When it comes to high-end technology, this year’s NAB Show was packed with it. Encoders are faster and more cost-effective, processing operations are being done in “the cloud,” multiviewers are the norm now, and the captioning bar has been raised. Here’s a look at what’s new.
EAS/CAP
Digital Alert Systems showcased the DASDEC-II Emergency Messaging Platform, a flexible platform for emergency alert and CAP (common alert protocol) management. Also on display were the DASDEC-II Models DASLC and DASLCR next-generation integrated EAS/CAP systems, along with the MultiPlayer four-channel EAS audio player and program switcher.
EEG spotlighted its iCap CaptionCast, along with the HD480 Smart Encoder V, DE285 and DE280 monitoring decoders, the CB512 caption legalizer, and the iCap real-time captioning system. Other products included the SCTE-104 Suite, CaptionTrack for Apple Final Cut Pro, CCPlay FilePro, the CCPlay FilePro server, and the CB1512 caption legalizer module.
TFT showed off their new CAP-EAS device, which decodes CAP and provides EAS extended text for character generators and graphics platforms, as well as a display for radio.
Trilithic arrived with their EASyCAP encoder/decoder, a one-box system for EAS, CAP, local access messages, and audio/video peripherals. Also shown was the EASyCAP premium extended emergency management system, which delivers CAP-based audio and video alerts with extended capabilities for cable, broadcast, IPTV, radio and video systems.
CLOSED CAPTIONING
Comprompter showcased Caption Central featuring voice, studio direct, pass-through, file playout, file ingest, live keyboard and text file output.
EEG displayed the CaptionTrack, a closed captioning editing plug-in for Apple Final Cut Pro, along with the CCPlay FilePro encoding tool for transport streams. Also shown was The CCPlay FilePro server for file-based workflow, along with the CB1512 caption legalizer.
ENCO Systems spotlighted its newly updated enCaption fully automated closed captioning system for live TV.
Softel showed Swift Create subtitling and captioning software, Softel Swift vTX for repurpose content regardless of file format; Swift TX for sub-title/caption management and transmission, Swift ReSync for repurposing and re-syncing content, Swift ReSync TiGo for automatically assigning time-codes, and Swift ADePT software for video description.
Wohler Technologies arrived with two new versions of their openGear HDCC Series captioning/subtitling modules.
STANDARDS CONVERSION
AJA Video offered its Io XT, a highly portable device which unifies disparate formats via 10-bit real-time up/down/cross conversion. Also on display was the FS2 universal frame synchronizer/format converter, KONA 3G, Ki Pro Mini, and UDC broadcast quality mini up/down/cross-converter.
Blackmagic Design announced a price reduction on its Heavy Duty MiniConverters and introduced two new rechargeable battery-powered converters, the Battery Converter SDI to HDMI and HDMI to SDI units.
Edward Wright (L) of Decimator Design gives closer look at the company's MD-Cross up/down converter to Mario Duchi of the Antenna Group in Italy.
Cobalt Digital highlighted their throw-down modular bricks, which are now packaged the “Blue Box Group.” Initial product offerings include HDMI to SDI and SDI to HDMI converters, and analog to digital, digital to analog converter boxes with audio embedding and de-embedding.
Decimator Design showcased its conversion products including the Decimator 2 for openGear, MD-Quad, now with audio metering, MD-DUCC cross-converters and MD-RDA.
Digital Rapids brought along its Transcode Manager 2.0, high-volume media file transcoding software. Booth visitors could also inspect StreamZ Live and Live Broadcast which feature simultaneous H.264 or MPEG-2 encoding.
Ensemble Designs showed off their BrightEye Mitto 3G Fiber Scan converters that convert YouTube, Skype video, weather radar, viewer e-mails and maps to digital video.
Al Rundle demonstrates Transcode Manager 2.0, Digital Rapids' new file-based workflow system.Harris spotlighted its X50 multipurpose frame synchronizer, up/down/cross converter/video/audio processor. New features include options for Dolby and DTS 5.1, built-in Dolby E and Digital AC-3 audio encoding and decoding, along with integrated DTS Neural loudness control.
LYNX Technik displayed their CHD 1802, 1811 and 1812 Yellobrik HDMI to SDI Converters, along with the PDM 5289- SHUFFLEMAX multi-functional inter-face.
Matrox displayed its C-100 miniconverter, which supports a wide range of display resolutions through 3G, Dual Link, HD, and SD-SDI.
Teranex showed off two new converters—a single-processor model for regular conversions, and a dual-processor device that adds 3D processing and 4:4:4 quality.
