STOCKHOLM—Video transport and cloud provider Net Insight has named Chris Myers as senior vice president of sales, Americas.

Myers, most recently chief revenue officer at LTN Global Communications, will lead Net Insight’s sales strategy and execution across its media portfolio in Americas, supporting clients in live production, contribution and distribution at scale, Net Insight said.

“The Americas is a strategic growth area for Net Insight and we are thrilled to welcome someone with Chris’ caliber to lead our Americas business going forward,” Net Insight CEO Andreas Eriksson said. “Chris has a proven track record of scaling businesses in our part of the media industry and a deep understanding of our customers business that will help our customers modernize their media networks with confidence.”

Myers is a more than 20-year veteran of senior leadership posts across broadcast, media and cloud-based video services. As CRO at LTN, he helped scale the company into a global IP video and SaaS (software-as-a-service) provider, Net Insight said. He also served in executive roles at Encompass Digital Media and ABC News, where he was responsible for global live production and newsgathering operations, Net Insight said.

“Media organizations need to scale efficiently without compromising performance,” Myers said. “Net Insight is well-positioned to support that shift, and I’m looking forward to working closely with customers across the Americas.”

Net Insight’s offerings include Emmy Award-winning Nimbra IP media delivery platform. For more on the company, visit its website.

LONDON—Techex will showcase enhancements to its tx darwin and tx edge at NAB Show New York 2025, Oct. 22-23, at the Javits Center in New York City.

The enhancements streamline complex broadcast operations, accelerate deployment and deliver new levels of resilience for moving live video content between ground and cloud, the company said.

Techex has expanded its modular, media processing tx darwin framework, empowering broadcasters to adapt, conform, monitor, protect and transform their live content, it said.

At the show, Techex will demonstrate its:

Premium MPEG-4 AVC and JPEG XS codecs, which allow workflows to span the compressed and baseband domains, moving seamlessly between standards to suit different media flows and transport bandwidths.

tx darwin Blueprints, which enable sophisticated, hierarchical workflows to be designed once and deployed repeatedly. This simplifies complex workflows, increases efficiency and ensures design consistency, reducing the risk of errors.

Motion-compensated video standards conversion, developed with InSync, which delivers a software-native solution that can be deployed on premise or in the cloud.

Dynamic HTML5 graphics and integrations that enable forensic watermarking, introducing the ability to overlay high-quality, dynamic graphics and insert content traceability.

Within its tx edge IP transport platform, Techex introduces SRT-protected JPEG XS TR-07, enabling compromise-free live sports production in the cloud. Performance optimizations deliver higher throughput on the same compute, while its SMPTE-compliant Trust Boundary functions as a secure media firewall for handoff, scalable third-party delivery and network translation.

See Techex at NAB Show New York 2025 Booth 262, Level 3.

More information is available on the company’s website.

KAWASAKI, Japan—On the heels of the Paris Summer Olympics where Media Links’ latest solutions were used to transport the highest quality media both domestically and internationally, the company has announced that it will present its complete IP ecosystem at the upcoming IBC 2024 in Amsterdam, at stand 1.A37, from Sept 13-16. 

Headlined by its next generation SMPTE ST 2110 enabled Xscend IP media platform, the Media Links ecosystem provides for the transport of pristine quality video, audio, and data signals over any managed and/or unmanaged IP network, anywhere, accommodating current and future evolving industry standards and protocols.  

At IBC, the company will demonstrate how its versatile product portfolio addresses various industry challenges across a range of applications, including: 

• GPS-free Single Frequency Networks (SFN) 
• Precision Timing Protocol (PTP) over Microwave
• Cloud-based content delivery
• SDI to IP and/or IP to IP migration
• Media Network Management for any network, service, or equipment
• Remote / Distributed Production for all media types and volumes, local or global

In addition to Xscend, other showcased Media Links ecosystem components include ProMD-EMS network management software, the MDX series of IP media switches, and MDP Series of IP media gateways. 

