A group of eight organisations is honoured with a Technology & Engineering Emmy Award for Web-Based Frame-Accurate Remote Monitoring Systems for Distributed Broadcast Production.
A group of eight organisations has been honoured with a Technology & Engineering Emmy Award from the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS). The award, for Web-Based Frame-Accurate Remote Monitoring Systems for Distributed Broadcast Production, is shared by SipRadius, NBCU, Grass Valley, CBS Sports, Disney, Game Creek, Amazon and Vindral, recognising their contributions to the development and implementation of this technology.
Presented by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS), the Technology & Engineering Emmy Awards recognize significant developments in television technology and engineering that have materially affected the production, transmission or reception of television.
COVID-19 Pandemic
The technologies recognized by NATAS emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic, when the live television industry faced an urgent need to maintain high-quality, real-time production while teams and facilities were distributed across locations. These innovations continued to evolve through early 2024 and have since become standard across major broadcasters, cable networks and streaming platforms.
For Grass Valley, the recognition reflects its contribution to the technologies and workflows that enabled production teams to monitor live content remotely with the precision required for professional broadcast operations. These capabilities have become an important part of the industry’s transition toward more distributed production models, allowing teams to collaborate across locations while maintaining the quality and timing expected of live television.
Access to Content Flows
The challenge faced was not only to connect major centers and their live content in Los Angeles, New York and London but also production teams working from diverse remote locations. The goal was to give them the same access to content flows as if they were next to the server room, while taking advantage of of low-cost, wide-availability connectivity over the public internet.
All this had to be achieved without compromising image quality, and providing the highest protection against copyright infringement and piracy. Delivering this with proven technology, in an adaptable form suitable for all applications and users, called for an innovative solution.
To meet these requirements, SipRadius used a unique combination of DRM-enabled WebRTC and the RIST transport layer, providing security, resilience and scalability. The original deployment consisted of web browsers and set-top boxes built using a Raspberry Pi processor and a VLC client running software built on the libRIST open source library, maintained by SipRadius.
The entire system had to be secure through paths, WebRTC and RIST, and deliver end-to-end DRM protection as well as pass all cybersecurity audits. This was made possible through the use of CoralOS, a specialised type of Linux developed by SipRadius specifically for media applications.
“The fundamental concept of the project was simple: to be able to share content between creators, producers and executives, wherever they are, with the minimum latency, to achieve realtime remote production,” said Sergio Ammirata Ph.D., SipRadius founder and Chief Scientist. “We demonstrated that using open RIST transport and COTS hardware, combined with a custom OS and very carefully tuned application software, it is practical to connect users to content regardless of their geographical location. In the process, we also created a paradigm shift by having every resource available to everyone everywhere.
Not a Science Project
“This is not a science project: it carries hundreds of hours of content every single day, material which the broadcaster relies upon for its very existence. Implementations like this demonstrate that IP connectivity is transformative for media creativity. We are excited and honored that this work has been recognized with a Technology & Engineering Emmy Award, and we continue to innovate to open up new creative and commercial opportunities for the industry.”
“Receiving a Technology & Engineering Emmy is a significant recognition of the work our teams and industry partners have done to advance remote production,” said Ian Fletcher, Chief Technology Officer, Grass Valley. “The rapid shift to distributed production during the pandemic accelerated innovation across our industry. What began as a response to an unprecedented challenge has become an established part of how live content is produced today. We are proud to be recognized alongside the organizations that contributed to this evolution.”
The award will be presented at a joint Engineering, Science & Technology Emmy ceremony hosted by the Television Academy and NATAS on 14 October 2026, at the Television Academy’s Saban Media Center in North Hollywood, California. sipradius.com www.grassvalley.com
