Reimagine Broadcast Distribution at the Edge: Cut Costs by Up to 75% Without Compromise
The broadcast industry is undergoing a seismic shift. As satellite infrastructure ages and operational costs rise, content providers are increasingly looking to IP-based distribution not just as a transport replacement, but as a chance to rethink how content is received, processed, and delivered at the edge.
Yet this transition is not without its challenges.
Dependability has long been the hallmark of satellite distribution. It’s been the gold standard for consistent, high-quality broadcast, and any alternative must match that reliability.
Service continuity is under threat as satellite spectrum, especially C-band, is being auctioned off for 5G use in the US with more countries likely to follow. This forces broadcasters to vacate long-relied-upon infrastructure, risking coverage gaps and operational disruption. With timelines tightening, the need for a resilient, future-ready alternative is urgent.
Cost is another major concern. Satellite bandwidth is expensive, and maintaining custom hardware adds to the burden. Broadcasters are under pressure to reduce total cost of ownership while expanding capabilities and offering greater choice.
Latency is equally critical, especially for live events and time-sensitive content. Any IP-based solution must deliver with the same precision and responsiveness that satellite has historically provided.
At the centre of this transformation is the Media Edge Gateway (MEG).
Designed from the ground up as a low -latency, software-defined platform, MEG enables secure, scalable, and cost-effective video distribution across satellite, IP, and CDN networks.
To address dependability, MEG offers IP reception that is just as robust as satellite. With features like hitless switching, protocol diversity (including DASH, HLS, and Synamedia’s Broadcast grade TS over CDN), and built-in redundancy, MEG ensures that IP distribution is not only viable—it’s dependable.
MEG ensures service continuity during the Satellite-to-IP transition by supporting hybrid distribution models that combine satellite and IP in a single, resilient platform. With built-in failover paths, dual distribution modes, and real-time monitoring, MEG maintains uptime even in challenging environments. Its flexible architecture allows broadcasters to gradually shift workflows without disrupting existing operations. Whether using satellite as primary and IP as backup or vice versa, MEG provides a seamless bridge to the future.
To reduce cost, MEG consolidates multiple functions into a single software platform that runs on commercial off-the-shelf hardware or as an appliance. This dramatically lowers total cost of ownership. With groundbreaking innovative solutions like time-delay, customers have reported savings of up to 75% when replacing legacy satellite receivers with MEG-based solutions.
To tackle latency, MEG’s architecture is optimised for low-latency IP delivery at scale. Whether deployed as an appliance or in a virtualised environment, it delivers consistent performance across diverse network conditions. For IP, the innovative carriage of Transport Stream over IP via a dual-CDN architecture ensures latency and reliability that match satellite, even at scale.
Beyond the technical benefits, MEG offers a future-proof path. It supports hybrid deployments, regionalisation, and seamless integration with CDNs and cloud workflows. For customers navigating the complexities of modern distribution, MEG isn’t just a replacement: it’s a strategic upgrade.
With MEG, broadcasters can deliver a single clean video feed to all affiliates and dynamically insert HTML5 graphics at the edge – enabling regionalised branding, language-specific overlays, and localised statistics without duplicating streams. This dramatically reduces operational complexity and bandwidth costs.
As the industry pivots toward IP, MEG isn’t just a bridge, it’s the engine powering the future of broadcast distribution.
