The Best of Market 2022 awards recognize innovation and excellence in new, recently introduced and pending products and services for professional AV products and solutions. Winners are evaluated from among submitted products.
AJA Video Systems HELO
Portable and resilient, HELO Plus offers the same flexible streaming and recording advantages as AJA’s popular HELO device, with an expanded feature set inspired by user feedback. Offering new production capabilities, HELO Plus features dual streaming outputs and multi-input processing; SRT support; advanced encoding/decoding; improved scheduling options and device operation; layouts and graphics insertion; and more.
Designed to help video and streaming professionals achieve a higher production value with greater cost efficiency and a smaller gear footprint, HELO Plus includes a range of streaming and recording features. Dual streaming outputs allow users to create assets with different parameter settings per output (bit rate, GOP length, frame rate, picture geometry, b-frame cadence, etc.), and feed each into one of two destinations, so that they can easily create assets with different parameter settings from a single input. HELO Plus users can also opt to select either of the device’s two encoders to drive USB, SD card, or NAS recording, so that it can include the output of the layout.
A new “Layouts” feature allows an SDI input and HDMI input to be combined into a single output stream and add graphic overlays to the composite. Each live video source can be used in its own picture-in-picture element and placed in their own PiP locations, with a matte background plus a graphic being used as a foreground element for titles and more. Users can then seamlessly move between layouts during a streaming session. Ten layouts are stored per preset, with 20 presets available, so set parameters can be recalled for specific events. A built-in graphics framestore enables storage of more than 90 images in the device’s internal memory, while a built-in scheduler makes it easy to schedule independent recording/streaming events ahead of an event. A complement to AJA Ki Pro Ultra 12G and Ki Pro GO recorders, HELO Plus can also participate in a Ki Pro “Group,” acting as a follower device that starts and stops streaming and/or recording upon group leader command. Alternatively, the HELO Plus can act as the Leader and Ki Pros can be set to follow, or the HELO Plus can act as leader or follower to a group of HELO Plus devices.
HELO features:
-Simultaneous high-quality H.264 HD streaming and recording
-A web-based scheduler to set up recording and streaming events for specific dates and times without an external control system
-Powerful multi-input video and graphics processing to create sophisticated production looks using “Layouts” without external switchers and the ability to add more processing power to existing cost-efficient equipment
-Dual streaming outputs for simultaneous live streaming to multiple content delivery networks with improved resiliency and efficiency
-3G-SDI input and 3G-SDI output
-HDMI input/output
-Stereo analog audio input/output
-1GigE network connection for control and SMB recording/playback
-Dedicated MicroUSB port for use with AJA Mini-Config software
-USB 3.2 Gen1 port (5Gb/s) for media recording/playback
-SD card slot for media recording and playback
-External power supply with locking connector
G&D VisionXS-IP-DP-UH
This new high-end extender product series Vision XS produced by German KVM manufacturer Guntermann & Drunck GmbH (G&D) is designed to put big multi-purpose KVM performance into a small housing and big performance. The KVM-over-IP extender is now available with high performant video transmission for resolutions up to 4K60. Compared to its previous models, the VisionXS uses standard networks at up to 10Gbit/s, opening up a new dimension of possibilities:
Especially fast videos and frequently changing image content now require significantly less compression thus improving the user experience many times over.For the VisionXS series, the manufacturer relies on its proven, proprietary, lossless compression bluedec.An important advantage of VisionXS extenders is the ability to combine them with G&D’s matrix systems. For customers, this means even more flexibility, because VisionXS products can either be operated in pairs as an extender line or they can also be integrated into matrix installations.
Vision XS features:
-Versatile signals for the best video experience: initially the system supports DisplayPort UHR to be followed by devices for HDMI and DVI-I.
-Space-saving: the console modules of the VisionXS series are significantly smaller now and thus require less space.
-Integrated switch functionality: the integrated “IP-MUX” feature. With this function, one console manages several target IP addresses of up to 20 computer sources without the need for additional hardware. For simple applications, the on-screen display can be used to switch to the different sources. Since the switching process is not seamless in the IP-MUX application due to security measures such as VPN setup and encryption structure, customers whose applications have higher requirements, can use the KVM-over-IP matrix system ControlCenter-IP to enable instant switching.
