In Broadcast - NAB SHOW 2017 - 56

56

www.inbroadcast.com | NAB Show 22-27 April 2017 | Product Preview

Keyboard Video
& Mouse and the
Broadcast Control Room
Broadcast technology needs to be absolutely reliable, offering high performance
and flexibility - IP-based KVM delivers on this and can help streamline operations,
writes John Halksworth, Senior Product Manager, Adder Technology...

T

he
command
and
control
environment can be characterized
by two words: situational awareness.
Especially within the broadcast
industry, the aim of the control room
is to enable operators to receive and
evaluate information, in real-time, in
order to make important decisions
quickly. As a result, everything in the
broadcast control room should make
that process as easy and as efficient as
possible.
This includes layout, space and, of
course, technology. In some instances,
technology even contributes to
improving the ergonomics of the room.
Looking at KVM (keyboard, video,
mouse) technology, and IP-based
high performance KVM specifically,
it can be used in a number of ways to
ensure operators are receiving the
content they need, while also making
workspaces more comfortable and
shifts more productive.
Ergonomic benefits
Broadcast control rooms are
notoriously tight on space, so any
technology that helps improve this has
a definite role to play. KVM extension
can be used to great effect here as
it allows the physical computers to
be removed from the control room.
Firstly, this takes out additional heat
and noise from the small space and
secondly, it means space is freed up
either underneath or on the desk. It
also means that the computers can
be rack-mounted in server rooms that
are both access controlled
for additional security
and
environmentally
controlled, which can
extend their lifecycle and
improve performance. With
the right technology, operators
won't even know their machines
are located elsewhere as instant
switching and real-time extension
with high-resolution graphics and USB

CCS-PRO8 will control up to eight systems

compatibility make users even more
efficient.
IP-based high performance KVM
and KVM switching technology also
enables operators to maximize the
peripheral technologies - such as
keyboards, monitors and mice - they
already have on their desks. Often a
single operator needs to use multiple
machines or video sources, which
means each machine needs its own
keyboard and mouse to control it.
Not so with KVM switching - here
one keyboard and mouse can control
several machines. In addition, with
something like Free-Flow technology
from Adder Technology, users with
multiple screens can easily switch
between machines by simply moving
the mouse from one display to the
next.
Adder CCS-PRO4
The Adder CCS-PRO4, for example,
is a compact four port USB and
audio switch that features FreeFlow technology. It allows operators
to control up to four
machines

Adder CCS-PRO4
enables users to interact
with up to four computers

with four displays from one mouse
or keyboard. Again, users can
easily switch from one machine
to the next simply by moving the
mouse pointer across the displays.
In addition, with Adder's True USB
Emulation technology, the traditional
limitations of other KVM switches
are overcome as all connected
devices are perfectly imitated to all
computers simultaneously. In this way,
operators can use extra function keys,
wheels, buttons and controls, without
sacrificing switching times.
Although not available until the
latter end of 2017, Adder is also
releasing the CCS-PRO8, which - yep,
you guessed it - can control up to eight
machines across eight displays using
a single mouse and keyboard, and
also makes use of Adder's Free-Flow
technology.
More than this, solutions such as the
CCS-PRO4 and CCS-PRO8 also provide
businesses with the opportunity
to radically improve the overall
ergonomics of their workspaces.
Broadcast control rooms that don't
make use of KVM technology to
optimize efficiencies may not be able
to meet their goals of providing
an
ergonomically
designed
and
comfortable space.
Desks
will
most
likely be cluttered,
operational
efficiency
may suffer and there's a
good chance that operators will

experience fatigue in moving between
work stations, which could impact
their focus on the broadcast at hand.
AdderLink XDIP
For those looking to extend the IPbased KVM experience across other
areas of the office, the new AdderLink
XDIP is the perfect solution. This high
performance IP-based AV extender
with USB enables remote access to
critical computing and flexibly extends
the desktop experience, forming part
of Adder's easy-to-install AdderLink
KVM and AV extension portfolio. The
XDIP is also every bit as flexible as
you'd think, with simple plug-and-play
set up: it's delivered in a zero config
state so you can plug it in and start
working straight away.
Delivering Productivity
Technology has a significant
and growing role to play in a
broadcast control room, not only in
delivering information accurately
and immediately in real-time, but
also in contributing to the overall
productivity of the space. As a
result, this technology needs to be
absolutely reliable, offering high
performance and flexibility. IP-based
KVM delivers this and can be used
to streamline operations and make
the
high-pressure
environment
more comfortable and conducive to
business-critical decision making.
www.adder.com
http://www.inbroadcast.com http://www.adder.com http://www.adder.com
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