Sky Italia, Italy's largest pay-TV operator, has upgraded its Rome operations center by migrating to SMPTE ST 2110 video infrastructure equipped with NMOS integration and JPEG XS compression. This transition leverages Imagine Communications' Selenio™ Network Processor (SNP) and Magellan™ Control System to provide a flexible IP solution.
Integration of Advanced Technologies
The upgrade, part of a planned technology refresh, aims to improve operational efficiency and scalability. Sky Italia worked with local systems integrator Allyn Srl to deploy an open-standard system that supports uncompressed IP video and audio signal routing within the facility, JPEG XS compression for high-quality, low-latency inter-facility connectivity, and NMOS-based orchestration of all networked devices.
Benefits and Implementation
Gabriele Ubertini, Director of Group Origination & Distribution Platform at Sky Italia, states that the decision to migrate was practical and forward-looking. The flexibility of the 2110 standard and NMOS protocol enabled the quick deployment of a seamlessly integrated system. This upgrade has improved operational efficiencies and will facilitate future scalability.
Technical Details
The SNP acts as an IP gateway, signal converter, and JPEG XS encoder/decoder, facilitating ultra-low-latency, production-quality signal transfer between Rome and Milan. A Calrec audio router with native ST 2110 connectivity integrates into the system to manage audio tracks within video streams. The routing infrastructure uses an Arista spine-leaf architecture, ensuring efficient uplink to central cores.
Cost Savings and Quality of Service
Fabio Mattei, Sky Technical Project Lead, highlights that JPEG XS support will reduce bandwidth costs for signal transport between facilities. Quality of service is maintained through Imagine's Magellan Control System, which uses a bandwidth management API to orchestrate multiple streams and control ST 2110 devices across the network via NMOS.
Industry Impact
This deployment underscores the growing adoption of open standards like ST 2110 and JPEG XS in media infrastructure. Mathias Eckert, Senior Vice President & General Manager EMEA and APAC at Imagine Communications, notes that advancements such as NMOS and JPEG XS are encouraging media companies to consider IP-based solutions for new projects. Imagine is committed to open standards and works with industry partners to create best-of-breed systems.