Planning for 3Gb/s routers AND BEYOND
Mar 1, 2007 12:00 PM, BY TODD RIGGS
Next to the DTV transmitter, a central router is one of the biggest capital expenditures a broadcast station will make. Large routing systems with all of the associated control panels and wiring can carry seven-figure price tags, not including costs associated with the design and installation of the router.
Once installed, the router is expected to work reliably in a 24-hour-a-day operation, typically for 15 to 20 years. Routers installed 15 years ago have withstood a dramatic revolution from analog television with stereo audio to a world of multiple HDTV and SDTV standards, DTV multicasting, and 5.1 channels of Dolby surround sound.
Routers installed today must be prepared for the inevitable changes in signal formats, channel counts and interface connectivity that will occur in the future. For example, while no broadcaster is currently broadcasting in 1080/60p, at NAB2007, 3Gb/s-capable routers will be one of the hot new technologies to watch. Not only are they a natural progression from today's 1080/60i and 720/60p HD broadcasts, but also we are seeing evidence that motion picture production is moving in the direction of 1080/60p, and many display devices are already capable of supporting 1080p natively.
Planning for 3Gb/s routers
Transmission at 3Gb/s is nowhere on the horizon, and production equipment is limited in terms of 3Gb/s cameras, switchers and servers. But, the issue of 3Gb/s capability is something that is going to slowly integrate into broadcast facilities over the next five years. The key questions:
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Will the router you buy today be capable of withstanding and supporting the technology changes to come?
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If the purchase is for a big “house” router, how long do you expect it to be at the core of your facility?
If the answer is 10 to 15 years, which is common, you need to look at future technology trends. A facility may just be converting to 1.5Gb/s HD-SDI now and have absolutely no current plan for 3Gb/s. However, wouldn't it be nice to know that as the 3Gb/s standard becomes viable for content creation, distribution and transmission over the next five years, your house router will be able to handle it without the need to throw out the frame or undergo a major redesign?
Figure 1. Click image to enlarge.
If the purchase is for a small black box-type router, say 32 × 32, buying something 3Gb/s-capable may not be as important because they are less expensive and don't necessarily have the same life cycle as a large router. Also, it is not uncommon to add a small router when dealing with a small number of sources/destinations in a new format.
Customers will most likely base their production equipment needs, switchers and cameras on their current infrastructure. Because the distribution backbone of a facility tends to be in service for longer periods of time, a move to 3Gb/s probably needs to be planned for earlier.
The key questions for customers considering a large router purchase that is going to last 10 years:
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Are the routers 3Gb/s-capable?
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If yes, how is that achieved?
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Do current modules have the ability, or is it going to be handled in their upgrade path?
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What does that upgrade path entail?
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If it does not support 3Gb/s, what are their plans?
Because many router vendors are already touting in their ads that they have 3Gb/s capability, this is something customers will increasingly be exposed to and need to start considering today.
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