SIOUX FALLS, S.D.—Sencore demonstrated its MRD 8000, AFN Platform and Centra Gateway as well as made the show debut of its VB440 during the 2026 NAB Show last week at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

The company also featured its OmniHub 6/16, OmniHub PLAY and TXS 3800—all of which address the real demands of video delivery, distribution and monitoring, Sencore said.

“As server and component costs continue rising, engineers are being asked to do more with tighter budgets. Cost-effective doesn’t mean compromising on capability,” said Seth VerMulm, director of product management at Sencore. “The AFN Platform, MRD 8000 and Centra Gateway are designed for broadcast-grade performance without the overhead of costly server infrastructure.”

Many operators are using aging receiver-decoders never designed for today’s multichannel, multiformat demands, Sencore said. To address this, Sencore featured its MRD 8000, the company’s newest and most capable receiver-decoder, built on a GPU-accelerated platform in a compact 1RU chassis.

The company also featured its AFN Platform for live production and newsgathering. Delivering ultralow-latency encoding and decoding up to 4K/UHD with 12G-SDI, the AFN Platform offers native SRT support to allow engineers to run satellite uplink and IP delivery at the same time from a single, future-proof 1RU chassis.

Sencore highlighted its VB440, a high-density monitoring and analysis platform designed for SMPTE 2110 and IPMX environments. Fully NMOS-certified and capable of monitoring up to 80Gbps of simultaneous streaming, the unit offers engineers the visibility necessary to maintain signal integrity at scale. The VB440 also adds signal generator functionality and lip sync measurements for precise production setup verification.

The company also showed its OmniHub 6/16, a modular, hot-swappable video processing platform available in 1RU and 4RU chassis. The solution is capable of handling dense multi-channel encoding, signal reception, digital turnaround and simultaneous IPTV and QAM distribution from a single system.

Paired with OmniHub PLAY, operators can deliver a fully managed IPTV experience to the PLAY-STB, Sencore’s Android-based set-top box, all controlled from a single web interface.

Sencore also demonstrated its TXS 3800 multichannel transcoder with a new ATSC 3.0 passthrough transcoding mode that increases service capacity to up to 20 services and a new ATSC 1.0 backward compatibility mode that allows engineers to demodulate ATSC 1.0 today and transition to ATSC 3.0 later without a hardware swap.

The company also showed its Centra Gateway, which addresses rising server costs. Centra Gateway handles video stream reception, transmission, conversion and orchestration across multiple protocols and is deployable on-premises or in the cloud.

More information is available on the company’s website.

SIOUX FALLS, Iowa—Sencore will introduce a comprehensive OTT workflow package and enhancements to its IP production toolset supporting remote, distributed and hybrid production environments as well as feature the latest developments for its Centra platform, including the Centra Gateway offering optimized distribution via internet protocol (IP) during the 2025 NAB Show, April 5-9, at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Sencore’s Centra Gateway facilitates reception, transmission and conversion of IP to optimize video distribution with support for RIST, SRT, Zixi and HLS along with MPEG, it said.

Leveraging public internet connections and SRT as a cost-effective alternative to satellite and fiber-based content delivery, Sencore combines the flexibility of its Centra platform with edge devices like the SCP 2110, Impulse and Omnihub to deliver secure, low-latency transmission of live and on-demand content over unmanaged networks. This approach allows for real-time monitoring, adaptive content routing and seamless integration with existing OTT and IPTV ecosystems.

The company will unveil a comprehensive OTT workflow package at the NAB Show. The modular solution integrates core transcoding, packaging and caching functions, offering scalable architecture supporting on-premises, cloud-based or fully managed OTT workflows. By combining enterprise-grade hardware with state-of-the-art software, the company ensures users can optimize costs while maintaining the highest quality video delivery, it said.

Sencore also will introduce enhancements for VB440 IP toolset supporting remote, distributed and hybrid production. They deliver extensive real-time monitoring and control features accessible via web browser, giving engineers and creatives seamless access from any location on any device, the company said,

The company will show new advanced speaker control tools for managing and monitoring audio across distributed production environments, expanded support for the IPMX standard, API improvements enhancing automation and integration enabling streamlined control over every aspect of the production chain, it said.

Sencore will also show refinements to its Omnihub hospitality and corporate video networks headend.

See Sencore at 2025 NAB Show booth W2301.

More information is available on the company’s website.

ATLANTA—Sencore has formed a strategic partnership with OTT workflow software specialist StreamVX, and the companies are jointly exhibiting it here during SCTE TechExpo 24, Sept. 24-26, at the Georgia World Congress Center.

Together, they are introducing a low-cost, turnkey OTT workflow solution designed for the needs of service providers and cable operators.

The companies are offering a comprehensive OTT workflow product package that combines Sencore’s enterprise-grade hardware solutions with StreamVX’s advanced OTT workflow software. This collaboration offers users a robust, all-in-one solution, whether they require on-premises infrastructure or a fully managed service for their OTT workflows, Sencore said.

“Our partnership with StreamVX brings together the best of both worlds—Sencore’s trusted hardware and StreamVX’s innovative software,” said Aaron Doughten, director of marketing and technology at Sencore.

“By delivering a complete OTT workflow solution, we are addressing a key market demand and empowering our customers to optimize their video delivery systems.”

The focus of the partnership is providing targeted solutions for Tier 2 and Tier 3 service providers, cable operators and the hospitality industry. The offering positions Sencore and StreamVX to support the growing needs of these sectors, Sencore said.

See both companies at SCTE TechExpo 24 Booth 1109.

More information is available on the Sencore and StreamVX websites.

SOUIX FALLS, S.D.—Sencore will showcase an advanced internet distribution solution, a new commercial headend solution and contribution encoding, decoding and monitoring solutions at the IBC Show, Sept. 13-16, at the RAI Amsterdam Convention Center.

