NAB Show Product Review: Signal Processing

In some respects, these really are the good ’ole days. For anyone who’s been in this game for a couple of decades, it’s clear that products today are a bargain. It doesn’t matter what you want to accomplish with media; it seems now that almost anything is possible. From appliances that keep you legal, accommodate special needs, or display “King-Content” on any screen, anywhere, anytime, if you couldn’t find it at this show, you likely don’t need it.

EAS/CAP

DIGITAL ALERT SYSTEMS launched the integrated EAS/CAP DASEOC “M” series, which can simultaneously provide all four EAS and CAP functions: CAP message origination, EAS encoding, CAP monitoring, and EAS decoding. The company also debuted its DASDEC MultiStation software with multilingual text-to-speech, as well as its M-EAS mobile solution and the new DASDEC-II LC low-cost CAP/EAS system.

TRIVENI DIGITAL demonstrated its new Mobile Emergency Alert System (M-EAS) functionality for GuideBuilder 5. Available as an extension to GuideBuilder M/H (mobile/handheld), the new functionality allows for the delivery of multimedia emergency alerts to mobile DTV-equipped devices.

CLOSED CAPTIONING

BHV BROADCAST debuted Syntax Bridge, the newest member of the Syntax HD upconverters. Syntax Bridge provides closed captioning capability via integration with Microvideo’s HDB 300, which provides simultaneous data management of control signals, transcoding, decoding, bridging and copying.

EEG launched its iCap Video Secure Realtime Closed Captioning Delivery system, enabling high-quality, low-latency audio streams over the Internet. Also new, iCap Archives supports local or cloud-based archiving and recordkeeping for closed captioning data. The company also debuted iCap Advanced Audio Delivery.

ENCO generation live automated captioning system, which features an enhanced, real time speech recognition engine.

I-YUNO MEDIA GROUP unleashed Caption- Crowd, which segments the video/audio into sentences and instantly distributes them to multiple captioners online. Also new is CaptionCast/SubtitleCast, a broadcast caption inserter that processes audio streams and triggers captions, and the Subtitle/Caption Recut, featuring i-Yuno’s cloud subtitling and captioning technology, based on “fingerprint targeting.”

Elemental Technologies’ Keith Wymbs (L) talks about the company’s real time and on-demand 4K HEVC video processing with (Right side of photo: L to R) Mariano Dortona, Gustavo Fracassi and Diego Martinez Tanoira from Turner International Argentina. NEXIDIA showed QC v2.1, which automates quality control of closed captions, video description, and languages for broadcast and IP workflows. The new version integrates into AmberFin’s UQC solution and Telestream Vantage broadcast automation workflow; it also features enhanced job reporting and automated caption retiming.

TELESTREAM demonstrated its MacCaption and CaptionMaker products that it acquired as part of its purchase of Computer Prompting and Captioning last year. Both closed captioning products allow users to easily author, edit, encode and repurpose video captions for television, web and mobile delivery.

ENCODERS/DECODERS

ADTECH DIGITAL showcased its EN-100, a new multistream multicodec low-delay platform that boasts AVC 4:2:2 10-bit, 8 bit, and 4:2:0 plus MPEG 2 4:2:2 and 4:2:0, as well as the EN-30 multicodec compression platform, featuring dual HD/SD SDI inputs with embedded and AES audio interfaces. The company also demo-ed its RD-70 1080p multicodec HD IRD and the RD-30, a matching decoder for the EN-30.

AMBERFIN showed v10 of its iCR platform, now with added support for new codecs and wrappers, new enterprise class-features, a new option for 2:3 adaptive cadence correction and enhancements to UQC, their Unified Quality Control platform. The company also debuted its iCR Transcode Farm Controller, which provides a single, reliable, redundant interface.

ATEME debuted its TITAN Live ‘‘All-In-One’’ encoding/transcoding solution. TITAN Live features all operational equipment and features including built-in supervision, hardware redundancy management, failover management, big screen/multiscreen packaging, SDI grid, and more.

Jan Weigner demos the Cinegy Capture video ingest and real time encoding system.COMARK COMMUNICATIONS launched the CMX-5410, an MPEG-2 ATSC-compliant encoder and multiplexer platform.

DIGITAL RAPIDS debuted its StreamZ Live 4000EX advanced multiscreen encoder, for live and linear multiscreen applications from IPTV and OTT headends and live event streaming. Also shown was the StreamZ Live 8000EX integrated broadcast/ multiscreen encoder which simplifies convergence of core linear television and multiplatform streaming operations. Visitors also got to check out Transcode Manager.

ELEMENTAL TECHNOLOGIES showcased its video processing platforms which include Elemental Live, Elemental Server, Elemental Conductor, Elemental Cloud and Elemental Stream.

