Nick Pinks

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With this article, BCi Digital continue to provide thought leadership and insight in the addressable advertising space. Next week, I’ll be at Connected TV World Summit in London, focussing on advertising solutions in a hybrid Broadcast/Broadband (HbbTv) world. The following week, John Bartlett and I will be at DVB World in Amsterdam, delivering a session on Addressable advertising using open standards, DVB-TA, HbbTV-TA for DAI. If you’d like to meet up for a chat about how BCi are innovating with our Ocelot and Opportune Ad management and decision systems, coupled with our Otter HbbTv client for connected TVs, or if you just fancy a coffee to discuss the Industry trends, please do reach out.

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Satellite vs IP Contribution: What Works Best in Emerging Broadcast Markets? As broadcast organisations modernise their contribution and distribution workflows, one recurring question continues to surface: Should we rely on satellite, IP, or a combination of both? In emerging broadcast markets, this decision is rarely straightforward. It is shaped not only by technology trends, but by infrastructure realities, cost considerations, and operational risk. Satellite contribution has long been the backbone of live broadcasting. It offers wide coverage, predictable performance, and independence from terrestrial infrastructure. For live events, national coverage, and remote locations, satellite remains a trusted solution although with clear constraints. Bandwidth cost, scaling, and flexibility. For broadcasters under pressure to reduce operating costs, these limitations are increasingly difficult to ignore. IP contribution, on the other hand, offers very different value proposition. Leveraging managed fibre, public internet, or hybrid networks, IP-based contribution enables flexibility, faster deployment, and easier integration with modern production workflows. Remote production, cloud-based processing, and multi-platform distribution become far more achievable with IP. Unlike satellite, IP contribution is only as reliable as the network infrastructure supporting it. In many emerging markets, the challenge is not choosing between satellite and IP, but recognising that neither solution is universally sufficient on its own. Urban centres may support robust IP contribution through fibre and managed networks, while rural or remote locations still depend heavily on satellite links. Even within cities, network reliability can vary significantly. This is why a hybrid contribution strategy is increasingly approach. Satellite can provide primary or backup paths for critical live events, while IP handles routine contribution, secondary feeds, and remote production workflows. When designed correctly, hybrid systems deliver both resilience and flexibility. Another critical factor is skills and operational readiness. Satellite workflows are familiar to many broadcast teams, while IP contribution requires closer collaboration between broadcast engineers and IT professionals. Successful deployment depends as much on training and operational discipline. In conclusion, the question is not whether satellite or IP is“better,” but which combination best aligns with operational realities, infrastructure maturity, and long-term strategy. Broadcasters that evaluate contribution technologies pragmatically rather than emotionally or trend-driven will be best positioned to deliver reliable content while controlling costs. How is your organisation balancing satellite and IP contribution today? -Broadcast Technology Executive | Satellite, IP & OB Systems #OWASPACE #OWASPACEBroadcast #SatelliteCommunication #IPBroadcasting #LiveContribution #ITInfrastructure #TechLeadership

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Why Broadcast and IT Teams Must Learn to Speak the Same Language As broadcasting increasingly adopts IP-based infrastructure, the relationship between broadcast engineering and IT teams has become more important than ever. Yet in many organisations, these two groups still operate with different assumptions, priorities, and communication styles. Broadcast engineers traditionally focus on signal continuity, latency control, and operational reliability. Their environment demands immediate response to faults, because disruptions are instantly visible to audiences. IT professionals, on the other hand, are accustomed to scalable systems, software management, and network optimisation. In many enterprise environments, brief service interruptions can be tolerated while systems are updated or maintained. When these two cultures meet in modern broadcast infrastructure, misunderstandings can emerge. A routine network change that appears harmless from an IT perspective may introduce packet loss or timing issues that affect video delivery. Conversely, broadcast teams may expect levels of determinism that traditional enterprise networks were not originally designed to provide. These differences are not failures — they are reflections of two disciplines that evolved independently. Successful organisations bridge this gap by building shared understanding. Broadcast engineers learn the fundamentals of networking and system administration, while IT teams gain deeper awareness of live media workflows and their operational sensitivities. Common language becomes essential: discussing latency, redundancy, monitoring, and fault tolerance in ways that both teams can interpret clearly. When this alignment occurs, the result is powerful. Broadcast reliability is strengthened by modern network design, while IT teams gain a deeper appreciation for real-time operational environments. The future of broadcasting does not belong solely to broadcast engineers or IT specialists. It belongs to teams that can integrate both perspectives effectively. Technology convergence is already happening. Organisational collaboration must follow. — Broadcast Technology Executive | Satellite, IP & OB Systems © OWASPACE | Original Content #OWASPACE #OWASPACEBroadcast #OWASPACEInsights #IPBroadcasting #BroadcastEngineering #ITInfrastructure #MediaTechnology #BroadcastTransformation

