Imagine and Cisco integrate IP fabrics for SMPTE ST 2110 production

This integration addresses the complexity of managing uncompressed ST 2110 streams, which can quickly saturate standard network switches without broadcast-specific orchestration. By merging IT-centric fabric control with broadcast-centric routing interfaces, Imagine and Cisco are lowering the technical barrier for mid-sized facilities transitioning from SDI. The ecosystem move toward 400G/800G infrastructure signals that the industry is preparing for widespread uncompressed UHD and 8K production, where bandwidth intelligence is no longer optional. Watch for whether this integrated approach can gain market share against proprietary software-defined networking (SDN) solutions from competitors like EVS or Grass Valley.

Imagine Communications has been building out its ST 2110 ecosystem through high-profile facility deployments that validate the Cisco integration approach. At NAB Show 2025, Imagine CEO Steve Reynolds discussed ST 2110 adoption with Jason Lemiere, Head of Broadcast for the Intuit Dome and LA Clippers, whose venue features a fully ST 2110-based infrastructure supporting a 44,000-square-foot double-sided 4K Halo Board. The Intuit Dome deployment demonstrates the scale at which the Imagine-Cisco IP fabric combination operates in production, handling uncompressed UHD signals across a large live venue environment.

The partnership also extends into interoperability standards work. Imagine, Cisco, and Panasonic jointly presented a technical webinar on SMPTE ST 2110 and AMWA NMOS for IP media facilities, with Imagine SVP of Product Management joining Cisco and Panasonic representatives to address how NMOS discovery and registration protocols complement ST 2110 transport in multi-vendor environments. This standards alignment is critical for facilities that need to mix equipment from different manufacturers on a shared IP fabric, which is precisely the use case the Imagine-Cisco integration targets.

The broader market context shows that SDI-to-IP migration remains uneven. The Imagine-Cisco partnership positions itself as a COTS alternative to proprietary SDN controllers from competitors like Grass Valley and EVS, both of which offer their own IP fabric management layers. The 400G and 800G switch capacity in Cisco's Nexus 9000 series addresses the bandwidth demands of uncompressed UHD routing, where a single 2160p60 signal consumes roughly 12 Gbps before compression, making non-blocking multicast orchestration essential for any facility running more than a handful of simultaneous camera feeds.