(English) 2019 eBook

2019
IP CODEC EBOOK
The Latest Trends in Remote IP Codecs
IP has become the predominant technology for streaming live remote
broadcasts. This eBook outlines the latest innovations delivering flexible and
powerful solutions to broadcasters around the world.

INTRODUCING
The Remote season 2019 eBook...
We outline how you can now remotely control
all your codecs and smartphone app users with
Tieline’s Cloud Codec Controller, and show you
how you can try it for free.
There’s a Report-IT and Merlin PLUS story from
Ben Marshall, Program Director from WMOA
WJAW, who outlines their network’s strategy for
covering at least one hundred and twenty-five
regular season sports broadcasts, with more than
a dozen different schools at the High School and
College level.
As we head into the remote season for 2019, this
eBook explores ‘The Latest Trends in Remote IP
Codecs.‘
At Tieline we’ve been busy creating new solutions
for live streaming over IP. We have developed a
new Dual Active SIM LTE Module supporting two
SIM cards, plus a new software release offers
the ability to configure three SmartStream PLUS
redundant IP streams and a primary IP audio
stream – delivering even more robust and rocksolid
IP connections.
Inside this eBook Charlie Gawley will provide an
update on the latest news from broadcast circles in
Europe, with some revealing news about the latest
technology trends.
We go head-to-head with Tieline’s Jacob Daniluck
as he outlines some home truths about broadcasting
over SIP and offers some tips to get you connected
as easy as possible.
We talk turkey when it comes to setting up mixminus
feeds for remotes, including a strategy for
configuring multiple simultaneous mix-minus feeds.
GRAB A CUPPA, SIT BACK AND READ ON…
IP technologies are evolving quickly and sometimes
it’s hard to keep up with all the innovations taking
place. So sit back, grab a coffee and read all about
the latest in IP codec tech news that can take your
remotes to the next level.
William McLean
Chief Executive Officer

THE REMOTE SEASON 2019 EBOOK
CONTENTS
INTRODUCING THE REMOTE SEASON 2019 EBOOK
3
NEW TECHNOLOGIES TO ACHIEVE GREAT REMOTE
BROADCASTS…
4
BROADCAST TRENDS IN EUROPE…
6
REMOTE CONTROL OF YOUR CODECS – ANYWHERE,
ANYTIME…
REPORT-IT AND MERLIN PLUS DELIVER FOR WMOA AND
WKAW SPORTS AND NEWS BROADCASTING
8
11
TO SIP OR NOT TO SIP, THAT IS THE QUESTION…
TECH TIP: SETTING UP IFB MIX MINUS FOR SPORTS
REMOTES
13
16
Tieline: The Codec Company
3

TECHNOLOGIES
New
to achieve great remote broadcasts
Picture this. You’re heading out to do a remote broadcast next week at a large public
event and wondering about the options
available onsite to get audio back to the studio
over IP, plus:
»»
It’s the first time you will have been to
the location and there’s no time to test
connections back to the studio beforehand.
»»
Tens of thousands of people will attend the
event – all using cell phones competing for
cellular bandwidth.
»»
This event is too important to fail!
Planning for any Eventuality…
We’ve all been there at one time or another and being well prepared and flexible is
crucial to successful remote broadcasts.
Flexibility = More Options
So what sort of flexible options are available with remotes in mind? From an IP
connectivity perspective this means using a variety of IP interfaces to reduce the risk
of lost packets. Sharing high-demand cellular networks with thousands of other users
can lead to loss of audio if you are not well-prepared and using packet loss mitigation
strategies.
The Latest Strategies…
Packet loss can occur when thousands of people are trying to access scarce data
resources, however there are various techniques that can make IP streaming as reliable
as circuit switched connections in the past.
»»
Order data plans with cellular data priority where available: Telcos can often supply
access to cellular data plans with QoS, which provide more reliable connectivity in
heavily congested environments like sports stadiums and major events.
»»
Employ multiple redundant IP streams over multiple networks, which greatly
increases the reliability of streaming over IP.
»»
Bond multiple data connections to aggregate data and achieve higher bitrate
connections.
4 www.tieline.com