ERICSSON showcased their AVP 4000 system encoder, powered by Ericsson’s own proprietary programmable video processing chip.

ENVIVIO debuted Muse HEVC Live, designed to optimize compression for higher resolutions including 1080p or 4K. Also there, Muse HEVC On-Demand, a software- based multi-screen transcoder that accelerates time-to-market. Also shown was Envivio Spark, a flexible solution for video reception, decoding, and multiplexing of variable bitrate signals.

FOR-A, the distributor for Fujitsu products in the U.S., demonstrated the Fujitsu IP- 920, and IP-9610 encoder/decoder series, which uses H.264 to provide best-in-class video fidelity. Fujitsu IP-920 and IP-9610 can operate at less than 99 ms back-to-back latency, and feature real-time transmission and robust error correction.

FRONT PORCH DIGITAL announced a partnership with Telestream to provide Transcode as a Service (TaaS), combining Telestream’s Vantage transcode platform and Front Porch Digital’s LYNX cloud-based CSM platform to offer a new TaaS solution in a private cloud platform that includes pay-as-you-go transcoding services designed specifically for media operations.

HARMONIC debuted Harmonic VOS, a software-based, fully virtualized platform that unifies the entire media processing chain, from ingest to delivery, operating on common hardware platforms in IT data center environments. The company also featured a unique, live 4K Ultra HD 2160p60 demonstration at its booth and debuted its ATSC 3.0-ready Electra universal multifunction, multiformat encoding platform and primary distribution solution built on the Harmonic DMS video distribution management system. Also there, a new ProView IRD (integrated receiver-decoder) and advanced multiscreen ad insertion system.

INTERNATIONAL DATACASTING debuted the Titan 3 contribution video encoder, a high-performance, low-latency 4:2:2 video encoder built to tackle professional outside broadcasting.

LAWO NORTH AMERICA CORP. showed V__pro 8, a compact, fully digital, eight-channel video processor featuring cross-format conversion, color correction, and audio embedding/de-embedding. Also shown was the compact V__link4, for signal contribution, distribution and remote production via qualified LAN and WAN structures.

SENCORE debuted its MRD 5800 advanced modular receiver/decoder, featuring support for today’s highest quality contribution video feeds and providing H.264, MPEG-2, 4:2:2, 4:2:0, 10-bit, and 8-bit decoding with automatic detection and configuration.

THOMSON VIDEO NETWORKS displayed its high-density ViBE EM4000 premium HD/ SD encoder, and the “anything in, anything out” ViBE VS7000 multiscreen and HEVC video encoder. The company also launched the ViBE CP6100, a new half-rack version of its CP6000 premium multichannel video contribution platform.

PROCESSING

AJA VIDEO showcased its Io family of portable video and audio I/O devices, Kona family of video capture cards, mini-converters, converters, routers and more. Features include 4K acquisition, playback and pipelines.

APANTAC launched its Micro-4K low-cost 4K to HD downconverter. It supports a 4K input, and offers HDMI and SDI outputs up to 1080p.The company also showed its HDMI audio de-embedder, featuring audio delay up to 2700 ms and support for two channels of PCM audio, coaxial digital audio, and compressed audio.

CINEGY launched its Cinegy Capture PRO, a centralized multichannel, scalable ingest tool, unifying the task of ingesting material and generating edit or web proxies. Cinegy Capture PRO supports many popular industrial codecs and file formats, including XDCAM HD 422, Avid DNxHD, High- Profile H.264, AVCI-100, MXF and MOV.

CINNAFILM and WOHLER TECHNOLOGIES announced the release of Cinnafilm’s Tachyon Wormhole, a plug-in for the Wohler RadiantGrid Intelligent Media Transformation Platform. The automated file-based retiming solution enables up to plus or minus 10 percent runtime adjustment while preserving video and audio quality, along with closed caption integrity.

Kendall Eckman holds up the Blackmagic Design Teranex Express.COBALT DIGITAL debuted the 9970-QS Quad Split and 9910-DAX16 3G/SD/ HD-SDI multirate distribution amplifiers for openGear frames. The company also debuted its Blue Box Group BBG-1002- UDX modular up/down/crossconverter and the Blue Box Group BBG-1040-ACO multi-input modular Framesync.

FOR-A showcased its FA-1010 frame synchronizer, equipped with the various functions needed for video production and that enables multichannel routing (10 video inputs and 10 video outputs).

IMAGINE COMMUNICATIONS debuted new features for its Selenio Media Convergence Platform, now with support for JPEG2000 and a built-in dual-channel DVBS/S2 demodulator. Also new is Selenio X100, a dual-channel 1RU frame synchronizer and converter, as well as Selenio NEXT, which reportedly offers up to 10x the density and 10x less power consumption than previous solutions.

