In today’s world, live event broadcasting is a major industry, and consumer demand for this type of video content is increasing. With advancements in technology, broadcasters, content owners and streaming service providers are constantly seeking ways to deliver a great selection of targeted content and compelling personalised experiences to their audience while also ensuring that they keep their transport costs in check. One of the technologies that has been developed to meet this need is hardware-accelerated Secure Reliable Transport (SRT).

The SRT protocol was initially developed by Haivision in 2013 for transporting high-quality video over unpredictable networks, such as the public internet. Since its inception, it has become the go-to standard for video transport over lossy networks. However, until recently most technology vendors only offered server-based SRT solutions that delivered limited bandwidth and connections.

The advent of accelerated SRT optimises video transport by combining a number of proven techniques, including packet loss recovery, congestion control and stream optimisation. This results in secure, reduced latency, high quality, more stable video streaming at scale, making it ideal for applications such as the contribution of tier 2 and 3 sports and the distribution of long tail content.  These types of video transport require a high degree of reliability, low latency, and secure video streams at a cost that balances against the value of the content being transported. SRT acceleration delivers on all these requirements, making it an ideal technology for this type of application.

Let’s take a closer look at the advantages of hardware-accelerated SRT

The primary benefit of the SRT acceleration approach is that it can significantly reduce video transport costs. By using a combination of techniques to optimise the video transport, SRT, as a transport protocol, may reduce the amount of bandwidth required to transmit high-quality video streams. This can result in significant cost savings for broadcasters, content owners, and streaming service providers. A great example of this for contribution applications is where the sheer density of a single Appear X Platform can handle up to 22 simultaneous UHD camera feeds.  This could be an entire stadium’s camera deployment including Video Assistant Referee (VAR) applications.

For primary distribution of long tail content, the 2RU X20 can handle up to 1,536 connections (12 cards x 128 connections per card) and up to 72Gb of SRT traffic!  Appear’s development and acceleration of SRT technology means that the scales of economics for cloud migration become tipped in the favour of the media service provider.

Another benefit of SRT acceleration is that it can improve the quality of the video transmission over unmanaged networks. By optimising the video transport, SRT acceleration may reduce packet loss, which can result in a more stable and higher quality video stream. This can improve the viewing experience for global audiences by making live event broadcasting far more engaging.

Finally, when comparing against content transmission methods such as satellite networks, SRT acceleration can also help to reduce latency, which is critical in live sports broadcasting and betting applications. By reducing the time it takes for a video stream to reach its destination, SRT acceleration can reduce the delay between the live event and its final broadcast delivery, making the viewing experience more immersive without being notified of in-app result updates prior to watching the goal being scored or the winner passing the finishing post!

In conclusion, SRT is a powerful technology for contributing and distributing live content that, when enhanced by hardware acceleration, can assist broadcasters, content owners, and streaming service providers to align content value with video transport costs. Its applicability in live event contribution use cases such as live sports makes it ideal for niche sporting events and distribution of long tail content. By reducing video transport costs, securing and improving the quality of the video stream, combined with reducing latency, SRT acceleration can help broadcasters and streaming service providers make a great selection of quality content more accessible to their audiences while keeping costs in check.

For a broader perspective on how hardware-accelerated SRT fits into broadcasting’s future, Appear’s interactive essay The Future of Broadcasting explores the emerging trends shaping the next generation of live content delivery.