Sencore’s internet distribution solution leverages public internet connections instead of traditional satellite or fiber for content distribution. The key enabling technology is the Secure Reliable Transport (SRT) protocol, which ensures reliable transmission of content over open internet connections, the company said.
The Centra Gateway platform, along with edge devices like the SCP 2110, Impulse and Omnihub, enables users to take advantage of lower operating costs and rapid deployment of systems using the internet as the main infrastructure. This approach not only reduces expenses but also accelerates the setup process, it said.
Sencore’s AFN-1000 is its premier contribution encoder for 4K 4:2:2 10-bit quality video. When paired with the MRD 7000, it creates a well-paired encoder/decoder match for broadcast contribution, the company said. 

Sencore’s VideoBridge provides engineers and operators with all the information needed to ensure their systems are operating optimally, delivering high-quality video consistently, it said.

Sencore’s commercial headend solutions are well-suited for hospitality applications, such as in bars, restaurants and stadiums, as well as corporate video networks. The Omnihub platform is a dense, modular solution that provides RF and IP reception, transcoding, encryption, modulation and IP transmission in a single unit. Whether deployed on-premise or in remote locations, Omnihub offers a flexible video distribution system, the company said.

Sencore’s new Centra Manage provides management and control of an Omnihub-based video distribution system. This software can automatically discover Omnihub devices in a network, allowing operators to view dashboards with important alarms and metrics, push updates and new configurations, and manage units remotely.

In addition to showcasing these innovative products, Sencore will demonstrate applications in satellite distribution, OTT channel insertion, decoding, and turnaround. These applications highlight Sencore’s commitment to providing comprehensive solutions that address the diverse needs of the broadcast and commercial markets.

Sencore also will demonstrate applications in satellite distribution, OTT channel insertion decoding, and turnaround.
See Sencore at IBC Show Stand 1.F72.

More information is available on the company’s website.

This month I’ll focus on what I saw on the exhibit floor at NAB Show. This isn’t a comprehensive overview of all the RF and transmission exhibits and show news—other articles in TV Tech do that well. Instead, I’ll be looking at a few exhibits I found interesting. Next month I’ll discuss other RF technology topics from the show, including BPS and 5G Broadcast.

Rohde & Schwarz
Many broadcasters purchased Rohde & Schwarz THU-9 transmitters during and after the repack, so I wasn’t surprised that Rohde’s unveiling of its new UHF TV transmitter, the TE1, attracted a large crowd Monday afternoon despite its location in the South Hall, far away from other transmitter and distribution exhibits.

Some of the changes are apparent looking at the transmitter. Unlike the THU9, which was designed for worldwide use, the TE1 was designed specifically for the U.S. market where higher power transmitters are required. The exciters mount horizontally in the rack, allowing up to 14 amplifiers per cabinet and increasing the per-cabinet output power to 24.5 kW. Looking at the back of the transmitter, you can see the changes in the combiner output and load. 

Also, the power input is now at the top of the cabinet, cleaning up the wiring on the right side (from the rear) power distribution panel. (The colorful LED cabinet lighting in the photo is not available as an option.) 

The exciter includes the ATSC 3.0 modulator—a separate SDE-900 unit is not required. Reflecting the TE1 North American market focus, the specifications show ATSC and ATSC 3.0 as the only supported standards. The product brochure says it is “Prepared for 5G Broadcast.” 

End-to-End ATSC 3.0 Transmission System
Anywave showed a complete ATSC 3.0 signal chain that will make it easy for broadcasters, particularly LPTVs, to switch to ATSC 3.0. It includes the encoder, gateway and scheduler, and exciter. 

A key feature of the gateway/scheduler is a custom design using FPGAs rather than software running on a server. This enables a complete ATSC 3.0 encoder, gateway/scheduler and exciter in three rack units of space to consume a fraction of the power required for a server-based system. 

Their AW9200 Exciter+ can be configured for use as a translator for ATSC 3.0 with a gateway option that allows modification of signaling at the translator site without additional gateways.

Smart Dummy Load
As transmitters become more efficient, engineers are taking a closer look at the power consumed by dummy loads in systems with multiple transmitter cabinets. When one of the cabinets shuts down, the combiner becomes unbalanced. 

In a two-cabinet system, this results in half the remaining power going into a reject load. This doesn’t happen that often, so any power used to cool the dummy load while both cabinets are operating normally is wasted. 

Dielectric’s solution is the “OptiLoad,” which turns on the cooling pumps only when required. This is more complicated than it sounds. If the reject load fails, it will shut down the entire transmitter. Worse, if it fails to shut down the transmitter and a cabinet fails, the coolant pressure and steam generated by the load can cause a mess before the reflected power takes down the transmitter. The OptiLoad includes RF sensors and other features designed to prevent such disasters. 

Simplifying ATSC 3.0 Station Configuration
Most ATSC 3.0 stations set their modulation and coding and PLP configura-tions once and don’t change them. Triveni showed its “Station Manager,” which makes setting, storing and restoring ATSC 3.0 configurations easier. 

Anyone who has looked at the ATSC 3.0 standard knows there are an almost infinite number of configurations available. Changing one parameter can require changing another parameter to maintain a legal ATSC 3.0 stream. The Station Manager interface makes this easier. 

I can also see how Station Manager could become an important part of the broadcast core network, which will allow broadcasters to offer excess data capacity for other uses, such is IoT. This will likely require participating broadcasters to change their transmission parameters to accommodate demand for data delivery with different bandwidth and robustness requirements. 

Broadcast Positioning Service Solution
Many engineers see the ATSC 3.0 Broadcast Positioning Service (BPS) as a key driver of ATSC 3.0 support from the government and perhaps device manufacturers as well. I’ve discussed BPS before and will have more on it next month, but wanted to highlight one product that will make it easier for broadcasters to add BPS capability to their transmission systems. Stations that want to transmit BPS signals will need to precisely time the transmission of the ATSC 3.0 bootstrap. 

The Avateq AVQ-1050 consists of a BPS receiver and a BPS synchronizer, which together compare the received signal with a reference clock and adjust the transmission time to make it a stable, precise time source. It can directly control the transmission time from a Rohde & Schwarz exciter without connection to the gateway and scheduler, which may not be located at the transmitter site. 

