The Video Services Forum [VSF] announced today the formation of the Joint Task Force on Networked Media, whose vision is to enable new business opportunities through the exchange of professional media across networks, taking advantage of the benefits of IT-based technology at an affordable price. The Task Force, working in an open participatory environment, will map out a strategy for developing a packet-based network infrastructure for the professional media industry by bringing together manufacturers, broadcasters and industry organizations (standards bodies and trade associations) with the objective to create, store, transfer and stream professional media.
There was a special face-to-face meeting held March 18-19, 2013, at Turner Broadcasting in Atlanta, Georgia. The purpose of the meeting was to have a user-directed, business-driven discussion about the use of packetized networks in professional media applications. A number of business technologists from major media and manufacturing companies, in addition to representatives from the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers [SMPTE], the European Broadcasting Union [EBU], the Advanced Media Work Flow Association [AMWA], and the VSF were present. As a result of this meeting, it was decided to form the Joint Task Force.
The primary objective of this Task Force is to ensure interoperability in packet-based systems (networking, equipment and software) for professional media. This includes defining an agile, on-demand, packet-based network infrastructure designed to support a variety of distributed, automated, professional media (file- and stream-based) workflows for local, regional and global standards-based production, supporting any format, to reduce total cost of ownership and to accelerate content time-to-market.
This Task Force will take a leadership role and at the same time will also be a coordinator of activities of its members and of constituent and allied organizations. The Task Force will use a phased approach to meet its Mission and Objectives; the phases will be used as gates to determine whether or not sufficient progress has been made to continue to the next phase.
The three phases are:
• Phase 1: Define the business-driven use cases & requirements
• Phase 2: Define the framework & reference architecture
• Phase 3: Define & coordinate any tasks required to realize the output of Phases 1 & 2
Richard Friedel, EVP & GM, Fox Network Engineering and Operations and VSF President, who helped organize the event, said ”VSF in conjunction with the EBU and SMPTE is excited to provide a forum to outline business needs and use cases to drive interoperability in IP based systems. This will ensure IP networks can support the capabilities delivered by SDI in facilities today. ”
If you would like to participate in the Joint Task Force please contact Bob Ruhl (bob.ruhl1@verizon.net).
