All About IPMX

Introduction

With the recent emergence of more and more functional platforms, AV over IP technology within the Pro AV industry has experienced significant enhancements. Nevertheless, thorough research involving clients and experts has unveiled a foreseeable drawback: the absence of interoperability, causing customer dissatisfaction and constraining widespread acceptance. This prompted the formation of the Alliance for IP Media Solutions (AIMS), which has introduced IPMX—abbreviated for Internet Protocol Media Experience, based on SMPTE ST 2110—an emerging open standard protocol tailored for AV over IP applications within the Pro AV domain.

This article will provide an overview from a higher vantage point, highlighting the essential components. We will delve into its business and technical advantages and explore how this emerging open standard protocol, designed for interoperable AV over IP, distinctly fulfills the demands of the Pro AV industry.

Why Does Every Pro AV Insider Emphasize "Standard"?

When discussing industry standards, we are addressing well-established technical specifications that a broad spectrum of manufacturers willingly conform to, aiming to enhance reliability, interoperability, and efficiency throughout the industry's supply chain. Typically, these industry standards are formulated by members within the industry.

The primary objective of industry standards is to foster compatibility among diverse products and provide customers with the assurance that they can confidently blend and utilize products from various brands without any concerns. These standards stimulate innovation within the industry, lead to cost efficiencies, and facilitate the creation of a range of cost-effective, user-friendly, holistic solutions.

In reality, the "Standard" of Pro AV is Anything but Standard.

The era of 4K UHD has been underway for a number of years now. In parallel with the advancement of technologies, AV over IP is now transitioning into a mature phase. There are tons of competing eco-systems within this niche market that enable high-quality, low-latency, and cost-effective audio and video transmission over one or multiple IP networks. However, from an end-user perspective, it is exceedingly challenging to figure out effective ways to bridge different solutions.

Consequently, every individual within the Pro AV industry confronts a dilemma: if we chase on a single proprietary protocol, what guarantees exist that their long-term investment will yield returns? Furthermore, how should they determine the most suitable platform? Particularly concerning the vital roles within the enclosed business loop, AV integrators and the end-users keep caution regarding the uncertainties linked with fully committing to a single provider's platform. For such clients, the capacity to hunt the best components from a range of providers, along with the versatility to switch between various options, holds greater significance than the actual selection of the platform itself.

Think Outside the Box: Open Standard and SMPTE ST 2110

Up to this point, the significant challenges that the Pro AV industry might encounter when transitioning from a baseband to a fully IP-based transmission are quite evident. While this might seem simple on the surface, working with a vendor-agnostic standard can have some surprisingly powerful benefits for all stakeholders:

1. Interoperability: In the ProAV industry, various devices and equipment from different manufacturers need to work together seamlessly. Open standards provide a common framework that ensures compatibility and interoperability between different products, regardless of their origin. This allows users to mix and match components from different vendors, creating flexible and comprehensive AV solutions.

2. Avoiding Vendor Lock-in: Without open standards, customers can become locked into proprietary technologies, which can limit their choices and increase dependency on a single vendor. Open standards promote healthy competition by enabling customers to switch between different products and vendors without facing significant integration challenges or being locked into a single ecosystem.

3. Innovation: Open standards encourage innovation by fostering an environment where multiple players can contribute to the development of technologies. When standards are open and accessible, it becomes easier for new entrants and smaller companies to bring innovative products to the market. This results in a diverse range of solutions and a faster pace of technological advancement.

4. Reduced Costs: The use of open standards can lead to cost savings for both manufacturers and end-users. Manufacturers can develop products that adhere to well-defined standards, reducing the complexity of development and testing. For end-users, the ability to choose from a broader range of products and vendors often leads to more competitive pricing.

5. Longevity and Future-Proofing: Open standards provide a level of stability and assurance for users, as they are less likely to be left with obsolete or unsupported technology. Since open standards are typically developed collaboratively and have a wide user base, they tend to have a longer lifespan and receive updates that keep them relevant in a rapidly changing industry.

6. Global Adoption: Open standards often gain widespread adoption across different regions and industries. This global recognition allows ProAV professionals to work on projects that involve international collaboration, ensuring that the technology used is consistent and compatible across borders.

7. Ease of Integration: Open standards simplify the integration of ProAV equipment with other systems, such as IT networks and control systems. This is particularly important in today's interconnected world where AV systems often need to communicate with various other technologies.

8. Education and Training: Open standards make it easier for professionals to receive training and education, as the concepts and protocols are widely accessible and documented. This leads to a more knowledgeable workforce that can effectively design, install, and maintain ProAV solutions.

Another question might be thrown out: Does an established "Open Standard" exist that can fulfill all the requirements within the Pro AV sector? The short answer is yes, IPMX was born to address these pain points. No doubt, more sharp questions will follow in succession. Such as what makes IPMX the most probable candidate for achieving widespread acceptance as an open standard, even though it originates from SMPTE ST 2110, a standard utilized in the broadcasting industry for IP-based applications? In order to tackle the questions mentioned earlier, I'd like to begin by offering some context:

The AIMS Pro AV Working Group acknowledged that SMPTE ST 2110, designed for transmitting Professional Media Over IP Networks, provides a strong basis for achieving interoperability in the Pro AV sector. Originally approved in 2017, SMPTE ST 2110 has moved beyond its initial adoption phase and is now comprehensively grasped within the IT community. This standard effectively utilizes off-the-shelf IT solutions for transmitting packet-based signals. Over the subsequent years, the broadcast and media industries have wholeheartedly embraced SMPTE ST 2110. Consequently, it is a logical progression to capitalize on this triumph and extend it to the Pro AV domain, both from technical and commercial perspectives.