ATSC 3.0 for Legacy Cable Systems
As the transition to ATSC 3.0 progresses, there will be a need for cable companies to receive ATSC 3.0 signals. While the ideal scenario would be for the cable companies to deliver a stream that enables most of the ATSC 3.0 features, during the transition, they will need to convert the ATSC 3.0 to a form that will work with their existing set-top boxes. 

To that end, the Sencore TXS3800 ATSC 3.0 to ATSC 1.0 transcoder can provide decryption and transcode video and audio from ATSC 3.0 to ATSC 1.0 formats in an ATSC 1.0 transport stream. 

NextGen-Compliant Dongles
I was happy to see several low-cost set-top box devices displayed in the ATSC booth that support A3SA content protection. However, I’m still looking for an ATSC 3.0 NextGen-compliant tuner I can plug into a USB port of my laptop to view ATSC 3.0 protected content on the road.

Dongles have been available for a few years, but none made it to the consumer market and none I’ve found support A3SA content protection. It doesn’t appear that will happen soon, but after seeing compliant set-top boxes based on Android TV, perhaps it will be possible to create an ATSC 3.0 dongle that will work with Widevine-enabled Android tablets. ATSC 3.0 has many advantages when it comes to mobility so I expect there would be demand for portable ATSC 3.0 receivers, especially in areas prone to hurricanes and other natural disasters. l

As always, your comments and questions are welcome. Email me at dlung@transmitter.com. 

LAS VEGAS—Sencore, a provider of professional content delivery solutions has announced a new collaboration with Showfer, a pioneer in content management platforms that will see the companies offering a new content management and distribution solution at the 2024 NAB Show. 

The full end-to-end solution brings together Sencore's state-of-the-art Centra Gateway and Showfer's innovative "ProVision" platform, a content management solution boasting powerful capabilities for content playout, workflow scheduling, and content distribution. 

Seamlessly adaptable to both cloud and on-premises environments, Showfer ProVision ensures that content workflows can be created and maintained swiftly and efficiently. Paired with Sencore's state-of-the-art Centra Gateway, this new solution takes content transport and monitoring to new heights, the companies said. 

"We're beyond excited to join forces with Showfer," said Aaron Doughten, Director of Technology and Marketing at Sencore. "Together, we're empowering content providers and broadcasters with a content management and transport platform that can serve as the tool they need to stay ahead in today’s rapidly evolving media landscape.”

The video transport and monitoring platform Centra Gateway is capable of transporting content over open internet connections and cloud-based systems. Integrated with Showfer ProVision, the platform enables cost-effective contribution and distribution of content from the camera to the viewer, giving broadcasters the resources they need to succeed in an increasingly competitive market. 

During the 2024 NAB Show, Sencore and Showfer will be showcasing their groundbreaking partnership and unveiling the next chapter in content management innovation.

For more information, visit www.sencore.com and www.showfer.com. 

SIOUX FALLS, S.D.—Sencore today introduced the AG 2700 ATSC RF receiver that transforms signals into ASI and IP outputs to enable retransmission for MVPDs and other broadcast entities.

The AG 2700 supports legacy ATSC 1.0 and ATSC 3.0 with a software/license update that will soon be released. Support for both allows users to future-proof their retransmission reception infrastructure, ensuring compatibility with evolving industry standards, the company said.

The unit seamlessly integrates into a 2RU openGear frame or Sencore’s CRD 4900 frame. Both frames support up to 10 receivers per chassis, offering the density needed to receive all broadcast channels in most markets, it said.

The AG 2700 is equipped with full SNMP, a syslog interface, and an HTTP-based API, ensuring quick and easy integration into multichannel systems. For individual operators, the product offers an intuitive web user interface ensuring a user-friendly experience and immediate familiarity for existing Sencore product users, it said.

The device offers ATSC 1.0 (8VSB) Turn-around:  

• Dual turn-around capabilities
• Receive ATSC 1.0 RF signals
• Demodulate the RF
• Transmit content via ASI and/or IP
• Distribute for retransmission purposes for cable, IPTV and direct-to-home satellite on existing systems.

The device will also soon offer ATSC 3.0 Turn-Around (coming soon with software/license update):

• Receive ATSC 3.0 RF signals
• Demodulate the RF
• Transmit content via IP
• Transmit to transcoding workflows or distribute for retransmission purposes for cable, IPTV and direct-to-home satellite on existing systems.

More information is available on the company’s website.

SIOUX FALL, S.D.—Sencore this week unveiled enhanced descrambling capabilities supporting ATSC 3.0 A3SA digital rights management for its ARD 3000 series of decoders.

The enhancement, part of its newly released version 1.17.0 software, comes as ATSC 3.0 availability grows in the United States with large markets, such as New York City, recently launching NextGen TV.

Use of the new software to support DRM also requires installation of the ARD 3x001 add-on license and adding a USB dongle to ARD 3000 series decoders. Users also will need near full-time internet access for key retrieval to ensure seamless descrambling of encrypted ATSC 3.0 services, the company said.

Available as a single-channel (ARD 3100) and four-channel (ARD 3400) 1RU appliance, the ARD 3000 series is purpose built for decoding ATSC 3.0. The series is well-suited for re-encoding and confidence monitoring applications in existing distribution systems, it said.

The ARD 3000 series includes an ATSC 3.0 RF input for seamless reception of the NextGen TV RF signal. Users can tune to a 3.0 signal and decode up to four services. Support for demodulated ALP IP ATSC 3.0 streams is also integrated into the decoder series, it said.

Decoded services are output via 4x3G-SDI for UHD services or 3G/HD/SD-SDI for HD and SD services. Configuring the appliance is done via an intuitive web GUI or APIs like REST and SNMP, the company said.

More information is available on the company’s website.

SIOUX FALLS, N.D.—Sencore has announced the acquisition of Adtec Digital's Afiniti platform in a deal that will expand Sencore’s broadcast solutions portfolio. 

