Interesting products and updates from the Amsterdam RAI.
Ross Ultrix FR12 Modular Matrix
The new Ultrix FR12 uses Revision 3 cards adding two more aux ports and a USB. Functionality for these new ports is coming soon in future firmware. The frame is backwards compatible with existing cards. Currently on a 4 month lead time but IP and HDX cards are available. The touchscreen mounted in the front door gives access to Dashboard so can be used for status reporting, router panels etc. The screen can be locked and password protected to prevent accidental access. With front to back cooling the frame uses the same PSUs and controller as previous models, meaning the 12u frame also needs 2u of PSU, 2u of control and recommends spacing between the units for cooling, making the whole system closer to 18u. Can be integrated with Multiple MEs of Ross Accuity switcher, or multiple standalone Carbonites as boards inside the chassis.
Riedel Bolero 2.4
Following development for the Tokyo Olympics, Bolero 2.4Ghz is now available to purchase and hire. Bluetooth has had to be removed from the beltpacks us it causes interference in the 2.4Ghz band, and the antenna are limited to 8 packs per antenna rather than the 10 packs supported in the current 1.9Ghz system. Physically the packs are the same, but the antenna is slightly smaller.
Phabrix QXP Handheld Analyser
Phabrix are releasing a portable version of their QX analyser. Taking their existing QX product they have added a 7” screen and battery saddle to make it portable, though not exactly handheld. No graphing capability which makes analysing signals or PTP over time more challenging than on alternatives such as the Prism.
Panaro Eko Cases
Panaro have released a new line of eco-friendly Peli-style cases using 100% recycled plastic. Although lighter that Peli and with better green credentials, they are not the rugged military grade of their competitors. As a cheaper casing alternative for less delicate kit, they would fit the bill.
TSL PAM-IP 2110 Audio Monitor
Available in 1u and 2u models, the PAM-IP provides confidence monitoring for video and audio IP flows. Decapsulated flows are also presented as baseband signals on the rear panel.
Supermicro BigTwin Modular Server
The BigTwin provides four single CPU server blades in one 2u chassis sharing redundant power supplies. For situations where load balancing or redundancy is key, this chassis delivers a dense solution for this.
Skaarhoj Raw Panel
Following the success of their Blue Pill platform which all the Skaarhoj panels now run on, they have taken the decision to expose the background code to give third party developers the option to build soft-panel controllers and custom integration.
Wohler iVAM2-2 2110 SDI and Audio Monitor
One of the many SMPTE-2110 monitoring solutions featured at the show, the iVAM2-2 was the most fully featured. With licensed upgrades and options, other audio and video flows such as Dante or baseband SDI can be added. A 12G version is in development and may be available as hardware option for the onboard card slot.
OWG NVMe RAID
OWC have released a U.2 enclosure leveraging the latest Thunderbolt speeds to give you an external raid with capacity coupled with speeds not seen before in Mac hardware. The U.2 usage is interesting from a server point of view and it could be a potential candidate for swappable raids between PC’s too and not just Mac. Tests required.
Evertz Scorpion
Although not a new product range, the Scorpion series now provides a small form factor 2110 gateway with a large range of purchase option. The Scorpion-6 is a small, fanless throwdown unit to rival the Riedel Fusion-6B.
CScom Line Connected Omneo Base Station
Taking a similar form factor to the Riedel RiFace, CScom have produced an RTS Omneo compatible dual mobile base. House the mobile radios of your choice, the unit connects to the Omneo comms ecosystem providing radio interfacing over IP.
Meinberg PTP Trackhound v2
Meinberg’s next release of their PTP Trackhound software moves the solution away from a program and into a Windows service, meaning it’s always running in the background collecting PTP timing data on the network. Now accessible via a web interface, its user interface is much cleaner and more intuitive than the original version. Licenses can be purchased to allow the web interface to be accessed remotely, and to set up other devices as PTP probes sampling data from across the network and feeding it back to the central server. A ‘dashcam’ mode can be configured to trigger on specific PTP events, creating a WireShark file of the PTP data from 15 seconds before and 15 seconds after the event. The free version is available from 20th October 2022.
Sony Fr7 PTZ Camera
The new Sony Fr7 is the first Full Frame PTZ with interchangeable lenses. Although in an early stage the auto focus is outstanding. It’s compatible with Sony’s hardware panels but the web UI was also very impressive with all the features including colour balancing multiple units. Comes with SRT, NDI, single 12G SDI and HDMI outputs. Currently only fully supports Sony lenses but is compatible with all the Sony E Mount Cine Lenses. The Low light performance was the best we’ve seen from a PTZ. Test at CT to follow in December 2022
Telestream SPG9000
The new 9000 from Telestream is an update to the 8000 that now brings 2110 PTP on 1g and 25g but also 2 x 25g SFP+ cages that can generate test pattern video directly to 2110 with full 2022-7 support natively.
Matrox ConvertIP DSH
Matrox ConvertIP 25G throwdown box which can be configured as a single channel sender or receiver to transmit HDMI 2.0 or 12G SDI (depending on the box purchased) to or from 2110. The box can be powered by POE if required or if not has an external power brick. It has options to embed or de-embed audio on analogue mini jack connector and is silent and half rack width in size so two can be rack mounted in a tray if required. The unit is JPEG XS capable allowing compressed 2110 flows which is useful for lower bandwidth links. I think this would make an excellent throwdown appliance for applications such as powerpoint machines, graphics laptops or for feeding 2110 into a TVs, LED processors etc as a good alternative to the Fusion and prevents the need to convert HDMI to SDI before then encapsulating to IP. Sadly is not currently supported in TFC, however full NMOS API is provided so wouldn’t be too difficult for TFC team to integrate if there was a good use case. Box is already IPMX ready as and when this standard is fully ratified. Price is roughly £2k per box from memory. Can be used point to point on 10G / 25G interfaces if required or with Matrox’s IPMX discovery software for quick and easy IP deployment without Flow, TFC etc
Kensington StudioDock iPad Mount
A very nice looking Ipad Pro stand with grown up connectors and a protective housing.
Datavideo PTR-10 Camera Remote Head
The Datavideo PTR-10 is a fully featured remote head designed to take camera’s from all major brands upto 4.5KG. This unit is one of the first we’ve seen that isn’t a collection of parts but a fully robust tour able product. A nice idea that we will test in house to determine its usability and robustness.
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