Digital signage presentations from the IP Showcase at NAB 2018 are now available for download
Besides demonstrating IP interoperability, the Alliance for IP Media Solutions (AIMS) fitted an IP production room at the IP Showcase
At the recently concluded 2018 NAB Show, the Alliance for IP Media Solutions (AIMS) — alongside partners Audio Engineering Society (AES), Advanced Media Workflow Association (AMWA), European Broadcasting Union (EBU), IABM, National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), Society of Motion Pictures and Television Engineers (SMPTE), and Video Services Forum (VSF) — highlighted progress in the journey towards IP interoperability at its IP Showcase.
IABM’s CTO, Stan Moote, reviews the IP Showcase
The Alliance for IP Media Solutions (AIMS) has seen an uptick in membership since the organisation’s merger with the Media Networking Alliance (MNA) was announced late last year, more than 20 companies have joined AIMS.
The following companies have joined AIMS since the MNA merger, bringing the total number of member organisations to 96: ALC Networx, Attero Tech, Alteros Inc., Axis, the BBC, Bosch, Digigram, Direct Out, DongGuan 3G Audio Technology Co. Ltd., Focusrite, Genelec, Hangzhou Linker Technology, Luminex, LYNX- Technik, Mellanox, Merging Technologies, Ningbo Soundking, QSC, Suzhou FITCAN, TOA, Ward-Beck Systems, Wheatstone Corporation, and Yamaha.The former MNA organisation was focused on AES67 interoperability, and its membership included companies doing business in the broadcast, professional audio, pro AV, and installation markets.
BOTHELL, Wash. — Dec. 14, 2017 — The Alliance for IP Media Solutions (AIMS) today announced that it is merging with the Media Networking Alliance (MNA) to form a single trade association for promoting IP in the media and entertainment industry. The merger comes after a two-year history of collaboration, and it will enable the organizations to have an even greater impact on the industries they serve. The new joint organization will retain the AIMS name and will be governed by the existing AIMS bylaws.
Like AIMS, MNA exists to promote a standards-based approach to IP interoperability. MNA is focused on AES67, and its membership consists of companies doing business in the broadcast, professional audio, pro AV, and installation markets. In the past two years, AIMS and MNA have enjoyed a strong relationship, formally executing a liaison agreement and cooperating to promote AES67 technology, which is common to both organizations’ roadmaps. Since the 2017 NAB Show, both organizations have also lent financial support to the IP Showcase, their largest and arguably most impactful undertaking to date.
The merger between the two organizations will create support for common standards that benefit multiple market segments at once. For example, products designed for the broadcast segment are in many ways similar to those for professional audio, but often the standards for those markets segments are developed without much coordination. This merger allows AIMS and MNA members to work on adopting common methodologies for transport, registration and discovery, connection management, and other areas of interoperability even as they focus on the unique requirements of their respective market segments.
By creating standards that address a larger array of applications and market segments, AIMS members that are vendors will have fewer variants of the standards to support and will be able to cross-sell to other market segments more easily while making more efficient use of their R&D budgets. Meanwhile, AIMS members that are users will benefit from a wider selection of vendors whose products comply with standards on the AIMS roadmap. Finally, AIMS members that are also members of MNA will pay only one membership fee instead of two.
Full members of both organizations voted to approve the merger on Dec. 13.
“The merging of the Media Networking Alliance and AIMS is great news for our industry. The MNA was formed by people and companies who wanted to support interoperability between various IP-based audio networks via the use of AES67. Likewise, AIMS members support standards-based IP audio and video interoperability,” said Rich Zwiebel, chairman of Media Networking Alliance. “Now, with the merging of the two organizations, we have a larger voice and a single place for technical and marketing discussions amongst a larger group of industry leaders. As AIMS, we will be able to provide a much more compelling message to the industry, assuring true industry-wide audio/video IP interoperability across the broadcast, installed systems, and live sound markets. We are excited to be a part of this major step forward in standards-based IP interoperability.”
“As AIMS approaches its two-year anniversary, we have an exciting opportunity to increase our influence and strengthen our ability to foster the adoption of a common set of protocols for interoperability over IP,” said Michael Cronk, AIMS board chair. “After careful deliberation, both the AIMS and MNA boards reached the conclusion that merging our organizations was the natural thing to do, and our members agreed. By combining membership, the bigger, stronger AIMS can reach a greater section of the media and entertainment market. We’re excited about the potential of this merger to fulfill our mission more quickly.”