“This year marks 31 years of Media Links engineering, sales and manufacturing innovation in Media over IP technology for the broadcast and media industry,” added Cesare Camparada, head of market development of EMEA for Media Links. “Our technology solutions continue to  help broadcasters and network providers streamline their media delivery workflows. We value ourselves in being a trusted partner for organizations looking to transition to IP-based media delivery and have a legacy of offering future proof solutions that address the evolving needs of the industry.” 

Amazon Web Services has launched AWS Elemental MediaConnect Gateway, a new cloud-connected software application to transmit live video between on-premises multicast networks and AWS. Part of AWS Media Services, the company says the new MediaConnect Gateway improves operations in hybrid environments, providing monitoring, security, and management of video feeds from the AWS Management Console. With MediaConnect Gateway, customers can build end-to-end live video contribution and distribution workflows in AWS at scale, seamlessly integrating into their on-premises infrastructure.

AWS will demo the new service at Booth W1701 in the West Hall of the LVCC during the NAB Show in Las Vegas, April 16-19.

Typically, delivery of live-video multicast streams between datacenters and the cloud requires investment in specialized third-party hardware and software or resources to develop a custom solution. These solutions can be costly, complex, and difficult to support, and monitoring requires extensive knowledge and investment in vendor-specific tools. MediaConnect Gateway gives customers the ability to view, monitor, and control live video stream transport in on-premises datacenters directly from the AWS Management Console or by using the MediaConnect API.

“Hybrid use-cases are prominent in live video applications among our customers,” said Brian Stein, GM of AWS Elemental. “MediaConnect Gateway gives customers full control over deploying and monitoring their hybrid live video workflows, saving them valuable time and resources so they can instead focus on their core business.”

MediaConnect Gateway can be used primarily for contribution and distribution of live video. For video contribution workflows, a content provider can originate live linear channels on premises and send these feeds to partners around the globe, using MediaConnect Gateway as a bridge between their multicast, on-premises network infrastructure and the cloud. Each MediaConnect Gateway instance can subscribe to one or more multicast groups, where a group represents either a single channel or multiple channels multiplexed together in a multi-program transport stream (MPTS). Once subscribed, MediaConnect Gateway converts the network traffic to unicast, adds encryption, and sends the video to a MediaConnect flow in the cloud. Then a live streaming application is created using the feed, processing and delivering the video to end viewers using AWS Elemental MediaLive, AWS Elemental MediaPackage, and Amazon CloudFront, for example, or another software application.

For video distribution, customers can use MediaConnect Gateway to build sophisticated networks that span hundreds or even thousands of end points on premises. A broadcaster that sends 24/7 live linear content to hundreds of affiliates can use MediaConnect Gateway to seamlessly bridge their on-premises multicast network at both the source and destination locations. The result is a cloud-managed solution with improved operational agility and decreased cost compared to a satellite-based workflow, the company said.

MediaConnect Gateway runs inside Amazon Elastic Container Service (ECS) Anywhere, a service that allows customers to manage ECS containers on their servers. To get started, customers install the open-source ECS Agent on their VM or bare metal server. Once ECS Anywhere has been installed, customers can download MediaConnect Gateway as a software container. After that, all management of video feeds is handled in the AWS Management Console or using the MediaConnect API. When an on-premises multicast video feed is selected, the video signal is transported as unicast to the cloud using AWS Elemental MediaConnect, a service that combines the dependability of satellite and fiber-optic transport with the user-friendliness of IP-based networks.

Once in MediaConnect, the video can be sent to other AWS Regions, processed using AWS Media Services or other applications, shared with partners and affiliates, and delivered to other on-premises MediaConnect Gateway locations. And with the integration of MediaConnect Gateway into Amazon CloudWatch, customers can monitor the health of feeds without the need to invest in separate tools.

