CBT Broadcast Networking & IP Systems 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which SMPTE standard defines the transport of uncompressed video over IP networks?
- SMPTE ST 2110 (Correct answer)
- SMPTE ST 292M
- SMPTE ST 424M
- SMPTE ST 302M
Correct answer: SMPTE ST 2110
SMPTE ST 2110 defines the transport of professional media (video, audio, ancillary data) over IP networks using separate essence streams.
Question 2: In broadcast IP networks, what does PTP stand for and what is it used for?
- Packet Transfer Protocol — routing media packets
- Precision Time Protocol — synchronizing clocks across network devices (Correct answer)
- Primary Transport Path — defining the main data route
- Parallel Transmission Protocol — sending redundant streams
Correct answer: Precision Time Protocol — synchronizing clocks across network devices
PTP (Precision Time Protocol, IEEE 1588) synchronizes clocks across network devices to sub-microsecond accuracy, which is critical for maintaining timing in IP broadcast systems.
Question 3: What is the primary advantage of using NMOS (Networked Media Open Specifications) in a broadcast IP facility?
- It encrypts all media streams end-to-end
- It provides standardized device discovery and connection management (Correct answer)
- It compresses video to reduce bandwidth usage
- It replaces the need for physical cabling
Correct answer: It provides standardized device discovery and connection management
NMOS provides open, vendor-neutral APIs for device discovery (IS-04) and connection management (IS-05), enabling interoperability in IP broadcast environments.
Question 4: Which network topology is most commonly recommended for professional broadcast IP facilities to ensure redundancy and low latency?
- Bus topology
- Ring topology
- Spine-leaf topology (Correct answer)
- Star topology with a single core switch
Correct answer: Spine-leaf topology
Spine-leaf topology provides predictable low latency, high bandwidth, and redundant paths, making it ideal for professional broadcast IP networks.
Question 5: In SMPTE ST 2110, which sub-standard specifically covers uncompressed audio transport?
- SMPTE ST 2110-10
- SMPTE ST 2110-20
- SMPTE ST 2110-30 (Correct answer)
- SMPTE ST 2110-40
Correct answer: SMPTE ST 2110-30
SMPTE ST 2110-30 defines the transport of linear PCM audio over IP, while -20 covers video and -40 covers ancillary data.
Question 6: What protocol does SMPTE ST 2110 use as its underlying transport layer for media streams?
- TCP/IP
- RTP over UDP/IP (Correct answer)
- HTTP/2
- FTP
Correct answer: RTP over UDP/IP
SMPTE ST 2110 uses RTP (Real-time Transport Protocol) over UDP/IP because UDP's low overhead and real-time delivery are better suited to live media than TCP's connection-oriented reliability.
Question 7: What is the purpose of multicast in a broadcast IP network?
- To send a single stream to multiple receivers simultaneously without duplicating bandwidth at the source (Correct answer)
- To encrypt streams so only authorized receivers can decode them
- To compress streams before transmission to conserve bandwidth
- To assign unique IP addresses to every device on the network
Correct answer: To send a single stream to multiple receivers simultaneously without duplicating bandwidth at the source
Multicast allows one sender to deliver a stream to multiple receivers simultaneously, and the network switches/routers handle replication, conserving source bandwidth.
CBT Broadcast Networking & IP Systems 1
Which SMPTE standard defines the transport of uncompressed video over IP networks?