Telecom Solutions - The Convergence of Telecom & Broadcast

I have previously written about the evolution of the telecom network and that evolution was front and center at the recent National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) show.

Whenever I attend a trade show, I always try to figure out what the focus or theme of the show is.  Sometimes it’s very obvious and others more subtle. For instance, at last years NAB, all the buzz was about the new 4K technology which quadruples the definition and resolution of our HD displays. It truly was amazing to see – beautiful, clear, bright images – but there were several problems. The first, of course, was the cost. Last year, these displays were being priced at about $5,000 for a standard 48” display – well out of reach of the mainstream consumer. In addition, there was very little content that was being filmed in 4K so what’s the point of having the display if you don’t have TV shows, movies or broadcast content to take advantage of the features of your very expensive display? 

What a difference a year makes! This year, not only were there many 4K displays highlighted but the price will soon be $600 for a 55” model! Also, camera manufactures have perfected the technology to film in 4K with some even talking about 8K. One manufacturer, Grass Valley, came up with an amazing solution for their 4K camera. The acquisition of a camera is a huge capital expense with the lenses comprising two-thirds of the overall cost. Grass Valley has come up with a camera that allows existing lenses to be attached through standardized fittings. This will dramatically lower the cost of the cameras and allow the filming of 4K content to become widespread – very exciting!!! For this achievement, Grass Valley won “Best in Show”, just one of its awards at NAB. 

Now, you might ask, what does this have to do with telecom? All of this HD, 4K and soon to be 8K, requires a HUGE amount of bandwidth to get to our homes. This was one of the major focuses of this years show. The largest carriers, AT&T and Verizon as well Dish Networks, were also at the show talking about their strategies for the broadcast space. One of the biggest innovations that the manufacturers have integrated into the products they produce is IP addressability. This is a huge leap from the analog days and airwaves method of transmitting and receiving content. With IP addressability, the content can flow easily through existing  fiber optic networks and utilize higher compression techniques to lower the impact on the carriers. What does this mean? We have all had situations where our TV signal stops or looks like floor tiles. This is the result of too much information flowing through too little capacity. These new technologies will mitigate this problem.  

The second focus of NAB was “cloud storage”. All of this HD content needs to sit somewhere for our increasingly “I want it now” society to access. Gone are the days when the family gathered together on Sunday night to sit in front of the TV to watch “The Wonderful World of Disney”. I know I’m dating myself there…..  Nowadays, content is delivered to multiple devices simultaneously in the same room! Massive data storage means massive data centers and server farms. Many vendors that have enjoyed success in the data world were highlighting the use of their products in this application. 

For those that have not been to the NAB show, it is an awesome experience. Second only in size to the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), it takes over much of Las Vegas! In addition to what I discuss above, there was plenty to see that gave you all of the “lights, camera, action” feel of being on a TV or film set. Looking forward to next year!

-Suzanne Beck

VP Business Development
Telecom Solutions - Telamon Corporation