NAB NY 2019: VidOvation Previews Latest Tech from AVIWEST, ABonAir, and More

AVIWEST will arrive on the NAB NY 2019 show floor to promote its latest developments in the areas of live video distribution, contribution and connectivity, which are designed to help broadcasters capture and deliver live 4K, HD, and SD video over multiple IP networks. One of the products to be prominently featured is the Safe Streams Transport (SST) protocol. SST aggregates multiple IP links and features new functionalities for live video production and distribution that include a data hotspot, remote control, video return, and an intercom. SST is available on-premises as a cloud-based service and as a software container for third-party integration. There are also new updates to AVIWEST flagship products, including the PRO3 and AIR Series, each now incorporated with the hot folder and high-speed data hotspot feature. The hot folder enables automatic real-time file transmission over unmanaged networks. Also, using a transmitter’s internet connection, PRO3 and AIR can now act as a router and create a hotspot. AVIWEST says that these new features are possible due to its IP bonding technology.

ABonAir’s Teleprompter and Video Return System
ABonAir is bringing to NAB NY 2019 the National Association of Broadcasters (USA) Wireless Teleprompter and Video Return system. The system is a complete mobile wireless video solution for tier-1 broadcasters. The uniqueness of this system is based on the usage of the same single link that incorporates a teleprompter, video return, Camera Control Unit (CCU) and Intercom. The new system builds upon the ABonAir wireless HD system and allows TV production crews to use a wireless camera with all its functions (as with a wired camera), not neglecting any feature that is especially essential for a tier-1 broadcaster production. As the usage of mobile wireless video system expands, the need for integrated teleprompter and return video feeds grows, especially in multi-camera productions. Such an integrated solution is a technological breakthrough. It gives broadcasters more confidence in using wireless camera systems and empowers cameraman.

Most notably, the AB512 system reduces latency to only a 7-millisecond delay (also known as subframe delay) for live event coverage, multicamera productions, and any other application in which latency of two to six frames or 30-90 milliseconds is unacceptable. Low delay enables crews to produce multicamera and live shows without worrying about the lag caused by lip sync or the simultaneous operation of multiple cameras. The system features an RF spectrum analyzer that automatically selects and hops to the best RF channel without dropping a single bit, while the manual channel selection option is ideal for frequency coordination at large events.

VidOvation TV Updates
New for the 2019 NAB Show NY is VidOvation TV, a turn-key enterprise IPTV and digital signage system that now includes full integration of DirecTV content. The integration enables an end-to-end IPTV system that includes DirecTV, digital rights management, video on demand, and digital video recording with streaming to smartphones, tablets, desktop players, displays, smart TVs, and set-top boxes.

VidOvation TV integrates with the new DirecTV COM3000 system, supporting up to 138 channels of DirecTV. The DirecTV COM3000 system has been designed specifically for hotels and enterprise installations where there is a need for a single-wire solution for multiple displays. The COM3000 system offers up to 138 tuners in a scalable system that takes up a small space in an equipment rack. It creates a head-end system in which every TV can be tuned to its own channel without interfering with other TVs. The DirecTV COM3000 fully integrates with VidOvation TV enterprise IPTV and digital signage system for the distribution of live TV and video-on-demand across your enterprise network to desktops, TVs, smart TVs, set-top boxes, mobile devices, tablets, and more.

AlphaEye: Real-time Wide-Angle Lens Distortion and Perspective Corrector for HD Cameras
The use of small broadcast quality HD cameras with wide-angle or fisheye lenses have become increasingly prevalent in live broadcast applications such as sport, ENG, wildlife programming, and reality TV, with non-broadcast use in medical, forensics/security and online gaming. For creative as well as other considerations, lens distortion and curvilinear perspective errors arising from the use of these camera lenses and camera positioning can produce results which can be considered undesirable and require correction. For live image feeds, rendered software-based offline processing is not possible. AlphaEye addresses the problem directly through a hardware-based sub pixel geometry engine that can correct for lens distortion in real-time. The corrected output exhibits no visible artefacts at all operational HD resolutions and is suitable for all high bar broadcast and non-broadcast applications.

V-Nova to Demonstrate Latest Advancements in Compression
PPro (previously PERSEUS Pro) is a high-performance AI-powered software library for encoding and decoding SMPTE VC-6 (ST-2117) which is used in professional contribution, remote production, and visual recognition indexing workflows in addition to mass-market next-generation video experiences such as VR/AR, and ad-tech applications. SMPTE VC-6 also includes IP contributed by V-Nova.

P+ (previously PERSEUS Plus) is the industry’s first highly optimized software library for encoding and decoding enhanced video streams with MPEG-5 Part 2, low-complexity video enhancement coding (LCEVC).

LCEVC is being developed by MPEG, following rigorous performance and visual quality tests, with IP contributed by V-Nova. It provides an additional layer of compression efficiency to any existing or future video codec. LCEVC offers higher quality at lower bitrates to any video distribution workflow, whilst reducing processing power and costs.

AVIWEST PRO380 HEVC Bi-directional Video Uplink via Bonded Cellular and IP
AVIWEST PRO380 Series is the latest generation of AVIWEST’s highly portable video uplink system and is now available to customers in the U.S. Packaging a best-in-class H.265/HEVC bonded cellular encoder and transmitter into a compact design, the PRO380 Series brings powerful bandwidth savings to live remote video production — delivering up to 30% savings in cellular data compared with other HEVC solutions on the market and up to 65 percent savings over H.264 uplink solutions.