FOR-A will introduce the FA-9500 multipurpose signal processor at the 2010 NAB Show in Las Vegas, April 12-15, in Booth C5219. A replacement for the FA-9100, the new unit offers frame sync and video and audio conversion tools as well as a variety of options for improved functionality.
Two channels of HD/SD-SDI and one channel of analog composite video I/O come standard with the FA-9500, and it is expandable up to five channels. With SDI inputs, two channels are synchronously coupled independently for seamless switching between channels. The SDI input also features error detection. If the signal is cut or an error is detected, the FA-9500 handles it as a clean switch and changes to the other channel.
The FA-9500 has two signal-processing paths, which means dual outputs can be made simultaneously, such as original SD signal and upconverted HD signal. The FA-9500 also has two distributed outputs and includes an I/O bypass in case of power failure or emergency.
The FA-9500 offers three frame synchronizer modes: frame, line and input. Ancillary data can be passed through with both H and V in every mode. In line sync mode, it can operate as AVDL.
Audio I/O includes 16 asynchronous channels of embedded audio, eight channels of AES/EBU and four channels of analog. It is possible to select 16 channels of audio inputs among the above 28 channels of inputs using one’s own sampling rate converter and signal processing without any phase gap between channels. This enables delay or level adjustment, downmixing and remapping. Users can also embed and de-embed multichannel audio.
The FA-9500 also provides A/D, D/A conversion and up/down/crossconversion. It offers conversion between HD and SD as well as 1080i and 720p. Additional standard features on the FA-9500 include video delay, 2D/3D comb filter and Web browser-based monitoring and control interfaces.
Options for the FA-9500 include support for 3Gb/s signals. Besides a 3G-SDI signal I/O, a second resizer can also be added for down/cross/conversion, which provides the flexibility needed for simultaneous HD/SD output. In addition, a frame-rate converter can be added, which incorporates the technology found in FOR-A’s FRC series of products.
Ideal for over- or underexposed video, the optional video optimizer monitors video in real time and automatically corrects it to normal levels. Optional color correction features three different modes (balance, differential and sepia) and can also reproduce the video’s original color spaces using gamma adjustment, white and black level adjustments, and various clip functions. The optional logo generator can be used to superimpose logos on video for branding purposes or to add side panels to 4:3 video. Additional options include a Dolby E encoder/decoder, support for 16 channels of embedded audio, analog component I/O, redundant power and SNMP monitoring/control.