BOTHELL, Wash. — Nov. 15, 2017 — The Alliance for IP Media Solutions (AIMS) today announced two new associate members: Adder Technology and Cologne Broadcasting Center (CBC). By joining AIMS, the companies are supporting a standards-based approach to IP interoperability.
Adder designs and manufactures an advanced range of KVM switches, extenders, and IP solutions that enable the reliable control of local, remote, and global IT systems. Adder’s products cover a variety of applications, with its KVM-via-IP product range showing particular growth. Adder’s KVM-via-IP solutions enable the secure global access and control of IT systems.
CBC is home to all companies and networks of German media enterprise Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland. Since its establishment in 1994, CBC has become one of the leading broadcasting and television production companies in Germany. Numerous renowned TV stations and producers rely on the company’s know-how and state-of-the-art technology and value its wide array of individualized services — from ingest to studio production, postproduction to playout, SNG to teleport, digital archives to consulting. As one of the world’s leading media and broadcasting centers, CBC is on the forefront of deploying IP technology for video transport.
By Peter Suciu, TV Technology – Latest developments confirm maturing technologies
April 14, 2017. LAS VEGAS—Throughout its informational sessions and on the show floor, a main focus of the 2017 NAB Show will be the broadcast industry’s transition to IP …
INTEROPERABILITY SHOWCASE
In addition to the conference sessions, the show will feature demonstrations of the convergence of IP for broadcast and examples of interoperability at the IP Showcase on the show floor. Sponsored by eight organizations including AES, AIMS, IABM, JT-NM members AMWA, EBU, SMPTE and VSF, as well as the Media Networking Alliance (MNA), the IP Showcase will play host to companies demonstrating dozens of new products.
“No doubt, the most exciting IP event at NAB 2017 will be the showcase,” said Thomas Edwards, vice president of engineering and development for Fox Networks Engineering and Operations. “Similar to the IBC IP Interoperability Zone, this booth in the North Hall of the LVCC is supported by the major players and will have about 40 companies showing IP interoperability. It goes a step beyond IBC, because it will concentrate on transport using the new SMPTE ST 2110 draft standard, as well as systemization with AMWA IS-04 registration and discovery and SMPTE ST 2059 PTP timing.”
The Alliance for IP Media Solutions has released results from a survey of its members, finding that many are moving quickly to bring products to market that are complaint with the SMPTE suite of standards for professional media-over-IP networks (SMPTE ST 2110) by the end of 2017.
BOTHELL, Wash. — Nov. 16, 2016 — The Alliance for IP Media Solutions (AIMS) today announced the launch of a Japan subgroup focused on conducting AIMS marketing activities in Japan. The subgroup will work to spread awareness of AIMS messages and objectives in a way that’s tailored to the Japanese market. To that end, the AIMS Japan subgroup will participate in Inter BEE 2016 taking place this week in Tokyo.
“Japan is home to key vendors and customers that contribute to the IP transition effort, so naturally AIMS wants to be as effective as we can in communicating with those important stakeholders,” said Michael Cronk, AIMS board chair. “We recognize that our marketing will be more effective in Japan if it is conducted in the Japanese language and targeted at events and activities that draw Japanese broadcasters. We have a strong message for a common set of IP interoperability standards and specifications. The formation of a Japan subgroup is one step towards ensuring that our message reaches a global audience.”
The AIMS Japan subgroup works with the AIMS marketing working group to ensure that its messages are aligned. Then the Japan subgroup determines the best ways to reach the Japanese broadcast market.
For example, the Japan subgroup will have a presence at Inter BEE 2016 in booth 8131, where AIMS members will conduct interviews with local publications, host webinars, and talk with customers and users who are interested in IP. Some AIMS member companies will hold interoperability demonstrations in their own booths.
Furthermore, AIMS Board Chairman Michael Cronk as well as Ted Miyazawa of Panasonic, chair of the AIMS Japan subgroup will participate in an Inter BEE panel discussion on the various proposed methods of live IP transmission. Cronk and Miyazawa will cover the purpose and goals of AIMS, its role in the standards adoption process, the AIMS roadmap, and interoperability. The panel session takes place on Friday Nov. 18.
