Ingex is an open source project that can replace tens of thousands of dollars worth of equipment in TV studios and archive operations. Created in the BBC's research labs, we are now aiming to transfer it into the wider industry as a sel-sustaining open source project. We look at business models around partnerships, issues with licensing, and how to partner with non-software markets such as the TV production industry.

1. Ingex: Bringing Open Source to the Broadcast industry Brendan Quinn, Technology Transfer Executive OSCON 2010

2. Outline… Quick overview of the BBC What is ingex, why is it useful The search for a business model Building a partner programme in this industry Potential issues around open source licensing What’s next

3. BBC Research & Development The UK’s public broadcaster Funded by a TV licence paid by every UK TV owner, plus income from commercial activities outside the UK Income ~ £4 billion pa R&D Labs Pursuing research since 1924 150 engineers in London & Manchester Create open standards with SMPTE, EBU, ITU etc 160 patents, 7 Queen’s Awards, 4 Emmys ~50 active technology licences

4. Audience Experience BBC Research Portfolio Work Area Media Management Distribution Production Teams 1. Production Magic 1. Audience Exp 2. Prototyping 1. Automated Prodn & Media Mgt 2. Archives 1. Core technologies 2. Network Layer 3. Application Layer Project highlights DVB-T2 Video compression Revenue protection HD radio cameras Service innovation TV over internet Ingex tapeless production Tech standards Archive storage & retrieval Canvas platform & UI Accessibility Metadata Dual screens 3D content creation 3D graphics On-air-effects HD production tech Ambisonics & periphony

5. We make cool things like… Hand-held augmented reality Keying without a blue screen Pattern-based camera tracking Real-time texture tracking

6. What is Ingex? Tapeless capture and recording system Runs on commodity hardware and software Standard PC with capture card Linux operating system Modular: can integrate with Metadata syncing (catalogue integration, barcode scanner etc) Automatic metadata tagging (Photo-Sensitive Epilepsy detection, shot detection etc) Tape deck control and more… Creates MXF files open standard for video exchange Studio, Archive and card-reader versions (in various states of readiness)

8. Tape deck control

9. D3 and DigiBeta support

10. Error channel input/storage

11. PAL transform decoder integration

12. Metadata catalogue integration using barcode scanner

13. QC integration

14. Ingex Player

15. DigiBeta dropout detection

16. Photo-Sensitive Epilepsy analysis

17. Output to LTO-3 tape:

18. uncompressed videowrapped in MXF OP-1A

19. h.264 browse format

20. Used in BBC Information & Archives since 2007

21. Users

22. BBC Information & Archives (since 2007)

24. SD: Tested 4 simultaneous camera feeds

25. HD: Tested 3 simultaneous camera feeds

26. (only limited by CPU/disk)

27. Simultaneous recording of all sources

28. No re-shoots after bad camera changes

29. Creates MXF files (OP-Atom)

30. Enables “production logging”

31. marking good/bad takes, noting script directions

32. Stores all logging metadata inside MXF/AAF stream

33. Creates browse/online versions in real time

34. Used on programmes such as:

35. EastEnders

36. Dragon’s Den

37. HD Jazz Shorts

38. The Bottom Line

40. Benefits of Ingex Much cheaper than multiple tape decks and professional video tape Saves huge amounts of time ingesting tape for edit Can create files for any edit system (Avid, FinalCut Pro etc) Don’t need to use proprietary storage Can utilise ever-cheaper hard drives etc Can easily scale to multiple recorders Can expand and add features as they are delivered Increases quality of programmes

41. BBC Strategy for Ingex To save the BBC money through making Ingex the preferred platform for ingesting content into tapeless workflows, using open standards and avoiding vendor lock-in To ensure that we can continue to innovate upon the platform, enabling the BBC to realise the benefits of continued innovations from BBC R&D and from third-party providers To give the benefits of the Ingex system to the broadcast and production community in the UK and around the world, driving down cost and enabling innovation through promoting open, standards-based media workflows

