Delivering Game-Changing Results Via Reliable Live Broadcasting

Delivering Game-Changing Results Via Reliable Live Broadcasting

SRT monitoring that broadcast network engineers can rely on

Live broadcasting is no longer limited to satellite trucks or closed networks. It happens everywhere, across countless platforms and unpredictable internet connections. When you're streaming a major sporting event, or your favorite team, your audience wants flawless delivery. That's why IT broadcasters are turning to Secure Reliable Transport (SRT), a free and open source protocol purpose-built for low-latency, loss-resilient video transport. SRT has become the go-to solution for getting quality video from one point to another, even when the network conditions aren't good.

SRT Alliance Leads Streaming Innovation

The SRT Alliance organization has become a major driver in the evolution of low-latency video streaming. Through the open source SRT project, the alliance encourages innovation and collaboration, inviting new members to join in shaping the future of streaming. The SRT Alliance has grown to more than 600 members from 450 technology companies that are endorsing SRT as the standard in these industries. Members include major companies from technology industries, entertainment, sports, and media broadcasting-such as NETSCOUT, Microsoft, YouTube, Sony, Canon, NFL, Fox News, and Paramount. Designed to promote the SRT protocol, the alliance is committed to making SRT the industry standard for high-quality, low-latency streaming.

Boost Viewer Satisfaction with SRT

High-quality performance of an SRT system delivers reliable video streaming and security over networks such as the public internet. Live sports, news, and streaming production stay smooth with little to no delay and enable broadcasting companies to deliver high-quality streams worldwide. This is crucial for the satisfaction and engagement of viewers regardless of their technology or platform. It is also important for companies that want to maintain a competitive edge in the marketplace.

What Happens When SRT Fails in Sports

When SRT systems perform poorly, streaming broadcasters risk customer churn. With so many viewing options available, even brief performance issues can cause subscribers to cancel. What does a poor SRT system do for sports? In some cases, not only does live coverage freeze or cut out, but replays under review in remote locations may arrive late, or stutter, jeopardizing game decisions and frustrating viewers who miss key moments. When viewer experiences are ruined, companies lose revenue and may be at the receiving end of a firestorm of social media backlash.

This is the public's reaction. Inside the organizations that depend on SRT, a poor system can affect remote viewing and analysis, particularly when engineering teams must struggle with issues such as syncing of video and data streams. This can challenge network broadcast engineers who need to troubleshoot these disruptions in highly complex, multivendor environments. An example of this is the mere seconds that teams have to review a play and be able to challenge it before they lose the opportunity. Not only does the quality of the replay need to be good as well as visible to enable the right call, but it must be analyzed within moments of getting the screens to referees, replay booths, and officials.

Gain Deeper Visibility with SRT Monitoring

Smooth, reliable video and streaming isn't special anymore-it's the core of broadcasting. As SRT sets the standard for low-latency performance, tools such as specialized service monitors in NETSCOUT's nGeniusONE solution are giving IT professionals the visibility necessary to keep every stream sharp and every replay instant. When performance drops, trust drops with it. So, staying ahead of these issues is crucial, and the time is now to bring smarter tools into your workflow.

Things have become a whole lot easier for the broadcasting industry. If you and your team rely on SRT for flawless live action and video, you know that every packet and second counts when it's crunch time. That's where NETSCOUT's SRT Monitor steps in. Network media engineers won't have to worry about losing time or subscriptions. The SRT Monitor is a purpose-built tool that gives broadcast network engineers and IT managers real-time visibility into stream health. This monitor arms you with the insights to catch issues before they reach the audience.

Making Streams Better in Real Time

NETSCOUT has a strong history of protecting the performance and availability of more than 1,000 applications including voice, video, and many business services. In this case, the SRT Monitor provides metadata for metrics such as packet loss rate, received rate, round trip time (RTT), RTT variance, and available RX buffer. This level of detail helps identify the source of problems to help IT and broadcast engineers quickly return broadcast quality to consumers. Ultimately, the value of this specialized service monitor for the SRT application enables network broadcast engineers to observe where and when live video degrades so they can quickly resolve issues and ensure quality performance.

Learn more about how one organization is putting NETSCOUT's SRT Monitor to work in its environment.