FOR-A Intros FRC-8000 Frame Base Converter

FOR-A will introduce the FRC-8000—the newest member of its FRC Series HD Frame Rate Converter line—at the 2009 NAB Show, April 18-23, 2009 in Las Vegas (Booth SU3507).

FOR-A developed the FRC-8000 in response to customer requests for new features and interface improvements to its highly successful, proven FRC-7000 and FRC-3000 models. With the debut of this new product, FOR-A also announces that it will offer FRC-7000 customers an upgrade path to the FRC-8000.

The FRC-8000 is a multi-format frame rate converter that uses FOR-A’s vector motion compensation technology and performs integrated up, down, and cross conversion. The FRC-8000’s mathematical algorithms perform conversion tasks in two steps, first analyzing the pixels comprising each video frame to predict how they will move onscreen, followed by up, down or cross conversion based on the number of lines required at output.

While the base FRC-7000 and FRC-3000 models convert both ways between 1080/59.94i and 1080/50i, or 720/59.94p and 720/50p HD frame rates in realtime, the FRC-8000 converts between HD-SDI formats—including 1080/60i, 1080/59.94i, 1080/50i, 720/60p, 720/59.94p and 720/50p—as well as 525/60 NTSC and 625/50 PAL SD SDI formats. Like the FRC-7000, when you add the optional FRC-70PSFC card, the FRC-8000’s conversion capabilities expand to include 1080/30p, 1080/30PsF, 1080/29.97PsF, 1080/25p, 1080/25PsF, 1080/24p, 1080/24PsF, 1080/23.98p, and 1080/23.98PsF.

The FRC-8000 offers optional support for two-channel Dolby E encoding and decoding. Two Dolby E Encoder FRC-70DE-E cards and two Dolby E/AC-3 Decoder FRC-70D-D cards can be installed on the system’s optional FRC-70DA16 digital audio card enabling the encoding and decoding of two channels of Dolby E data. The FRC-8000 supports multi-channel audio conversion.

Among its many features, the FRC-8000 improves upon the menu structure of the FRC-7000 by providing an easy, one-touch set-up system. It also automatically detects scene cuts and changes, and 2:3 sequence pull-down between 1080/60i or 1080/59.94i and 1080/24p formats, to realize optimal motion compensation and frame rate conversion. And it automatically detects rolling text superimposed on video; controls picture attributes such as video level, and chroma level and phase; and synchronizes video and audio signal outputs. The FRC-8000 will begin shipping in May 2009.