Video Distribution: Concepts and Comparisons For Control Center Use

Kurzfassung

Video distribution systems for Control Centers are evolving from analog systems to take advantage of new digital standards for transport, streaming, display, recording and transcoding. The migration strategy involves consideration of existing video equipment and facilities, implementing system requirements, and achieving desired functionality within a specified budget. The Columbus Control Center video distribution system, as an example, has been designed by salvaging existing analog video facilities, expanding into a digital arena, and creating a centrally controlled video contribution and distribution system. Functional and performance requirements were demanding, and posed many challenges, but each was addressed and solved with COTS hardware and minimal customized software. Particular attention was paid to digital video storage and retrieval, multimission functionality, and maintaining a broadcast quality video image over a worldwide distribution area. Many more considerations need to be made when designing a suitable, maintainable, operable and costeffective video distribution system. Methods described in this paper include MPEG compression, MPEG/IP video streaming, ATM transmission, satellite distribution, DVB ASI, analog and SDI formats, analog to digital conversion, standards conversion, video display techniques and various types of transcoding which are implemented at the Columbus Control Center. Concepts such as using digital technology to maintain picture integrity, broadcast versus professional quality, multicasing in IP and ATM, and interoperability between commercial off the shelf (COTS) products are discussed. Security, operability and multimission applications are considered. Examples of various control centre video distribution architectures and designs are shared, and comparisons are made.