NAB 2019: Evertz Emphasizes RF Probe Soltution, Interoperability With IP, Virtual IP Media Services
Evertz (Booth N1503) prioritized three company offerings at the recent NAB 2019 Show in Las Vegas:
RF Probe Solution
The RF Probe is an advanced high performance, real-time RF and Transport Stream (TS) monitoring solution giving RF operators new advanced capabilities for monitoring their RF facilities.
Evertz’ RF Probe gives RF operators the ability to monitor multiple RF sites from a single centralized location giving them a cost-effective solution that ensures maximum uptime for their RF infrastructures. With its ability to monitor multiple RF sites across the globe, the RF Probe is ideal for both small and large teleports, direct-to-home (DTH) service providers, content providers, and broadcasters.
The RF Probe features a compact 1RU form factor with the ability to monitor a comprehensive list of RF parameters, with additional features including an integrated spectrum analyzer, full TR101 transport stream analyzer, and RF channel cycling. The RF Probe also utilizes RF-inSITE, a powerful data analytics engine for monitoring critical RF parameters over time. This power troubleshooting tool gives operators the ability to compare the current performance of their RF systems to past performance giving them the ability to quickly identify potential performance issues.
In addition, the RF Probe features an intuitive web-based user interface. This enables operators to easily monitor signals remotely and configure operational thresholds that, along with notifications based on critical RF and TS parameters, provide operators with a low-cost flexible solution for monitoring remote RF sites.
“Many of our customers have RF infrastructures that span large geographic regions and they require a simple, reliable monitoring solution,” said Zakaria Alhaddad, Product Manager, RF Products at Evertz. “The RF Probe features a 1RU form factor but doesn’t sacrifice performance for size. The RF Probe, with its comprehensive ability to monitor all critical RF and TS parameters, combined with its simple user interface, is the industry’s leading RF monitoring solution.”
Interoperability
Evertz Microsystems announced its collaboration with Tektronix to bring new advanced IP tools and workflows.
At NAB 2019, Evertz’ Software Defined Video Networking (SDVN) solutions, with over 400 global installs, will showcase new advanced IP workflows and support for new industry IP standards and specifications with interoperability demonstrations featuring Tektronix’ PRISM media monitoring and analysis platform.
Designed for IP infrastructure environments, PRISM comes packed with a comprehensive set of measurement and display tools that provide visibility into network performance. This enables potential problems to be quickly identified, reducing the time to fault isolation and remedial action.
Both Evertz and Tektronix are pioneers of IP infrastructure technology and have worked together on IP technology solutions for over 5 years. This commitment to IP includes actively participating in industry organizations that promote IP technology including SMPTE, VSF, AIMS and more.
These new tools include AMWA (Advanced Media Workflow Association) IS-04 and IS-05. These revolutionary new specifications, define the automatic discovery and registration of new devices on a network (IS-04) as well as connection management (IS-05) of network devices. As new IP media networks continue to be deployed and grow in size, the number of video, audio, and data flows within new facilities is growing exponentially. In order to effectively manage these new flows, powerful new tools, including AMWA IS-04 and IS-05 have become critical requirements.
In addition to these new tools, another requirement for all IP facilities is advanced orchestration and control of all network resources. Evertz’ MAGNUM orchestration and control system provides a single unified point of control for all devices on an IP network. MAGNUM’s advanced feature set, enables a single fully integrated orchestration solution, which is both scalable from small to large infrastructures, and also supports IP, baseband and hybrid architectures, simplifying the transition to IP.
Evertz and Tektronix will be demonstrating their commitment to new industry standards and specifications including AMWA IS-04 and IS-05 as well as ST 2110, a suite of standards defining the carriage of professional media over IP networks. These demonstrations will feature MAGNUM’s and PRISM’s ability to interoperate in an ST 2110 environment utilizing AMWA IS-04 and IS-05.
IP infrastructures are more than simple replacements for SDI. IP, with its advanced capabilities including the ability to more easily share resources, has enabled new highly efficient operational workflows. Evertz’ VUE Intelligent User Interface platform harnesses these new capabilities with its ability to create streamlined and intuitive user interfaces for every operational application. At NAB 2019, Evertz will be demonstrating the integration of VUE and PRISM to create these new highly efficient user interfaces. This demonstration includes new VUE tools, including PRISM widgets that enable the creation of custom user interfaces that readily exploit the advanced capabilities of the PRISM platform.
“The transition to IP has required a fundamental rethink of the tools required to operate a facility,” said Harjinder Sandhu, Product Manager, Orchestration and Control Systems at Evertz. “Tektronix was an early adopter of IP technology and, with their support for emerging IP standards and specifications, has created new advanced IP tools that have accelerated the transition to IP and we are pleased to be able to collaborate with them at NAB 2019.”
“Evertz has been the leader in the transition to IP infrastructures and their deployment of the industry’s largest IP systems has given us enormous insight into the test and measurement requirements for next-generation facilities,” said Charlie Dunn, General Manager, Video Product Line at Tektronix. “Evertz’ MAGNUM orchestration and control solution, with its comprehensive support for new IP standards and specifications, has enabled this transition and we are excited about our NAB 2019 partnership with Evertz and how our combined efforts will continue to advance the transition to IP.”
Virtual IP Media Services
Evertz’ evEDGE Virtual IP Media Services platform enables agile operational workflows with its flexible library of media services and support for agile hardware platforms. New for NAB 2019, evEDGE’s agile hardware platform support has been expanded to Evertz’ SCORPION, Smart Media Processing platform.
Broadcast facilities have been highly dependent on fixed function processing hardware such as video and audio processors, frame synchronizers and up/down/cross converters for day-to-day operational tasks. However, with this approach, operational workflows are limited by the functionality of the equipment that is available. This type of operational architecture, while functional, is not flexible or particularly cost-effective in dynamic environments.
evEDGE virtual IP media services support a comprehensive selection of processing functions which can be provisioned based on evolving workflow requirements. The flexibility enabled by evEDGE allows highly efficient and adaptable workflows for every application.
Unlike fixed function processing hardware, evEDGE services can be run on agile hardware platforms. Processing functions are no longer permanently coupled to the underlying hardware platform. evEDGE supports virtual IP media services over agile hardware platforms including FPGA compute blades, x86 COTS servers and the Cloud.
For increased operational flexibility, evEDGE’s agile hardware support now includes the SCORPION smart media processing platform. SCORPION is a high density signal conversion, routing, aggregation and transport platform which utilizes minature interface modules enabling a customized SCORPION solution for every application.
SCORPION now supports evEDGE IP Media Services with the introduction of a new microservice mini I/O module. This advanced module enables the SCORPION platform to be provisioned with evEDGE services, further expanding its already advanced capabilities and flexibility.
“Having a platform that can be provisioned with IP media services has given broadcasters a new tool to address environments with rapidly changing workflows,” said Nick Knez, Director of Processing and Timing Products at Evertz. “evEDGE, with its comprehensive library of media services and support for agile hardware platforms is the leading virtual IP media platform available today, and its expanded hardware platform support that now includes SCORPION, gives broadcasters even more flexibility with how they adapt to evolving workflow requirements.”