At IBC 2011 Crystal Vision will be unveiling the advanced engineering featured in the company’s latest range of modular interface and keying products, all developed in response to customer requests. Products on Stand 2.B11 will include a clean and intelligent 2 x 2 switch with a full framestore synchronizer on each input, a synchronizing up/down/cross converter that can perform two different conversions at the same time, an audio/video delay perfect for correcting large lip-sync errors and enhancements to Crystal Vision’s increasingly successful modular three-layer logo keyer.
Safe Switch-L 3G is the only way to guarantee a clean switch. It provides clean and intelligent 2 x 2 switching between two 3Gb/s, HD or SD sources, with a full framestore synchronizer on each input allowing it to correct for any timing difference between the two inputs – resulting in no disruption to the output picture when a switch takes place. Ideal for planned maintenance switches to manually re-route a good signal around broken equipment, it can also be used as an intelligent emergency transmission switch by engineers who do not want to restrict themselves to timed inputs, with the option of selecting from 16 different video and audio fault conditions to automatically trigger the switch – including incorrect input video standard, active video black or frozen, EDH errors, a specified audio group missing and audio silence in a selected group.
Any number of fault conditions can be chosen and Safe Switch-L 3G will switch away from an error on the user-selected input only if the other input is free of that fault, while should both inputs have different alarms set it will intelligently work to the most significant feature to decide which feed to select. Additionally, two fault indications with their own list of chosen parameters can be set, allowing very flexible monitoring. Safe Switch-L 3G has exceptional GPIs flexibility, with 12 bi-directional GPIs which can be configured as either GPI inputs or GPI outputs, giving the engineer real flexibility when setting up buttons and lights for GPI control and monitoring of alarm conditions. Shipping now, Safe Switch-L 3G also includes relay bypass protection on power failure or board removal for an extra layer of system security.
Up-Down-S 3G is a synchronizing up/down/cross converter which takes all the project-winning features of the popular Up-Down-3G and adds signal timing functionality, meaning engineers can now synchronize sources timed to a different reference or correct any processing delays while up or down converting. Available in five versions to suit a variety of applications, Up-Down-S 3G allows flexible up, down and cross conversions between 3Gb/s, HD and SD sources and provides an output picture quality that broadcasters standardize on. It also includes special features to allow studios to easily operate in HD and SD at the same time – with its ability to perform two different conversions simultaneously and give out co-timed dual outputs that remain unchanged in format, even if the input changes.
To keep the output valid at all times Up-Down-S 3G has two synchronizers downstream of the converter – one in the 3G/HD path and one in the SD path – which means that it gives a continuous clean output in the two desired formats even when the input standard changes. Amongst its five versions Up-Down-S 3G offers an extensive range of additional features: integrated fiber I/O connectivity, four group audio handling, audio routing, aspect ratio conversion including AFD insertion and reading, instant reconfiguration for live playout, video delay, signal probing, timecode conversion and transport of both teletext and closed captions. Up-Down-S 3G will be shipping from July.
Making its exhibition debut at IBC will be AVDELAY 3G – an audio/video delay designed for correcting large lip-sync errors by eye on incoming 3Gb/s, HD or SD signals. The audio and video delay are adjustable independently allowing the user to change the relative audio/video timing in either direction, with up to ten seconds of video delay available in SD, five seconds in HD and two seconds in 3Gb/s, along with ten seconds of AES audio delay. The video delay is adjustable in frames, while four delay controls can be assigned to the audio on a mono channel basis. AVDELAY 3G will be shipping in September and was developed following a request from a broadcaster who knew of Crystal Vision’s video delay expertise, demonstrated in the best-selling range of ViViD video delays.
IBC also sees enhancements to the MultiLogo logo keyer, the most feature-packed, space-saving and easy-to-use modular solution to HD or SD station branding. This multi-layer logo keyer provides three layers of keying from a variety of internal and external sources including a non-volatile eight-port 8 GB video store with DRAM and Flash memory which can hold up to 500 still or animated logos. The new MultiLogo software being demonstrated at IBC allows the control of multiple logo keyers and also includes a simple text insertion function which allows the operator to type in text for internal use, such as for a studio ident, and then convert the text to a graphic format for sending to the MultiLogo board.
Also new for MultiLogo is the ML-GP18, an add-on board ideal for broadcasters who work by recalling presets and who want a manual backup in case the automation system fails. The ML-GP18 provides eight GPI inputs for recalling eight presents and eight GPI outputs which act as a tally and show which of the eight GPIs was recalled most recently.
Based at Whittlesford near Cambridge in the UK, Crystal Vision provides digital keyers, picture storage modules and a full range of interface equipment including converters, synchronizers, distribution amplifiers and audio embedders to the professional broadcasting industry worldwide.
