Modern broadcast infrastructure is moving from SDI to SMPTE ST-2110, the standard for professional media over IP. This transformation changes how signals flow inside studios. It also affects how rundown software must integrate with technical systems.
ST-2110 defines separate streams for video, audio, and ancillary metadata. This separation allows extremely precise routing and synchronization. But it also means that automation systems and rundown tools must be more aware of network-level metadata than before.
A typical ST-2110 environment includes:
- IP-based video routers
- software-defined production switchers
- audio-over-IP engines
- PTP grandmaster clocks
- NMOS IS-04 and IS-05 control layers
- IP-based multiviewers
- virtualized playout engines
The rundown system must integrate with this environment indirectly. While the rundown does not control ST-2110 media directly, it triggers automation systems, which in turn route IP sources and manage playout.
Integration happens through automation engines, NMOS controllers, and MOS gateways. For example, when the rundown system triggers a new camera source, the automation engine may translate that into an NMOS IS-05 connection request, routing an ST-2110 flow to the video switcher.
Timing becomes even more critical. ST-2110 relies on PTP (Precision Time Protocol), so the rundown system must align its timing engine with the PTP environment. This ensures scripts, cuecards, and MOS triggers align with studio timing.
Metadata becomes more important in IP-based ecosystems. Rundown systems must store metadata for:
- source identifiers
- flow IDs
- network locations
- latency budgets
- synchronization offsets
These metadata fields help automation systems understand how to execute transitions cleanly.
Cloud-based broadcast rundown software faces an additional challenge: it must issue commands or updates via gateways that understand both legacy MOS and ST-2110/NMOS environments. This creates a hybrid integration layer where MOS handles rundown-to-device communication and NMOS handles IP routing.
Falcon Rundown’s architecture is built for this hybrid environment. Its cloud-based editorial layer triggers MOS or automation API events that then communicate with ST-2110 routing controllers inside the facility.
In the near future, rundown systems will likely integrate more deeply with IP routing control, making ST-2110 metadata first-class citizens in story objects.
ST-2110 is shaping the next decade of broadcast infrastructure, and rundown systems must evolve with it. Falcon Rundown is positioned to support that future by offering robust metadata handling, automation integration, cloud connectivity, and synchronization logic compatible with modern IP media workflows.