AIMS members at Inter BEE 2016:
Advantech
AJA
Avid
Harmonic
Ikegami
Imagine Communications
intoPIX
Lawo
Matrox
NEC
Panasonic
Riedel
SAM
Sony
Toshiba
BOTHELL, WA, 29 September 2016 — During the months of July, August and into September, over 15 new member companies joined AIMS, including Canon, Ciema, Gefel, Harman, LiveU and tcp. Formed last December, to promote the adoption of an open-standards approach in transitioning to IP-based broadcast and video production workflows, the summer membership surge saw the alliance pass its 50th member milestone in just eight months.
The latest new member companies represent a wide diversity of global broadcast and related IT disciplines and activities; including imaging and information technologies, digital optical network transport solutions, live IP video solutions, broadcast production and facilities services, broadcast equipment manufacturing and professional audio systems design and manufacturing.
Canon is a multinational corporation and among the world’s largest and leading providers of professional imaging and information technologies. In a statement on becoming a member of the alliance the company said, “Canon has joined AIMS because Canon agrees completely with AIMS’s goal, to accelerate open technical standards for the purpose of transitioning from SDI to IP.”
Ciena Corporation, a US-based global supplier of IP networking solutions for the delivery and transport of voice, video and data services for broadband and telecommunications service providers, stated, “We are pleased to join the AIMS alliance and believe in its open-standards approach. With our expertise in optical, Ethernet and network automation, we specialize in unlocking the network’s potential to maximize its capabilities and the many ways the network contributes to business objectives during this period of transition to a virtualized media environment.”
Gefei Technology Co., Ltd, is located in the Zhongguancun high-tech technology hub in the Haidian District of Beijing, known as the “Silicon Valley of China”. The company has been manufacturing and marketing high-performance, cost-effective broadcast video equipment since 1995. Gefei specializes in research, production, and sales of audio & video processing products, including video over IP and IP multi-viewer products.
Harman Professional Solutions is the world’s largest professional audio, video, lighting and control products and systems company. Its systems solutions include enterprise automation and complete IT solutions for a broad range of applications. The company’s roster of internationally renowned brands encompass all aspects of broadcast, studio, live, cinema and installed sound. The company was among the earliest commercial adopters of audio networking technology, with products like BSS Soundweb and HiQnet.
LiveU is a US-based international leader in high-quality and reliable live video acquisition, management and distribution over IP. The company’s award-winning technology enables live, wireless video transmission from any location around the world with lightweight, easy-to-use equipment, as well as extensive cloud-based management and video distribution solutions.
tpc is the leading broadcast service provider in Switzerland. A broadcast production company and technology and production facilities provider and consultancy, tpc is responsible for production and technology for television, radio and multimedia for Swiss Radio and Television SRF, as well as providing production services, technology and consultancy to the independent sector.
On joining AIMS, the company issued a statement saying, “tpc, as the leading provider for broadcast production and beyond in Switzerland, has joined AIMS because we think that it is very important not only to have supplier companies but also users in the alliance. We have several projects in the pipeline over the next three years (including a large OB van, a master switching room, a playout center and postproduction facility) and we think that IP technology is the only future proof solution for these challenges.”
AIMS’ efforts are focused on promoting the adoption, standardization, development and refinement of open protocols for media over IP, with an initial emphasis on VSF TR-03 and TR-04, SMPTE 2022-6 and AES67. Broadcasters and other media companies are seeking to leverage IP to increase the flexibility of their networks, help streamline workflows and improve agility to better compete in a rapidly evolving ecosystem. Open standards are the key to protecting current investments and ensuring long-term interoperability.
The AIMS bylaws provide specific guidance to members and to the media industry via the AIMS Roadmap. The organization endorses an IP transition plan that includes support for SMPTE 2022-6, AES67, VSF recommendations TR-03 and TR-04, and AMWA NMOS IS-04.
A number of solutions are already on the market to help media companies begin the transition by introducing IP components to an SDI workflow. The transition represents a significant investment and will not happen overnight. An open standards approach allows media companies to implement the technology over time and transition at the pace that makes sense for their businesses.
Membership in AIMS is available to all individuals and companies that support open standards and share a commitment to the group’s founding principles.