“AWS understands that so much of what broadcasters do starts and ends on premises,” said Dave Evans, Product VP, M2A CONNECT at M2A Media. “We’ve been using MediaConnect since launch, and now MediaConnect Gateway bridges the gap and makes the cloud even more broadcast-friendly. Our customers can contribute live video to the cloud and distribute their premium live content to thousands of endpoints globally, managing everything including receivers all within M2A CONNECT.”

HUDSON, Mass.—BitFire has launched the capability to transport live video programming in High Dynamic Range (HDR) over the BitFire Video Transport Network. 

This latest update allows broadcasters, streaming providers, sports leagues, production companies, and event promoters to deliver visual content with maximum contrast, making images appear richer and more brilliant. With this advancement in video transmission, BitFire has met the challenge of delivering HDR across long-haul IP networks.

“HDR is on the rise as more broadcasters embrace high dynamic range in their live productions,” said Ben Grafchik, vice president of business development at BitFire Networks. “At BitFire, we’re proud to provide the ability to deliver HDR through our global IP network.”

HDR provides an increase in the available range of luminance within an image, meaning the overall difference between the darkest shadows and brightest highlights is much greater than that of traditional SDR television. The human eye cannot take in the entire HDR range at once, causing the viewer’s visual system to react as though they were in the scene, allowing HDR to display astonishingly rich images that are perceived more intensely.

BitFire noted that its new support of HDR has a number of implications: 

• For broadcasters, HDR means live productions will display with greater luminance, headroom, and color depth. Subjects and backgrounds will appear richer and more detailed, allowing programs to more faithfully convey the experience of being there.
• For production teams, HDR provides an enriched ability to manage visual details, giving V1s and colorists the control to create a more appealing cinematic impact. The advanced capabilities of your cameras, studio equipment, and control room technology can now be transmitted to networks and other distribution and broadcast partners with ease.
• For audiences, HDR delivers images that appear more vibrant and immersive, with deeper shadows and clearer highlights, optimizing the emotional impact of cinematic scenes and thrilling action alike.
• For businesses, HDR brings the capability to exceed viewers’ expectations with the highest quality images available. For remote production, in-studio services, post-production, or network distribution, the ability to deliver HDR throughout the workflow offers a competitive edge.
• Most importantly, this update leverages BitFire’s software-defined platform to increase broadcast capabilities using the BitFire hardware already deployed, further improving workflow, impressing audiences, and expanding opportunities for producers and broadcasters.

More information about BitFire’s globally-scalable Video Transport Network, its multiple cloud and physical data centers, and the capabilities of its BitFire Engines to encode and decode SDI video, in full 10-bit HDR, for IP transmission is available at bitfire.tv. 

HAUPPAUGE, N.Y.—MultiDyne Fiber Optic Solutions has announced the acquisition of Niagara Video Corporation, a leading supplier of compression, streaming and IPTV solutions for the broadcast and commercial AV markets. 

The acquisition strengthens MultiDyne’s software-defined video transport offerings, and positions the company as a full-service provider of hardware and software solutions for moving high-quality video, the company said. 

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. 

“The MultiDyne brand has long been associated with fiber optics, but as a company we excel at processing and moving media,” said Frank Jachetta, CEO, MultiDyne. “At IBC2019, we added audio processing and monitoring to our portfolio with the acquisition of Census Digital. Three years on, we head into IBC2022 with another strategic acquisition that takes MultiDyne into exciting new territory.”

Jachetta also stressed that the Niagara Video business adds “proven hardware and pure software solutions to our in-house hardware portfolio” that will help the company proliferate media transport opportunities for its customers. That includes moving media from server-based engines and over more diverse network topologies, while ensuring seamless interoperability with a mix of industry protocols (HEVC, HLS, RTMP, SRT and more), he said. 

“We have expanded beyond dark fiber to moving content across the internet in different ways,” said Jachetta. “One example is how we can now reliably take video over the top (OTT), using open-protocol SRT transport for perfect video delivery. It’s about delivering broadcast-quality video over challenging networks for our customers.”

