TV TECHNOLOGY: What will be your most important product news?

CRUMP: Comrex is introducing two new products at the show this year. ACCESS NX is a major upgrade to our flagship audio contribution IP codec ACCESS 2USB. ACCESS NX features a more powerful processor, larger touchscreen and several improvements ACCESS users will appreciate. We will also introduce Opal, an audio contribution product designed to allow remote guests to sound like they are in the studio without requiring complicated setup and using devices, such as computers or smartphones, that support Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox.

TVT: How is your new product different from what’s available on the market?

CRUMP: ACCESS NX is highly anticipated by tens of thousands of customers that have relied on the ACCESS platform for the past 10+ years and we’re very excited to bring this to market. But Opal really shines because it takes advantage of technology that is built into web browsers. We’ve made it truly broadcast-reliable with our nearly six decades of experience moving broadcast media over challenging data networks. Our engineering team has taken a complicated, open source technology and distilled it down to an incredibly simple user interface that will really enhance broadcast program audio in a way that is not currently being done.

TVT: What is it about the NAB Show that brings you back every year?

CRUMP: It’s kind of like the geese migrating North in the spring. Beyond that, NAB is a chance to connect with our customers and potential customers from all over the world. It provides us with an invaluable opportunity to discuss existing and future products with them and get their direct feedback. So, ultimately, it’s our customers that keep us coming back.

Shortly before NAB Show New York, TV Technology spoke withChris Crump, Senior Director of Sales & Marketingfor Comrex.

TV TECHNOLOGY: What technology trends do you anticipate will be “front and center” at NAB Show New York?

CHRIS CRUMP: OTT and OTA technologies have dominated almost every aspect of the consumer delivered broadcast business these days. Comrex is all about creating products for contribution so we don’t directly play in that space. But it’s certainly interesting to watch how efficient these technologies have become.

TVT: What will be your company’s most important product news?

CC:Our CrossLock VPN Technology was originally developed for our LiveShot IP video codecs and has recently been introduced to our ACCESS and BRIC-Link line of IP audio codecs. CrossLock provides an advanced layer of reliability for IP audio and video transport in Comrex codecs.

TVT: How is your new product different from what’s available on the market?

CC: There are other products out there that offer “redundancy” modes in their codecs, but CrossLock VPN goes significantly further by offering redundancy, bonding and a whole suite of dynamic error correction/error concealment tools that make Comrex products truly broadcast reliable.

TVT: Did you attend last year’s show? Do you have a favorite restaurant or point of interest you can share with other attendees?

CC: We really enjoy this show and have participated for several years. There’s always something cool to find in New York. I’m not a smoker (or a fan of smoking), but I discovered this cool little spot called SoHo Cigar Bar (formerly Circa Tabac) that is worth checking out—if you can handle the smoke.