New Technologies
to achieve great remote broadcasts
Lossless Connections Using Redundant Streaming
Lossless connections are achievable over IP using SmartStream PLUS redundant
streaming. Using this technology packets are assembled on a first packet arrived basis
from any of multiple redundant IP streams, as shown in the following image.
Codecs like the Tieline ViA deliver more IP interface options than other remote codecs,
plus the ability to stream over 4 different interfaces simultaneously. This means you have
more ways to mitigate loss over inherently lossy IP networks like the internet.
IP Interface Options for Remotes
Having the flexibility to connect over multiple IP networks delivers reliability through
redundancy. The Tieline ViA has up to 7 IP interface options, which means you have
more broadcast options available to you when arriving at a remote site.
These options include:
»»
Internal Dual Active SIM LTE Module: supports using 2
SIM cards for Telco diversity.
»»
Built-in Wi-Fi (no USB modem required) supporting
connections to cellular hotspots.
»»
Connect two USB modems/air cards.
»»
Connect two Ethernet connections.
This delivers the type of flexibility required in today’s world, to
enable connections over any available option when at remote
broadcast sites.
Tieline: The Codec Company
5

BROADCAST TRENDS
IN EUROPE
Tieline Insider asks Charlie
Gawley, Tieline’s VP Sales
APAC/EMEA, about the latest
technology trends among
European broadcasters.
Insider:
Charlie you visit a lot of European countries and see a lot of broadcast installations, what
are the key trends you have noticed over the last year or so?
Charlie:
During the last 12 months I have noticed a shift throughout Europe to predominantly
IP broadcasting. This has been evident for audio distribution applications, and remote
outside broadcasts, where reliance on ISDN/E1 circuit switched lines continues to drop
throughout the continent.
Insider:
From the perspective of remote broadcasting, how are broadcasters transitioning into
new technologies?
Charlie:
Most broadcasters are relatively comfortable with IP for live streaming of broadcast
content, however they have become more demanding about redundancy strategies over
IP networks. Infrastructure does vary from country-to-country, but generally wired and/or
wireless IP is able to reliably broadcast from just about anywhere these days.
Insider:
What sort of redundancy strategies are in play?
6 www.tieline.com

BROADCAST TRENDS IN EUROPE
interview with Charlie Gawley
Charlie:
Even though broadband infrastructure is improving all the time, no two networks are the
same. Tieline has employed SmartStream PLUS redundant streaming for many years
now and this is a well-established IP redundancy model in the industry. However, I have
found several European broadcasters requesting more redundancy to employ more
sophisticated and layered approaches to IP backup. That’s why we have developed
new firmware with support for up to 3 redundant IP streams, plus a primary stream, so
theoretically you can send IP audio over 4 separate networks back to the studio.
Insider:
What about remote control, is this important in Europe?
Charlie:
Yes remote control is very important - and I might add it’s by necessity. It’s very evident that
broadcasters are covering more sport generally. Therefore, I am increasingly being asked
about how Tieline can provide solutions which can be given to announcers and taken to
a sports event, festival or wherever, and controlled back at the studio, because there are
not enough technical personnel to go to every event. We have this covered nicely with the
recently released Cloud Codec Controller, which allows engineers to not only remotely
control their IP codecs, but also users of Tieline’s Report-IT Enterprise smartphone app.
Insider:
What about IP bonding, is this talked about much?
Charlie:
Absolutely, some broadcasters employ both SmartStream PLUS redundant IP streaming
and IP bonding simultaneously. Again, broadcasters are moving away from external
boxes that perform bonding and want solutions in a single box, like with Fuse-IP bonding
in the Tieline ViA, which can bond of any of up to 7 available IP interfaces. There are two
reasons for this, one is that bonding-only solutions can be expensive, and secondly, if
everything is handled in the one box then it is simpler to hand to an announcer and say,
‘off you go and broadcast’. There are fewer potential points of failure too.
Insider:
Are any other redundancy strategies employed by engineers?
Charlie:
Yes Forward Error Correction is used extensively, and error correction strategies are
inherent in Tieline IP codecs, so along with redundant streaming and IP bonding, there
are many options to get rock solid audio back to the studio.
Insider:
Thanks Charlie.
Tieline: The Codec Company
7

