Crystal Vision has released three IP gateways which work with ST 2110 video as well as ST 2022, increasing their usefulness in broadcast systems. IP inputs and outputs are individually selectable between ST 2022 and ST 2110, allowing use with both protocols at the same time if required. Designed for transporting uncompressed video over 10GbE IP networks, Crystal Vision's IP gateways are software apps that run on the MARBLE-V1 media processor hardware and offer an extensive set of features that make it easy to get and keep IP systems working.
The M-GWSDIIP-6 gateway software app encapsulates SDI to IP. It converts up to six HD/SD or three 3Gb/s SDI input connections and allows flexible assignment of the converted flows to either of the two output 10GbE IP network interfaces; alternatively the second 10GbE network interface can be configured for ST 2022-7 redundant streaming or the protect equivalent for ST 2110. The M-GWIPSDI-6 gateway software app de-encapsulates SDI from 10GbE IP networks. It converts to six HD/SD or three 3Gb/s SDI output connections, with flexible assignment of the converted flows from either of the two input 10GbE IP network interfaces; alternatively the second 10GbE network interface can be configured for ST 2022-7 redundant input streaming or the protect equivalent for ST 2110. The M-GWIPIP-6 IP to IP translator software app de-encapsulates and re-encapsulates video (up to six HD/SD or three 3Gb/s) between up to four bi-directional 10GbE IP network interfaces, with flexible assignment of the flows to the networks. All three software apps run on the MARBLE-V1 media processor (a card housed in the Vision frame) which features a powerful CPU/GPU processor, six bi-directional SDI connections and four 10GbE SFP+ network interface ports.
These software apps are suited to any ST 2022 system and to ST 2110 studio environments when the video and audio are processed separately. The M-GWSDIIP-6 and M-GWIPSDI-6 IP gateways are designed for integrating SDI into an IP environment and IP into an SDI environment, whether those environments are ST 2022, ST 2110 or a mixture of both. Where different IP areas are connected together, the flexible M-GWIPIP-6 IP to IP translator app can be useful in many applications. Examples include network address translation, to translate unicast addresses to multicast addresses, as a media firewall providing security isolation, and for ST 2022-6 to 2022-7 protocol translation or the equivalent conversion with ST 2110-20 main and protect.
The IP gateways come with an extensive list of features which bring multiple benefits to the broadcaster.
Being six channel means they save rack space while making each channel cost-effective, and also allows the user to switch between different inputs and send to multiple outputs. This flexible internal routing removes the need for additional distribution amplifiers and routing switches. For example, on the M-GWIPSDI-6 it is possible to take in a single IP flow and route it to up to six destinations, or to switch which IP inflow is being sent to the SDI destinations. Video glitches on input source switching are avoided thanks to the clean instant switching. The framestore synchronizer makes all the timing identical and so allows for each output to cleanly switch between any of the inputs, and enables the apps to give a continuous clean output when the selected input is disrupted. Referencing is flexible, with the apps supporting PTP in addition to two analog references connected via the Vision frame. Reference redundancy offers peace of mind in case the main reference source is disrupted or needs to be taken down for maintenance, while cross-locking allows for mixed reference type and format installations if required. Up to ten frames of video delay also helps with system integration.
With the potential for networks and IP receivers to not be very tolerant to bursty traffic, Crystal Vision's gateway apps will ensure a nicely constructed IP output (with a choice of traffic shaping options), while their tolerant IP inputs are designed to be robust to bursty traffic.
Another benefit of the apps is the features they provide to speed up system trouble shooting, particularly helpful with IP being more challenging to debug than SDI. Comprehensive SDI, IP and PTP monitoring information is available and can be used to generate SNMP traps. The status indications available include input present, video format, video black, video frozen, Reference 1 and 2 present and format, PTP master and backup clock present and audio groups present. The IP flow monitoring includes information on packet loss, duplicated packets and packet delay variation. The PTP statistics reported include network delay, delay variation, reference offset and sync period. 14 built-in test patterns can also help with fault finding.
The problem-solving abilities of the M-GWIPIP-6 IP to IP translator brings many benefits to the broadcaster. For example, it allows systems with conflicting IP addresses to be connected together and can ensure that only the media payload is transferred between two VLANs.
The final benefit is the easy upgrade path. As a system becomes all IP, less gateways are required – and Crystal Vision saves the broadcaster money by allowing a completely different software app to be purchased for the MARBLE-V1 hardware.
Explained Crystal Vision's Managing Director, Philip Scofield: "The Crystal Vision gateway apps are designed to reduce the mystery of IP systems. The inputs are very tolerant, the output packets are perfectly spaced and the monitoring describes the quality of your IP flows. The extra features will make it easier to get and keep your IP systems working.”
The M-GWSDIIP-6, M-GWIPSDI-6 and M-GWIPIP-6 software apps are all available to buy now.
Based at Whittlesford near Cambridge in the UK and with an office in the USA, Crystal Vision provides a full range of interface and keyers and helps people transition through a range of technologies – from SD to HD, from HD to IP and from IP to IP.
