[SatNews] At IBC2013, Snell will feature new and enhanced products for a vast range of live TV and TV Everywhere applications. These powerful systems offer the highest levels of automation, reliability, and quality, with the flexible control, monitoring, and media handling required in today’s SD/HD/1080p environments as well as future cloud, IP, and 4K UHDTV-based operations.
PRODUCTION SWITCHING
Kahuna 360—New Totally Customizable Control Panels
With its exclusive FormatFusion3 technology that supports a mix of SD, HD, 1080p, and now 4K, Snell’s Kahuna 360 is the ultimate live production switcher—providing unmatched creative power and flexibility. At IBC2013, Snell is launching a new set of control panels for Kahuna 360 that provide a flexible, quick, and reliable access control interface for all types of television programming, and utilize the features within the advanced Kahuna 360 electronics frame. The new panels feature innovations such as OLED buttons with user-assignable thumbnails, a touch screen at the M/E level rather than on the separate GUI for quick navigation, and the ability to assign RGB values to buttons for clear, confident operation. Built around a groundbreaking new architecture, the control panels are fully customizable — allowing customers to tailor them to suit production requirements and add to or modify panel segments as systems change.
CHANNEL-IN-A-BOX
ICE Channel-in-a-Box—Snell has added three new configurations to its industry-leading ICE channel-in-a-box solution. The core ICE product is now available as a standard 2-U system, requiring a third less space than the previous hardware platform with no sacrifice in functionality; in fact, the new box has twice the 2D or 3D graphics capability as was previously available. In addition, ICE is now shipping with Version 4.0 of the software, offering powerful new features such as Nielsen audience tracking capabilities, a “Variplay” feature option for speeding up noncritical material to compress time and make space for more essential playout, and integrated loudness control for compliance with international regulations. ICE LE is a new 1-U version of ICE that provides the advanced functionality of the Version 4.0 software in a smaller, more cost-effective footprint and with a streamlined feature set — making it ideal for smaller operations or simple video server technology refresh projects. Also, in partnership with Quantum, Snell is introducing ICE SAN. ICE SAN provides large-scale shared content storage to give multiple ICE units instant access to media. ICE SAN is available in two versions: a high-performance enterprise model that offers premium levels of storage centralization and resilience, and a lower-cost option that provides high performance for smaller operations in which cost is a major factor.
MEDIA ASSET MANAGEMENT
Momentum—Momentum is a breakthrough in workflow-automated media asset management and resource planning. At IBC2013, Snell will unveil new features for Momentum that provide even greater value and flexibility. These include an HTML5 browser-independent interface to give users the broadest choice among Web browsers, a Published Web Services API to allow simple interactions among business systems, and complete integration with Snell’s ICE channel-in-a-box and Morpheus automation systems. Momentum also now includes support for an even broader range of external systems including: Emotion EFF loudness detection and correction for compliance with the latest global loudness standards, Pitch Blue and Javelin support for streamlined delivery of file-based content, Telestream Vantage for integration of QC and transcode workflows. Also, Vidchecker has been added to the library of supported quality control systems. Configurable sidecar XML export allows increased interoperability with external systems, and Enhanced FTP watch folder support simplifies electronic delivery workflows and reduces media transfers.
CONVERSION
At IBC2013, Snell will demonstrate the Snell OnDemand software framework, a new approach that offers Snell products in software form. With Snell OnDemand software solutions, customers can rapidly enter new markets and create services to capture new opportunities, achieve cost savings through the use of standard IT hardware, and benefit from highly efficient operations that enable 24/7 asset use. The first software product available within the framework is Alchemist OnDemand (Alchemist OD), offering software for rapid, anytime frame-rate conversion of media files. Supporting content in standards from QCIF to 4K UHDTV and utilizing Snell’s unique Ph.C (phase correlation) technology, Alchemist OD converts incoming files into the standards and formats required by customers, and on their chosen deployment platform. From international program delivery to integration of movies or user-generated content into content schedules, Alchemist OD provides the world’s highest-quality frame- rate conversion in software.