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. 

Sencore stressed that it is committed to further developing and supporting the Afiniti platform, accompanied by their ProCare support services. 

“We are thrilled about this acquisition and firmly believe that it will deliver immense value to our customers, empowering them with cutting-edge technology and enhanced support to achieve their broadcasting goals," says Seth VerMulm, director of product management at Sencore. 

The Afiniti platform features the highest-quality, lowest latency encode and decode functionalities available in the market today, Sencore said in announcing the deal. 

The Afiniti platform supports up to 4K UHD resolutions at 4:2:2 10-bit, with full compatibility for HEVC, H.264, and MPEG2 video codecs. The modular design of Afiniti enables seamless customization, offering options for contribution-level encoding and decoding, ASI, IP, and SRT I/O, as well as multiplexing capabilities – all in one platform.

In addition to the powerful processing abilities of Afiniti, Sencore has ambitious plans to improve the platform's functionality by introducing Centra Gateway. This innovative software platform will provide users with full control over the Afiniti platform, simplifying the management and control of contribution encode and decode workflows, Sencore reported. 

More information is available at sencore.com. 

At IBC 2023, Sencore will unveil an array of solutions for content delivery, monitoring and analyzation at the 2023 IBC Show, Sept. 15-18 at the RAI Amsterdam. 

Highlighted products include: 

• Centra Gateway enables seamless internet delivery of media content, ensuring robust connectivity and exceptional viewing experiences.
• Quad-Port RF Monitoring Blade VB258 is a powerful solution for real-time monitoring of RF signals with twice the density of its predecessor. The VB258’s advanced capabilities provide broadcasters and network operators with comprehensive insights to maintain signal integrity and optimize performance.
• OmniHub 6-16 Modular Video Processing Platform for video processing and content management provides seamless management and delivery of video content across various platforms.
• Impulse 400D 4K UHD Receiver Decoder offers unrivaled decoding capabilities for pristine UHD content delivery with support for the latest industry standards.

Sencore will also announce a new addition to its product lineup during the show. 

Sencore will be in Stand 1.F72.

SIOUX FALLS, SD—Sencore will showcase its range of internet delivery and commercial AV solutions including its newly released Centra Gateway at the 2023 NAB Show in Las Vegas, April 15-19. 

Centra is Sencore’s new end-to-end holistic network management platform, which debuted at IBC2022. Centra will be complimented by Sencore’s extensive product range, which this year includes new additions in the field of ATSC 3.0 and UHD decoding.

Centra can be deployed either as software on-prem, in the cloud or hardware appliance. Operating across a range of operational layers, Centra gives network engineers—as well as operators without any technical background—full eyes across their media chain, on multiple levels, from a centralized, intuitive interface, according to the company. In addition, it  automates an extensive range of tasks, achieving maximum efficiency and reliability while minimizing complexity and OpEx.

The core functionality of the platform is the reception, transmission, and conversion of internet protocols for optimized distribution of video. Protocols supported include RIST, SRT, Zixi, and HLS, along with MPEG over IP, allowing users to leverage the benefits associated with RIST and SRT protocols in terms of reliability, low latency, packet-drop compensation and forward error correction. Further, Centra automatically communicates with Edge devices to ascertain capacity, required protocol and other relevant conditions, and then distributes on that basis. Constant metrics assessing latency across network links allow for Centra to optimize transport according to resources and need. 

Sencore will also reveal new enhancements to its VideoBRIDGE monitoring system, which has now been upgraded with a new 4-port RF blade capable of monitoring ATSC 3.0 broadcasts and critical new SCTE 35 ad insertion monitoring features. With this expanded functionality, the VideoBRIDGE system continues to represent an end-to-end monitoring tool of unparalleled functionality and density, allowing customers to monitor signals and streams from ingest, through processing, and to final delivery, all while ensuring ad revenue and regulatory compliance, Sencore said.

For commercial AV solutions, Sencore will demo a range of products—along with consultation, implementation, and financing services—to support applications from worship and hospitality, to large-scale OTT and private cable. New additions include the Impulse 400D: a powerful and cost-effective 4K UHD receiver decoder/gateway that support MPEG-2/H.264/H.265 (HEVC) UHD/HD/SD decoding, re-multiplexing and re-transmission across industry standard protocols and IP infrastructures.

Aaron Doughten, Sr. Product Manager at Sencore, said Centra “is the culmination of 70 years of expertise in audiovisual transmission, and Sencore’s early experience as suppliers of equipment for IP-based content delivery. While the provision of this equipment remains crucial to Sencore, we have incorporated years of accumulated knowledge and experience into Centra. This sets us apart from competitors and enables broadcasters to engage in flexible, agile delivery with reduced complexity, increased reliability and lower operational expenses, all through a single and intuitive platform”.

Sencore will be in Booth W2500 in the West Hall of the LVCC.

Sencore has released the Impulse 400D 4K UHD Receiver/Decoder, a 1RU receiver/decoder with an expanded port selection boasting multiple ASI inputs/outputs, dual SDI outputs, DVB-S/S2/S2X dual satellite tuners, and more. Additional capabilities include input failover, enhanced multiplexing, and API/SNMP integration options.

The Impulse 400D 4K UHD receiver/decoder/gateway supports MPEG-2/H.264/H.265/AVS+/AVS2 UHD/HD/SD video and all major audio codecs. With its vast array of RF and IP input options, the Impulse 400D is the ideal commercial TV solution for  RF signal reception, program descrambling, multiplexing, downscaling and decoding.

