Formal release of Crystal Vision's IP Gateways at IBC 2017 (Booth 2.C28)

Booth 2.C28 at IBC 2017 will see the formal release of Crystal Vision's future-proof IP gateways, which combine purpose-built video over IP hardware with flexible software-based processing. With useful features including status monitoring, clean switching, sophisticated synchronizing (including PTP support), delays and IP traffic shaping, the gateways initially support the SMPTE 2022-6 and SMPTE 2022-7 protocols and can be easily reconfigured via a software upgrade to support SMPTE 2110 essence-based protocols. The introduction of the Vision 1 1RU frame brings further flexibility to the Vision frame system, providing housing for up to four cards and incorporating the usual Vision benefits including numerous signal outputs, dual reference syncs distributed from the frame and the ability to be used with higher bandwidth signals such as IP and 4K. The Safire 3 real-time chroma keyer gets improved live operation from the VisionPanel control panel while continuing to benefit from Crystal Vision's acclaimed support and five year warranty.

Crystal Vision's IP gateways are the ideal products for integrating SDI into an IP environment, combining purpose-built video over IP hardware with flexible software-based processing and with their useful features including clean switching between flows, sophisticated synchronizing (including PTP support), unicast and multicast transmission support, signal status monitoring, up to ten frames of video delay and IP traffic shaping. The SDI6-IP-VF encapsulates baseband SDI to IP to allow the transport of uncompressed video over 10GbE IP networks. It converts up to six HD/SD or three 3Gb/s SDI input connections and allows flexible assignment of the converted flows to either of the two output 10GbE links; alternatively the second 10GbE link can be configured for SMPTE 2022-7 redundant streaming. The IP-SDI6-VF de-encapsulates baseband SDI from 10GbE IP networks. It converts to six HD/SD or three 3Gb/s SDI output connections, with flexible assignment of the converted flows from either of the two input 10GbE links; alternatively the second 10GbE link can be configured for SMPTE 2022-7 redundant input streaming. Broadcasters are discovering they have all sorts of new issues to solve using IP, and the unique IP-IP-VF IP to IP translator – which features four bi-directional 10GbE IP network interfaces – is ideal for any applications where network settings need to be changed in some way, such as network address, multicast to unicast and protocol translation. Initially supporting the SMPTE 2022-6 and SMPTE 2022-7 protocols which are ideal for long-haul and pass-through applications, their flexible platform means that the IP gateways and IP to IP translator can be easily reconfigured via a software upgrade for the new standards as they emerge – including essence-based SMPTE 2110 which is ideal for playout and studio applications.

Making its world debut at IBC will be the Vision 1 1RU frame, which brings further flexibility and choice to the Vision frame system by providing housing for smaller projects involving up to four cards. Like the Vision 3 3RU frame, Vision 1 has the ability to handle higher bandwidth signals including IP and 4K (as well as SDI), and currently houses the company's IP gateways as well as the 12 video and audio core interface cards from the Vision range which provide more outputs than Crystal Vision has ever offered before. Other useful frame features include very powerful redundant power supplies (allowing increased card functionality), a common dual reference distributed to every card, complimentary SNMP, powerful remote backup and restore of all card settings and presets for added system security and two 1Gb/s Ethernet connections to the outside world for control and file transfer.

Crystal Vision has further improved the live operation of its Safire 3 real-time chroma keyer, with recent enhancements to the VisionPanel universal control panel. Currently enjoying its highest level of popularity to date and benefitting from Crystal Vision's acclaimed support and five year warranty, Safire 3 is ideal for applications from weather to immersive virtual studios, with support for resolutions from SD to 1080p and including features such as lighting compensation, colour correction and video delay. VisionPanel is a 3U Ethernet control panel designed to operate up to 16 Crystal Vision Indigo or Vision frames and well suited to those products that need regular adjustment thanks to its physical controls. The recent enhancements to VisionPanel all result in faster and easier operation – useful for all products but particularly beneficial for Safire 3 in a live situation. Touch screen improvements include making it more responsive, replacing the two-step drop down menus with a one-step radio group style control and removing the requirement to go via the home screen to change menus: tabs for all the other menus within that menu group are now displayed. Knob improvements include swapping the coarse and fine adjustment (with it now defaulting to the more commonly-used faster speed adjustment) and a useful new cal function, where pressing down on the knob defaults the value of the slider being adjusted. Hard button improvements include reassignment of the right-hand hard buttons to get immediate access to some of the most frequently-used menus (Key Status and Gain and Spill) as well as to provide a chroma key on/off toggle, and making it more obvious which hard button needs to be pressed to select a particular board: the button for the board currently being controlled is now lit bright, while the board list on the touch screen now shows the hard button number in addition to displaying the board name.

Based at Whittlesford near Cambridge in the UK and with an office in the USA, Crystal Vision provides a full range of interface and keyers and helps people transition through a range of technologies – from SD to HD and from HD to IP.

www.crystalvision.tv