Ensemble’s Big IBC News: Compact Router with MPEG Encode/Decode

Ensemble Designs is introducing a new model of its BrightEye NXT line of compact routers at IBC. The BrightEye NXT 450 incorporates a high quality, high profile MPEG encoder/decoder to the feature set of the BrightEye NXT 430-X. The product’s H.264 coding techniques give superb performance at low bit rates, says Ensemble.

Ensemble reps added that it was now possible---with one1/3 RU device---- for users to hook up SDI and HDMI devices without worrying about timing issues, convert them to a common SD or HD format simply, intercut or dissolve them seamlessly to a high quality MPEG encoder for realtime streaming, while simultaneously sending them to SDI or HDMI destinations.

The BrightEye NXT 450’s new encoding functionality produces simultaneous transport streams including one high-resolution and one low-resolution unicast stream, one multicast stream, and a DVB-ASI stream. Sources can be seamlessly routed to the encoder that outputs the various streams to an RJ-45 Ethernet connector on the back of the unit. The DVB-ASI formatter produces a DVB-ASI format stream that can be sent to a BNC or Fibre port for distribution. The BrightEye NXT 450 also includes an MPEG decoder. Gigabit Ethernet can be received via the RJ-45 connector as either unicast or multicast, MPEG-2 or MPEG-4 decoded to 3G, HD, SD SDI with embedded audio, and can be mixed or intercut with other sources connected to the router. The encoder and decoder can be used simultaneously.

Stand 8.B91