Universe XF base stations. Using Grass Valley’s DirectIP configuration, uncompressed signals were transmitted via CenturyLink’s 100Gbps Vyvx network to base stations and operational control panels (OCPs) located in a remote production facility in Tulsa.
CenturyLink and *** Grass Valley *** will be undertaking additional tests in the coming months, aiming to further demonstrate that even the largest productions can be supported with a remote/at-home model.

“Recent projects, such as the 2019 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships, have cemented the role of IP-based remote/at-home production as a field-proven way to meet the growing demand for captivating viewing experiences,” said Mark Hilton, vice president of live production, Grass Valley, commenting on the test and its aims.“We are very proud to have joined forces with CenturyLink to bring this model to customers in the US, giving them the ability to eliminate the need for compression equipment or trucks at the live venue.”

Bill Wohnoutka, vice-president internet and content delivery services, CenturyLink, added: “We have demonstrated how [to] enable broadcasters in the US and select global locations to achieve the advantages of remote production to produce large scale live events. CenturyLink is known for its expansive global network and we continue to make significant investments to scale our Vyvx network to enable production workflow transformation across the majority of professional and select college sports venues in the US, along with some of most widely used international venues.”