RadiantGrid (now part of Wohler) highlighted its support of the AS-02 file format. Also shown were the Cinnafilm Tachyon and Dark Energy plug-ins for the RadiantGrid New Media Automation Platform.
Ross displayed its new GearLite SDI to HDMI Converter—the SHC-9642—which features a robust metal enclosure and locking power connector. It’s a point-of-use product for converting SDI signals (up to 3 Gbps 1080p) to HDMI.
Gustavo Sucre (L) of Meridiano TV in Venezuela and Peter Timmons of Harris discuss the Harris HView SX Pro multiviewer.Sencore spotlighted its TXS line of MPEG-2/4 transcoders which include audio transcoding.
Snell showed off its KudosPro signal processing platform that performs 3Gbps, HD, and SD standards conversion and up/down/cross-conversion. Visitors could also see a demo of the Alchemist Ph.C-HD motion-compensated standards converter which incorporates new FileFlow technology.
ENCODERS/DECODERS
Adtec Digital unveiled the EN91 streaming encoder which supports HD/SD MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 video with 4:2:0 and 4:2:2 chroma sampling. Also featured was the EN-20, a HD/SD dual-service SDI MPEG 2 encoder with ASI, IP and optional up-converted QAM outputs.
AmberFin displayed its latest version of iCR Unified Quality Control for content ingest/transcoding with new multi-transcode capabilities for iCR, allowing users to run up to eight different transcode nodes simultaneously on a single PC.
Broadcast International showcased their CodecSys software, a breakthrough in artificial intelligence-based video compression technology that claims to cut bandwidth requirements more than 30 percent.
Ericsson launched a new version of its AVP2000 Contribution Encoder with support for MPEG-2, MPEG-4 AVC, JPEG 2000 as well as increased density of video processing, video monitoring on the front panel and additional interfaces for analog video, G.703 networking and contact closures (GPI).
Evertz showed their new 3480 series platform which offers bulk MPEG-2/H264 encoding and transcoding, plus adaptive bit-rate encoding/transcoding and statistical multiplexing. Also showing was the Media Transport Solution, which allows content providers to move compressed and uncompressed content over large geographical regions using fiber or IP.
Nevion spotlighted the Ventura VS901-IED-GEP, the widely deployed JPEG2000 system. Booth visitors also got to see Ventura VS904/954, which provides H.264 4:2:0 and MPEG-2 4:2:0/4:2:2 with bit-rates from 2 Mbps to 80 Mbps. Also featured were the Flashlink 10 Gig-E Switch and Flashlink 10G-TR.
Telairity showed off its line of encoders, including the BE8500, which autosenses HD or SD formats, and automatically selects a corresponding HD, SD, or Mobile encoding mode.
Telestream debuted some major Episode 6.3 product enhancements, including support for the x264 video codec that brings higher-quality H.264 encoding to all Episode software products.
Thomson Video Networks showed its ViBE CP6000 contribution platform that features MPEG-4 contribution codecs, along with the ViBE EM4000 multi-channel HD encoder.
VidOvation debuted its AVN 443 HD encoder that transforms video from almost any source into full-screen, full-resolution IP video in real time. Also showing was the MVN-EN460 encoder for real-time MPEG-4 SD and HD applications.
ViewCast highlighted its Niagara 7550 encoder, along with its 9100 series encoding platform that includes SimulStream remote management software. Booth visitors also got a demo of the Osprey 820e video capture card that ingests SD and HD video along with VGA, HDMI and DVI.
Vitec showed off their MP-7440 AVC/H.264 encoder for HD AVC ingest. It’s bundled with Imager software that includes VTR control and a scheduler for recordings.
PROCESSING
Axon USA featured its HLD100 solid-state drive-based HD-SDI uncompressed long time delay; the HNS400 VBI/VANC line inserter/swapper/transcoder for composite, HD and SD SDI inputs; the HSI12 X31 cue encoder/decoder; and the HVD05 HD 32 frame video delay.
Blackmagic Design showed its Intensity Extreme Capture/Playback device which provides analog capture and playback in SD/HD component, NTSC, PAL and S-Video.
DVEO brought along their LogoSerter IP/ASI/SDI for inserting graphics, logos, CG, and text anywhere on H.264 or MPEG-2 video content.
ESE introduced the ES-210, quad 1x6 1/5/10 MHz Distribution Amplifier, along with the ES-250, ES-251, and RS-232C isolation and distribution amplifiers.
MultiDyne displayed their VDA and ADA 2419 video and audio DA’s for openGear. They feature an HD-SDI optical transceiver and dashboard management system. Also on display was the HD-3000-II, for 3Gbps dual-channel SDI video transport.
