Day: Jun 25, 2019

Monroe Electronics Earns U.S. Patent for Unique Chassis Design of Its Pocket Power Supply

Posted on by contentntek in Distribution & Delivery, News, Products

Monroe Electronics, now Digital Alert Systems, has been granted a U.S. patent (No. 10291001) for the unique chassis design of the company’s Pocket Power Supply™. Part of the original design for the Monroe Model R232 MultiPort RF matrix switch, the innovative chassis design allows all electronics to be fitted into a 1-RU-high chassis, in turn enabling the highest-possible density in this type of RF routing equipment. Users benefit from more ports in a smaller rack footprint without the need for an external power block.

“We applied some different thinking in order to develop the Pocket Power Supply design, because the only way for us to achieve industry-leading packaging density was to address the power issue in a new and better way,” said Bill Robertson, vice president of business development at Digital Alert Systems. “We are known for creating solutions that solve fundamental issues for our customers, and we’re proud to have earned a patent for this wholly original solution for power management within the space constraints of a single rack unit.”

The Monroe Model R232 MultiPort RF Router uses two matrixes so its outputs are nonblocking, with each output being completely independent of the other and capable of sharing the same (or any other) input. The unit is an excellent tool for test monitoring because different instruments or monitors may be connected on each output to examine the same or different inputs.

DAS-R232_fp

The Model R232 features a port density of 32 inputs and 2 outputs in a single 1RU frame, an ultra-wide operating range of 5 MHz to 2 GHz that covers all carriers, 20dB input-to-output gain, and a remarkable per-port-cost within the $100/port range. Additional port configurations are available in other models and price ranges.

More info

TVU Networks Partners with Stringr

Posted on by contentntek in Distribution & Delivery, News, OTT & Streaming media

TVU Networks announced its partnership with Stringr, the premium video marketplace for custom, high-quality, video content. Stringr’s network of professional and amateur videographers is now available through the TVU Global Grid, the Cloud platform for content owners to contribute and pull video, enabling assets to be shared and sold on a global scale. The relationship leverages Stringr’s robust network of videographers and the established global presence of the TVU Grid distribution platform.

TVU Grid is an IP-based switching, routing and distribution system. With TVU Grid, stations can route live video streams over IP networks to one or more Grid-enabled news stations anywhere in the world with sub-second latency. Using its TVU Global Grid platform, users can exchange, share, and sell video content. Users can view public video sources that are available around the world, and request to take the stream and make it available for their own viewing audience.

Stringr allows users to access its content library and request custom footage from over 90,000 videographers around the world. In addition, broadcasters, publishers and brands in the U.S. and U.K. can access Stringr’s livestreaming function, which launched earlier this year. Users will now be able to put out requests through TVU Grid, and as a videographer in Stringr’s network begins sharing live footage, it will be transmitted directly to TVU Grid.

“The TVU Grid is used by thousands of newsrooms around the world,” said Brian McNeill, COO and Co-Founder of Stringr. “Integrating Stringr will give TVU users all the benefits of our platform, without having to flip between the two, therefore saving time, cutting unnecessary costs and maintaining content quality.”

The Stringr/TVU Grid workflow is seamless. A joint customer requests video from Stringr. When one of Stringr’s 90,000+ videographers goes live with video matching the request, the feed is sent through Stringr, straight into TVU Grid. From there, the joint customer can take the feed just as they would for any other TVU content.

“By incorporating Stringr’s network through TVU Grid, our customers have the best of both worlds – high-quality, low latency live video distributed through TVU Grid with the extensive Stringr videographer marketplace,” said TVU Networks’ CEO Paul Shen. “The combination enables our customers to deliver breaking news faster than ever before and opens up monetization opportunities for their own content. It makes the live production process much simpler with a streamlined workflow while providing greater flexibility and more options for dynamic content.”

Tvu stringr

A mutual customer brought the two companies in touch with one another, and the opportunity to partner grew from that initial connection. Both TVU Networks and Stringr executives saw the value in a solution combining TVU Grid’s access to global live coverage with Stringr’s ability to source live footage. “The combination of these two products allows our partners to get more live coverage, quickly, cost effectively, and within the same workflow they’ve always used,” added McNeill.

TVU Networks and Stringr are currently working with a major cable network and plan to expand to other partners shortly.

More info

Ed Hauber Joins Digital Nirvana as Director of Business Development

Posted on by contentntek in News, People

Reporting to Russell Wise, senior vice president of sales and marketing, Hauber will oversee all business and solution development for major broadcasters in the U.S.

Hauber is the latest in a series of recent executive appointments at Digital Nirvana. Earlier appointments include Wise in January, Anant Khanolkar as senior director of international sales in February, and Keith DesRosiers as director of sales solutions in April.