Sencore’s Impulse 400D new architecture supports many features including:

• Enhanced Input Connection Options:
  • 2x ASI
  • 2x F-Connectors on Tuner (DVB-S/S2/S2X, 8VSB, DVBT/T2, ISDB-T, QAM-A/C, QAM-64/256B*)
  • 2x IP Inputs
    • UDP/RTP Unicast/Multicast TS
    • HLS, SRT Receive
• Enhanced codec support for video and audio:
  • MPEG-2, H.264 (MPEG-4/AVI), H.265 (HEVC) Video Codecs
    • Closed Caption support (CEA-608/708)
      • SDI captions Embedded
      • HDMI captions are overlayed (printed on video) 
  • Dolby Digital (AC3 and E-AC3), AAC, MPEG1L2 Audio Codecs
    • Downmix capable
    • Surround Sound Pass-Through*
• 4K Video Support
  • 4K (4:2:0 Chroma) full resolution decoding on HDMI output
  • SDI output offers FHD (1080 downscale) of 4K video sources
  • Manual video scaling on baseband outputs
• Increased Redundancy features
  • Primary/Backup input source failover
  • Multiple Digital-Turn-Around workflows
  • Single video decode
    • 1x HDMI, 2x SDI
• Genlock
• SNMP / REST API Integration Options

SIOUX FALL, S.D.—The Sencore MRD 7000 Multichannel Multiformat Receiver Decoder has received JT-NM tested badges for SMPTE ST 2110 and AWMA NMOS following a test event in Wuppertal, Germany, in August, the company said today.

The JT-NM Tested Program provides documented insight into vendor conformance with SMPTE standards, AMWA NMOS specifications and performance in real-world scenarios, it said.

The Sencore MRD 7000 decodes up to four times the services in 1RU with support for all common video codecs up to 4:2:2 10-bit/UHD with High Dynamic Range (HDR) and Wide Color Gamut (WCG), the company said.

With up to eight services (16 channels) of audio processing, the device supports MPEG 1/2, AAC and Dolby AC3/AC3+/Dolby E/ATMOS. Output options include 4 x 3G-SDI, 12G-SDI, HDMI 2.0B and SMPTE ST 2110 with NMOS support.

The easy-to-use unit has a straightforward user interface and web APIs. It is backed by Sencore’s ProCare support engineers. 

More information is available on the company’s website. 

SIOUX FALLS, S.D.—Sencore has announced that it will be using IBC2022 to premiere the launch of their new Centra Gateway; a comprehensive and holistic network orchestration system. 

This new platform will also mark the company’s move to provide ‘Solutions as a Service’, and leverage Sencore’s extensive industry knowledge built over the course of decades spent providing equipment to meet the business and technological needs of the broadcast industry. 

“With years of experience selling individual devices like decoders, transcoders and converters, we have an intimate understanding of the role that different transport protocols play in the effective delivery of video, and the potential pitfalls associated with them,” explained Aaron Doughten, senior product manager for Sencore. “But many of these protocols – and the systems built to handle them – were created in a time marked by cutthroat competition. Increasingly though, we at Sencore believe the industry is becoming one marked by ‘collaborative competition’, where integration and harmonization are the buzzwords of the day.”

“The development of the Centra Gateway represents our belief that we have moved past the days where broadcasters needed to make trade-offs in their network infrastructure,” he continued. “No longer do we need to engage in either/or decisions or else experience unnecessary bloat - both space and expense wise – in video networks. A single, intuitive point of access orchestrating a network, accommodating a diverse range of standards, from anywhere in the world allows broadcasters greater flexibility, delivers lower OpEx, and increases the reliability and quality of their content. That it was Centra represents.”

To that end, Centra is designed to be an end-to-end, holistic orchestration platform that will allow broadcasters to manage the full extent of their media chain, on multiple levels, from a centralized, intuitive interface which can either be located in the cloud (and thus accessible remotely from anywhere in the world), or through an on-site installation as required, Sencore reported. 

The Centra platform will provide network management across a range of layers of operation, with plans to expand functionality over the upcoming year. 

Sencore said the IBC-ready release will introduce the core functionality of the platform; namely, the reception, transmission and conversion of internet protocols for optimized distribution of video. 

Protocols supported will include RIST, SRT, Zixi, and HLS, along with MPEG over IP. With the aim to take advantage of the benefits associated with RIST and SRT protocols in terms of reliability, low latency, packet-drop compensation and forward error correction. 

Sencore stressed that Centra is far more than a mere tool for protocol translation and that Centra represents a ‘mothership’ for the orchestration of streaming; collecting, converting, aggregating, orchestrating and distributing as required. 

Automation will be built into many of the processes; communicating with edge devices to ascertain capacity, required protocol, etc., and then distributing on that basis, the company said. Constant metrics assessing latency across network links will allow for Centra to optimize transport according to resources and need. 

The second layer of the Centra Gateway will facilitate asset and device management. This will allow users to determine at-a-glance the location, software version, license status and health of their various assets, with the ‘at-a-click’ ability to manage and upgrade these elements - either through purchase or loan - through the Sencore store. 

The third layer of the Centra platform will integrate monitoring and analysis of the entire network which provide insight into every mile of video transport, flagging a significant range of potential error types, as well as providing historical analytics for more strategic assessment of network performance over time. Through monitoring by exception Centra will notify and provide users with a streamlined path to rectification, linking to the correct department, site, engineer or solution required. 

Thanks to the latest software and orchestration tools, the Centra solution is fully scalable to the needs of the broadcaster, at a range of bitrates depending on the appliance model or the capacity of the cloud platform selected, the company said. 

Future iterations of the Centra platform will integrate an increasing number of third-party devices, protocols and services through REST API and NMOS, acting as a single point of coordination through which broadcasters can access all of the components needed for effective, efficient network management. 

The central goal of the platform is to solve the traditional problems associated with IP video delivery; namely undefined routes, latency, packet loss or corruption, connection drops and the impact of bursty traffic, the company said. 

Centra will use intelligent, automated network management techniques to ensure high quality, reliable video delivery in a way that reduces latency, maintains the maximum possible content security, and ultimately delivers the quality of viewership experience that audiences expect.

Centra aims to achieve this in a way that is accessible, intuitive and highly usable, even to those without a technical or engineering background. 