FEATURE PRODUCT
REMOTE CONTROL OF YOUR CODECS – ANYWHERE, ANYTIME…
HOW CAN I REMOTELY CONTROL CODECS WHEN NON-TECHNICAL PEOPLE
ARE AT THE REMOTE SITE?
One of the most common requests we get at Tieline is “how can I configure and control
a codec when I can’t be at the remote site?” Well, with the Cloud Codec Controller full
remote control of a codec is at your fingertips.
How is this possible? Well Tieline’s Cloud Codec Controller delivers a simple user
interface to configure, connect and manage your entire network of Tieline codecs and all
Report-IT Enterprise users from a single PC located anywhere in the world.
It doesn’t matter whether the device is connected via a LAN or cellular networks, the
Cloud Codec Controller integrates with the latest cloud computing technologies to deliver
secure real-time monitoring and remote control of all Merlin, Genie, ViA and Bridge-IT
codecs, as well as smartphones using Report-IT Enterprise from a single PC located
anywhere in the world.
8 www.tieline.com

CLOUD CODEC CONTROLLER
Remote Control of your Codecs – ANYWHERE, ANYTIME…
SO CAN I REALLY CONTROL REPORT-IT APP USERS REMOTELY?
One of the most amazing things about the Cloud Codec Controller is the ability to
control Report-IT Enterprise app users when the app is launched on a smartphone. This
delivers incredible control and means an engineer can:
»»
View when a user goes online and is ready to connect.
»»
Connect and disconnect individual Report-IT
Enterprise users after they launch the app.
»»
Start and stop recordings, monitor and adjust input
and record levels, lock and unlock controls and
observe link quality.
Tieline: The Codec Company
9

CLOUD CODEC CONTROLLER
Remote Control of your Codecs – ANYWHERE, ANYTIME…
HOW DOES IT WORK?
It’s very simple. An announcer only needs to connect a remote codec to the internet
or launch the Report-IT Enterprise app on their smartphone, and it will be discovered
automatically by the Cloud Codec Controller in a snap! All configuration and dialing can be
configured by an engineer at the studio, or wherever they are in the world.
WATCH THE SHORT VIDEO
Learn more about the powerful remote-control features delivered by the Cloud Codec
Controller.
TRY IT FOR FREE…
Visit www.tieline.com/register and fill out the form to try it for free and learn why other
engineers are raving about the powerful remote control tools provided by Tieline’s Cloud
Codec Controller.
“Tieline ViA is our go-to solution for live remotes,
and our staff love it. The ViA truly is a studio in a
box.”
Henrik Poulsen, Technical Manager for
NORDJYSKE Media
10 www.tieline.com

REPORT-IT & MERLIN PLUS DELIVER
WMOA & WKAW
SPORTS AND NEWS BROADCASTING
By Ben Marshall, WMOA WJAW
Program Director
At WMOA / WJAW radio in Marietta,
Ohio it would be an understatement to
say that local sports are a big deal, and
now with the Merlin PLUS, we’ve taken
our Game to the next level.
Every year we plan for at least one
hundred and twenty-five regular season
sports broadcasts, with more than a
dozen different schools and programs
at the High School and College level playing a variety of sports, including football,
basketball, and baseball. At the very start of 2019, we began our trial period with the
Merlin PLUS and while there were hiccups with the initial setup, and some growing
pains for our broadcasters getting familiar with the new equipment using IP, it very
quickly became apparent that the Merlin PLUS is the real deal. It must also be said that
everyone we dealt with at Tieline was great. Some of the initial problems we had setting
up our Merlin was just because of the holiday season, with the staff at both our offices
and Tieline taking time off to celebrate. Tieline graciously extended our trial period
through January and they made the whole trial process very smooth.
During our initial broadcast with the Merlin PLUS we could tell instantly that the quality
was great. It was much improved from using cell phone or landlines, and our listeners
noticed right away as well. Putting audio recorded from a basketball game that we
had done on our conventional system next to the Merlin PLUS audio, it was almost
embarrassing the difference in quality - but it made for an easy choice, we NEED this
technology.
I had arranged my demo setup through John Lackness at Broadcast Depot, whom I had
met in Orlando at the 2018 Radio Show, so I was glad that coincidentally enough he
could give me a great deal on the Tieline equipment.
We ordered the Merlin PLUS and the Report-IT app, which we also used during our
Tieline: The Codec Company
11

