NAB 2012: Cobalt Digital Adds to Loudness Processing and Metering Products

Cobalt Digital plans to show new technologies at NAB 2012 that add value-laden options to the company’s loudness processing and metering offerings. Chris Shaw, Cobalt’s senior VP of sales and marketing, released details of LMNTS, a multi-channel loudness processing over IP solution; SPOTCHECK, a monitoring and logging tool; and logging and graphing upgrades to Cobalt’s loudness metering system. The company will also debut the Blue Box Group modular signal conversion line. The products will be demonstrated on Cobalt’s booth N 1929 in the North Hall.

LMNTS
Intended for MVPDs and MSOs where a large number of diverse programming sources must be simultaneously controlled, LMNTS performs automatic loudness processing across many transport streams.

Features include: ASI and IP inputs; Audio packet demux; Audio decode (MPEG 1 layer II, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital plus, AAC);  Loudness management (Pre and post metering, Linear Acoustic loudness processing); Audio re-encode (MPEG 1 layer II, Dolby Digital, Dolby Digital plus, AAC);  Audio packet remux (ASI and IP outputs). Transport stream delay line between audio packet demux and audio packet remux.

LMNTS can operate with diverse audio codecs, extracting the packets from program streams, performing industry leading AEROMAX loudness management in the PCM domain, then re-encoding and re-packeting the audio with its stream. Physically, all data connection to LMNTS is via GigE IP interfaces over an industry-standard IT hardware platform, with no intermediary breakouts.

LMNTS works with single and multi program streams, and supports all video codecs. AV synchronization is perfectly maintained, as audio data is rewritten in place. Packet timing, PES alignment, PID structure, and stream metadata are all preserved.

SPOTCHECK
SPOTCHECK monitors an IP or ASI MPEG stream at the transit encode point to measure and log ALL material emanating from facilities in larger operations using multi-program MPEG streams.

Operating at emission MPEG level and leveraging automation as-run data, SPOTCHECK maintains a complete log of all program segments. Compliance records can be graphically queried or queried by using as-run search entries, ranging over several minutes to several months.

Logging and Graphing Upgrades to Loudness Metering System
The comprehensive option ensures thorough audio level and LKFS assessment. Cobalt’s loudness meter software integrates with the Company’s Fusion3G range and most 9000-series COMPASS cards, and works with the OGCP-9000 Remote Control Panel and WINOGCP Desktop Virtual Control Panel to provide a flexible, complete solution for ingest or on-air loudness measurement, assessment and records. Cards forward audio measurement data to the control panel over the plant’s Ethernet network.

9257 1×9 MADI Audio Distribution Amplifier
Card-based solution for AES10 MADI signal distribution. Card supports sampling frequencies up to 96 kHz, with a 64-channel payload supported at industry standard 48 kHz sampling rate (other sampling rates specified as valid per AES10-2003 also supported at various payload capacities). openGear®open-architecture platform offers scalable incorporation and easy-to-use DashBoard setup.

Blue Box Group
Cobalt Digital returns to its origins of throw-down modular bricks with the introduction of the Blue Box Group to answer the demand for first class quality, price competitive, signal conversion equipment.

Initial product offerings include HDMI to SDI and SDI to HDMI converters, and Analog to Digital, Digital to Analog converter boxes with audio embedding and de-embedding.

These are the initial offerings of an extensive product line that will provide high quality, price sensitive solutions as requested by Cobalt Digital customers.