KudosPro Platform—Snell will highlight a new hardware configuration for its KudosPro signal processing and conversion solution—enabling users to extend the system’s functionality by adding up to two single-width modules from Snell’s IQ Modular line. Choosing from a wide range of IQ modules, users can add extra audio processing capability, additional channels of format conversion, distribution amplification, signal monitoring, and many other functions, conveniently housed within the same chassis to save even more space, power, and cost while increasing processing capability. Extending KudosPro with IQ modules further enhances conversion workflows by providing outstanding conversion quality at an affordable price.
Alchemist Ph.C-HD LIVE will be on display at IBC2013, demonstrating the gold standard in frame-rate conversion for live TV applications. Alchemist Ph.C-HD LIVE offers HD and 3Gbps conversions for 50Hz and 59Hz signals, with options available for SD, Dolby E, and enhanced timecode management. Thanks to Snell’s cost reduction initiatives, Alchemist Ph.C-HD LIVE is available at a surprisingly affordable price.
ROUTING
Luna Series Router Control Panels —For the first time at IBC, Snell will feature its new, and already award-winning, Luna Series of 1-RU router control panels, including four LED models and two LCD models. The LED panels include a high-density version with 78 button keys, 72 of which can be configured as source or destination keys for increased flexibility. The LCD panels include a rotary encoder control knob for user-friendly “paging.” The new Luna Series models are compatible with all current Snell routers, feature an ultra-shallow rack mounting depth of less than 2 inches (50 mm), and can be powered from mains, low-voltage DC, or Power over Ethernet (PoE).
Sirius 800 Series Hybrid Routers—The Sirius 800 family of enterprise-class routing switchers now features frame synchronization on the units’ Advanced Hybrid Processing (AHP) input and output modules. The resulting router architecture enables synchronization, clean switching, and independent routing and processing of audio and video signals with no restrictions on signal formats, timing, or number of audio channels. A line synchronization mode allows retiming and clean switching with minimal delay. Unique audio phasing control ensures constant delay and guaranteed co-timing of multi-channel audio for all “same format” signals across the whole router. In addition, a single reference for switching all formats simplifies system design. Numerous control updates include full dial-up support for audio track routing and control from a wide range of BPX, XY, dial-up and LCD button panels.
Vega Asymmetric Router—Snell’s Vega can now route AES digital audio with the introduction of a new I/O card. The new rear module has 24 bidirectional and user- programmable ports available with either “D type” connectors for balanced AES signals or HD-BNC connectors for unbalanced signals. Features include AES data rates up to 96 KHz, full channel routing capability, and rate conversion on all ports. Each rate converter can be independently enabled or bypassed. In addition, Vega can now be configured as an all-audio router or with a mixture of both SDI video and AES audio. The Vega 2-RU 96-Port and 4-RU 192-Port provide highly compact video and audio routing solutions for applications such as OB vehicles or small edit suites.
MODULAR INFRASTRUCTURE
At IBC2013, Snell is introducing a new range of IQ Modular format converters to provide a balance of broadcast quality conversion at an affordable price, with space-efficient dual-channel options. This range of 14 cost-effective video format converter modules combines high-quality conversion of common SD, HD, and 3Gbps formats along with a host of video, audio, and metadata functions, with flexible input and output options to suit most applications.
3Gbps Intelligent Monitoring and New A/V Timing Solutions—At IBC2013, Snell is highlighting its range of 3Gbps-capable intelligent monitoring and lip-sync detection solutions engineered to meet the need for increasingly advanced and automated monitoring. Suitable for both local and remote site applications, Hyperion is a signal-monitoring technology that helps operators monitor content more efficiently. Snell is now adding to this technology with the IQSAM Signal Assurance Monitor, an automated system for detecting audio /video timing errors in a live environment.
For local monitoring applications, Snell is unveiling the IQQSM range of 3Gbps/HD/SD-SDI quad-split monitors. Ideal for monitoring with LCD displays using HDMI, these IQ modules can tile four 3G/HD/SD-SDI input signals along with bar graph displays of eight channels of embedded audio onto a single HD output. Perfect for monitoring studio or outside broadcast camera feeds where the power of a multiviewer is not cost-effective, the IQ Modular quad-split monitors also have an SDI output that allows the signal to be routed to other areas in the facility or to storage.