DigitalNirvana-EdHauber_Headshot

“I worked with Ed at Volicon for 10 years, so I’ve had firsthand experience with his keen ability to develop successful business and technical solutions for leading broadcasters, as well as his expertise in winning new customers and completing successful deployments,” Wise said. “Ed was the most productive member of the Volicon senior sales team, and he has outstanding insight into broadcasters’ requirements for compliance logging and associated technologies. He’ll be a huge asset as we continue to expand Digital Nirvana’s sales and solutions leadership team.”

Before joining Digital Nirvana, Hauber served for three years as director of sales for Verizon Digital Media Services (VDMS), where he led the North American broadcast sales practice for the Volicon brand after it was acquired by VDMS. Prior to the acquisition, he was director of sales for Volicon for 10 years. Hauber has also held sales and marketing management positions with Pinnacle Systems and Truevision, and earlier in his career served as producer and editor for NBC TVSD in Miami. He holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism and communications from Point Park University.

More info

SaT5G Project Announces Successful Demonstrations of 5G Over Satellite Use Cases at EuCNC 2019 Event

Posted on by contentntek in News, Satellite & Transmissions

The project’s vision is to develop a cost effective “plug and play” satcom solution for 5G to enable mobile operators and network vendors to accelerate 5G deployment across all geographies and multiple use cases while at the same time creating new and growing market opportunities for satcom industry stakeholders.

Sat5g logo banner

Over-the-Air MEC based layered video streaming over a 5G multilink satellite and terrestrial network

The demonstration showcases a network that integrates 5G over parallel satellite and terrestrial delivery paths to provide enhanced Quality of Experience (QoE) for users consuming 4K video content. The innovative demonstration highlights how a Multi-access Edge Computing (MEC) proxy can incorporate bit rate adaptation, link selection and enhance layered video streams for future satellite and terrestrial integrated networks. The demonstration is undertaken in partnership with Avanti’s high throughput HYLAS 4 GEO satellite capacity, University of Surrey’s 5G Innovation Centre test bed network and VT iDirect’s 5G enabled satellite hub platform and satellite terminals.

Over-the-Air multicast over satellite video for caching and live content delivery

The demonstration showcases over-the-air satellite multicast technology for the delivery of live channels using a MEC platform for Content Delivery Network (CDN) integration with efficient edge content delivery. The demonstration highlights the benefits in terms of bandwidth efficiency and delivery cost of using a satellite-enabled link for provisioning live content in a 5G system. The demonstration is undertaken in partnership with Avanti’s high throughput HYLAS 4 GEO satellite capacity, Broadpeak’s CDN, University of Surrey’s 5G Innovation Centre test bed network and VT iDirect’s 5G enabled satellite hub platform and satellite terminals.

Video demonstration for delivery of 5G connectivity services to airline passengers

The demonstration showcases 5G technology on-board aircraft, leveraging virtualized services for content distribution and an integrated approach for 5G connectivity based Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) satcom solution. The innovation targets the next-generation inflight entertainment services to passengers and connectivity solutions for airplanes with a combined satellite and terrestrial 5G network. The demonstration is undertaken in partnership with Zodiac Inflight Innovations’ virtualised A320 airplane cabin mock-up and connectivity infrastructure, Broadpeak’s content delivery platform, Gilat Satellite Networks’ Taurus VSAT unit and virtualised satellite hub, i2CAT’s terrestrial satellite resource coordinator (TALENT), Quortus’ mobile network core and SES’s low latency high throughput O3b MEO satellite constellation.

Demonstration of Local (MEC) content caching in 5G with hybrid backhaul network
Using a satellite emulator testbed, TNO demonstrates local access using an established satellite and terrestrial backhaul link with User Plane Function (UPF) located at a MEC node for content delivery. The UPF in the MEC node is used to handle request for the local content with the ability to optimally select between satellite or terrestrial links depending on available capacity, network policy, link performance and the type of end-user profile. The innovation lies with the ability to set up connections for downloading content with the DASH Enabled Network Element (DANE) collocated with UPF, which can now handle both satellite and terrestrial links simultaneously.

Video demonstration of 5G New Radio (NR) over satellite networks

The University of Oulu demonstration jointly defined with Thales Alenia Space shows that with some modifications, it is possible to apply 5G NR over satellite links for future satellite systems. As listed in 3GPP TR 38.811, the key issues that need addressing include higher latency and increased Doppler shift. The demo concentrates on the uplink random access process.

Demonstration of Hybrid 5G Backhauling to extend services for rural markets and large gathering events

The Ekinops demonstration showcases how a standard 5G User Equipment (UE) leverages a hybrid backhaul and validates the performance required by 5G services, including packet loss mitigation and remediation. The solution provides tangible measurements of very high QoE achieved by combining satellite-terrestrial links bandwidths for fast upload/download traffic and the terrestrial link low latency for interactive traffic. The state of the art multipath protocols used to 5G hybrid backhauling show satellite as a viable backhaul link for 5G service where higher latency is mitigated by a terrestrial low latency and the links throughput consolidated.

