SERAING, Belgium—EVS announced it has acquired Axon, a company with a 30-year track record in broadcast and media network infrastructure, for more than $11.5 million and other financial consideration.

“We’re extremely excited about the opportunities this acquisition will provide us and our customers over the coming months and years,” said EVS CEO Serge Van Herck. 

“Axon’s strong broadcast reputation and expertise, combined with our shared customer service-focused philosophy, make this marriage a perfect fit. It will enable us to deliver the most comprehensive media infrastructure solutions on the market,” he said.

Axon employs more than 80 people and has development centers in the Netherlands and the U.K. With an international presence in the live broadcast infrastructure market, including live production trucks and data centers, it offers a product portfolio that’s complementary to EVS’s existing live production products, said EVS.

“This deal offers a major growth opportunity for both businesses, bringing together two innovative and proven product portfolios to form a unique end-to-end offering,” said Axon CEO Michiel Van Duijvendijk.

The acquisition will make it possible for customers to optimize resource management, enable greater scalability and deploy faster across multiple sites for remote live operations. It also will help EVS customers deploy turnkey solutions that enable migration to IP and remote production workflows, the company said.

The deal is the largest in the history of EVS, the company said. It allows EVS to expand its existing global footprint and gives the company access to Axon’s channel partners.

EVS will absorb the Axon brand over the coming weeks, and its product portfolio will be integrated into the company’s global solution offering. The company plans to integrate Axon’s team and to invest in its technology and market expertise, EVS said.

In 2019, Axon generated revenue of more than $19 million. The acquisition will be paid by cash and debt, EVS said.

More information is available on the EVS website. 

GLIZE, the Netherlands—Axon is hitting the road, announcing that it will be showcasing its Neuron IP processing and Cerebrum Control and Monitoring products during the eight-country Pre-NAB Show Tour 2020.

A truck equipped with Axon’s technology will visit 16 locations in the U.K., France, Germany, Austria, Italy, Switzerland, the Netherlands and Belgium to demonstrate the latest developments for the Neuron and Cerebrum products. Other products from Sony, EVS, Arista, Meinberg and Calrec will also be onboard the truck.

The set-up of the truck focuses on workflows for live production and for MCR/playout, with the Cerebrum IP Control and Monitoring software connecting the systems into a single ecosystem. The Neuron platform, meanwhile, highlights dynamic HDR to SDR conversion, as well as its integration of the JPEG-XS codec. Axon will also show how Neuron can solve ST 2110-30 stream/channel routing related issues by working with an audio matrix/shuffler.

Customers who come and see the truck can also talk to product managers and solutions architects for advice on how these new technologies can be adapted to meet their needs.

The Axon Pre-NAB Show Tour 2020 was based on the IP Innovations Tour that took place in the summer of 2019. The same setup used on this tour will be at Axon’s booth at the 2020 NAB Show in Las Vegas.

The tour will take place from March 2-24, starting at Manchester Media City in the U.K.

For more information, including the full tour schedule, visit www.axon.tv. 

AMSTERDAM—At the 2019 IBC Show in Amsterdam next month, Axon will showcase its Neuron Network Attached Processor, which it says is gaining “significant traction” among broadcasters looking to bridge the gap between legacy SDI and complex IP environments.

Launched at IBC 2018, Neuron is a next generation signal processing platform that supports 200 Gb/s and 64 channels or 16 UHD channels in a single rack unit. Whether deployed as “modular glue” in a pure native IP infrastructure or to seamlessly bridge legacy SDI technology into an IP environment, Axon says Neuron’s FGPA-based processing power “provides guaranteed bandwidth performance to deliver complex Ultra HD and 8K productions.”

It also supports uncompressed SD, HD, 3G and UHD signals based on the ST 2022-6 and ST 2110 specifications.

Axon recently conducted an “IP Innovation Tour” in conjunction with Sony and EVS, providing demonstrations of Neuron in a fully kitted out OB truck that visited 16 cities in eight different European countries, including The Netherlands, France, Germany and the U.K. Neuron has also been adopted by Outside Broadcast specialist Cloudbass, which has used the technology to convert an existing 20 camera OB truck from HD-SDI to UHD IP.

Axon will also highlight its Cerebrum control and monitoring platform, which was also featured on the IP Innovation Tour. The company says Cerebrum has been adopted by broadcast and OB companies worldwide “because it offers ease of use and comprehensive third party control.”

The Axon booth will also feature the company’s SynView Multiviewer, which can handle 4K and IP video formats.

Axon will be in stand 10.A25 at IBC 2019, Sept. 13-17.