Jesse Foster, MultiDyne’s vice president of products, cited the growing eSports market as well as AV business verticals, notably corporate and education, as examples of how Viagara Video’s existing businesses will expand MultiDyne’s customer base. 

Foster also noted that the deal opens up a natural expansion of MultiDyne's core broadcast and live production business into the REMI production space, and an opportunity to offer complete solutions for worship facilities.

“This really opens MultiDyne to new verticals,” said Foster. “Compression is a necessary technology for remote connectivity, and Niagara’s portable GoStream encoders and decoders will provide our customers with the low-latency streaming and backhaul solutions they need for REMI production and live entertainment events. We see strong integration opportunities for MultiDyne fiber products with Niagara’s IPTV solutions, used widely today in the enterprise, corporate, government and hospitality markets. And we can now help our worship customers easily extend their signals from the sanctuary to external locations, thanks to clean integration between our fiber camera adapters, our fiber throwdowns, and Niagara’s live streaming solutions.”

Mike Galli, CEO, of Niagara Video Corporation, says that in addition to technology and in-house talent, the company broadens MultiDyne’s channel partner network through its own distributors and resellers worldwide. Galli will join the company as VP of Streaming Products, and MultiDyne will retain Niagara’s existing staff. MultiDyne will also exhibit a limited range of Niagara Video technologies on its IBC2022 stand (September 9-12, RAI Amsterdam, Stand 11.B17).

“We have built a network of channel partners with strong reputations that will help raise MultiDyne’s visibility in areas where they have less brand representation, including parts of Asia where Niagara Video has historically seen brisk business,” said Galli. “At the end of the day, we can help MultiDyne establish a robust streaming portfolio and bring them into the compression world with greater authority. And we at Niagara have always looked for the right partner to complete our vision. MultiDyne’s global presence, business reputation, and the range of customers and applications they support are all phenomenal.”

Black Pearl Management Group, owned and operated by well-known broadcast industry veteran Bob McAlpine, facilitated the acquisition process on behalf of both companies.

SEATTLE—With production in 4K growing steadily and the FCC’s moves to deploy the 4K-capable ATSC 3.0 standard, this year’s NAB Show will likely see a lot of 4K hardware, cameras, switchers, monitors and the like. To transport 4K video from one device to another requires a 12 Gbps path, which has sent cable and connector makers back to the drawing board.

CABLE BRAID

Belden’s 4794R 12 GHz 4K UHD 75 Ohm 16 AWG Precision Video Cable Steve Lampen, multimedia technology manager at Belden, said the trick to raising the speed with which a cable can carry data is the precision in how they can make the cable. Citing the company’s new 4794R 12 GHz 4K UHD 75 Ohm 16 AWG Precision Video Cable, “Every single thing inside that cable is different, is new, is changed, is improved on, has been worked on,” he said. “The one thing we spent the most time on is the braid in the cable, believe it or not. The fact that you have bundles of wire and they all cross each other at a certain angle, and they’re a certain distance apart, this all shows up at high frequencies.”

Belden also coated the copper center conductor with silver. “That’s because the ‘skin effect’ at high frequencies is better with silver than copper,” Lampen said.

Bryan Carpenter, senior sales consultant for patchbay maker Bittree, described how the company created patchbays capable of 12 Gbps and beyond. With a rough design in hand, “we run a simulation of that design with software, and with that we can move parts and change dimensions of critical tuned areas where the signal passes.” A fraction of a millimeter can change frequency response. “With some critical dimension parts, we’ll have a 3D printing done so we can have a physical model we can push together.” When that’s done, “we do a small batch first article. This is where we have the ability to verify that the product passes way beyond 12 Gbps. We’re bringing that new patchbay out to 24 Gbps, actually.”

