IP-based production tools for broadcast are redefining the industry by making high-end content creation more accessible, scalable, and inclusive than ever before. For decades, media production has operated under the assumption that high budgets were essential for quality. But today, a technological and cultural shift is underway, transforming everything from live sports and news to documentaries and theatre. This shift, rooted in flexible IP workflows and cloud-based tools, opens new doors for creativity and collaboration worldwide.
IP-based production tools for broadcast are redefining the industry by making high-end content creation more accessible, scalable, and inclusive than ever before. For decades, media production has operated under the assumption that high budgets were essential for quality. But today, a technological and cultural shift is underway, transforming everything from live sports and news to documentaries and theatre. This shift, rooted in flexible IP workflows and cloud-based tools, opens new doors for creativity and collaboration worldwide.Simen K. Frostad, Chairman of Bridge Technologies, Oslo, Norway
The Democratisation of Production: A Cultural and Technological Shift
For decades, the world of broadcast production has operated under a fundamental assumption: higher budgets yield higher quality. Sophisticated technology, specialist engineering teams, and intricate workflows were seen as the key to delivering compelling content. However, a quiet revolution is changing the landscape of media production — one that has profound implications for broadcasts of all types, from sport to news, through documentaries, live theatre, music, and beyond.
At the core of this transformation are IP-based production tools for broadcast. Unlike traditional workflows that relied on rigid, hardware-dependent infrastructure, these tools offer scalability, flexibility, and accessibility. The result is an industry no longer defined by financial constraints but by creative ambition. This shift is not only changing how content is produced — it’s changing who gets to produce it.
All-in-one, all-for-one
In the field of production, traditional workflows have historically relied on vast arrays of physical equipment, requiring large-scale facilities and on-site personnel. In contrast, IP-based production reduces reliance on hardware, allowing for remote and decentralised collaboration.
The potential of this change is illustrated by products such as Bridge Technologies’ VB440 – an IP production probe designed to facilitate remote, distributed, and live production from anywhere in the world. The VB440 fundamentally changes the logistics associated with live production workflows by eliminating the need for racks of dedicated equipment, screens, and cabling in OB vans and studios.
This marks a clear shift toward IP-based production technology, which enables cost-effective remote production workflows without sacrificing quality.
Instead, production teams access an extensive range of real-time network engineering, video and audio production tools – vectorscopes, waveforms, AV previews, metrics, room metres and far more besides – through a single browser-based interface, accessible anywhere. This shift dramatically reduces costs, weight, energy consumption, and environmental impact, transforming live and remote production.
It also enables a more integrated approach to production. Traditionally, the complexity of broadcast technology created a clear divide between engineers and creatives. Operating SDI-based systems requires specialist knowledge, making production workflows accessible only to those with advanced technical expertise. This posed a major barrier for projects facing geographic, financial, or logistical constraints: if you couldn’t afford to fly your team — and the equipment — to the production site, you were effectively excluded.
Such tools exemplify how remote production solutions are making professional broadcast capabilities more flexible and accessible than ever before.
However, the transition to IP has introduced standards such as ST 2110, making media transport and processing more intuitive, interoperable, and responsive in real-time. Modern interfaces and software-driven workflows empower production teams worldwide to collaborate in real time through a single, low-latency interface.
TFT 1957 (Television & Film Technologies): What’s Next in Tech: NAB & ISE 2025 Highlights
Tools such as the VB440 are designed to put best-in-class tools in the hands of specialists wherever they happen to be located. But it also allows for more generalised tool access in environments where teams are called upon to wear multiple hats at once and perform cross-over roles, since all network, audio, and video production tools are tabbed within one browser window. The result is not just improved efficiency but a more dynamic and innovative creative environment, where technology serves as an enabler rather than a gatekeeper.
Media beyond the mainstream
These developments represent more than just a technological shift—they mark a profound socio-cultural transformation. Television has always been more than entertainment; it’s a shared cultural platform that informs, educates, and inspires. Yet for decades, access to high-end production tools was limited to major broadcasters with significant financial resources.
Today, that’s changing. With the rise of IP-based production tools, software-driven workflows, and cloud-based broadcast solutions, professional media production is becoming more accessible than ever. Smaller broadcasters, independent creators, and new market entrants can now match the quality and reliability once exclusive to Tier One providers.
Not only do these cloud-enabled tools offer a broader feature set, but they also allow for scalable deployment, making professional production possible across a range of budgets and formats. This shift isn’t just about efficiency—it’s about expanding creative opportunity. Niche sports, independent creators, and underrepresented communities are now empowered to deliver high-caliber content that can compete on a global stage.
And the great thing is that now, with IP and software/cloud-located tools, pursuing these crucial cultural and ethical goals doesn’t have to come at a cost – indeed, it comes at a profit. A broader, more diverse media landscape facilitated by more financially and technologically accessible tools means more content tailored to specific audiences, expanding markets, and driving profitability.
Overcoming Resistance to Change
The IP transition in distribution is already well underway. But despite the clear benefits, the transition to IP-based production has been met with more resistance. Some hesitate due to the perceived risks of workflow disruption, while others remain loyal to legacy systems that are deemed “good enough.”
This inertia risks stalling progress. IP production is not just an incremental upgrade. It is a fundamental shift in how content is created and delivered. But it is not necessarily disruptive: indeed, since tools such as the VB440 eliminate huge swathes of physical infrastructure, it is as simple as opening a browser window.
The challenge now is for the industry to fully embrace this new paradigm, and manufacturers, production companies, and broadcasters will all have a role to play. The tools are within reach. The potential is limitless. It is up to the industry to seize the moment and shape a future where bold, compelling, boundary-pushing stories can be told by anyone, for everyone.
This article was originally published in TFT 1957 Magazine (“TV & Film Technologies”).
