IBC 2017: Bluebell Opticom with fibre optic transport

Bluebell Opticom has created a suite of fibre optic transport products that provide a single coax or fibre connection to a 12-Gbps SDI video interface for 4K/UHD applications, which it intends to display at at IBC2017 on stand 10.F24.

Bluebell will display the newly upgraded BN390 unit, which combines four 3G-SDI signals onto one 12G-SDI signal via single-mode fibre output. Now with auto-sensing technology, the BN390 automatically detects the format of the incoming signal and configures itself to transport the signal accordingly. The unit now covers all bit rates, frame rates, and formats of 3G-SDI, 6G-SDI, and 12G-SDI. Intended for 4K UHD transport, the unit also supports multiple SD/HD/3G-SDI transport in metropolitan networks. Available CWDM optics enable four discrete channels to be carried on one wavelength, making it possible for 64 channels to travel on a single fibre strand over distances of 60 kilometres.

Also on display will be the BN365, a standalone 12G Fibre transport module upgraded to achieve better performance; cleaner, crisper pictures; and longer distances. Like its BN390 cousin, the BN365 is available with CWDM optics.

New at IBC2017 will be Bluebell Opticom’s BC370, an optical converter that enables four discrete channels of 3G-SDI on a single card, eliminating the issue of fibre count. With four 3G-SDI inputs and four optical outputs, the BC370 represents the highest density of signals Bluebell has offered to date; 60 channels in a 3-RU space or 24 channels in 1 RU.

Making its European debut at IBC2017 will be Edgware, Bluebell Opticom’s new throw-down IP-gateway product that wraps a 3G-SDI picture into an IP-compliant format and sits on a 10G Ethernet network. Edgware serves as a bridge between current 3G-SDI-based broadcast infrastructures and those built on IP technology, making it possible to use BNC and XLR technology to transport broadcast signals over IP networks. Minimal configuration and low latency make it an ideal ingest product.

Also, Bluebell Opticom will show the BCX-760 Series 10G Ethernet point-to-point fibre link. The BCX-760 is a camera-back interface that allows easy connection and signal transport between a camera and an outside broadcast truck or a base station.

In a first for the industry, BCX-760 interfaces map all signals presented at the back of any broadcast camera onto a 10G Ethernet point-to-point link, ensuring safe, robust, interference-immune, and high-quality transport over much longer distances than have been possible before.

Finally, Bluebell will demonstrate the Hothead Silhouette, its latest power-insertion product meant for robotic cameras in remote-production scenarios. A fully integrated 4K UHD robotic head system that works with SD-SDI, HD-SDI, 3G-SDI, and 4K UHD cameras, Hothead Silhouette provides power and control to the camera head and Fibre Optic connectivity for the remote control panel. As a result, operators no longer need to rely on stadium power. Instead, they can roll in a self-powered, self-contained system and avoid the noisy earths, hum, and picture distortion that can arise from being connected to the venue.