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As someone who thrives on in-person interaction, I always enjoy IBC - International Broadcasting Convention. I also love Amsterdam, so I never need an excuse to come 🇳🇱 The key takeaways for me: 1️⃣ The squeeze on linear ad and subscription revenue continues apace, it continues to have a material impact across the industry. 2️⃣ AI fatigue x AI excitement, people want real world use cases that provide value. It’s tough to cut through the noise at a show of this size. 3️⃣ Live sports, no matter the platform, are key. 4️⃣ There are too many suppliers, I see it in the MSP space, but I hear complaints about it in other areas as well, we’re in a consolidating market where global/regional scale is key. 5️⃣ There’s opportunity out there… but you have to hunt it out. 6️⃣ FinOps are providing value to those that have them, especially if they went all-in on cloud early on. 7️⃣ The public cloud space for media clients is a). ripe for disruption and b). not necessarily the ‘must have’ it was previously, in some instances on-prem is back in vogue. 8️⃣ The C-band reduction in the US is real and coming, migration planning needs to start now. 9️⃣ The Encompass Digital Media, Inc. team who attended are exceptional. They’re passionate about the industry, our clients and our business, I’m thankful to work with such a talented bunch of people that are entertaining to hangout with... 1️⃣0️⃣ While M&E is full of lovely people, we’re a collectively aging industry, we need young blood… depressing that one. Until next year… #Encompass #NavigateWhatsNext #IBC #Amsterdam #Cloud #IP #Media #Entertainment #FinOps

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The biggest obstacle to Private 5G has pivoted. Finally, a shorter lead time for spectrum makes it less prohibitive to use on events. Haivision devices supporting the n40 band such as the #Pro460 or #FalkonX2 will enable Ultra Low Latency (80ms E2E!) workflows.

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It’s been a few weeks since Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) , but a few conversations from across Broadcast AV in Barcelona have stayed with me, with many of them coming back to what happens after deployment. Not just what systems can do at launch, but how they adapt once they’re live and under pressure - how they fit within existing workflows and whether they enable or start to constrain teams over time. Most teams don’t hit limits at launch, but they do 6 months later, usually when expectations have already moved on. With #NAB2026 kicking off this time next month, it will be interesting to see how much of that carries through and whether the same questions continue to show up across Broadcast AV as a whole. I’ve pulled together a few reflections on where those constraints show up and how teams are navigating them: https://lnkd.in/ep-C9aCz Grass Valley #BroadcastAV #Enterprisemedia

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A colleague's recent post reminded me of a time when broadcast engineering training was extensive, expensive, and selective. Manufacturers like Sony, and organisations such as the BBC, invested heavily in providing training that created engineers and technicians with technical depth, taught by senior engineers in small groups, with real equipment, and with an expectation that technicians would acquire a practical working knowledge and attain genuine levels of responsibility. Not everyone was sent on those courses. If you were chosen, it meant that your employer believed you would carry that knowledge back into the organisation becoming an asset and safeguarding reliability. You were expected to open the machine, to trace signal paths, align drums, and to trim boards. Essentially you were required to understand why a picture looked the way it did, not just whether it passed specifications. The Betacam SP, BVW period, was defined by hardware that cost more than most family cars. In this period, reliability, signal integrity and engineering literacy mattered. Lecturers like Nick Viliesid at Sony embodied that culture. Patient, focused on detail and fundamentals, able to explain large swathes of physics in a way that actually made sense, and, perhaps most memorably, able to make a camera sing. That kind of teaching built truly capable engineers. Today’s broadcast and streaming infrastructure is extraordinary. IP-based, virtualised, software-defined. We’ve gained scale, flexibility and global reach. The engineering challenges are different now, and much of the resilience sits in software architecture, redundancy design and remote diagnostics. Systems are modular, abstracted and often vendor-managed. That naturally changes the day-to-day culture of maintenance. There is less hands-on preventative alignment and calibration, and more emphasis on monitoring, logging and rapid recovery. Today we are more likely to replace modules than repair them, deploy updates rather than adjust circuitry, and restart services rather than pull racks. Neither approach is inherently better, but they require different instincts. Earlier generations were trained to think in voltage, timing, tolerance and drift. Modern engineers think in workflows, latency, bandwidth, packet loss and orchestration. The disciplines are different, but the responsibility to understand the system end-to-end remains. This post is simply a shoutout to the engineers who went through Sony, BBC Wood Norton, BTS, and similar professional training, and experienced those rooms full of racks and the smell of broadcast circuits . The tools have changed. The need for engineering depth hasn’t. #Broadcast #BroadcastEngineering #MediaTechnology #EngineeringCulture #SonyProfessionalSolutions #BBC #BBCWoodNorton #Betacam #AnalogueToDigital