Please visit the SaT5G website link for a detail description of the demonstrations.
INdran Sivarajah, Project Director of SaT5G said: “SaT5G is a bold project and our goal is to ensure that with the roll-out of 5G networks, the gap between the unconnected and connected world does not further widen. For mobile operators, these underserved markets are seen as key to accessing the last remaining 1.6 billion subscribers, and satcoms are well positioned to play a major role here. We want to build an attractive ‘plug and play’ satcom solution with 5G for telcos and network vendors to accelerate 5G deployment and at the same time creating new and growing market opportunities for the satcom industry.”

 

Mike Fitch, Technical Manager of SaT5G said: “SaT5G is about integrating satellite links with heavy emphasis on standardisation to allow trusted operation and to facilitate industry adoption. The focus is on eMBB to fixed and mobile networks, including support for orchestration and slicing, with the satellite links providing backhaul connectivity either alone or in parallel (multilink) connectivity with terrestrial links. Innovations from the project include satellite modem VNFs, business process modelling including brokers, and improved multicast and multilink algorithms for use with satellite.”

More info

Riedel Communications Chooses Dubai’s Venuetech to Distribute Full Product Line in UAE

Posted on by contentntek in News, System Integration

Based in Dubai, Venuetech is a leading professional AV systems integrator and distributor serving the broadcast and AV markets throughout UAE.

“Venuetech is the ideal partner to help us bring the Riedel reputation for excellence in signal transport and communications technologies to the vital UAE marketplace,” said Ahmed Magd, General Manager, Riedel Middle East and Turkey. “In addition to their in-depth distribution expertise and local market experience, Venuetech has broad and deep knowledge of our product portfolio. The Venuetech team will expand local access to our solutions and provide an outstanding first line of support for our customers.”

Venuetech has installed Riedel’s MediorNet real-time media distribution network, Artist digital matrix intercom, and other product lines in its showroom in Dubai’s Business Bay, and the engineering staff is ready to demonstrate these solutions to customers and respond to any inquiries.

“At Venuetech, we take pride in our partnerships with the most prestigious and innovative manufacturers of media networks and communications systems. Riedel is a fantastic addition to our roster,” said Nour Assafiri, the CEO of Venuetech. “With solutions such as MediorNet — one of the world’s most versatile, flexible, and reliable media and signal transport networks — and superior intercom systems such as Artist, Riedel is setting standards in communications technology and paving the way for others to follow. We look forward to growing this partnership in the Middle East region and working alongside the Riedel team.”

More info

Black Box Introduces First NIAP 3.0-Certified Solution to Enable Protection of Unsecured KVM Systems

Posted on by contentntek in Distribution & Delivery, Multimedia, News

Black Box announced the launch of the Secure KVM Defender, the first NIAP 3.0-certified port isolator that enables protection of unsecured KVM systems. Preventing data leakage between secure and unsecured systems through shared peripheral connections, the Secure KVM Defender adds a critical layer of security for sensitive or classified data passed across existing KVM matrix switching networks.

BlackboX KVM defender

“Complete security is a must in applications ranging from healthcare and finance to defense and intelligence, and our new Secure KVM Defender solution resolves a weak point that can threaten the security of data across KVM switches,” said John Hickey, senior director of R&D and KVM systems for the Black Box Technology Product Solutions business unit. “With its extended security features, this device is an ideal addition for customers already using KVM matrix switching solutions, such as Black Box Emerald, DKM, or Agility, that are looking for ways to add an additional security layer for their KVM networks.”

The Secure KVM Defender ensures that video, USB, and audio data flow only from the computer to the peripheral, with no access to other classified or sensitive networks. Without compromising speed or support for DVI Dual Link resolutions, this single-direction data transmission provides a complete isolation of the secure computer, preventing all kinds of intruder attempts via cyber hacking, eavesdropping, or device retasking.

BlackBox-SecureKVMDefenderApplicationDiagram

Ensuring absolute isolation of mechanical, electrical, and optical signals with techniques including air gapping, the Secure KVM Defender blocks the direct connection between the host PC or laptop and a peripheral device, such as a printer, projector, speaker, or any other device that shares access with a classified computer or network. In addition to eliminating security threats and data leakage, the device safeguards critical data from being accidentally transferred or compromised.

“Traditional KVM switches lack both the filters and the data detection and protection features needed to ensure the security of information sent between the PC and peripherals. The Secure KVM Defender addresses this issue, enabling reliable protection of vulnerable peripherals shared by classified or secure networks while also preventing threats from connections with unauthorized or untrusted peripheral devices,” Hickey added.

Each port on the Secure KVM Defender uses its own isolated data channels, and the device itself erases the internal cache and keyboard data to ensure that no residual data remains on any data channel. Fixed, secure firmware/ROM keeps intruders from reading, reprogramming via unwanted firmware upgrades, or physically removing the Secure KVM Defender device. Active internal anti-tamper switches, external hologram tamper-evident seals, and a long-life internal anti-tampering battery add further security.

More info