Net Insight launched 400G capabilities in its Nimbra media network platform, meeting demand from media companies for affordable connectivity with higher capacity and scalability.
Net Insight has launched 400G (Gigabit Ethernet) capabilities, expanding its Nimbra media network platform and meeting strong market demand from media companies for affordable connectivity with significantly higher capacity and scalability.
Driving the push for 400G is the rising importance of tier 1 live sports and the ongoing transition to remote production. With the addition of 400G to Nimbra 1000 products, media companies can, for example, reduce the cost of connectivity by increasing their existing transport capacity by four times, driven by the new Nimbra 1000 Media Acceleration Module. The new hardware and 400G applications serve as a reusable execution platform for various media transport and processing applications. The full potential of the Media Acceleration Module is achieved through the accompanying non-blocking 2.4Tbps switch module.
"400G raises the Nimbra media processing and transport platform to a foundation prepared for future development. New media networking enables users to scale live sports and distributed operations," said Christer Bohm, VP Product Management at Net Insight. "Service providers, production companies and broadcasters gain the ability to take advantage of 400G connectivity with opportunities to deliver more content at a lower cost, whether they are operating from a stadium, production truck or central facility."
Media companies requiring higher capacity now have an economical path forward. For example, replacing four 100G links with a single 400G link can reduce monthly costs by a margin above 50%, according to Net Insight. Even at lower capacity requirements - such as 200G - operators can save considerable by transitioning to a single 400G link.
With four times the transport capacity, the Nimbra 400G solution is capable of supporting high bandwidth, multiservice workflows. A single Nimbra 1060 chassis is capable of IP Media WAN transport of up to 2.4Tbps per chassis, allowing remote production of 160 UHD-4K JPEG XS streams per 400G link.
Data services are protected with 250G of hitless data per 400G link, with trust boundary IP demarcation of up to 800G per link. This trust boundary delineates the secure perimeters within IP networks, important for safeguarding data as it transitions between various domains and network types. Other features include NMOS 2110 production with thousands of endpoints, and the ability to automate distributed media workflows through APIs.
The first 400G applications will focus on high-capacity IP media transport, with support for both native 400GbE and denser 100GbE deployments, suitable for stadium-to-hub contribution, remote operations and multi-feed distribution in sports. New media processing and data applications, taking advantage of the same hardware, are in development. The 400G capabilities are planned to be available for delivery toward the end of 2025.
Net Insight will show the new 400G solution and significance regarding cost-efficiency, flexibility and performance at IBC2025 in Amsterdam, 12–15 September. netinsight.net
