The router ahead [TV production]

The changing TV landscape, especially the move to high-definition video, is placing unprecedented demands on the technology of broadcast routers. Making television programmes is becoming increasingly complex. Even the simplest productions are generating a growing number of high-bandwidth data streams oth video and multi-track audio - that need to be passed quickly and seamlessly around the production environment. To make matters worse, the growing interest in high-definition production means that routers - the devices responsible for directing all these high-bandwidth data streams - are having to work harder than ever. Ultimately, a router is little more than a switching system, but the speeds required can put a lot of pressure on even the simplest designs. The article outlines some of the work being done in the field of broadcast routing.