Despite having a strong foundation, there remain significant voids that must be addressed to effectively transition a Media-Over-IP open standard into an AV-over-IP format:

First, the foundational version of the 2110 standard defines solely uncompressed video, a data-intensive format unsuitable for numerous Pro AV uses. Despite the introduction of an extension for compressed video, known as SMPTE ST 2110-22, by SMPTE, this extension lacks directions regarding specific codecs or the establishment of a fundamental codec – a necessity for ensuring seamless interoperability.

Moreover, due to its specification for the harsh timing demands of broadcasting, SMPTE ST 2110 might present difficulties during implementation. And it might be deemed excessive for numerous Pro AV applications. To illustrate, only a limited number of Pro AV use cases necessitate source synchronization or the utilization of an expensive and over-killing Precision Time Protocol (PTP) infrastructure.

After a meticulous refinement process by the AIMS Pro AV working group, the IPMX standard, based on the SMPTE ST 2110, not only retains all the advantages of the former but also possesses more flexible and easily integrable features suitable for Pro AV scenarios. The outcome is quite positive: a developing open standard that encompasses all essential functionalities for delivering low-latency, synchronized video content over standardized IP networks in Pro AV setups.

Ultimately, We Arrive at a Utopia where Everyone Finds a Sweet Home...

1. IP-based Seamless and Velvety Experience: Much like HDMI or DP interfaces, IPMX offers standard device discovery and connectivity, seamlessly managing Extended Display Identification Data (EDID), the foundational technology facilitates timing negotiation between baseband sources and displays. Simultaneously, IPMX surpasses the limitations of EDID by seamlessly handling multiple monitors with different specifications, ensuring optimal video resolution for the entire setup. Moreover, boasting official compatibility with HDCP 2.3, IPMX guarantees smooth and consistent display of HDCP-encrypted content across all monitors. This not only ensures a seamless viewing experience but also offers manufacturers a clear and lawful route to meeting compliance requirements. On top of that, IPMX facilitates USB virtualization and extension, enabling seamless interoperability for KVM deployments.

2. Versatile Player: In addition to supporting lossless uncompressed audio and video streams, in order to better meet the requirements of Pro AV projects, IPMX has innovatively adopted the JPEG XS codec to support compressed video scenarios for the following reasons. Initially, the core objective of the codec revolves around providing visually lossless excellence, while maintaining minimal implementation intricacy and low power consumption. Additionally, JPEG-XS facilitates remarkably reduced latency, conceivably even within a sole scanline of video. On top of that, video content holds the capacity to undergo encoding and subsequent re-encoding using JPEG XS without incurring any degradation through successive generations.

   What's even more surprising is that, due to being an open-source standard, IPMX can easily be compatible with other codecs. If specific applications necessitate, manufacturers have the liberty to fulfill such requirements while still ensuring interoperability.

3. Perfect Timing for the Pro AV Industry: One of the primary drivers for both professionals in the Pro AV and Broadcast Industries to adopt SMPTE ST 2110 solutions is their exceptional synchronization capabilities. This involves the intricate task of maintaining precise synchronization among multiple cameras, ensuring they remain phase-locked and in harmony within a remarkable 200-microsecond window. Achieving such exacting standards demands the deployment of specialized and costly clocks, switches, and a meticulously engineered setup that adheres to stringent parameters. Undoubtedly, this level of temporal precision stands as a fundamental prerequisite for the Pro AV sector. However, the associated expenses and intricacies pose notable challenges.

   In light of these considerations, IPMX emerges as a compelling alternative. It presents timing specifications that facilitate more economical implementations, encompassing software-based solutions and relaxing the need for exceptionally stringent network prerequisites. Consequently, the imperative for PTP adoption becomes less pronounced, particularly in straightforward installations.

4. The Final Puzzle - Uniform APIs/SDKs: When expanding SMPTE ST 2110 to IPMX, the AIMS Pro AV Working Group made a deliberate decision to incorporate a vital component to ensure genuine compatibility among various vendors' solutions: an API following the open standard agreement. The NMOS APIs are constructed based on established, thoroughly documented standards, employing comprehensive languages in a manner that resonates with developers, installers, and end-users. This advancement enables individuals to craft applications and utilities, facilitating the development of innovative Pro AV solutions that effortlessly facilitate the exchange of video over an IP network.

Enfin et Surtout...

As AIMS says, “IPMX is a proposed set of open standards and specifications that enable the carriage of compressed and uncompressed video, audio, and data over IP networks for the Pro AV market.” So far, IPMX fulfills this commitment by guaranteeing compatibility among AV over IP products and systems. Additionally, it provides integrators with a structured approach to create accessible and straightforward deployment options, effectively addressing present and future market demands.

I sincerely hope that this young standard will go further. The seeds sown today will surely blossom into even more beautiful flowers tomorrow.