Target Audience

The solution is designed for national TV broadcasters as well as regional channels that need to deliver their TV signals efficiently and cost-effectively over IP networks to cable operators or other distribution partners.

Initial Situation

Cable network operators approached the company with a specific request: they were looking for a solution that would allow broadcasters to reliably deliver their TV signals via the SRT protocol. This demand was driven by the growing need to transport linear TV signals over IP-based transmission paths, particularly for delivery to cable networks and other distribution platforms.

While specialized hardware solutions for SRT streaming already existed on the market, these systems were primarily designed for large-scale broadcast infrastructures and were significantly above the budget of many broadcasters. For smaller providers, this represented a major barrier. At the same time, many of these broadcasters lacked extensive technical infrastructure or specialized staff, making ease of operation a critical requirement.

Against this backdrop, there was a clear need for a pragmatic, stable, and economically viable alternative that could be integrated into existing production environments with minimal technical effort.

Solution Development

We first analyzed the technical and economic requirements of both broadcasters and cable network operators. The goal was to develop a solution that delivers broadcast-grade stability while being significantly more cost-effective than existing market offerings.

A key approach was the targeted use of existing resources. The company already had encoder hardware from previous projects, as well as experience in developing server-based streaming infrastructure. Instead of building a completely new hardware platform, the decision was made to combine existing encoder systems with a newly developed software solution.

At the core of the concept is a modular architecture: encoders handle signal ingestion and encoding from SDI-based production environments, while a central distribution server manages stream delivery via the SRT protocol. This approach allows the system to scale flexibly while keeping the architecture technically streamlined.

Another major focus was practical usability. The solution was designed to operate without complex broadcast infrastructure and to perform reliably even for smaller broadcasters with limited bandwidth. As a result, the system can run with an internet connection requiring as little as approximately 600 kbit/s upload.

Within three months, a complete “SRT out-of-the-box” solution was developed, combining both hardware and software into a ready-to-deploy system.

Economic Benefits

A key advantage of the developed solution lies in its economic efficiency. By combining refurbished encoder hardware with proprietary software, a significant cost reduction compared to existing market solutions has been achieved.

The total cost of the solution is approximately 68.7% lower than comparable SRT systems in the broadcast market. This makes a technology accessible that was previously reserved primarily for larger media organizations.

At the same time, the architecture reduces technical operational overhead. Broadcasters do not require complex infrastructure and can deliver their signal with minimal setup. The server-based distribution also enables high scalability, as multiple receivers can be served through the same infrastructure.

For cable network operators, this creates a standardized and reliable interface through which programs from various broadcasters can be efficiently integrated.

Technical Implementation

The technical implementation is based on two core components: an encoder system and a server-based SRT distributor.

Refurbished brand encoders are used, which have been tested, adapted, and prepared for the specific use case. These devices support one to two SDI input channels and handle the conversion of traditional broadcast signals into IP-based streams. Distribution is carried out by a proprietary SRT distributor.

This distributor is a server-based solution built on existing software components and specifically optimized for signal delivery to cable network operators. It manages incoming streams and distributes them in parallel to multiple destinations.

A single server port can handle up to 60 parallel streams. This allows the infrastructure to scale efficiently without requiring additional hardware for each individual broadcaster or receiver. At the same time, the server-based architecture ensures a clear separation between signal ingestion and distribution.

Integration into existing production environments is achieved via SDI, eliminating the need for changes to internal broadcast systems. On the broadcaster side, the required setup is essentially limited to the encoder and a stable internet connection.