42. Long-term vision Ingex as the “beach-head” for creating an IP-based studio suite File-based production using commodity hardware MPEG over IP rather than over SDI cables etc From acquisition through editing to playout and archive, all IP & files Forms the basis of a disruptive technology in broadcasting Bring studio-quality tech to the hands of non-traditional producers: Schools / universities Very small production companies (YouTube publishers etc) Companies outside broadcast industry Internal/external training, conferences, promotions, … To achieve this, we have to make Ingex a “platform” rather than just a product

45. The broadcast production “value chain”

46. The broadcast production “value chain” Potential partners / customers

47. Open Source Business Models - 1

48. Open Source Business Models – 2 Also see “Business Model Generation” – Alexander Osterwalder www.businessmodelgeneration.com

49. So which model(s) are we trying?

50. Support model: the Ingex “ecosystem”

51. Ingex Solutions Controls / coordinates architecture and development work Governed by Ingex Steering Group (partners and key customers) Provides 3rd-level support to partners and customers Provide internal support within the BBC But only where an external supplier can’t meet the need Manages partnership programme Certifies new partners Creates/commissions training and certification materials Runs showcase website Manages user community (forums etc) Runs Ingex community events Webcasts, phone/IRC/real-life meetings, conferences For partners and customers

52. Building a partner scheme If we want partners to work with us, they need to know what’s in it for them Variety of potential partners: Development partners OEM partners Embed Ingex in other systems Wrap Ingex in hardware and sell it Complementary product vendors eg face recognition plugin Hobbyist / hacker developers Production companies Technical (specialist interfaces) Non-technical (just provide support to their customers) Open source consultancies that want to branch out into broadcast industry

53. Building a partner scheme We can’t stop anyone from offering services as an integrator, hardware partner etc But we can trademark a logo, and license use of the logo according to criteria “Certified Ingex support partner” “Certified Ingex hardware partner” etc Means we have to work hard to build a brand and make it worthwhile for partners to sign up Partners are sometimes uneducated in the ways of open source Or even software-based systems generally… (Many customers are uneducated as well, but that doesn’t matter as much for us)

54. Building a partner scheme Offers to partners Early access to roadmap Input to roadmap Closer access to developers Advanced (level 3) technical support Marketing support (via our website, events, promotional material) Licence to use partner logo Requirements of partners Adhere to hardware, software, business guidelines Best practice partner schemes Alfresco, SugarCRM

55. Licence propagation issues

56. Licence propagation…

57. Licence propagation…

58. Licence propagation…

59. Licence propagation…

61. Patents Are completely separate from questions about open source or not – they’re about the algorithms, not the implementations of them Anyone who sells a box that contains patented code (eg h264 codecs) must adhere to patent rules Mostly it’s easy to conform to the rules… Simple payment per encoder/decoder pair Patent holders group together in pools, eg MPEG LA Often there are minimum limits which you don’t meet unless you sell a LOT of “devices” … but you have to be careful For example, MPEG LA doesn’t necessarily licence allof the patents you need for MPEG4

62. Osmosoft Pyramid rule Unique to company – proprietary, internal Unique to industry – buy from a proprietay vendor(which may in turn use open source) Commodity – use open source We’re breaking this model – are we pioneers or fools?!

63. The start of a full open source stack for video production 3D animation Web editing, publishing, ad management 3D animation

64. The story continues… Research version reaches 1.0.0 late July 2010 (ie next week) Website (www.ingex.tv) launching at International Broadcasting Convention September 2010 Ingex Solutions team has started work on managing ongoing releases, documentation, installers etc Working on internal BBC projects in both Archives and Studio deployments Still looking for partners around the world… Maybe you are interested?

65. Thanks Questions, suggestions, feedback very welcome! http://ingex.sourceforge.net/ http://www.ingex.tv/ (coming soon) Brendan.Quinn@bbc.co.uk Image credits: Khalid Al Masoudhttp://www.flickr.com/photos/khalid-almasoud/2497604365/