Ross Video showcased openGear 3G/HD/SD multidefinition terminal equipment, including DashBoard v5.0 with enhanced graphical layouts, flexible sys-tem views and navigation. Also shown was the new NWE-3G Nielsen watermarks encoder.
Thomas Tang (L) of Apantac shows the operation of the Tahoma MiniQ multiviewer to Bob Bolling of RBL Engineering.MULTIVIEWERS
Apantac showed its Tahoma line of broadcast/pro AV multiviewers, which includes the LX line with built-in routing, looping video inputs, auto-detection of input sources, built-in CAT-x cable extenders, embedded and discrete audio monitoring and a customizable user interface.
AvitechInternational brought along the Sequoia 2H2U, a new standalone multiviewer that accepts dual HDMI inputs and has two auto sensing inputs for 3G/HD-SDI/SD-SDI.
Harris demonstrated the HView SX Pro Multiviewer that provides a high-density, scalable multidisplay management system for live production, OB and other control room environments with video/audio processing needs.
TVOne showcased the C3-540 CORIO master, which combines edge blending, video wall processing, multiviewing, windowing, image warping, and video processing along with up/down/cross conversion and very low power consumption.
Wohler Technologies showed their RMV16 multiviewer, that provides control rooms and other mission-critical areas up to 16 separate monitoring win-dows on a common display.
COLOR CORRECTION
Axon USA showcased the HCC05 HD/SD SDI YC and RGB color corrector, which allows adjustment of individual or combined RGB gain and black levels and YCbCr gain and black levels. The card includes a proc amp and an OSD identification inserter.
Blackmagic Design brought along their DaVinci Resolve 9.0 color corrector, with a redesigned user interface that eliminates unnecessary clicks and setups.
Damon Hawkins (L) demonstrates Quantel's new Pablo color and finishing system and the Neo Nano control panel for Chi Lik Eric (C) from Hong Kong Media Production Company and Wilson Chan from Hong Kong Broadband Network.Quantel gave booth visitors a demo of the Pablo Neo color correction and finishing system with all the latest tools and facilities for speeding up SD, HD, 2K, 4K and Stereo3D work.
STREAMING/MOBILE/IPTV
DVEO showed its 200-channel enterprise class transcoder streaming system, along with the MultiStreamer DIG/IP mini that combines a real-time tran-scoder, encoder, and live streamer with SDI or HD-SDI input.
Ericsson showed their SPR1100 broadcast stream processor that enables operators to launch additional television services to the home. Also demonstrated was Ericsson’s SPR1200 multiscreen stream processor, a high density adaptive bit-rate transcoder, along with the Ericsson NPR1200 multiscreen network processor for converting multiprofile input streams into chunks that are suitable for adaptive streaming delivery.
Mahmoud Al-Daccak (L) of Haivision and Rich Mavrogeanes of Discover Video go over the function of the Haivision Viper dual-stream encoder.Haivision Network Video featured the KulaByte Internet Transcoder 4.0 for adaptive/dynamic streaming. Also being demoed at the booth were the Fur-nace Mobile IP video distribution system, the Makito 2.0 HD H.264 encoder, and the Viper KB Internet streaming appliance with adaptive/dynamic streaming.
Leightronix demonstrated the PEG Stream and PEGstream-SD Live Streaming Solution which delivers live programming to viewers on a worldwide basis.
Nevion showcased advances in its Ventura VS902 universal IP access platform and a new VS906 contribution codec for IP, which uses dual network feeds, virtual element management for full network monitoring, new 10G interface, and SMPTE 2022-6 video encapsulation.
Rushworks demonstrated StreamSource AnyScreen, a hardware/software/ service platform that allows users to send a single video stream to their multistream delivery network, either for single events or on a 24/7 basis.
Sencore showcased its TSS 6000 transport stream server channel-in-a-box. Features include ad splicing, ad serving, archiving, logo insertion, and EAS insertion.
Telestream brought along some new Vantage Transcoding products that feature adaptive bit-rate media production for OTT, tablets, enhanced Avid support, and cable ITPV set-top delivery. Also shown was Wirecast 4.2, an all-in-one software system for content capture, live production, and encoding of live streams.
VidyoCast demonstrated the VidyoContribution Mobile that provides contribution via Apple iPhone-iPad and Android phones/pads using H.264 scalable video coding. Also demoed were the VidyoEncoderDecoder H.264 SVC hardware/software encoders/decoder products.
Vitec showed the Optibase MGW Micro Premium video streaming application an encoding/streaming IPTV platform. Booth visitors also got to see Vitec’s Optibase multiscreen mobile streaming suite.
