Cobalt Digital to Exhibit IPMX Ecosystem at NAB Show New York

Cobalt Digital’s blueCORE signal processor
Cobalt Digital’s blueCORE signal processor (Image credit: Cobalt Digital)

CHAMPAIGN, Ill.—Cobalt Digital will showcase its end-to-end ST 2110/IPMX ecosystem, solutions geared to address the C-band spectrum transition and multiviewer products at NAB Show New York, set for Oct. 21–22 at Manhattan’s Javits Convention Center.

A main focus at Cobalt’s NAB Show New York exhibit (Booth 226) will be its end-to-end approach to ST 2110/IPMX, which the maker of signal-processing products said will show how broadcasters can transition from SDI to IP at their own pace while supporting hybrid environments and protecting their existing investments.

Cobalt said it will spotlight the expansion of its IPMX capabilities with support for JPEG XS Temporal Differential Coding (JXS TDC), which enables IPMX-certified products to discover, establish and transport visually lossless, ultralow-latency JPEG XS media streams. The enhancement strengthens IPMX environments with plug-and-play deployment and low-latency JPEG XS workflows while maintaining compatibility across mixed-vendor systems, it said.

Support for JPEG-XS is available across Cobalt ST 2110/IPMX-capable products, including its SAPPHIRE miniconverters, Indigo gateways, PACIFIC encoders/decoders, TOPAZ processing platforms, Aria audio monitors and UltraBlue multiviewers, it said.

To help broadcasters navigate the C-band spectrum transition, Cobalt has added support for hybrid satellite/internet operations to its Cobalt PACIFIC compression line. The enhancement complies with VSR TR-06-4 Part 7 and uses internet connectivity to recover data affected by satellite transmission losses.

The Pacific ULL-DEC with SAT-DEMOD uses a factory-installed DVB-S/S2 demodulator to receive satellite signals and make them available through both ASI and IP, the company said. In hybrid operations, it uses the Ku- and Ka-bands for bulk distribution and the internet for lost packet recovery, offering broadcasters a practical approach to maintaining reliable content delivery and adapting to changes in satellite distribution, the company said.

Cobalt will also exhibit its blueCORE family of standalone signal processors, which debuted at April’s NAB Show in Las Vegas. blueCORE delivers multifunction audio and video processing in a compact 1-RU form factor and supports both SDI and ST 2110/IPMX signal processing, providing extensive flexibility for infrastructure transitioning to IP, Cobalt said.

The company also plans to demonstrate its latest UltraBlue MV-SW multiviewing capabilities, which provide flexible monitoring for facilities working with compressed streams, SDI, ST 2110, IPMX or hybrid environments. It’s available as a turnkey package or as software that runs on customer-supplied hardware and incorporates support for IPMX, Cobalt said.

Cobalt will also display its enhanced audio capabilities, including optional fiber input/outputs added to its line of 9935-AUD4-DANTE openGear advanced audio processor cards to support Dante Audio Interfaces. Direct fiber connectivity simplifies Dante installations, supports longer-distance deployments and eliminates the need for external media conversion in fiber-based network infrastructures, it said.

Cobalt will also showcase its ARIA audio monitoring line, featuring full IPMX compliance alongside support for 16 SDI or 64 MADI channels in a compact rack-mount chassis with touch-display and web-based controls.

Other pieces of Cobalt’s broader product portfolio on display will include Sapphire miniconverters, Indigo gateways, Pacific compression tools and its openGear card lineup.

“The industry is no longer asking whether it will move to IP; it is asking how to make that transition practical,” Cobalt Senior Vice President, Worldwide Sales and Marketing Suzana Brady said. “At NAB New York, we will demonstrate an end-to-end ecosystem that provides broadcasters with the tools they need to move at their own pace, while also addressing challenges such as the C-band transition. From IPMX and ST 2110 to standalone processing and multiviewing, our goal remains the same: provide practical solutions that make complex workflows easier to deploy and operate.”

For more on Cobalt Digital’s NAB Show New York plans, visit its website.

Mike Demenchuk
Content Manager

Mike Demenchuk is content manager of TV Tech and content director of the NAB Show Daily, taking on those roles after serving as content manager of Broadcasting+Cable and Multichannel News since 2017. After stints as reporter and editor at Adweek, The Bond Buyer and local papers in New Jersey, he joined the staff of Multichannel News in 1999 as assistant managing editor and had served as the cable trade publication's managing editor since 2005. He edits copy and writes headlines for both the TV Tech print magazine and website, and manages content and production of the NAB Show Daily and other special projects.