Through the creation of an easily-understood GUI, logical and clear workflows, and the deployment of automation, prompts and wizards where required, Centra allows broadcasters to put eyes - and hands - on all components of their network, quickly and easily, the company said. 

More information about Sencore and its products is available at https://www.sencore.com/.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D.—Sencore this week announced the introduction of its OmniHub PLAY end-to-end IPTV video distribution platform for the commercial AV market.

With intuitive, easy-to-deploy middleware, OmniHub PLAY enables video channel distribution and management across local networks using traditional IPTV and MPEG video standard protocols, the company said.

The new platform plays back on Android-based set-top boxes using the PLAY set-top software app. Using a handheld remote, the OmniHub PLAY TV experience offers high-quality video channel playback, video on demand and digital signage information using existing network infrastructures and any outputs to TVs with HDMI or CVBS/analog inputs, it said. 

Designed for cross-compatibility, PLAY supports the MPEG-2, H.264/MPEG-4 and H.265/HEVC codecs. The embedded audio output on the HDMI cable to the TV can decode MPEG1L2, AAC and AC3 (Dolby Digital) audio signals as well, Sencore said.

The OmniHub PLAY server offers centralized control and management of the IPTV footprint across the network. It supports customized text, imagery and video channel lineups using a web-browser interface. Combined with the OmniHub chassis solution, any off-air, cable, HDMI or video source can be inserted along with existing IPTV channel lineups, it said.

The new product can help organizations without an IT staff to distribute video and information via their networks, Sencore said.

More information is available on the Sencore website.

PALO ALTO, Calif.—A new player in the North American encoding market arrived last month with its eye set on sports contribution, network broadcasters, telcos, MSOs and direct-to-home service providers.

Appear, which traces its roots back to 2004 as a spinoff of Tandberg Television, has entered the North American market with four products: X Platform, a high-speed video networking, IP security and advanced compression solution; XC Platform, a modular head-end platform for IPTV and broadcast with support for acquisition, compression and stream processing; X10 DSNG: a digital satellite news gathering encoder-decoder and satellite up- and downlink in a single chassis; and NEO10, a software-based compression solution, says Ed McGivern, general manager.

The Oslo-based company, which has distributed its products in the U.S. since 2008 through Sencore under the DMG brand name, will continue to have a distribution relationship with Sencore but is also building direct distribution and has begun to build a North American sales, marketing and technology team, he says.

Coming to North America was motivated as much by evolving production workflows as it was by technology developments, says McGivern.

“The market segment in 2020 and 2021—with the advent of a lot of REMI remote productions and the building of SMPTE ST 2110 networks, as well as the migration to IP, cloud-based live production and playout technologies—[are areas where] we've really done a lot of work in Europe and in North America through Sencore,” he says.

The pandemic helped to drive adoption of REMI by many broadcasters and production companies to maintain the safety of workers who otherwise would have been in unacceptably close proximity to one another. 

“REMI remote production technology has existed for years," McGivern said. "I think what some of the pandemic has proven to us is that operationally it can be done. Operationally, they were forced to be remote, which helped create demand for high-speed networks, dedicated private-line networks and then low latency contribution.”

This development helped create what McGivern calls “a pure growth opportunity” for Appear in North America. “The demand is there, the product suite is there and the market is really looking for a standards-based company that does best of breed for compression, codecs, ground-to-cloud, cloud-to-ground JPEG XS and low-latency, high-availability products,” he said.

At the moment, Appear is content to build its North American business on these products; however, the company has its eye on the adoption of ATSC 3.0 by broadcasters and the chance to meet their encoding needs, he says.

To date, Appear has conducted some encoding trials and tests in North America and is “keen to pounce on” 3.0 as TV broadcasting evolves and migrates to the new standard, says McGivern. 

“We’re very close to that, and we’re looking at where that market segment is going to take our North American customers and viewership and will be ready to deploy a support platform for ATSC 3.0 as we move forward,” he says.

To date, Appear has assembled a North American team in Nevada, California and Minnesota. Mark Andrews has been named vice president of sales for North America. The company will make its first NAB Show appearance since announcing its North American operations this April (23-27) in Las Vegas.

At the show, the company will debut its new NEO20, a plug-and-play solution offering accelerated HEVC transcoding simultaneously with AVC transcoding, which simplifies server deployment and operations.

The NEO20 can receive MPEG TS IP RTP/UDP and SRT streams and deliver both MPEG TS IP RTP/UDP output and most common HTTP push formats. It also can transmit streams in SRT format.

See Appear at NAB Show booth W8917.

More information is available on the company’s website. 

SIOUX FALLS, S.D.—Sencore has announced a new release of its DMG-7000 Internet Distribution Gateway platform, which adds new reliable internet streaming protocol (RIST) features, including link bonding and seamless switching. 

These two powerful features will take internet-based transport to the next level, the company said. They combine the powerful features of RIST with the existing protocols and features of the DMG 7000 and allow users to transmit, receive, convert protocols like RIST, Zixi, SRT, HLS and MPEG/IP in a simple to use media gateway.   

With the new release, Sencore’s DMG 7000 internet distribution gateway now has the full support of these RIST receive and transmit technologies: 

• Simple and main profile
• Unicast and multicast support 
• Packet retransmission via RTCP 
• Full datagram and reduced overhead tunneling modes 
• Encryption and authentication
• Link bonding 
• Seamless switching

To download the full datasheet and view new features and product specifications visit www.sencore.com.

A release video is available here

SOUIX FALLS, S.D.—Sencore has announced the latest release of its MRD 7000 software-based receiver/decoder platform to assist broadcasters in decoding and monitoring any broadcast workflow.

The latest release offers:

• 12G-SDI support added to 4x3G/HD/SD-SDI output card; 
• Reduced cost per channel with new hardware options; and
• Enhanced network connectivity with new IP I/O options.

More information is available on the company’s website.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D.—Sencore today announced its lineup of ATSC 3.0 products that address the needs of broadcasters as well as cable TV and other MVPD providers to assist in the unfolding transition to NextGen TV.

