Broadcasting has changed almost beyond recognition since times gone by when broadcasters typically operated only a limited number of channels, which of course didn’t generally run 24/7. Viewers only had a limited choice over what to watch, so naturally there was less competition for viewer’s attention than there is today. Audiences were also much more forgiving of a loss of quality or a temporary outage than they are now.
Viewers now have so many channels and services to choose from, that if a channel goes off air even briefly, they’re quick to move their attention elsewhere. This has a knock-on effect on ad revenue in number of ways. Not only can an outage lead to lost viewers, but it can also damage brand reputation, making the service less appealing to advertisers. Additionally, it also has a more immediate effect on ad revenue because while a channel is off air, scheduled paid commercial spots cannot air, which leads to immediate revenue loss and even potential legal liabilities if contractual obligations are not met. Broadcasters therefore need robust disaster recovery systems in place to ensure that channels can continue uninterrupted, no matter what.
The challenge comes because as broadcasting has become more complex, so have the potential threats to broadcast continuity. In the past, broadcast operations were simpler, both in terms of the number of channels bring broadcast and also because infrastructure was hardware based, and centralised. Whereas now, broadcasters are typically running complex multichannel operations, often using software, hardware, and the cloud, and are often reliant on third-party services, networks and systems to operate.
While this way of working delivers numerous benefits, it also adds complexity and creates additional points of potential failure. Alongside fire, floods, power loss and equipment failure, threats to broadcast continuity now also include cyber-attacks, hacking, and global network and service outages. As broadcast operations have become more complex, and threats to channel continuity have evolved, broadcasters are having to rethink their approach to disaster recovery.
As the final essential step that sequences and transmits scheduled content to audiences, playout is a critical component in every broadcast operation. Traditional broadcast workflows would typically have a backup playout system sited at a different location to the primary playout system. This back up system needs to be
always on and operating so that in the event of an outage at the primary broadcast facility, the backup playout system is ready to take over immediately.
However, this approach requires significant initial investment in backup hardware, as well as a dedicated physical site with supporting infrastructure, the costs of which must also be factored in. Backup hardware also requires ongoing maintenance, servicing and upgrading in line with the primary system, which adds to the ongoing costs. Additionally, the ‘always on’ approach is not cost efficient because hardware has to be on and always ready to go, even though it will only be used on rare occasions, if at all.
Another problem with relying on hardware for playout backup is that hardware by its very nature is generally rigid and inflexible, which does not allow broadcasters to operate with the agility they need to remain relevant and competitive in the current market. Let’s say a broadcaster wants to launch some new channels, or maybe temporary channels to cover a particular live event, or maybe expand to a new region, they may well find they are limited in their ability to scale in this way because of the constraints of their existing backup playout equipment.
As a result of the changing landscape and evolving risks, many broadcasters are choosing to switch their existing disaster recovery hardware-based systems to cloud playout.
Cloud playout brings a number of advantages over hardware alternatives when used for disaster recovery. As a cloud service, it does not require capital investment, nor a dedicated facility and supporting physical infrastructure, and unlike hardware, it does not need ongoing maintenance. Alongside the cost savings that these changes bring, cloud playout also generally operates on an on-demand model so that it does not incur costs when not in use. This makes it highly cost efficient for disaster recovery purposes.
Additionally, unlike hardware-based infrastructure, cloud-based services are inherently flexible and scalable. When a broadcaster uses cloud playout for their disaster recovery, it’s quick to deploy and also easy to scale the backup system up to meet their changing business needs.
Next, the cloud by its very nature, is extremely reliable, and offers high levels of resilience and redundancy. Cloud-based infrastructure provides an added layer of protection against local disruptions by allowing broadcasters to distribute workloads across multiple zones in a cloud region. In the event that one zone experiences a problem, the system can quickly move to another zone as needed.
As a cloud playout solution provider, Veset has supported a number of broadcasters to implement cloud playout as their disaster recovery system. Mexican broadcaster, TV Azteca is one such example. As the second largest media company in Mexico, it
broadcasts four television channels in the country, namely Azteca one, Azteca 7, adn40, and a+. It recently switched to using cloud playout solution Veset Nimbus as the disaster recovery playout solution for the adn40 network, its free-to-air TV channel and streaming service.
By adopting cloud playout for disaster recovery for adn40, TV Azteca is able to maintain a fully managed, ready-to-air channel in the cloud, without the cost and complexity of maintaining a duplicate on-premise backup playout system. In the event of an outage or disruption to its primary broadcast infrastructure, the broadcaster can easily switch to its alternative playout environment in the cloud, ensuring critical services can be restored quickly when needed. The broadcaster benefits from flexibility, scalability, rapid recovery times and remote access, because as a cloud service, Veset Nimbus can be accessed from any location.
Latvia’s national broadcaster, Latvian Television (LTV) is also using cloud playout for disaster recovery purposes. LTV produces diverse, high-quality content, that is available on its linear channels, LTV1 and LTV7. Alongside these traditional linear channels, it also provides digital services such as Replay and Visim LTV, which offer live and on-demand content. In response to changing business needs, LTV wanted a disaster recovery playout solution that was flexible, scalable and able to remain operational no matter the circumstances. Cloud playout was the best solution to meet its needs.
It made the decision to use cloud playout solution, Veset Nimbus, to launch a new channel and at the same time act as the disaster recovery solution. Shifting to cloud playout for disaster recovery has allowed it to futureproof its channel offering because it’s now better able to protect against threats to channel continuity whether they are technical failures, security threats, or wider network disruptions. The inbuilt flexibility that cloud playout offers also makes it easier to adapt to changing business needs as well as rising consumer demand.
There have been some quite high-profile outages over the last few years, which I think have exposed just how fragile some broadcast workflows really are. We’ve certainly noticed that broadcasters are focusing more on strengthening their disaster recovery and business continuity strategies. Given that broadcasters are having to operate in such as fluid environment, and this isn’t likely to change, I’d be surprised if many still rely on a rigid hardware backup site in five years’ time.
