Omneon Brings Server Support for Panasonic's AVC-Intra HD Format

New MediaPort modules for the Omneon Spectrum media server and the Omneon MediaDeck integrated server will provide real-time encoding and decoding of HD material using the AVC-Intra codec, Omneon announced.

Panasonic's AVC-Intra is based on the advanced MPEG-4 Part 10 Intra standard and offers high-quality record and play-out at roughly half the bit-rate of MPEG-2-based codecs. With the new MIP-5600 line of MediaPorts for Spectrum and MediaDeck systems, incoming raw video feeds can be encoded in the AVC-Intra format in real time, creating AVC-I formatted files within the servers' systems that can be accessed and edited by nonlinear editors that support the format. AVC-Intra files can then be decoded by the MediaPorts for playout.

The MIP-5600 line of MediaPorts, which includes the MIP 5601 and MIP-5602 for the Spectrum system and the MDM-5601 for MediaDeck, is based on the AVC-Intra specification and is fully compatible with Panasonic cameras and recording equipment, both AVC-Intra 50 and 100 modes.

Each video channel supports up to 16 channels of embedded audio or four channels of separate audio.

The new Omneon MediaPort modules also enable the direct transfer of AVC-Intra content from Panasonic P2 media to the Spectrum system and MediaDeck server for editing and play-out. Nonlinear editors that support the format, including those announced by Apple, Avid, and Grass Valley, will be able to mount the Spectrum or MediaDeck file systems to edit the content in place, reducing the need for lengthy transfers.