They include: the TX 3800 multichannel transcoder, the SLM 1530 signal level meter and the ARD 3000 series of ATSC receiver decoder.

The SLM 1530 is a handheld ATSC 3.0 signal level meter for broadcast and professional testing of new ATSC 3.0 equipment and installations. Beyond 3.0, it includes full support for legacy ATSC 1.0 and QAM-B cable signals, the company said.

The lightweight meter offers in-depth RF measurements, including signal level, MER, BER, S/N and constellation diagram. The spectrum analyzer features a single-channel or full-spectrum view and offers pass/fail metrics and a built-in decoder, it said.

The ARD 3000 series of ATSC 3.0 receiver decoders decodes a single channel (ARD 3100) or up to four channels (ARD 3400) in a 1RU form factor. Well-suited for confidence monitoring and re-encode applications, the ARD 3000 includes an ATSC 3.0 RF input to allow users to tune an RF channel and decode up to four services. Decoded services are output via 4x3G-SDI for UHD service or 3G/HD/SD-SDI for HD and SD services. Configuration is accomplished via an intuitive web GUI or through APIs like REST and SNMP.

More information on the products is available on the company’s website.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D.—Sencore has unveiled its Sencore TXS 3800 transcoder appliance that converts multiple ATSC 3.0 services into ATSC 1.0-like formats for reuse and retransmission by existing cable TV, TV translator and MVPD systems.

A dense terrestrial transcoder, the TXS 3800 can transcode up to four ATSC 3.0 services in a single chassis, Sencore said.

Video features include MPEG-2 and H.264 compression, along with downscaling, transrating and caption conversion. Audio is transcoded to either AC-3 or AAC, and service names are mapped into standard TVCT format, it said.

Once transcoded, all elements are packaged into an MPEG transport stream and output as traditional MPEG/IP for downstream use.

The TXS 3800 seamlessly integrates ATSC 3.0 signals into existing signal paths with minimal impact on architecture and processes, the company said.

The new product is backed by Sencore’s ProCare support engineers.

More information is available on the company’s website.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D.—Sencore has enhanced its VB440 uncompressed video over IP monitoring appliance with enhancements to its audio support, closed captioning and video capture, the company announced this week.

The VB440 is the latest addition to the company’s VideoBRIDGE IP monitoring suite, which focuses on monitoring the latest uncompressed video over IP technologies, including SMPTE ST 2022-6/7 and SMPTE ST 2110, Sencore said.

The VB440’s new audio features include support for SMPTE ST 2110-31 compressed audio, 5.1 and 7.1 multichannel configurations and room meter analytics, it said.

The latest release also adds CEA-608, CEA-708 and OP-47 caption support, including overlays on live video, an engineering view for caption command data and grid view for alignment, it said.

The new release also includes a rolling capture feature that enables users to capture hard-to-catch issues or events, the company said.

More information is available on the company’s website. 

SIOUX FALLS, S.D.—Sencore is set to release its new decoder for the commercial AV market, the Impulse 300D.

Impulse 300D is a portable single channel network decoder that supports SRT, HLS, Zixi, RIST and RTMP inputs. It features two independent RJ45 ports, SDI, HDMI and analog outputs for the deployment of new channels without relying on traditional cable or cable transmission. The chassis can run stand-alone or be mounted in a 1RU rack with an optional bracket.

The unit works with MPEG2, H.264 and HEVC video decoding at up to 4K resolution and all major audio formats. It also supports various internet delivery protocols and video recording/playback functionality.

For more information, visit www.sencore.com.  

SIOUX FALLS, S.D.—Sencore has announced that its DMG 4000 system is now able to incorporate JPEG XS technology for compression needs.

JPEG XS provides lite compression technology to reduce bandwidth usage. When combined with DMG 4000, the technology can compress SMPTE ST 2110 flows by 10:1 with end-to-end latency of less than a frame. It can also encode or decode 36 flows in 1RU or 72 flows in 2RU. There are also SDI and ST 2110 inputs and outputs to work with any JPEG XS workflow.

Additional features include 10 GB, 40 GB and SDI connectivity to process different types of streams; PTP synchronization for all flows; and APIs for complete control and monitoring.

For more information, visit www.sencore.com. 

SIOUX FALLS, S.D.—Sencore has announced that it has released an ST 2110 output option for its AG6000 openGear decoder card. The new AG6000 option enables HD/SD output via dual 10GB SFP+ ports.

The ST 2110 streams from the decoder card are protected with ST 2022-7 hitless switching and synchronized with PTP. The card can receive MPEG/IP, satellite and ASI streams, and decode to new ST 2110 uncompressed workflows. It can also decode up to 10x services in 2RU with support for HEVC/H.264/MPEG2 video and all common audio codecs.

For more information, visit www.sencore.com. 

SIOUX FALLS, S.D.—Sencore has announced the addition of a new model to its line of receiver decoders, the CRD 4900, a 2RU model with a 10-slot chassis.

CRD 4900 works with Sencore’s line of hot-swappable professional receiver-decoder cards, while also offering redundant, hot-swappable power supplies. 

The unit features separate, internal 1 Gbps network switch capabilities for both management and MPEG/IP, simplifying installation by reducing the need for external cabling and external IP switch ports, Sencore says. Internal genlock reference distribution also allows full genlock synchronization to all cards in the chassis.

For more information, visit www.sencore.com. 

SIOUX FALLS, S.D.—Sencore has announced the ARD 3000 series of ATSC 3.0 receiver-decoders, the latest addition to its portfolio of products. 

As terrestrial broadcasters adopt the ATSC 3.0 broadcast standard, they will need to decode their new off-air signals with a professional receiver decoder platform, the company said.

Sencore’s new ARD 3000 series, available as a single-channel (ARD 3100) and four-channel (ARD 3400) 1RU platform, is well-suited for re-encoding and confidence monitoring applications in existing distribution systems, it said.

