A host of new kit is preparing to make its debut at the annual electronic media and entertainment show, including a number of world firsts.
As the great and the good of the content creation market prepare to descend on Amsterdam for IBC 2015, we round up what will be of interest to the Installation reader in the halls of the RAI.
The world’s first three-stream uncompressed 4K60 media server will take centre stage on the AV Stumpfl stand. Using a single custom engineered RAID 10 system, Wings Engine Raw is capable of delivering a constant data stream of three-channels of true 4K (4096 x 2304 pixels) uncompressed video content at 60fps plus up to 16 text and picture layers, and up to 24 uncompressed audio streams. The server removes the need to convert content into any intermediate codec format. Content can include native picture sequences such as TGA or TIFF and even instant PNG image format processing.
Wings Engine Raw is capable of processing and delivering video content at the full 4:4:4 colour sampling, ensuring high quality and colour accuracy. It hosts the new WingsRX render core engine, which has been developed and optimised for premium picture quality applications.
In another world first, Bel-Digital will be unveiling the first Dante audio monitor at IBC. The BM-A1-64DANTE (pictured above), which provides audible monitoring as well as visual signal strength indication, is designed to provide a simple way of monitoring the audio present in Dante networks. It provides a visual indication of signal strength on all 64 selected Dante channels. Each channel can also be audibly monitored, or the operator can combine up to 16 channels to provide a unique stereo monitor mix. Housed in a rugged, compact 1U rack chassis, the BM-A1-64DANTE features a redundant power supply as standard and offers full audio redundancy over a Gigabit Ethernet network.
Clear-Com will be demonstrating the latest additions to its LQ Series. The new LQ-R devices can provide either four or eight ports per rack unit, while the compact LQ throw-down devices offer two ports of connectivity. The LQ-R devices have the option of either eight four-wire connections, four two-wire connections, or four two-wire and four four-wire connections in a single unit. The two-wire option is both Clear-Com and RTS TW compatible. A maximum of six LQ IP interfaces can be linked together in any two- or four-wire combination.
Dan Dugan Sound Design will demonstrate three new products for management of live mics in unscripted talking situations – the Dugan Model M, Dugan Model N and Dugan Model K. The Dugan Models M and N are automatic microphone mixers, designed to work in conjunction with standard audio mixing consoles. The Model M has MADI I/O, both optical and copper, and the Model N has Dante I/O, primary and secondary. Both models provide 32 channels of Dugan auto-mixing at 96K or 64 channels at 48K, and are PoE capable.
The Dugan Model K is a tactile control panel for all networkable Dugan products. It gives the user physical buttons for controlling a system so operators can have their eyes on the production and their fingers on the keys.
New from IHSE is the Draco ultra DP KVM extender, which uses Lightweight Image Coding technology developed in partnership with the Fraunhofer Institute to ensure image quality at the highest video resolutions while maintaining colour accuracy (Deep Color ready). The extender allows the operation of CPUs from a remotely located workstation including DisplayPort monitor, keyboard and pointing device over a pair of fibre cables. Transfer of fully digital video is supported in 4K resolutions up to 4096 x 2160 and 3840 x 2160 at a real 60Hz refresh rate and full colour depth (24-bit, 4:4:4). The KVM extender also supports audio transmission via the DisplayPort interface. This eliminates the need for additional audio modules, enabling playback of the audio signal on monitors with integrated loudspeakers.
Roland’s OHRCA M-5000C digital mixing console (pictured right) will make its European debut at IBC. Measuring under 74cm in width and weighing just 32kg, the compact M-5000C offers the flexibility and power of the M-5000 but in a smaller footprint – making it the suitable for touring, broadcast, theatre and live performance. It also uses the same OHRCA platform as the M-5000 as well as offering a 96kHz sampling rate, a 72-bit summing bus, newly designed discrete analogue circuitry and redundant power supply.
The ENC-400 H.264 fanless video encoder and recorder will be on the Teracue stand. The core of the ENC-400 is the dual-channel H.264 encoding and recording engine. It can deliver multiple streams in multiple bitrates and protocols to multiple destinations. The built-in frame synchroniser ensures stable signal processing. Both inputs provide loopthrough outputs and can be used for redundancy switching or as sources for two individual encodings.
Trilogy Communications will feature its new VoiceFlow communication unit (VCU) and Gemini II distributed matrix intercom system at IBC 2015. Highly advanced IP capabilities and tight integration with existing intercom systems feature prominently in both products. The Gemini II distributed matrix intercom system doubles the channel capacity of the current product range, making it suitable for integrating legacy analogue and IP communications.