REPORT-IT & MERLIN PLUS DELIVER
for WMOA & WKAW Sports and News Broadcasting
trial period. The app itself, again very easy to use, is just a simple download from your
app store. One main draw of the Merlin PLUS for us was the ability to have six different
connections (broadcast) going at one time. At the time of writing we have had three
connections broadcasting simultaneously and no discernible drop in connection or
quality.
While the quality of our remotes and sports broadcasts have immediately gone through
the roof, we know that we have just scratched the surface of everything the Merlin PLUS
is capable of. In the future we fully anticipate utilizing the Merlin PLUS to receive live or
pre-recorded interviews from sports events. In addition, the WMOA News team have the
Report-IT app on their phone. If they should happen on an accident downtown all they
have to do is open the app on their phone, and they can be live on the air in minutes
broadcasting with studio quality, even if they don’t have the other broadcast equipment.
The conclusion is simple. The Merlin PLUS drastically and immediately improved our
radio stations. It has made our other forms of remote broadcasting, including our Marti
System, obsolete. I mentioned in the first paragraph about one hundred twenty-five
sports broadcasts, that is just our regular season schedule, and doesn’t include any
type of post season. Not to mention any live broadcast our on-air talent may do, we’re
looking at well over 200 broadcasts a year, and with the Merlin PLUS, every one of them
will be studio quality.
Did You Know…
Did you know that Tieline writes all software and designs and manufactures all audio codecs in-house?
This delivers the highest levels of quality control during manufacturing and ultra-reliable performance when
broadcasting.
The Tieline Research and Development team has access to state-of-the art development and testing tools
and the high level of control over production continues to deliver the utmost levels of precision and product
innovation for customers.
“I’ve done hours of broadcasting with some of the
worst internet anywhere in the country and the
studio has never had to drop me. My Tieline ViA
keeps me on the air, it’s that simple”.
Noah J. Chelliah, President of Altispeed
Technologies/Announcer for Ask Noah Show
12 www.tieline.com

TO SIP OR NOT TO SIP, THAT IS
THE QUESTION…
Tieline Insider decided to
grill Jacob Daniluck, Tieline’s
Technical Sales Specialist
Americas, about the
importance of SIP and why
and when you should use
it. Plus, we asked for some
tips on how to get connected
more easily over SIP.
Insider:
Jacob what is SIP and why is it important to broadcasters?
Jacob:
Well SIP has been around for a while now and basically it’s the EBU N/ACIP standard
of interoperability that allows different IP codec brands to interconnect. It’s important to
broadcasters for two main reasons. First, if you have Tieline codecs and another broadcaster
you are connecting to has say Comrex codecs, it allows you to connect both brands and
seamlessly stream IP audio between them. Another reason is that you may have existing
codecs from one manufacturer, but want to purchase from another manufacturer, SIP
allows you to connect between both – which extends the life of older codecs and allows
flexibility when upgrading the broadcast plant.
Insider:
How easy is it to connect over SIP?
Tieline: The Codec Company
13

TO SIP OR NOT TO SIP
interview with Jacob Daniluck
Jacob:
Connecting over SIP should be straightforward if you use the designated encoding
algorithms and other settings as mandated in the EBU N/ACIP Tech 3326 standard.
However, it’s not always as straightforward as it may seem.
Insider:
Can you give us an example?
Jacob:
SIP does have it’s place from an interoperability perspective, but it also has it’s downside.
Before using SIP over IP, it is useful to understand that SIP often requires both codecs
to be configured with the same settings before connecting or the connection may fail.
We’ve also found that not all professional codec manufacturers are fully compliant with all
requirements for interoperability.
Insider:
So… it’s not as straightforward as it may seem?
Jacob:
Not always, however with a bit of knowledge, and perhaps some trial and error from timeto-time,
we can get Tieline codecs connected to all the major codec manufacturers.
Insider:
Is there anything else we should know about SIP?
Jacob:
SIP does not support advanced software enhancements which deliver redundancy and
rock-solid reliability over IP, for example, failover connections, redundant streaming, IP
bonding, or error concealment strategies.
Insider:
So what does this mean for broadcasters?
Jacob:
It’s important to understand the limitations of SIP as well as the advantages. So, while
SIP is important from an interoperability perspective, it lacks the ‘secret sauce’ you
get when using two proprietary codecs from the same manufacturer. Codecs from the
same manufacturer will generally connect more easily and offer redundant streaming, IP
bonding, error concealment, and a host of other cool network configuration and monitoring
features.
14 www.tieline.com