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The Power and Purpose of Local Radio News   In an age of rolling news channels, social media scrolls, and algorithm-driven headlines, local radio news remains one of the most trusted and immediate sources of information for communities across the UK.   When a story breaks, whether it’s a school fire, a missing person appeal, or a council decision affecting everyday life, it’s local radio that gets the news out first, reaching thousands of loyal listeners who want to know what’s happening right now, right where they live.   That trust is the foundation of local radio’s enduring relevance. Listeners turn to their local station not just for music or companionship, but for reliable, factual, and balanced reporting about their neighbourhoods. In moments of crisis or uncertainty, the familiar voice on the radio becomes a lifeline, sharing verified updates, connecting communities, and cutting through the noise of speculation online.   Local news is also what makes a local station truly local, reflecting the issues, people, and places that define a community’s identity. It’s also a key driver of audience loyalty and profitability for commercial and community stations. Listeners stay tuned because they care about what happens on their doorstep, and advertisers recognise that highly engaged, geographically focused audiences are uniquely valuable.   But perhaps most importantly, local radio news holds those in power to account. From council chambers to Westminster, local journalists ask the questions that matter to their listeners, ensuring decisions are transparent and voices are heard.   In short, local radio news isn’t just an add-on; it’s the heartbeat of local broadcasting, trusted, immediate, and essential to the communities it serves every single day.

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With Live Broadcast technologies and systems in what seems to be a constant state of evolution, the advent of MXL seems to be another case in point. From SDI connectivity through to SMPTE 2110 interfacing - leveraging the flexibility of IP connectivity, it now seems that we are moving on to a new phase where media content can be shared between infrastructure and applications through shared memory. 🌐 It offers the promise of reducing operational barriers and complexities to building out broadcast workflows - Especially as these workflows become more reliant on software-based solutions. 🚀 This is a Really Good introduction from Russell Trafford-Jones in TVBEurope discussing how MXL has been evolving and how it could help reshape broadcast infrastructure for the better. 💡 Worth a read! 📖

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Extremely impressive performance on EE's 4G network, with 2CA Uplink in a remote location where all other network providers were not available. A CBR broadcast transmission was possible with Open Broadcast Systems 5G Flyaway: https://lnkd.in/e7hPahZY

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It’s the same for those of you pitching music. When does your target station do the playlist? Have you sent quality audio? Have you suggested that they’re missing out because their competitors are playing it? (Don’t do that). Pitching and plugging is more than PR. It’s identifying and targeting your audience.

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Not all content is of equal value so having the flexibility to easily adapt the level of resilience and service to meet that value just makes sense…

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In my training days, someone told me "You don't put **** tyres on a Ferrari, so don't put **** antennas on a radio" - It is one of the reasons that Eg Broadcast partners with Antenna Boutique Ltd to give clients the best performance possible out of LinkIP. Now with some super epic tiny filters from ABER Electronics Ltd, the whole package brings amazing performance and ease of your workflow

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My first visit to Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) last week in Barcelona confirmed how quickly the market is shifting. With over 92,000 attendees, the momentum behind #ProAV is undeniable. I spent the week with my fellow The Hive Group colleagues Lisa Collins and Lorenzo Zanni speaking with industry experts, vendors and exhibitors, capturing interviews and market perspectives. One theme came through clearly: Broadcast vendors are moving into Corporate AV and Enterprise Technology strategically, not tentatively. Corporate AV is no longer adjacent to broadcast; it is a primary growth market. But entering it successfully requires more than showing up. Enterprise buyers are not investing in “IP infrastructure” or “processing workflows.” They are investing in productivity, collaboration, experience, integration and ROI. The vendors gaining traction understand that shift. If this transition is on your roadmap, listen to my conversation with Rebecca Jackson from Caretta Research, where she shares practical advice for broadcast vendors moving into the Pro-AV space.

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A brief history of TV audio: from mono to stereo, then digital TV with compressed data and wider bandwidth. Digital audio supports up to 5.1 channels but requires bit rate reduction. Lossy codecs discard inaudible information using masking curves. Dolby Digital frames consist of 1,536 audio samples. Next-generation audio (NGA) supports immersive, personalized audio and enhanced dialogue. Adopted by ATSC 3.0, DVB, ISDB, cable, satellite, and TV 3.0 in Brazil. NGA enables new features and improved audio experiences. #TVaudio #DigitalAudio #DolbyAtmos #NextGenAudio #ATSC3 #AudioTechnology

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Why GPU‑Accelerated DVNR Is a Game Changer for Broadcasters In today’s fast-paced broadcast environment, delivering crystal-clear video is non-negotiable. Noise not only compromises visual quality, but also hinders compression efficiency—driving up distribution costs. That’s why Wavelet Beam’s GPU‑based DVNR solution, powered by CUDA and scalable HPC architecture, is so vital. It effectively removes noise without sacrificing detail, ensuring both live feeds and archived footage look their best. * Sharper picture quality * More efficient encoding = lower bitrates & costs * Scales to high‑volume workflows with ease For broadcasters and post-production teams operating at scale, this tech offers a tangible boost to output quality and system performance. Ready to optimize your workflow? Learn more at waveletbeam.com. #Broadcast #DVNR #GPU #CUDA #VideoQuality #BitrateOptimization #UHD #HDR #PostProduction

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