Frank Jachetta, president of MultiDyne, said the company has added fiber-optic cables to its fiber transport product lineup. “Being that fiber has been a wire for these higher bandwidths, it’s sort of become a necessity to do terminated cables in-house instead of farming it out to trusted subcontractors,” he said. The desire to react more quickly to customers’ fiber-optic cable needs has led MultiDyne to build “a state-of-the-art fiber lab so we will terminate the cable here; camera cable, our generic tactical cable, or any other type of optical cable that lends directly to high bandwidth.”

Mark Bradley, director of product line management at Corning Optical Communications said the company focuses on easily connecting devices that need high-speed transport. “We offer a Thunderbolt product that offers up to a 20 Gbps rate, and a USB 3.0 optical cable that provides up to a 5 Gbps rate,” he said. “What these offer is the distance capabilities of fiber with the ease and convenience of copper connectivity.”

CONNECTING 4K

Scott Fitzgerald, senior engineer of fiberoptic communications systems for Optical Cable Corp. said that while the company found “the 4K niche was not a product hole, per se, there were some areas where we needed to freshen our products.” OCC had enterprise customers using their 10 Gbps fiber and connectors for years, “so moving up that extra 20 percent to 12 Gbps wasn’t that big a jump forward,” he said.

One fiber connector that’s been found convenient for remote broadcasters is OCC’s Image C Multi-channel Hermaphroditic Connector, designed to enable genderless mate-ability, without regard for male or female configuration of the mating end.

“Because they’re hermaphroditic, you’ll never get to the end of a cable run and find you’ve got a socket where you need a plug,” Fitzgerald said. “Because both ends are the same, you can plug them together anyway.”

Richard Rubin, president of Tactical Fiber Systems noted that there are few 4K cameras that have SMPTE fiber connectors, and that most output via four 3 Gbps SDI cables that are then converted to hybrid fiber. “You’re seeing cameras, especially the new breed of pan/tilt/zoom cameras that have HDMI output,” he said. “And we can now provide a bidirectional RS-232 line along with the HDMI to be able to control it.” He also pointed to the 4K advantages of their Magnum stainless steel connector, which sports a female socket on the connector instead of a male plug. “There are no external parts on the cable end, which is what normally gets dropped and dragged through the mud. Running these higher bandwidths you have to be sure you’ve got a clean connector.”

Terry Dant, applications engineer and program manager at LEMO, said that in going to 4K for SMPTE 304 camera cables, “the number one change in that connector was a design for fiber optics. We switched over to single-mode optical fiber, and bandwidth limits went away. We’re not worried about 12 Gbps; they can run a tremendous amount of data over a distance of 10-20KM.”

Shadath Shahdid, engineering manager for Canare Corp. of America, said the benchmark they looked for in their new 4K L5.5 CU HD cable was 100 meters. In getting to that distance, “Canare Electric, our parent company in Japan, optimized the materials we use, in the structure and manufacturing methods.” In addition to upping the electronic performance of their new cable, the company targeted 8mm as the maximum diameter for the cable to allow more of it to be wound on a reel. The finished product came in at 7.7mm, a cable that’s more flexible and lighter.

Wendy Charak, broadcast/pro audio sales and marketing manager for Switchcraft, said in order to avoid confusion over the company’s new 24 Gbps patchbay, “we modified the color of it. It’ll be a bright panel so you’ll be able to tell the difference.”

More than just a new color scheme went into the 24 Gbps Mid-sized Video Patchbay, she said. “We redesigned the entire jack itself, and we had to have different insulators, different contact pins and other items like that. It’ll have a new looping plug and terminating plug.”

For traditional SDI connectors Neutrik created the UHD BNC connector, “which includes improvements that allow signal transmission at 12 Gbps SDI and beyond for 4K or even 8K,” said Fred Morgenstern, product director.

To those who want to continue using SDI transmission for video signals at these high rates, Neutrik has answers in place. “It is clear that IP routing is going to be integral to a great percentage of 4K applications,” he said. “The etherCON Cat6A product combines easy termination and relatively low cost with the ability to transmit 10GHz signals over up to 100 meters.”