In Broadcast - April 2017 - 22

22

www.inbroadcast.com | Vol: 7 - Issue 4 | April 2017

InReply

IHSE USA - Open Source
Infrastructure
IHSE USA Marketing Manager Dan Holland discusses streamlining
broadcast workflows with advanced KVM technology...
InBroadcast: What's next for KVM
signal management?
Dan Holland: Today's system
designers
for
broadcast
and
production
signal
management
are going through a transition to
reduce the traditional stovepiped
communications concept to a more
open source infrastructure. The
ability to obtain, gather, process and
distribute information effectively is
key to gaining operational superiority
and many system designers have
found KVM switching to be an effective
means to streamline data access while
maintaining an important level of
security and data quality.

facilities are quickly learning that a
professional series of KVM products
designed as part of the overall endto-end digital workflow creates a
better workstation environment. A
KVM matrix reduces the need for
standalone work environments in
production facilities. By using the
integrated OSD (on-screen display)
within a KVM matrix systems
technicians and audio/visual artists
can quickly pull up a selection menu
to reach any computer or server on
the network, and they can continue
working transparently without losing
their concentration or waiting for
visual refreshes.

InB: So KVM goes beyond the
traditional support of keyboard
and mouse?
DH: Although KVM switch solutions
have been around for years, the
transition to servers and computerbased video management at the
workstation has created a need to
manage more than just the basics of
video, keyboard, and mouse. Digital
KVM provides a much more robust
approach to signal management
in traditional broadcast and postproduction facilities by allowing audio,
RS-232, RS-422, and USB 3.0 to be
integrated into the same transport
stream. In this way, users can control
mixer consoles, live editing and
playback, multiscreen displays, and
audio embedding and de-embedding.
In addition, closed-loop KVM systems
offer better compression and better
color depth up to 30-bit 4:4:4, with
ultra-low latency for mouse refresh
and switch interval times - enabling
superior management of ultra-high
resolutions for 4K and beyond.
Traditional KVM was always
considered secondary downstream
support equipment, but production

InB: What's the next level of
professional KVM solutions?
DH: Last year IHSE introduced a
new universal matrix switch for hybrid
format switching capabilities in the
same frame. This award-winning
switch is an innovative hybrid solution
using modular SFP (small form-factor
pluggable) technology. It can support
a wide range of pluggable modules
to allow any mixture of SDI, HD-SDI,
3G-SDI, USB 3.0 and ultra-highdefinition KVM up to 4K resolutions.
Because each port is designed around
the IHSE flex-port technology, users
can define any port as an input or
output. Frame sizes are available for
8, 16, 32, and 48 in 1 RU.
The fibre SFP modules are based
on an LC connector styles and the
coax SFP are available in either a
transceiver mini-BNC or DIN 1.0/2.3
style. Supporting video sources for
ASI, SDI, HD-SDI and 3G-SDI, the
compact hybrid UNI frames allow

users to reside broadcast sources
alongside KVM sources in the same
matrix frame. This creates a superior
workflow control arrangement where
users must be able to edit and play out
video sources in real-time broadcast
environments.
The compact UNI will also support
SuperSpeed USB 3.0 sources with
throughput rates up to 5Gbps. Using
a high-speed fibre SFP module USB
3.0 can be extended up to 100 metres
over OM3 (50/125) multimode fibre
optic cabling via standard Duplex LC
ports. The UNI-I/O card is a practical
solution to switch and extend USB 3.0
in parallel with traditional KVM and
SDI via the same I/O card.
InB: KVM provides creative ways
to connect content with your Avid
Pro Tools | S6 Systems?
DH: At NAB this year, IHSE USA will
showcase the latest KVM network
capabilities integrated into the Avid
Pro Tools | S6 audio control surface.
The IHSE KVM demonstration is based
on the Draco tera compact switch
with HDMI extenders over Cat-X and
will be operational with a Pro Tools
| S6 workstation. Through the S6
Master Module, the central hub of the
S6 surface, users can configure the
network KVM to allow easy mixing and
control of multiple music and/or audio
post projects created on different
audio workstations simultaneously -
all from a single control surface.
This new and innovative approach
to advanced audio post and mixing

IHSE USA is demonstrating
Avid Pro Tools | S6 workstation integration

Intel OPS+ solutions

offers users the ability to set up softkey commands easily to operate
different sources in a way that is
completely transparent to the user.
With only a few settings in the Master
Module, operators can assign soft keys
to switch immediately to and from
different workstations.
Another effective advantage of the
IHSE KVM integration is the ability
to define individual tracks of a fader
module so that they automatically
change to follow the preassigned
sources defined through the KVM
settings. This capability enables audio
professionals to accelerate recording,
editing, and mixing workflows in a
more efficient and profitable process.
InB: What technologies do the
next generation extenders use?
DH: As part of Intel's Open Pluggable
Specification (OPS) solutions, IHSE
has partnered with Intel to take
advantage of the features and
benefits of the OPS+ concept for
pluggable KVM extenders. The Draco
OPS+ extender provides a single
4K KVM receiver unit in a module
constructed to the OPS (Open
Pluggable Specification) standard.
Developed in partnership with Eyevis,
the module can be inserted directly
into displays with a compatible OPS
slot, enabling the display to connect
directly to a Draco tera KVM matrix
switch with no additional external
devices. The module includes a
second port to enable fully-redundant
interconnection for greater reliability.
The OPS+ extender solution is ideally
suited to multi-display installations,
such as video walls, control rooms, and
mobile production trucks where space
and security are critical concerns.
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