Riedel MediorNet Brings New Power to Fiber

By Ken Kerschbaumer

Riedel has unveiled MediorNet, a new multichannel fiber signal-transport system that the company believes can radically change the use of fiber-based systems. “This is a big deal because it has true point-to-multipoint connectivity,” says Sales Manager Michael Descoteau. “It can also be configured in different topologies, including rings, stars, and more.”

The system is based around a MediorNet mainframe that has a slot for a processing card (the heart of the system) as well as six high-speed card slots (four with a 2×4.25-Gbps and two with a 4×4.25-Gbps connection to the backplane. Two slow-speed card slots with 125 Mbps are also available.

MediorNet works by using the processing card to manage 4.25 Gbps of bandwidth by dividing the bandwidth into subframes of 6.1 Mbps (the amount of bandwidth needed to transmit one AES3/EBU audio channel). Incoming signals — whether video, audio, intercoms, or control — are then sliced into 6.1-Mbps pieces and sent out over the subframes and then rebuilt into the native signal upon delivery.

MediorNet MN-XSS processing cards (with sync) have a router capable of 32×32 720p/1080i signals, 184×184 SD-SDI signals, 27,000×27,000 AES signals. It also includes on-board signal processing and conversion, and interfaces on the card include a 100BaseT Ethernet connection for PCs or external router connections, a 1000BaseT Gigabit Ethernet for PC networks; two Artist intercom panel connectors; two bidirectional MADI interfaces, and sync in and out via BNC connectors.

The processing cards are complemented by on-board processing software that includes such functions as interlacing/de-interlacing; up and down scaling; frame sync; aspect-ratio conversion; multiviewer; test-pattern generator; text/graphics insertion; and audio/data embedding/de-embedding. RockNet audio interface modules from Riedel are also compatible with MediorNet.

The system is currently used on Redbull air races, and Descoteau says it will be shipping to customers in July, “This is huge for both trucks and facilities,” he adds, because the system can enable a remote production truck with a MediorNet to tap into a venue’s MediorNet system via one connection.