LAS VEGAS—As the U.S. distributor for Axon Digital Design, Utah Scientific will showcase Axon 4K and Ethernet infrastructure solutions at the 2018 NAB Show and demonstrate the integration between Axon, Utah Scientific and other broadcast manufacturers’ products.

Whether for broadband, IP or a hybrid infrastructure, Axon offers the Cerebrum control and monitoring system, which is an advanced, widely adopted system for live mobile, news, studio and remote production, as well as master control. The company will demo Cerebrum’s integration with Utah’s S2022 IP router, which delivers SDI, including UHD and S2022 content, in compliance with the AIMS IP transition roadmap.

Axon’s new SynView Multiviewer handles 4K and IP video formats for a wide range of applications and small to extremely large monitoring walls. Capable of supporting any video transport mechanism the industry adopts, SynView offers two models in SDI I/O or Ethernet I/O versions. These versions can be mixed and matched to build a hybrid multiviewer with up to hundreds of inputs and eight 1080p heads (on SDI) or two heads with UHD resolution. It can scale, position, de-embed, overlay and process eight video channels.

The SynView multiviewer, IP bridge and Cerebrum control and monitoring solution will also be featured in the AIMS IP interoperability demonstration, booth C12634. Arista Networks will also demonstrate Axon’s IP signal processing, multiviewer and control and monitoring solutions at booth SL12105.

The 2018 NAB Show takes place in Las Vegas, April 9-12. Utah Scientific will be in booth SL6324. For more information, visit www.nabshow.com.

Read up on all of TVT's NAB Show Sneak Peeks and other 2018 NAB Show news here.

AMSTERDAM—Axon Digital Design, celebrating 30 years in the broadcast industry, will showcase a range of infrastructure products and solutions at IBC 2017, designed to simplify complex workflows and meet the challenges of today’s broadcast environment.

Axon Synapse

Axon will demonstrate the Synapse NIO440, an 8-channel bi-directional Ethernet/SDI bridge from 3G/HD-SDI to uncompressed Ethernet video transport and de-centralized routing. Launched earlier this year, the NIO440 helps customers move to an IP based infrastructure with compatibility of all possible current and future standards. With a highly flexible architecture, it can be used as a point to point video/audio/data connection (using standard fibre-optic cables or SMPTE camera cables, avoiding CWDM infrastructures and cost) and it provides point to multi-point routing and distribution using IT switches. At present, the card is compatible with both AVB/TSN and S2022. Future standards like VSF-TR03/TR04 - and of course SMPTE-2059 - are also within its capability and compatibility will be achieved by future software upgrades. 

Visitors to Axon’s booth can also see the latest SynView modular multiviewer, which is capable of handling 4K and any IP video format, making it ideal for a wide range of applications and from small to extremely large monitoring walls. Two basic models are available, each in two versions (SDI I/O or Ethernet I/O). These versions can be mixed and matched to build a hybrid multiviewer with up to hundreds of inputs and eight 1080p heads (on SDI) or two heads with UHD/4K resolution. Multiple connector panels will be available to allow for different I/O configurations.

Axon will also demonstrate its Cerebrum control and monitoring platform for production, master control and notably live sports production. It controls multiple devices on one easy-to-use interface, integrating seamlessly with technology from manufacturers including SAM, Evertz, AJA, AXIA, Allen & Heath, Panasonic, Ross, Yamaha, Rohde & Schwartz and Black Magic.

Axon will highlight its signal processing gear with auto formatting for HD, 4K, HDR, 3G, 12G & IP and support for Dolby E encoding and decoding; master control for automation and transmission, driving integrated and productive broadcast operations; DVB transport stream management tools to monitor, report and analyze live MPEG-2 and DVB transport streams; and the AZilPix Studio.One Virtual Camera System for live video capture and streaming in a traditional or IP broadcast environments and Virtual Reality video production

The Axon team will be available to discuss recent projects delivered for F1, BT Sport, MediaCorp, Timeline’s IP HDR OB, Arena, CTV, ITV and SABC.

Axon will be in Stand 10.A21

LAS VEGAS—As a distributor of Axon production tools, Utah Scientific will be at the 2017 NAB Show demonstrating Axon’s new SynView multiviewer, a format-agnostic solution capable of handling 4K and IP video formats. Ideal for monitoring walls from small to extremely large, SynView’s feature-set has been enhanced with double the inputs, eight times the outputs (heads), UHD/4K/60Hz resolution on display outputs, and a six-fold increase in processing power.

SynView models, including SDI I/O or Ethernet I/O, can be combined to form a hybrid multiviewer with up to hundreds of inputs, and eight 1080p outputs on SDI, or two outputs of UHD/4K resolution. It can now scale, position, de-embed, overlay and process eight video channels, and multiple connector panels allow for different I/O configurations.

