IP Live Utility Integrator

Increasingly, broadcasters seek to reduce production costs and complexity by adopting remote production control from their base of an event. This obviates the cost of transporting all of the equipment and personnel to a venue and the advent of IP technology has enabled multiple levels of two-way communications possible from 4K/UHD feeds from cameras through to talkback back to the venue. There are numerous video and audio over IP devices, but few accommodate the other production requirements of tallies, talkback, data and control.

Hi Tech is launching a product that will provide just this for remote productions that require peripheral equipment to be used alongside main video and audio IP connections. The system will connect audio, tallies, talkback, serially controlled devices, data sources and equipment needing GPIOs at the remote location.

The system comprises two units, a local and a remote interface box that interfaces to the appropriate devices in the remote and host facility. The interface boxes are identical and are configured to be a remote studio location and local, by a web browser.

Features Two 1Gb network connections configured for bonding (link aggregation). Works alongside video over IP devices. Transport stream – AES67 (modified) for audio and talkback and AES67 data for other signals. System configured and setup web interface. o Fast and easy setup, local setup automatically setups the remote. o Network status information e.g. packets sent and received for each signal. o Adjustable audio delay. o System adjustable for long network delays. o Built in tone generator for line up. o Built in tally and GPIO for local test setup. o Remote restart and software update. o System logs. Integrates signals over IP using standard connectors o Serial ports – four (configured as RS232 and RS422). o GPIOs – up to forty. o Camera tallies, power, closing contacts – twelve. o Analogue audio channels – four or more using talkback channels. o Talkback – eight channels configured as two-wire, four-wire, RTS/CC. • Main and backup using standard 12-volt external power supplies. • Compact 1U half rack case. • Front panel OLED display and switches for network setup and status.