MANAGEMENT
November 2018
AJA is addressing a growing demand for colour space
conversions and HDR implementations with the FS-HDR,
which is a versatile 1RU HDR/wide colour gamut (WCG)
HDR to SDR, SDR to HDR and HDR to HDR converter and
frame synchroniser that supports real-time HDR/SDR
transforms, as well as 4K/UHD/2K/HD up, down, cross-
conversions.
ers, the ability to deliver higher
resolution services and support
more signals is vital, says Grass
Valley’s Courtney, who also iden-
tifies HDR as being central to the
strategy of many content provid-
ers. HDR, he adds, enables them
to deliver a perceivable improve-
ment in image quality in the home.
“HDR conversion, 4K/UHD sup-
port, multi-channel processing
and IP interfaces are capabilities
that broadcasters need to help
future-proof their infrastructures
and workflows.”
One factor to consider when
making any format converter pur-
chase is the quality of the resulting
output, says AJA’s Stacy. “This is an
area where AJA excels, providing
production-proven scaling tech-
nology developed and backed by
AJA’s qualified engineering team.”
AJA offers an extensive line-
up of conversion tools to help
professionals meet day-to-day
infrastructure requirements —
from its mini-converters to FS
conversion and frame synchro-
nisers and family of openGear
compatible cards. “Our goal is to
make it as simple as possible for
broadcasters to integrate varying
formats and standards into their
productions,” Stacy informs.
Other considerations to take
into account, he adds, include
density, reliablility and metadata
transfer. The latter, in particular,
is key if using closed captions.
“For example, how can you en-
sure CEA-608 to CEA-708 will
be passed correctly?” asks Stacy.
“In this case, evaluating products
like AJA’s FS1-X frame sync appli-
ance would be a smart tactic. It’s a
robust up, down, cross-converter
that supports motion adaptive lin-
ear conversion for optimal results,
regardless of the source.”
He also believes that density
is crucial in evaluating the right
conversion solution, which is why
AJA has developed tools like the
openGear-compatible OG-UHC
3G-SDI up, down, cross-converter
and OG-4K2HD 4K/UHD to HD
3G-SDI down-converter. “With
a standard openGear frame, you
can get 10 of these cards in a single
chassis, but if you require throw
downs, both products are also
available in a small robust mini-
converter chassis for the same
price,” Stacy explains.
Moreover, AJA is also address-
ing a growing demand for colour
Analogue Way is addressing broadcasters’ format conversion needs with the VIO
(Versatile Inputs/Outputs) 4K, which natively supports formats up to 4K/UHD 30Hz
4:4:4 10 bits and integrates seven inputs and one multi-plug output.
space conversions and HDR im-
plementations with the FS-HDR,
which is a versatile 1RU HDR/
wide colour gamut (WCG) HDR
to SDR, SDR to HDR and HDR
to HDR converter and frame syn-
chroniser that supports real-time
HDR/SDR transforms, as well as
4K/UHD/2K/HD up, down, cross-
conversions. FS-HDR combines
AJA’s FS frame sync/conversion
technology with video and colour
space processing algorithms from
the Colourfront Engine. “It not
only supports comprehensive
signal conversion, but also allows
users to convert various camera
Log formats to HDR broadcast
standards, as well as to/from
BT.2020/BT7.09,” Stacy concludes.
For Grass Valley, the company
provides some “very advanced”
modules for format conversion
through its Densité and IQ ranges.
The software-defined XIP-3901
dual-channel 4K/UHD video pro-
cessor with HDR conversion mod-
ule, for example, provides all the
conversion functions needed for
live production, supports SDI in-
terfaces and dual-channel 25 GbE
SFP cages for future IP I/O migra
tion. The compact UDC-3901
module, meanwhile, provides 3G/
HD/SD up/down/cross-conversion
with video, audio and metadata
processing. Both the UDC-3901
and XIP-3901 can provide up to 24
channels of video processing in the
4RU Densité 3+ FR4 frame.
For high-density, multi-chan-
nel applications, Grass Valley
also offers the IQUDC31, which
17
can provide up to 40 channels of
conversion in 4U rack space. For
4K/UHD applications, the com-
pany offers the IQUDC40, which
provides up, down and cross-
conversion with HDR mapping.
“Last but not least, our KudosPro
range of standalone boxes deliver
comprehensive, reliable and cost-
effective conversion and process-
ing with the quality you expect
from Grass Valley — even in IP
environments,” says Courtney.