TO SIP OR NOT TO SIP
interview with Jacob Daniluck
Insider:
I see… anything else we should know?
Jacob:
Tieline was the first non-European manufacturer to deploy the SIP standard and we were
an active member of the ACIP group with our recommendation for packet size being
implemented. Tieline was also the first codec manufacturer to deploy Opus encoding. Opus
has grown in popularity because it is an open source codec capable of high performance
at both high and low bit-rates. It is widely used in WebRTC applications and is one of the
optional audio codecs mentioned in the EBU SIP standard. It has been implemented by
several codec manufacturers and sounds great.
Insider:
What support do you normally offer customers who have questions about SIP?
Jacob:
On our website we have documents with useful information about setting up connections
using SIP between Tieline and most of the major manufacturers, so this is a great place
to start. These documents contain background information about the different ways you
can connect over SIP. And if you can’t get connected after trying to configure SIP, you can
always email or call our support team who will offer advice based on their vast experience
in using SIP.
How a SIP call works using a SIP Server
Tieline: The Codec Company
15

Tech TIP: Setting up
IFB MIX MINUS
Sports Remotes
What is a Mix-Minus?
A mix-minus is a broadcast term used to
describe the feed sent from the studio
to a remote site, so that the remote site
can hear the output of the studio, without
the remote site hearing itself back. The
feed from the studio will often include a
full mix of the studio master mix output
(master mix bus), minus incoming audio
from the remote outside broadcast.
Why is a Mix-Minus Required?
Typically, a mix-minus has been used by electronic news gathering crews, radio and
television news reporters and remote outside broadcast trucks to facilitate live audio
crosses that require bidirectional communications. Sending a mix-minus feed from
the studio allows the remote site to hear studio broadcast audio without hearing the
audio from the remote site back on delay. Audio sent via satellite or IP technologies
from a remote site invariably has inherent delay on both the transmit and return
paths, and it would be a significant distraction to hear this audio back at the remote
site on delay.
As an example, if the IP audio latency between the remote site and the studio is
250ms, and the latency back from the studio is also 250ms, then the round-trip
delay is 500ms or half a second. If a mix minus was not created and remote site
announcers heard the full mix back from the studio, including their own audio, they
would hear themselves on a half second delay. This would create an ‘echo effect’ and
make it very difficult to maintain broadcasting.
In the early days a mix-minus was often fed via a telephone hybrid, but increasingly
these days it is fed over IP using devices like smartphone apps and audio codecs.
16 www.tieline.com

Setting up IFB Mix Minus
Tech Tip
Multiple Live Crosses Require
Multiple Mix-Minuses
If multiple simultaneous live
crosses occur, it is necessary
to create a separate mixminus
for each remote
location using the studio
mixing console. Typically, a
separate mix bus will used to
send an auxiliary mix-minus
feed to each location, and
this can be tailored for each
destination.
Real-World Applications Using
Tieline Codecs
Every single day thousands
of Tieline customers use
mix-minus to facilitate live
remotes. The Tieline ViA
codec supports a bidirectional
stereo connection for
program, plus a separate
mono connection for
sending IFB mix-minus
communications from the
studio. The touchscreen
makes it easy to configure
routing of signal paths onsite.
Configuring Multiple Mix-Minus Feeds
Following is an example of how mix-minus configuration can be implemented for up to
six remote sites using Tieline codecs and the Report-IT Enterprise smartphone app.
Tieline: The Codec Company
17

TIELINE RESEARCH
(INTERNATIONAL)
Address: 4 Bendsten Place
Balcatta WA 6021 Australia
Postal Address: PO Box
2092, Malaga WA 6944
Australia
Phone: +61(0)8 9413 2000
Email: info@tieline.com
TIELINE AMERICA LLC
Address: 7202 East
87th Street Suite #116
Indianapolis, Indiana 46256
Phone: +1-317-845-8000
Email: sales@tieline.com
www.tieline.com
18 www.tieline.com