Overview
IP STLs and Studio-to-Studio Links are absolutely vital for broadcasters. Traditionally these links have been implemented with synchronous (Tx, Rx and Clock) data circuits. For wired circuits, broadcasters usually contract Telephone Companies to provide fixed bandwidth T1, E1 or X.21 / V.35 terminated circuits (or the Telco transports the audio for the radio station using synchronous networks as the preferred carrier).
While this arrangement has worked well for many years, it requires broadcasters to allocate considerable amounts from their budget for the ongoing operational costs of the Telco services.
With the advent of IP technology, broadcasters have been looking at minimizing these operational costs by replacing their existing synchronous networks with packetized ones.
However, as a transport mechanism, IP presents a number of challenges that need to be addressed by the Chief Engineer before migrating away from synchronous networks. These issues are not insurmountable, and, if correctly and intelligently implemented; the use of IP will greatly assist a radio station’s efficiency.
Primary issues of concern for a Chief Engineer are as follows:
- Latency
- Lost Packets
- Packet Size
- UDP versus TCP
- Jitter
- Error Correction / Concealment
- Clock Skew
- Audio Algorithms
In summary, IP as a transport mechanism for broadcasters is here to stay because it allows Radio broadcast networks to bundle their audio with data, reduce operational costs and amalgamate IT and audio into a single resource. However, these massive and well-defined advantages come with some safety warnings - networks should be well managed, packets should be prioritized and correct choices should be made with regard to audio compression. Assuming all these boxes are ticked, then broadcasters will enjoy the benefits of the transition away from synchronous networks without running into serious problems.
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