Analogue Way, on the other
hand, is addressing broadcasters’
format conversion needs with the
VIO (Versatile Inputs/Outputs)
4K, a new-generation product, ac-
cording to the company’s Bauprey.
VIO 4K natively supports formats
up to 4K/UHD 30Hz 4:4:4 10 bits
and integrates seven inputs and
one multi-plug output. It con-
tains two optional video slots to
add up to two inputs and outputs
that handle 4K/UHD 60Hz 4:4:4
10-bit signals, thanks to DP1.2,
HDMI 2.0 and 12G-SDI plugs.
Equipped with a genlock input and
its loop-through output, the VIO
4K can easily be integrated into a
broadcast workflow.
Bauprey concludes: “From a
functional point of view, it con-
verts one input simultaneously to
its outputs with ultra-low latency,
each output having fully inde-
pendent settings from the others.
“It also includes seamless
switching capabilities between its
input and native audio manage-
ment with an optional expansion
slot for Dante networking.”
Format conversion capabilities
in KVM switches deliver
benefits to TV production
by terence teng
The broadcast industry is constant-
ly evolving. Over the past few years
we have seen many changes, and
one of the most marked changes
has been the incorporation of non-
broadcast signal formats into the
broadcast workflow. Video signals
common to computer, domestic
TV and AV sectors including HDMI,
DVI and DisplayPort are now regu-
larly transmitted and viewed by TV
production crews and editing staff.
Historically, broadcast signals
were superior to those used in AV
and computing. Analogue compo-
nent, composite and VGA images
were of insufficient quality to cre-
ate and produce top quality TV
content. For this, and other reasons,
the broadcast industry used SDI to
interconnect broadcast devices.
However, the widespread in-
troduction of digital transmission
over single-wire, high-bandwidth
cabling in AV systems raised the
quality of images to the point
that it became interesting to the
broadcast industry. Many profes-
sional AV devices deliver the quality
of an image required by traditional
broadcast studios and post houses
— but at a much lower cost.
Although the main broadcast
chain continues to be built around
HD-SDI, broadcast engineers be-
gan to deploy these more attrac-
tively priced devices for general
monitoring and control. Modern
galleries and outside broadcast
(OB) vans today use a few standard
off-the-shelf LCD displays, rather
than a greater number of Grade 2
SDI monitors to view camera and
server images. They use PCs as vid-
eo storage devices and as platforms
to run the applications needed to
process and manipulate content.
The AV and computing industry
though has never standardised
on a single format. And herein
lies a problem for broadcasters:
a multitude of different types of
signal needs to be moved around,
switched, transmitted and dis-
played whenever and wherever
required, without corruption, delay
and fear of loss of image or reduc-
tion in quality.
To do this requires flexible
switching and interconnection
equipm ent. However, many of
the basic devices that do this only
work with signals of a single type of
signal — which means that several
stages of format conversion are
necessary. Every signal has to be
converted to a single format and
then often converted to another
to be displayed. Conversion causes
delay and signal corruption: cost
and complexity increase and sav-
ings disappear.
Keyboard, video and mouse
(KVM) systems, such as the IHSE
Draco tera based on modular I/O
units, can directly accept any type
of signal and output any type —
whether that is the same as the
original source, or not. This pre-
Any type of signal can be displayed on
the standard LCD monitors used in the
Pink Media master control room.
cludes the need for additional off-
board conversion units with their
associated cost and complexity. An
HDMI monitor can equally display
a signal from a VGA computer as
a DisplayPort editing station or an
SDI feed from a camera. It can also
switch between them instantly and
without eroding picture quality.
Many broadcasters and edit
suites now use this technology
within their production facilities
and benefit greatly from the con-
venience and effectiveness offered
by the KVM switching system. It
provides staff with the ability to
access and view images, and con-
trol source devices from remote
workstations — adding additional
capability to their operations.
An example of this in use is
at Pink Media Group’s studios in
Belgrade. A large KVM switch de-
livers a multitude of video content
around the facility: to offices, edit
suites and to the master control
rooms (MCRs), as well as to a large
34-screen videowall. Signals from
DVI, SDI, DP, VGA and other sources
are fed through the switch to SDI
multiviewers and onto the screens.
The whole screen can be changed
quickly and easily to suit individual
programmes.
The result is a flexible and con-
trollable solution that is affordable
and highly effective, allowing Pink
Media to present a professional
and modern image to their viewers.
Terence Teng is managing director,
IHSE APAC.