Control and synchronization in video production

An apparatus comprising:

• a first index generator to generate an index value that is periodically incremented;
• a communication interface to enable communication with a primary video production control system;
• a synchronization element, coupled to the first index generator and to the communication interface, to:
• receive, from the primary video production control system through the communication interface, first messages comprising respective index values generated by a second index generator of the primary video production control system at respective transmission times of the first messages;
• determine respective difference values based on respective current index values generated by the first index generator at reception of the first messages and the index values in the received first messages;
• transmit, to the primary video production control system through the communication interface, reflections of the first messages;
• and,
• receive, from the primary video production control system through the communication interface, a second message comprising an instruction for execution of a task at a target execution time, the second message having been transmitted by the primary video production control system at a time, in advance of the target execution time, that is based on a round-trip message time determined by the primary video production control system from the respective index values generated by the second index generator at the respective transmission times of the first messages and respective index values generated by the second index generator at respective reception times of the reflections of the first messages by the primary video production control system.

A method comprising:

• transmitting, to a video production control system node, first messages comprising respective current index values that are periodically incremented;
• determining a round-trip message time, associated with the video production control system node, based on the transmitted first messages and reflections of the first messages received from the video production control system node;
• and
• transmitting, to the video production control system node, a second message comprising an instruction for execution of a task at a target execution time, wherein the second message is transmitted at a time, in advance of the target execution time, that is based on the round-trip message time.

A method comprising:

• receiving, from a primary video production control system, first messages comprising respective index values generated by the primary video production control system at respective transmission times of the first messages;
• determining respective difference values based on index values generated at reception times of the first messages and the index values in the received first messages;
• transmitting, to the primary video production control system, reflections of the first messages;
• and
• receiving, from the primary video production control system, a second message comprising an instruction for execution of a task at a target execution time, the second message having been transmitted by the primary video production control system at a time, in advance of the target execution time, that is based on a round-trip message time determined by the primary video production control system from the respective index values in the first messages and respective index values generated by the primary video production control system at respective reception times of the reflections of the first messages.