Will IPMX replace ST 2110?
By Suzana Brady
The short answer is ‘no’. Basically, Internet Protocol Media Experience (IPMX) and ST 2110 share the same DNA, but the two standards address different applications and are aimed at different users, different workflows and address different pain points. Think of IPMX as a ST 2110’s close relative that makes standards-based media-over-IP viable for a much wider ecosystem.
IPMX is a more relaxed, more cost-effective interpretation of ST 2110. It enables high-quality, low-latency audio and video transmission across common IP infrastructures, supporting formats like 4K60 4:4:4 and even higher resolutions. IPMX is engineered for flexibility and scalability, offering features like sub-frame latency, time synchronisation via PTP, JPEG-XS compression, and support for HDCP, USB, and auto device discovery.
IPMX subscribes to the same principles as ST 2110, but offers a workaround to the pain points that make ST 2110 deployments challenging, including:
- Control
- ST 2110 – Control is complicated. There are separate essences for video, audio, and for ancillary data. Each requires its own multicast address and a UDP port, and both senders and receivers need to be told what to use.
- IPMX – While Networked Media Open Specifications (NMOS) is optional for ST 2110, it is mandatory for IPMX. Leveraging NMOS solves control complexity issues by standardising discovery and connection management across diverse devices.
- Synchronisation
- ST 2110 – All the essences in the network are synchronised using the Precision Time Protocol (PTP). This allows a receiver to mix and match essences; it can combine any video with any audio and any ancillary data. However, this requires a PTP infrastructure in the network, ingress frame syncs, and expensive PTP-aware switches.
- IPMX – This is where IPMX shines. It removes the need for PTP, greatly simplifying the network, and allowing for the use of more cost-effective switches. Any video can be combined with any audio, but now the device is responsible for doing sample rate conversion (SRC) on the audio to match the rates. The audio quality impact can be minimised by using more sophisticated SRC algorithms.
- Cost
- ST 2110 – The uncompressed baseband signals typically carried by networks require 10Gbps or higher ports for connection in the switches. While cost has consistently lowered, this is still a concern.
- IPMX – Without the need for PTP, the cost of the switches is minimised. If combined with JPEG-XS, it is possible to use less expensive 1Gbps ports. While this is also available in ST 2110, it is less common there.
ST 2110 is perfect for broadcast environments with large numbers of signals, where quality is paramount and the house is already synchronised. In such environments, it is ideal because the Ethernet switches at the core are replacing very large audio and video routers. For such large installations, it is wise to have specialised IT personnel running the network.
Although there are also some Pro-AV specific requirements, such as support for HDMI/HDCP, non-broadcast resolutions (for computer screens), and even USB transport, IPMX will shine in the Pro-AV environment where compression is more prevalent, budgets are smaller, and the networks need to be simpler to operate.
Smaller broadcast installations such as local TV stations that have not adopted ST 2110 will be the first to experience the cross-over. For these facilities, IPMX creates an “entry-level” ST 2110 infrastructure and easy transition into an ST 2110 world.
Cobalt Digital is committed to this transition and has added IPMX support to its extensive family of ST 2110 products, including SAPPHIRE and TOPAZ converters, INDIGO IP series, PACIFIC encoders/decoders, and UltraBlue multiviewers, bringing ST 2110 closer and streamlining integration without locking customers into a proprietary solution.
So, is IPMX replacing ST 2110?
No. They are different aspects of the same fundamental technology, making it applicable to a larger set of applications. While broadcast keeps the precision of ST 2110, Pro-AV gains an open, cost-effective alternative. More importantly, smaller broadcasters get a smooth pathway from SDI to IP, creating a win-win situation for all.
About the author: Suzana Brady is SVP of Worldwide Sales and Marketing for Cobalt Digital
