Massive Installation Based on High-Density Cards for Maximum Value and Versatility in Minimal Space
URBANA, Ill. -- March 26, 2015 -- Cobalt Digital today announced that NEP has installed 30 of their openGear(R) multiviewer cards in NCPXIV B, a mobile unit support truck dedicated to supporting coverage of boxing for one of NEP's premiere clients. The installation was part of a scheduled rebuild of NCPXIV B, which previously had no multiviewer on board. The newly refurbished truck has already supported coverage of several fights, and will be in Las Vegas on March 28th for its next show.
"The functional density of the Cobalt multiviewer solution gave us more flexibility than just using quad splits, and because a single card can do so much, we get more functionality per dollar and per square inch. The whole 30-card array fits perfectly into the tight space inside the truck, and we can reconfigure things quickly, which saves setup time as we move from job to job," said Robert Walsh, director of engineering for NEP's U.S. Mobile Units Division. "We looked at a couple of different solutions before deciding what to buy and found that, with Cobalt, we did not have to sacrifice versatility for price. And Cobalt's customer support has always been first-rate."
NCPXIV B is a straight 53-foot B unit that is used to transport all of the client's boxing equipment and set pieces for its larger boxing events. Once everything is unloaded at the venue, the truck is then used as the technical manager's office and to house additional operators for client-supplied equipment.
In the original NCPXIV B truck design, monitors were either patched with straight signals or quad splits and other multiviewer feeds from the A unit. By installing 30 Cobalt 9970-QS 3G/HD/SD-SDI/CVBS Quint-Split Multi-Image Expandable Display Processor cards, each of which integrates five discrete 3G/HD/SD-SDI or CVBS inputs onto a single 3G/HD/SD-SDI quint-split output, NEP operators have the versatility to take feeds from the main truck and display them in many different ways. The cards can insert each input image flexibly into the output image area, which further contributes to their versatility.
NEP also installed three Cobalt HPF-9000 openGear frames to house the multiviewer cards. These high-density frames house all 30 of NEP's multiviewer cards in just six rack units of space. The 9970-QS multiviewer card is capable of auto-detecting composite analog up to 1080p, 50 or 60 HZ. The five input expandable modular design is perfectly suited for popular 2x2 and 3x3 screen layouts and larger.
"An order from NEP is what established Cobalt Digital as a company 18 years ago, and we've enjoyed a strong working relationship with them ever since," said Bob McAlpine, executive vice president of sales and marketing at Cobalt Digital. "Now we've collaborated once again to design a multiviewer solution that gives NEP the functions and versatility they need within the space and budget they had. This massive deployment of multiviewers demonstrates what's possible inside a single mobile production truck."
More information about Cobalt Digital and its products is available at www.cobaltdigital.com.
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About NEP
For over 30 years, NEP has been delivering expertly engineered solutions for outside broadcast, studio production, video display, host broadcasting and post production. With a worldwide network that includes the most advanced equipment and largest fleet of mobile units available, as well as global production studios to suit every genre, our talented team of experts work together to deliver superior service to every client. Driven by passion and a focus on innovation, NEP has supported productions in over 40 countries on all seven continents, and has set the industry standard for excellence. For more information, visit www.nepinc.com.
About Cobalt Digital
Cobalt Digital Inc. designs and manufactures award-winning 3G/HD/SD conversion, throwdown, and multiviewer technology for the broadcast television environment. As a founding partner in the openGear(R) initiative, Cobalt offers a full range of openGear platforms as well as video and audio processing cards for closed-caption compliance, production trucks, master control, HD news, signal transport, audio loudness, and color correction. Cobalt's Blue Box Group(TM) line of interface converter boxes streamlines and simplifies a wide range of 3G/HD/SD conversion tasks. In addition, the company's multi-image display processors enable multiviewer capabilities in the most demanding studio and remote broadcasting environments. Distributed through a worldwide network of dealers, system integrators, and other partnerships, Cobalt Digital products are backed with a five-year warranty. More information is available at www.cobaltdigital.com.
Photo Link: www.wallstcom.com/Cobalt/Cobalt_Inside_NEP_Truck.jpg