-Safety feature transmission redundancy: As an additional safety feature, each device is equipped with two transmission ports. This enables fast switching to the fallback transmission line. No additional hardware is required to use the transmission redundancy, because the second port can be enabled via software key – even at a later date. If the product is connected to the KVM network via both transmission ports, switching quickly between both transmission interfaces is possible thanks to link aggregation.
-Universal compatibility enables a high degree of flexibility
-Matrix compatibility
Building on the success of XPression Tessera, Tessera One is a complete LED content management system that features customizable XPression graphic templates and DashBoard Control Panels, which offer a simple and intuitive control interface that anyone can use. For sporting events, customers can either choose to create their own graphics or take advantage of Tessera One’s library of pre-built and customizable graphics templates for baseball, basketball, football, hockey, and soccer. Either way, Tessera One helps customers produce dynamic, data-driven content that will engage fans and generate new revenue through enhanced sponsorship opportunities.
Tessera One is a simple, compact, affordable and powerful system. Its slimline 1RU chassis delivers up to three 1080P HD outputs, which can be mapped to fill over six million LED pixels. It also utilizes low-latency video input processing of three frames latency. This means that a video input signal passed through Tessera One with graphics composited over it will not distract the fans in the stands. What users see on-screen will appear at the same time as it does on the playing surface or stage. From showing live event video with scoring to driving ribbon boards to additional fan engagement auxiliary displays , Tessera One delivers the same feature set as a traditional Tessera system in an all-in-one cost effective solution. Tessera One also provides licensing for XPression INcoder and DataLinqTM. INcoder enables users to import video files using a watch folder-based workflow, and DataLinqTM makes it even easier for less experienced users to display scores or data in
real-time.
Ross Video Production Cloud
Production Cloud is an end-to-end highly flexible production solution that is specifically designed for broadcast quality content live production fully powered by the cloud and optimized for AWS. Supporting perpetual and subscription licensing models and operating natively within a customer supplied cloud ecosystem, the Ross Production Cloud allows production teams to collaborate and produce live shows and events, using the same interfaces that they are already experienced with.
It combines production switching, real-time graphics, ingest, playout, newsroom, asset management, and remote contribution capabilities, with innovative ground-to-cloud technologies designed by Ross to bring on-premises SDI and NDI live feeds into the cloud ecosystem, and vice versa. Ross Production Cloud makes it easy for teams to expand their existing production capabilities, or experiment and explore new programs and formats with the reliability and support that they’ve come to expect from Ross solutions.
Telos Infinity Virtual Intercom
Telos Infinity Virtual Intercom Platform (VIP) is the first fully-featured Cloud-based intercom system. It delivers sophisticated comms virtually, making cloud-based media production workflows available on any device—smartphone, laptop, desktop, or tablet. Users can use third-party control devices, like Elgato’s Stream Deck, to control Telos Infinity VIP. Now users can harness Telos Infinity IP Intercom’s performance, scalability, ease of integration, and operational/cost efficiencies anywhere—at home, on-prem, site-to-site, or in the cloud. Designed to meet users where they are on the path toward virtualization, Telos Alliance offers several deployment options for VIP, which scales to suit users’ varying requirements, from a few remote smartphone VIP instances to an enterprise solution requiring hundreds of instances.
Telos Infinity VIP features:
-Cost-Efficient; less space, infrastructure, and maintenance required
-Scaleable; pay only for what you need
-Virtual panels on familiar devices (smartphone, computer, tablet)
-Workflow flexibility; at home, on-prem, site-to-site, in the cloud
-Reliable, proven cloud workflows
-Flexible deployment options
-TelosCare PLUS service option
Deployment Options:
-On-Prem: use Telos Infinity VIP hardware appliance or your own server
-Integrated: for both On-Prem or Cloud versions, Telos Infinity VIP can be integrated with Telos Infinity hardware comms, or any third-
party intercom or audio subsystem using AES67 or SMPTE 2110-30 connectivity.
-Cloud Server: software for supported cloud platform installations. A complete communications infrastructure in the cloud with
connectivity options for integration with third-party Cloud-based and On-Prem audio subsystems.
-Software as a Service (SaaS): various third-party Telos Alliance partners will offer a Telos Infinity VIP SaaS option, allowing users to
lease it in a virtual environment.
