GatesAir has integrated native Livewire+ IP audio networking into its Intraplex Ascent cloud transport platform, eliminating the need for conversion equipment when managing multiple digital audio channels between studios. This addition enhances the platform's capabilities, offering greater scale and efficiency for high-bandwidth video and audio transport.
New Features Expand Platform Functionality
The integration of Livewire+ support allows Intraplex Ascent to ingest and output multiple audio channels directly via IP, streamlining workflows. This feature is particularly beneficial for radio broadcasters dealing with numerous digital audio streams across different studio locations.
GatesAir plans to expand this capability by adding future support for WheatNet-IP, further broadening the platform's adoption within professional broadcast studios. The company introduced Intraplex Ascent in 2020 as a cloud transport solution designed to handle large volumes of media content efficiently across various networks.
Real-world Application Demonstrates Effectiveness
A national radio broadcaster has already deployed Ascent with Livewire+ capability, successfully sending 32 audio channels between two major studio locations. This deployment showcases the platform's ability to provide reliable transport and encoding across public IP networks without additional conversion hardware.
Keyur Parikh, Vice President of Engineering at GatesAir, highlighted the platform's strengths: “Our high-density platform ensures seamless integration into Livewire networks without the need for audio converters. Our customers benefit from simplified integration and reduced capital costs.”
Dynamic Stream Splicing Enhances Reliability
Intraplex Ascent incorporates Dynamic Stream Splicing (DSS) software, which supports reliable transport across redundant networks by protecting against jitter, packet losses, and network failures. This feature also enables duplication of SRT streams with video and audio over separate network paths, using a single stream-splicing buffer for error protection.
Parikh emphasized the platform's versatility: “Intraplex Ascent is built to work natively with IP protocol, which is becoming ubiquitous in studio and STL connections. Our software-based solution provides the engine for moving large volumes of media content for ATSC 1.0/3.0 television and FM radio networks.”
The platform's scalability and reliability make it a valuable tool for broadcasters managing high-bandwidth, high-volume, and high-value media content across multiple sites.