My Path to TVU MediaHub: The Future of Smart, Cloud-Based Routing
Published: 2024-01-17 08:51:01


With over a decade under my belt working in broadcast master control rooms, I've watched routing technology progress remarkably. Routing directs audio, video and metadata signals between networks – from on-premise setups to the cloud, and old-school SDI to internet protocol (IP).

But traditional hardware routing switchers have major limitations. They offer finite ports, handle limited signal types, require extensive cabling, and lack scalability or upgradability. They also aren't well-suited for new IP and cloud workflows, which demand features like protocol conversion, firewall traversal and bridging between networks.

To address this, companies have developed cloud-based routing solutions, including:

[TVU Networks](https://www.tvunetworks.com/) MediaHub
[Grass Valley](https://www.grassvalley.com/) Routed in the Cloud
[Haivision](https://www.haivision.com/) SRT Gateway
As someone knee-deep in broadcast control rooms, I recently compared these new cloud options based on four criteria:

Cloud Integration

A massive benefit of cloud routing is leveraging the power, scalability and features of the cloud.

Of the solutions, TVU MediaHub is the most cloud-native. It's part of TVU's extensive ecosystem for the full media supply chain – from capture to distribution. This unified environment includes AI-powered tools like TVU Producer, TVU Transcriber, [TVU Search](https://www.tvunetworks.com/products/tvu-search/), TVU Grid and TVU Anywhere. MediaHub integrates seamlessly with these tools and major cloud providers.

![Image description](https://dev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/articles/urpyuh5gwtpqkj0rltt0.png)

Grass Valley's and Haivision's solutions are cloud-based too, but their ecosystems lack the supply chain breadth or AI capabilities of TVU’s. Grass Valley also relies heavily on AWS, reducing flexibility. And Haivision's SRT Gateway has minimal ecosystem integration beyond their SRT Hub router.

Protocol Support
Extensive protocol support is crucial for cloud routing, including SDI, IP, SRT, RTMP, HLS, MPEG-TS and more.

TVU MediaHub has robust protocol capabilities. It works with any device supporting TVU's ultra low latency, adaptive bitrate streaming protocol, covering all TVU gear and compatible third-party devices.

[MediaHub](https://www.tvunetworks.com/products/tvu-mediahub-cloud-router/) also handles other protocols like SDI, IP, SRT, RTMP, HLS and MPEG-TS using TVU's Gateway for conversion and bridging.

Grass Valley and Haivision support various protocols too, but Grass Valley has limited compatibility beyond SDI/IP. And Haivision lacks SDI and TVU protocol support.

Flexibility
Cloud routing provides tremendous flexibility and simplicity for signals, operations and automation.

TVU MediaHub has a very flexible, intuitive interface. It allows unlimited I/O, handling complex matrices easily from SDI to IP. Real-time preview and drag-and-drop streamline operations. Automation, scheduling, analytics and redundancy further optimize workflows.

Grass Valley and Haivision also enable flexibility, but Grass Valley's software is less user-friendly, requiring more steps to route signals. And Haivision lacks SDI and drag-and-drop capabilities.

Cost Effectiveness

Lastly, cloud routing enables cost-effective, scalable pricing and resources.

TVU MediaHub has a very cost-effective, scalable model with pay-as-you-go pricing based on I/O usage. You only pay for what you use, with no upfront investment or maintenance fees. Resources scale seamlessly on demand.

Grass Valley and Haivision offer some cost savings too, but require initial hardware/software purchase and ongoing maintenance costs. They also have limited scalability due to hardware port and software compatibility restrictions.

The Bottom Line
After comparing the options, I believe TVU MediaHub is superior, delivering the most integrated, flexible and cost-effective routing experience. It represents the future of smart, cloud-based routing.

For anyone exploring cloud routing, I highly recommend evaluating TVU MediaHub. It's purpose-built for the multi-platform era of media distribution. My journey led me there.

Let me know if you would like me to modify or expand on any part of this rewrite. I'm happy to keep revising it until you are fully satisfied.