IP transmissions are affected by data contention on the internet and limited by the narrowest part of the pipe: AI-managed multipathing eliminates these limitations and releases the full, guaranteed bandwidth of transmission and receiving devices without adding complexity or latency.
- Stream high quality content. High quality video content can now be streamed over long distances – even between continents – using IP over data circuits and the internet. Whether it is a point-to-point transmission or it goes via one or a number of intermediate streaming servers, as in a CDN, there will be a number of routers along the path, each joined by a connecting circuit of its own characteristics, including different amounts of available bandwidth which can be allocated to the stream.
- Resolves bandwidth issues. Circuits are established using the shortest path first principle. This should result in the lowest end-to-end latency, but it may be that one or more links in the chain will be bandwidth constrained. It does not matter if your transmitting device and receiving device are set up for high quality signals at 20Mb/s if some remote part of the circuit is bandwidth-limited to 10Mb/s. You will only be able to get 10Mb/s end to end.
- Increases resilience. As the name suggests, this remarkable innovation provides real-time connectivity over multiple paths from the transmitting terminal to the receiver, guaranteeing bandwidth and exponentially increasing resilience. Transparent to the user, the transmitting device adds extra flags into the header of each packet which determines which sub-path it will take and how the data is divided across those paths.
- Reduces operational costs. The transmitter is equipped with historical data as well as empirical evidence from the connections, allowing it to create an optimum delivery path using the best of the bandwidth available. It can combine delivery paths using any class of connectivity, from dedicated internet access (DIA) circuits to 5G.
- Solves manpower issues. The intelligence in the multipathing software ensures this stable signal is dynamically achieved with the minimum of latency, thanks to Caton’s unique forward error correction capabilities. The result transforms the operational costs and required resources for live stream delivery.
Why are broadcasters and media companies paying close attention to multipathing?
There are many demands for high quality, resilient and low latency circuits over long distances, whether from a sporting event to a broadcaster, or from a streaming hub to multiple cinemas. Fixed video circuits are economically unviable and impractical; satellites are expensive and inherently high in latency, especially when more than one hop is required.
That is why data IP circuits are seen as the solution. The challenge is to balance the high costs of end-to-end DIA with the potential bandwidth and resilience challenges of using standard platforms like business broadband and 5G cellular links.
Some vendors have proposed load balancing as the solution, but this essentially means establishing multiple point-to-point connections and splitting the data between them. It means complex engineering set-ups at each end with multiple ports and continuing operational supervision to manage the load balancing and to manage circuit interruptions and variable latency in the circuit.
Unlike other multipathing solutions available, that use one or two load balancing features, Caton is achieving true multipathing in real time by using all paths adaptively in a mesh topology format to form a single transmission. That single transmission, at the IP level, is packet sequencing to ensure all video packets are sent and received in the correct sequence; an extremely important feature for transmitting and viewing the video properly over any network.
It draws on the unique forward error connection functionality in Caton Transport Protocols (CTP), and on advanced AI which manages multiple paths, reacting in milliseconds to any issue. Whether it is a constraint on a particular signal path or an attempted hack, the Caton multipathing switches around it with no impact on the delivery.
It is simple to establish a circuit, needing at least one port at each end and no specialist engineering resources. It gives broadcasters and streamers the confidence to use inexpensive business broadband and 5G, saving costs while maintaining quality, security and resilience. It is a true game-changer.
Would like to know more? Watch a webinar recording of Caton and Grass Valley speakers discussing CVP multipathing and the AMPP program.
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