The ARD 3000 series includes an ATSC 3.0 RF input for receiving a NextGen TV RF signal. It enables users to tune to a single PLP and decode up to four services. Decoded services are output via 4x 3G-SDI for UHD services or 3G/HD/SD-SDI for HD and SD services. Configuring the units is done via an intuitive web GUI or through APIs like Rest and SNMP.

More information is available on the company’s website.

SIOUX FALLS, S.D.—Sencore is rolling out the latest software update to create a multichannel, multiformat professional receiver decoder out of its MRD 7000 platform.

Among the new features that are available with the software update are new I/O options, including 4x DVB-S/S2 satellite input and Zixi input. There is also now Dolby AC-4 decoding and BISS-CA descrambling, with licenses for BISS2 and BISS1 descrambling. In addition, Teletext, DVB subtitles and closed caption overlays are supported.

Sencore also touts the MRD 7000’s straight-forward user interface and web APIs, as well as support from Sencore’s ProCare support engineers.

For more information, visit www.sencore.com.  

SIOUX FALLS, S.D.—Sencore is launching the SLM 1530, a handheld ATSC 3.0 signal level meter for testing NextGen TV equipment and installations. In addition to ATSC 3.0, the SLM 1530 includes support for legacy ATSC 1.0 and QAM-B cable signals.

The SLM 1530 is lightweight and provides in-depth RF measurements such as signal level, MER, BER, S/N and constellation diagrams. It also provides a spectrum analyzer function for single channel to full spectrum views. There are also built-in pass/fail metrics.

Additional features of the SLM 1530 include the ability to fully decode and display in full motion and color the video and audio components for received RF signals. Ethernet, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity brings remote control, log download and simple firmware updates to the ATSC 3.0 settings.

For more information, visit www.sencore.com.  

SIOUX FALLS, S.D.—Signal transmission and content monitoring developer Sencore is sharing some of its latest product and services for consumers, including its new Impulse NB200E live online streaming platform.

The Impulse NB200E enables users to control the quality of a stream and produce a wide screen format for YouTube or Facebook. Users with a high-quality camera and tripod can simply add the internet for the Impulse NB200E to operate. 

On the service side of Sencore’s business, it has also recently announced that it will be adding a rental option. Customers will now be able to rent Sencore equipment on a monthly basis.

As the coronavirus continues, Sencore plans to host a series of weekly, live online events to focus on new technologies and its new products. Beginning at the end of April, Sencore product managers will present presentations on topics like ST 2110, transport over the internet and ATSC 3.0.

For more information, visit www.sencore.com.  

LAS VEGAS—Sencore will spotlight its new MRD 7000 4K/UHD contribution decoder and MRD 6000 4K/HEVC distribution decoder at the 2018 NAB Show. The MRD 7000 is a reference decoder for JPEG 2000, HEVC, H.264, MPEG2 and HDR codecs, with support for 12G-SDI, HDMI 2.0, 4x 3G-SDI or SMPTE 2110 outputs. The MRD 6000 receives IP, ASI, RF and other inputs and natively decodes HEVC, H.264 and MPEG2 up to 1080p60. It can be upgraded to 4K/UHD output via 4x 3G-SDI.

For video-centric switching, processing and digital turnarounds, the DMG 4200/4100 features SMPTE 2110 encapsulation/de-encapsulation and JPEG 2000, HEVC and H.264 encoding and decoding. And the new SD12X SDI over IP converter, available as a low-cost one to four channel standalone unit or openGear card, with support for JPEG 2000, SMPTE 2022-6 and SMPTE 2110.

For MPEG/IP playout and streaming, Sencore will also introduce the MIP 6210 High Bitrate IP Video Streamer and TSS 6220 Transport Stream Server for video streaming, recording, delay and disaster recovery.

Sencore ‘s VideoBRIDGE solutions, which monitor compressed audio, video and data services on any cable headend, satellite, OTT or telco network, help troubleshoot problems. Sencore monitoring probes provide full support for ASI, DVB-S/S2, 8VSB, QAM, fiber and 1G/10G/40G/100G IPTV/OTT interfaces, with 24/7 confidence transport stream monitoring.

New VideoBRIDGE products include: the VB440 real-time analyzer for SMPTE 2110, with 100-GigE speeds for handling HD/3G/4K signals; and the Nomad-Pro portable RF/Sat/IP/ASI/OTT monitoring tool, which provides a Wi-Fi hotspot for field setup.

The 2018 NAB Show takes place in Las Vegas, April 9-12. Sencore will be in booth SU1916. 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.

AG 9000

LAS VEGAS—At the 2016 NAB Show, Sencore will showcase its AG 9000 4K Ultra-HD HEVC dense monitoring decoder card, which provides HEVC 4K decoding for monitoring real-time, linear video distribution feeds. With up to 18 channels of decoding in a 2RU Ross Open Gear 3.0 frame, this modular solution is ideal for space-challenged NOCs and video walls. Delivering either full resolution, 2160p output via HDMI or down-converted 1080p50/60 video via 3G-SDI, the AG 9000 decodes video services up to 80 Mbps.

Sencore’s flagship offering—MRD4400/MRD5800 MPEG2/H.264/HEVC Triple-CODEC Receiver Decoders for contribution and distribution—now supports HEVC Main and Main 10 profiles, including: 4:2:2/4:2:0, 10-bit/8-bit, and HD/SD formats up to 1080p.

Sencore’s Video Bridge end-to-end system monitoring solutions will also be on display, including live video monitoring and caption/loudness monitoring and archiving solutions. Sencore will show its Wellav products, including the OMP500/600 file-based, real-time OTT encoding/transcoding platform, Streamcast single channel encoder/streamer and DMP900 media platform enabling any input to any output.

Also on display will be the TXS 8700 OTT transcoder, DMG 3200 high density digital media gateway, SMD 989 professional satellite modulator, and CMA 1820 HEVC/H.264/MPEG2 compression analysis software.

The 2016 NAB Show takes place in Las Vegas, April 18-21. Sencore will be in booth SU2615. For more information, visit www.nabshow.com.