Achieving Zero-Loss of Live JPEG XS and 2110 from Ground to Cloud with cloudSwXtch

swXtch.io recently participated in an interop event hosted by AWS, where goals included testing of 1080p 59.94 JPEG XS video encode and decode. JPEG XS is increasingly requested with the rise of hybrid ground and cloud workflows, and twelve vendors, including swXtch.io, were present to test TR-07 JPEG XS encode and decode interoperability. swXtch.io's cloudSwXtch was used to test ground-to-cloud workflows and the on-prem multicast video network was successfully extended into the cloud, connecting seamlessly with cloud endpoints. Here's a breakdown of our work at the interop.

Why Lossless Transport in the Cloud?

High-value live sports coverage requires lossless transport of high-quality video and low-latency. These events are produced, or “mastered”, from the highest quality materials possible. This preserves the integrity of the media ahead of multiple generations of re-encodes and re-packaging. Uncompressed video is the premium format of choice. 100 mbps or larger JPEG XS streams are used when light compression is acceptable. However, until the advent of the cloudSwXtch, high-bandwidth multicast streams have been difficult to move into and through cloud environments.

Testing What’s Now Possible with cloudSwXtch

AJA, Appear, Ateme, AWS Elemental, Evertz, Grass Valley, Imagine Communications, and Nevion, were among the JPEG XS encoders and decoders on the local IP network. Meanwhile, the swXtch.io team deployed the cloudSwXtch in the AWS cloud and cloudSwXtch Bridge on-prem. While interoperability checks began on-prem, our xNICs were placed with endpoints in the AWS cloud. Soon enough, the cloud-hosted TAG and Ateme endpoints were subscribing to the JPEG XS streams from on-prem via standard IGMP joins.

The AWS Elemental team was even able to install xNIC, on their own, and dynamically subscribe to any stream in the on-prem and cloud interop network. The power of swXtch.io’s low-latency and high-bandwidth, combined with AWS Direct Connect and Cloud, provided a seamless extension of the on-prem video production system. This allows endpoints and workflows to span elastic cloud and on-prem resources. Enterprise video production is no longer limited by brick-and-mortar barriers.

In addition to the VSF TR-07 JPEG XS testing, Ateme and Imagine Communications provided SMPTE ST 2110-20 uncompressed video streams. Each uncompressed stream was about 2.3 Gbps. The cloudSwXtch Bridge and cloudSwXtch brought these high-bandwidth streams into AWS Cloud without issue.

Cinnafilm's Tachyon LIVE was able to decode TR-07 streams from on-prem encoders. TR-07 is now another example of common formats consumable by Tachyon LIVE. The media within the TR-07 stream can then be transformed by Tachyon LIVE to change resolution, framerate, or colorspace. Note that Tachyon LIVE is deployed within the same instance as the cloudSwXtch.

The new cloudSwXtch Bridge Type 3 delivered high impact performance:

• 800 Million+ packets delivered from ground to cloud

• 0 Packets Lost Lossless was achieved without a special API or SDK integration on the part of the consuming endpoints.

What These Performance Numbers Mean

These performance numbers prove ground and cloud networks can be married for premium video production. The same ST 2110 workflows used for primetime half-time shows, or JPEG XS multi-venue networks, can be extended through the cloud. With cloudSwXtch, media workloads in the cloud can interact with the on-prem video matrix as if they were in the same building. Endpoints in the cloud can join on-prem video routing systems via NMOS. The cloud endpoints will subscribe to multicast streams just as they do in thousands of ST 2110 systems. Execute routes, from anywhere, using Destination>Source>Take actions on traditional panels.

What's Next

The interop event provided validation of in-demand TR-07 capabilities...As well as piles of test data, sure to guide tweaks to products. For swXtch.io, we showed hybrid cloud and ground production environments can support even uncompressed media production workflows. We look forward to pushing even more packets, over larger Direct Connects and on to thousands of JPEG XS, ST 2110, and NMOS endpoints!

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