Media & Broadcast
We test whether the studio networks, playout systems, workstations and web platforms behind your signal are safe from attackers. Live media does not tolerate a second try. We design the networks behind studios and playout: timing, redundancy, capacity and the security that keeps the signal yours.
Broadcasters, production companies and streaming operations are moving from coaxial cable and baseband routers to IP. The benefits are real: new formats without new cable, remote production and software-defined control. So are the risks, because an IP studio only works when timing, bandwidth and redundancy are engineered exactly.
Our team designs media networks on SMPTE ST 2110 over 100G fabrics, with PTP timing, ST 2022-7 seamless redundancy and NMOS control, and secures them as the high-value targets they are.
What we see in your industry
- Moving from SDI to IP changes the failure modes. Timing, multicast and bandwidth must be engineered, because there is no baseband router to hide a mistake.
- Uncompressed video is heavy: about 2.5 Gb/s for each HD stream and about 10 Gb/s for each UHD stream, so capacity planning means 100G links and non-blocking design.
- Redundancy has to be seamless. SMPTE ST 2022-7 sends every stream over two separate fabrics so that a failure never reaches the screen.
- Content is valuable and often unreleased. Ransomware, leaks and fraudulent access to live feeds need real controls around a production network built for speed.
Timing comes first. ST 2110 flows are locked to a shared clock distributed by IEEE 1588 PTP using the SMPTE ST 2059-2 profile. A grandmaster, boundary clocks in every switch and hardware timestamping decide whether audio and video stay together.
Capacity comes second. About 2.5 Gb/s for each HD stream and about 10 Gb/s for each UHD stream mean that a facility needs non-blocking 100G fabrics and bandwidth-aware admission, so that a new flow is refused rather than allowed to damage the ones on air.
Redundancy comes third. Under ST 2022-7, every stream travels across two independent networks and the receiver combines them, so a failure on one is invisible. We test it by pulling cables on a running facility before it goes live.
Security is the last piece, and often the missing one. Production networks are built for speed, but they carry unreleased content and live feeds. We keep management on separate networks, restrict access on every edge port and plan recovery as in our ransomware readiness checklist.
Every industry's reference library and routine can run offline. Our Apocalypse IT Package is an on-premises continuity kit with a local reference library, document scanning, a private AI desk, chat and battery backup, offered to every customer.
Related work on our track record: a broadcaster's SMPTE ST 2110 media network on 100G fabrics (illustrative) and the technology of a New York and Santa Monica PR agency.
Ransomware Readiness and Incident Response: A Checklist Based on the CISA #StopRansomware Guide
The joint CISA, FBI, NSA and MS-ISAC #StopRansomware Guide splits the work in two: what to do before an attack and what to do during one. Here is how a small or mid-size firm can turn it into a plan it can actually run.
Work like yours
Five years of bi-coastal IT, through to acquisition
One of the largest PR agencies in New York and Santa Monica, a leader in its segment.
40 employees, New York & Santa MonicaRead the case
A broadcaster's studios on an IP network: uncompressed video over 100G, locked to a single clock
A regional television broadcaster in the United States with news, sports and live-event production, a leader in its segment.
3 studios, 2 control rooms, 1 playout center, about 1,200 multicast flows, two redundant 100G spine-leaf fabricsRead the caseHow we help
Managed IT Services
We run your IT day to day so it stays secure: help desk, devices, Microsoft 365, Exchange, Active Directory, backups, networks and monitoring.
Learn moreCybersecurity
We find out whether everything you run is safe from attackers, then we fix it.
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Cloud cost review and management, without compromising on quality or security.
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Learn moreFrequently asked questions
Direct answers to the questions we hear most. Something else on your mind?
Send us a messageCan you design an SMPTE ST 2110 network?
Yes. Our broadcaster case carries uncompressed video (ST 2110-20), audio (ST 2110-30) and ancillary data (ST 2110-40) as separate multicast flows on two 100 Gb/s spine-leaf fabrics, with PTP timing and NMOS control.
How much bandwidth does uncompressed video need?
About 2.5 Gb/s for each HD stream and about 10 Gb/s for each UHD stream. Capacity planning therefore means 100G links and a non-blocking design. Bandwidth-aware admission refuses a new stream rather than silently oversubscribing a link.
How is redundancy handled with no dropped frames?
SMPTE ST 2022-7 sends every stream over two separate fabrics, and the receiver switches seamlessly if one fails. A failure on either fabric never reaches the screen.
Why does timing matter on an IP media network?
With no baseband router to hide a mistake, timing must be engineered. We use IEEE 1588 PTP with the SMPTE ST 2059-2 profile, GNSS-disciplined grandmasters, boundary clocks in every switch and hardware timestamping.
How do you protect unreleased content?
Ransomware, leaks and fraudulent access to live feeds need real controls around a production network built for speed. We keep management on a separate out-of-band network, put access lists on every edge port and allow no routable path from the corporate network to the media fabric.
Can remote production work over a WAN?
Yes. Our design includes JPEG XS compressed transport over WAN circuits for remote production, and SDI-to-IP gateways for equipment that cannot yet speak ST 2110.