As broadcasters move from standard dynamic range to high dynamic range, Axon has developed new products that handle this transition by utilizing Look Up Tables (LUTS). New products include the U4T200/240, a 4K (UHD) four-wire toolbox with LUT based color space and dynamic range converter, and the UXU400/410, a 4K-UHD format converter with LUT based color space and dynamic range converter.

Utah Scientific will also show Axon’s Cerebrum control and monitoring system, which is ideal for mobile, news, live studio and remote production, as well as master control. Recent software enhancements make it easier to monitor and control multiple, third-party devices on one easy-to-use interface.

The team will demonstrate Cerebrum’s integration with Utah’s S2022 IP router, which delivers SDI, including UHD, and S2022 content, in compliance with the AIMS roadmap for the IP transition.

The 2017 NAB Show takes place in Las Vegas, April 24-27. Utah Scientific will be in boothN4506. For more information, visit www.nabshow.com.

BOTHELL, WASH.—AIMS has hit the big 5-0. The Alliance for IP Media Solutions now features more than 50 companies that support the adoption of open standards for the production, delivery and distribution of broadcast media over IP networks. The recent additions of Axon and EMC Corporation helped put AIMS over the top.

“Since the founding of AIMS last December, we have experienced a rapid rate of growth in our membership,” said Michael Cronk, AIMS chairman. “This reflects a wide and increasing awareness that a common, open standards based approach to IP Interoperability is the best way forward.”

Currently, AIMS endorses an IP transition plan that includes support for SMPTE 2022-6, AES67, VSF recommendations TR-03 and TR-04, and AMWA NMOS IS-04.

With the addition of data storage systems provider EMC and Netherlands-based broadcast infrastructure specialist Axon, AIMS’ membership currently stands at 52.

LAS VEGAS—At the 2016 NAB Show, Axon Digital Design will showcase updates to its Synapse signal processing line, including 4K up- and down-converters and production toolboxes that support VANC and HANC data, such as timecode and embedded audio, and Dolby E encoding and decoding.

For broadcasters taking a pragmatic upgrade path to IP, Axon will showcase its work in video and audio over Ethernet, including SMPTE S2022-6, as well as the latest standards and hybrid SDI-Ethernet solutions for enabling conversion to and from SDI and cross-conversion.

Axon will also unveil features for its Cerebrum control and monitoring system, which simplifies multi-device monitoring and control via one easy-to-use interface, even in complex production environments. These include: automatic tie-line management across multiple routers for format conversion and multi-site operations, and third-party interface options, such as support for protocols from SAM, Imagine, Clear-Com, Trilogy and GVG.

Axon will be co-exhibiting with its U.S. partner, Utah Scientific. This partnership gives customers worldwide easier access to the companies’ large portfolio of broadcast solutions, and makes it easier for the two companies to co-develop next generation solutions, such as the integration of Utah’s S2022 IP router with Axon’s Cerebrum control and monitoring.

The 2016 NAB Show takes place in Las Vegas, April 18-21. Axon Digital Designwill be in boothN4524. For more information, visit www.nabshow.com.

GILZE, NETHERLANDS—A new tide is rolling in at Axon Digital Design, as the company has announced that it will launch its new multi-codec, multi-format modular processing platform TIDE at the upcoming IBC 2015 show. The system is designed to handle the contribution and distribution of live video.

TIDE

TIDE can process live broadcast quality signals, perform HD and SD video encoding and decoding, Conditional Access or BISS scrambling and descrambling, and transport stream (re)multiplexing from contribution to channel back-up, including over satellite, microwave, 3G/4G/5G mobile networks, managed IP networks and the open Internet. The platform also features the Reliable Real-Time Transport Protocol, which manages and improves bandwidth usage ratio to deliver reliable streaming over the open Internet and public networks.

TIDE offers a range of 15 modules that include satellite and terrestrial reception modules; multi-channel encoder and decoder modules; MPEG Transport Stream I/O modules via IP and ASI; and a descrambling unit with space for four Common Interface Conditional Access descrambling units. In addition, the system offers low-latency encoding, faster than real-time file transfer and modular high density.

Also at IBC 2015, Axon will demonstrate the TIDE LiveCastPro, a mobile video uplink system that can be mounted on any ENG camera. The LiveCastPro utilizes the R2TP protocol to deliver high quality images and fast transfer of video files using any IP network.

All TIDE elements come with a built-in web-based control user interface, as well as the ability to be monitored and controlled by Axon’s Cerebrum software platform for larger deployments.

IBC 2015 runs from Sept. 11-15 in Amsterdam. Axon will demonstrate TIDE and its other products at booth 10.A21 and 10.B21.