INTERNATIONAL DATACASTING demonstrated the Laser Multi Program Splicer (MPS), a high-density solution for targeted ad and program insertion.

GRASS VALLEY launched the LNS-3910 3G/ HD/SD line synchronizer, a member of the company’s Densité group of signal processing solutions, along with iControl 6.0 and the new Densité Upgrade Manager, which decouples Densité modular card upgrades from iControl server upgrades.

MATROX showed its Avio KVM extenders, a transmitter/receiver pair that extends two uncompressed-HD or one uncompressed 4K or 4K Ultra HD video, keyboard, mouse, USB 2.0 and stereo analog audio from the host system up to 10 km (6.2 miles) via one duplex LC-LC fiberoptic cable.

PESA uncaged the Cheetah DEMUX 3G, Gen2 Output Embedder and Input Deembedder cards, with up to eight channels of audio de-embedding per SD video channel and up to 16 channels of audio de-embedding per HD video channel. The company also showed its Vidblox 2K DVI Dual Link Extender.

RIEDEL launched the Studer A-Link Card for Mediornet, offering massive I/O capacity in a very small hardware footprint. It can provide video with de-embedded audio from the SDI streams being sent to the Studer consoles and return signals embedded back into the video.

ROSS VIDEO unveiled the MC1 simple Master Control System, with extended EAS interface, multichannel scalable operations, and enhanced graphics capabilities (available as openGear module). Also on display, the NWE-TS transport stream Nielsen Watermarks encoder, which accepts transport streams and will watermark up to 10 channels simultaneously.

SNELL debuted its Sirius 800, including frame and line synchronization for clean switching with minimal delay, along with the IQQMD00 4K UHD downconverter. The company also showed a new hardware configuration for its KudosPro signal processing and conversion solution, extending the system’s functionality by adding up to two single-width modules.

TEKTRONIX debuted its next-generation ECO8000 and ECO8020 automatic changeover units, featuring extra redundancy for the company’s master sync and master clock reference generator systems.

TRIVENI DIGITAL debuted the Guidebuilder 5 PSIP, SI, and mobile ESG generator, now featuring updated user interfaces, a Linux OS foundation and mobile emergency alert (M-EAS) compatibility.

WOHLER introduced enhancements to v8 of its RadiantGrid Intelligent Media Transformation Platform, adding a new media processing engine that parallelizes complex audio and video processes at “unprecedented” speeds. Version 8.3 will focus on new tools and capabilities.

STANDARDS CONVERSION

BLACKMAGIC DESIGN launched the Teranex Express real-time SD, HD and Ultra HD broadcast up and down converter. It includes 12G-SDI/dual link 6G-SDI in and out and upgradable to optical fiber SDI in and out, full conversion of timecode and subtitles, 16 channels of frame accurate audio conversions and full audio channel remapping, reference input for built in frame sync feature and a built-in power supply for 110-240 VAC operation. The company has also redesigned its recently acquired Cintel film scanner, which scans negative and positive 35 mm film into Ultra HD.

DELUXE debuted its OnDemand 4K UHD Optimized Video platform, showcasing different compression and encoding options for MPVDs.

FOR-A debuted the URC-4000 super resolution 4K up converter, providing realtime up-conversion of HD into 4K.

KTECH unveiled the DVM-3308, a multiple ASI input to GigE converter. The unit accepts up to eight ASI streams and converts to GigE. For GigE back to multiple ASI streams, KTech debuted the DDC-4300, with up to six ASI outputs.

TELESTREAM launched new HEVC/x265 encoders, along with the new TrafficManager, and Post Producer, a new content production tool. Also at the show, Vantage Cloud, a new product that complements on-premise Vantage systems, allowing users to spin up and tear down transcode farms in the cloud.

MULTIVIEWERS

APANTAC partnered with Wayin, a social media technology company, to show off its innovative social media content broadcast solution, Wayin Broadcast. Displayed on an Apantac TahomaDE universal multiviewer, content was fed from a number of graphics boxes (Vizrt, Ross, Chyron), web pages, and video playback machines into the DE multiviewer.

ENSEMBLE DESIGNS debuted Multiview Magic 2.0, with an offline mode for creating screen layouts, alarms, and fast authoring tools. Also on display, was the Avenue MV82, an eight input/two output multiviewer, and the MV164, a 16 input/4 output multiviewer, and the 9480, a multiviewer option for the Ensemble Avenue integrated routing system.

EVERTZ unveiled their new VIP-10G advanced multi-image display processor, offering multiview functionality with 32 inputs of processing all via 10G streaming physical interfaces.

FOR-A introduced its 4K compatible MV- 1620HSA, MV-42HSA and MV-4200 multiviewers at the show. Also new was the MV-1620HS, a compact (1RU) multiviewer that accepts up to 16 channels of mixed HD/SD-SDI or analog composite signals for monitoring on one or two screens.

