The terms “contribution” and “distribution” often get confused, but they describe different stages of media transport. Knowing the difference is critical for choosing the right protocols and infrastructure. Contribution Contribution covers how signals get from the point of capture to the production facility. This is where quality and low latency

Remote production, or REMI, has become a standard workflow. By 2025, broadcasters use it not only for sports but also concerts, conferences, and corporate events. The lessons learned over the past few years highlight what works and what doesn’t. Why Remote Production Grew Rising costs of travel and equipment,

The industry is no longer debating cloud vs. on-prem. By 2025, hybrid workflows are the norm, combining strengths of both worlds. Why Hybrid Some tasks demand on-prem hardware for latency and control. Others benefit from cloud scalability and global reach. Hybrid approaches let teams optimize for each use case. Common

High Dynamic Range (HDR) has moved beyond trials. By 2025, it’s part of mainstream production and delivery. Engineers must navigate formats, workflows, and monitoring challenges to get it right. HDR Formats * HDR10: Widely supported, static metadata. * HLG: Backward-compatible with SDR displays. * Dolby Vision: Dynamic metadata, premium distribution. Each format

Artificial intelligence is no longer hype in media. By 2025, AI tools are embedded in everyday broadcast and streaming workflows. The key is focusing on practical use cases that deliver real value. Metadata Enrichment AI can analyze video and automatically tag scenes, objects, and faces. This makes archives searchable and

Compressed flows like JPEG XS are common in 2025. Monitoring them effectively is just as important as monitoring uncompressed essences. Engineers need visibility into performance, quality, and compliance. Why Monitoring Matters JPEG XS is visually lossless, but errors in compression, transport, or decoding can still disrupt operations. Without the right

Cloud-based production is no longer experimental. By 2025, major broadcasters run live events entirely in the cloud using platforms like Grass Valley AMPP and services from AWS. Understanding where these tools fit helps teams plan future workflows. Why Cloud Production The appeal is flexibility. Instead of provisioning fixed hardware, resources

Private 5G networks are often hyped as a game‑changer for live production. By 2025, deployments exist, but the picture is more nuanced than marketing suggests. The Promise 5G offers low latency, high bandwidth, and network slicing. For live production, this could mean wireless cameras without compromise, or contribution links

Moving video over the open internet requires protocols that can handle packet loss, jitter, and variable bandwidth. By 2025, three names dominate: RIST, SRT, and Zixi. Each has strengths and trade‑offs. RIST RIST (Reliable Internet Stream Transport) is an open standard from the Video Services Forum. It emphasizes interoperability,

Content piracy remains a major threat in 2025. As streaming becomes the dominant distribution method, protecting streams requires layered defenses. Watermarking plays a central role. Forensic Watermarking This technique embeds invisible, unique identifiers into each stream. If content leaks, investigators can trace it back to the specific session or subscriber.

Free Ad‑Supported TV (FAST) continues to grow rapidly, and scheduling is at the heart of every channel. Getting it right determines whether viewers stick around or churn. The Basics FAST channels are built from existing VOD assets stitched into linear playlists. The scheduler decides what plays when, ensuring smooth

Common Media Client Data (CMCD) has become an important tool for understanding how streaming sessions behave at scale. By 2025, most major players and CDNs support it, but teams still struggle with what data is truly useful. What CMCD Provides CMCD defines a standard way for clients to send playback

Reducing live streaming latency has been a major focus for years. Low‑Latency DASH, often called L3D, is the MPEG‑DASH extension designed to bring delays down to just a few seconds. Why Latency Matters For sports, news, and interactive content, 30‑second delays are unacceptable. Viewers expect near‑real‑

Personalized advertising is no longer just a VOD feature. With SGAI, it’s possible to insert targeted ads in live streams while keeping latency under control. Traditional SSAI vs. SGAI Server‑Side Ad Insertion (SSAI) traditionally stitches ads into streams before delivery. This works well for VOD but creates challenges

FFmpeg remains the Swiss Army knife of media processing. Version 8.0, released in 2025, delivered several updates worth attention for broadcast and streaming workflows. Whisper Integration The standout feature is Whisper support for speech recognition. This opens doors for captions, search, and compliance — all inside the same pipeline. Codec

FFmpeg 8.0 introduced native integration with Whisper, the open‑source speech recognition model. For engineers, this creates a straightforward way to add transcription and captions directly inside familiar pipelines. Why It Matters Transcription is no longer just an accessibility requirement — it’s key for search, compliance, and content repurposing.

The move from SDI to IP is no longer experimental. Many broadcasters are in the middle of migration or have already completed it. Success depends on careful planning and methodical execution. Here’s a no‑nonsense checklist for teams making the switch. Assess Current Infrastructure Start by mapping your facility:

Learning ST 2110 requires hands-on experience. Building a small lab gives engineers a safe environment to test, experiment, and make mistakes before going live. The good news is that a useful lab doesn’t need massive investment. Core Components At minimum, you need: - A switch that supports multicast, PTP,

Moving uncompressed video over IP is only possible with multicast and proper QoS. In 2025, these are well understood, but new engineers still face a learning curve. This guide outlines the essentials. Why Multicast? Uncompressed 4K video can exceed 12 Gbps. Sending that as unicast to multiple receivers would flood

Precision Time Protocol (PTP) is the heartbeat of IP-based media systems. Without accurate timing, ST 2110 flows fall out of sync, audio drifts, and video frames misalign. By 2025, understanding how AES67 and ST 2059-2 use PTP is table stakes for broadcast engineers. Why Timing Matters In SDI, timing was

Both IPMX and ST 2110 aim to move video, audio, and data over IP, but they serve different audiences. In 2025, understanding where each fits is essential for making the right technology decisions. ST 2110 in Broadcast ST 2110 was designed for professional broadcast and production. It emphasizes precision timing,

Audio routing in IP-based facilities is more flexible than anything SDI could deliver, but it comes with complexity. NMOS IS-08 was designed to make audio channel mapping manageable in large-scale deployments. By 2025, it’s a core part of any serious ST 2110 environment. Why Audio Mapping Matters Video usually