We talked earlier this week with ClearOne about the two new additions to its VIEW Pro line of AV over IP encoders and decoders, which takes the series into the 4K realm.
While ClearOne has a 35-year heritage in the audio world, it has had a presence in IP video streaming since its acquisition of NetStreams in 2009.
The two new VIEW Pro family members are the E110-4K encoder and the D110-4K decoder. These can employ both H.264 and H.265 compression, and support 4K60 video signals with 4:4:4 colour over Gigabit Ethernet. Overall latency, from source to display, is “typically 50-100ms,” according to Lewis Eig, sales director for network video and audio distribution at ClearOne.
Pricing has not yet been disclosed, but is promised to be attractive. “It brings us in line with standard matrix switches – it’s extremely cost competitive,” he said.
Discussing the features of the VIEW Pro range, Eig said: “What gets most attention is the ability to do windowing in videowalls within the encoder and decoder.” This is performed by the company’s PANORAMA video-composting software, which enables multiple images to be lid out on displays, without any additional hardware.
PANORAMA is one of the features that is available as an optional software licence within VIEW Pro. This approach enables users to choose the functionality they need at the time of installation, while also giving them the option to upgrade at a later date. To upgrade, they pay a one-time fee to release the functionality that is already embedded in the hardware. “This is a unique feature within the IP network market,” added Eig.” You can upgrade as your needs change, without the need to call in an installer.”
Other licensed technologies include:
• RTSP/UDP streaming, which supports interoperability between VIEW Pro encoders and decoders and any third-party system, provided it supports the codec and transport protocols
• Local playback – playing of video files stored in a thumb drive plugged into the decoder – StreamNet audio, which upgrades ClearOne’s VIEW encoder/decoder products to operate in the VIEW Pro environment
• Audio mixing of inputs from a variety of sources.
ClearOne is targeting the new products at markets including corporate, higher education, hospitality, casinos and gaming. Eig added that the 4K capability should extend the company’s presence in the command and control market. The new products will be on display at InfoComm – where pricing will be announced – and will be released “within 90 days” of the show, he said.