GEFEN debuted its 4x1 Multiview Seamless Switcher for HDMI, which provides seamless switching between four high-definition sources outputting to one display.

GRASS VALLEY demonstrated the Kaleido IP X310, which doubles the number of simultaneous audio and video decodes as the previous Kaleido IP X300, at half the size.

Bjoern Schmid (L) explains features of the Rohde & Schwarz BMM-810 multiviewer to Don Cardone.ROHDE & SCHWARZ showcased its BMM- 810 multiviewer a flexible solution for monitoring and visualizing broadcast video and audio services.

VOLICON showed how its Observer multiviewer module enables users to watch multiple programs on a network wall and use the desktop interface to target and begin inspecting or troubleshooting a suspect stream without delay.

COLOR CORRECTION

BLACKMAGIC DESIGN launched DaVinci Resolve 11, with more than 100 new editing and color grading features.

I-MOVIX debuted d-flicker, with advanced fast processing capability. It provides a solution to the lighting issues encountered by high-speed camera users, offering tools to enhance the quality and sharpness of a project.

STREAMING/MOBILE/IPTV

ARTEL VIDEO SYSTEMS demonstrated its DigiLink broadcast over IP platform, with support for HD-SDI, SD-SDI, and DVB-ASI over IP networks. Also on demo, JPEG2000 compression, and DigiLink’s integrated signal routing capabilities.

BARNFIND TECHNOLOGIES debuted an ASI to IP converter card, which bridges the traditional video world with IP by converting 4x ASI signals into 1x IP stream. Barnfind also showed their 1RU signal neutral platform with 32 ports and included a built-in router.

COMREX introduced the P1L0T IP Streaming Server, a dedicated streaming appliance designed with hardened Linux-based hardware and software. It featured no moving parts—not even a fan. AES3 and analog balanced inputs, special audio processing options enhanced for streaming and an intuitive Web-based interface are included.

DEJERO launched Dejero LIVE+ Cloud Server, which receives video streams from any field-based Dejero LIVE+ transmitter and transcodes them quickly and seamlessly for publishing to the Internet.

DVEO unveiled a new NMS (network management system) server with DataMiner, enabling operators to monitor and control all their DVEO streaming systems from one interface.

HARMONIC introduced the ProView 8100 commercial decoder, part of the company’s new ProView 8000 multiformat integrated receiver-decoders that optimize primary distribution of video content over satellite or IP delivery networks.

GRASS VALLEY touted its Nvision 8500 IP gateway cards, which convert and packetize real-time baseband video for distribution over networks. Also new is the IRG-3401 IP gateway (Densité 3 chassis), a high-density, bidirectional DVB-ASI/IP gateway, and the SME-1901 and SME-1911 streaming media encoders.

JVC launched the KMH-8000 StreamSuite portable webcasting production system which offers a built-in switcher that supports up to four wireless IP live HD video sources.

MATROX launched its Maevex 5100 Series AV-over-IP H.264 encoders/decoders, for full HD-quality 1080p60 video and audio over standard IP networks with unicast and multicast support. Also shown was the Monarch HD, a small, easy-to-use H.264 encoder that generates an H.264-encoded stream compliant with RTSP or RTMP protocol.

NEVION introduced VideoIPath 3.5, a managed media services solution for IP, legacy and fiber networks. Also there, next generation Flashlink broadcast products, and the enhanced TNS4200 media monitoring probe, including a new DVB-S2 module for satellite monitoring.

PEBBLE BEACH unleashed the DolphinIP, an integrated channel device delivering MPEG-2 and H.264 streams over IP (TSoIP).

PESA debuted the Xstream C-22 encoder/ decoder, which combines the features of the Pesa Xstream with the flexibility and affordability of a throwdown box.

STREAMBOX introduced Streambox Live Service, a globally-deployed cloud-based video service for local, national, and global newsgathering and video acquisition and featuring Streambox’s exclusive low delay multipath (LDMP) network bonding technology.

TELESTREAM showed enhancements to its Wirecast cross-platform live streaming software with the debut of make.tv, which allows production and distribution of multicamera live streams, pre-recorded media, and mobile/audience cameras, to Facebook, live destinations such as YouTube Live and Ustream, CDNs, or corporate websites.

TERADEK introduced T-Rax, a versatile 2RU rackmount system for IP-based digital video workflows. It accommodates a variety of Teradek technology, including H.264 encoders and decoders, bonded network solutions, and software platforms such as Sputnik and Core.

TVU NETWORKS announced an Open API for its TVU Grid IP video, switching and routing solution, allowing third party developers and equipment manufacturers can now integrate new or existing applications and devices into the TVU Grid ecosystem.