Ensemble Designs' New Clean Switch Improves DVB-ASI Performance for Broadcasters
Grass Valley, California, 2 September 2010 – Ensemble Designs is debuting the new Avenue 4445 DVB-ASI Clean Protection switch at the International Broadcasters Convention in Amsterdam, 10-14 September 2010 on stand 8.B91. This new clean switch provides a reliable way for broadcasters to stay on-air even in the event that the primary feed fails. A clean switch is preferred by broadcasters because the home viewer will not perceive that a switch has occurred.
The 4445 cleanly switches to a backup ASI feed as needed, based on user-set parameters. A clean switch is of particular interest to broadcasters as it offers a glitch-free, seamless change from one ASI program stream to another. The 4445 is a smart switch that does a drill down analysis of the transport stream and has auto-timing buffers on the inputs. These buffers align the two transport streams so that the switch occurs at the beginning of an I-frame.
The 4445 also generates a new transport clock on the output. The benefit of the new clock is that when the switch occurs it is completely transparent to downstream equipment. The 4445 switch is well-suited for sources such as STLs, satellite feeds, transoceanic cable, and terrestrial fiber.
Single Frequency Networks (SFNs), especially common in Europe, can benefit from the 4445s treatment of the DVB-ASI clock. Multiple transmission sites using 4445s that are all tied together by GPS-based genlock, will produce a unified RF field so finely matched to frequency and phase that a receiver can move from one place to another seamlessly.
The 4445 checks the health of an ASI signal by monitoring digital clock lock, packet presence, and PID presence. The user can configure tests to define the minimum number of video packets and audio packets expected per second in a given service. Specific PIDS can be targeted with the PC or touch screen control system.
Controls are easily accessed through an Avenue Control Panel, Avenue PC software, GPIs, or front edge module controls. GPI inputs allow faults detected in upstream equipment to contribute to the switching logic. Alarms and switches are logged for later reference.
The new Avenue 4445 DVB-ASI clean switch is part of the Avenue signal integration line of processing equipment that is used worldwide in broadcast television and satellite facilities. The new product can be used with other Avenue modules including MPEG/DVB-ASI analyzers, audio embedders, sync pulse generators and SD/HD/3Gb/s frame synchronizers.
Based in Grass Valley, California, Ensemble Designs is in their 21st year of business and is a leading provider of signal processing and infrastructure products to the professional broadcast industry, and other government and commercial applications. Customers include RAI, Major League Baseball, Olympic Broadcast Organisation, and Sky, ESPN, The Moving Picture Company and TVNZ.
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Ensemble Designs
PO Box 993, Grass Valley CA 95945
870 Gold Flat Rd, Nevada City CA 95959
http://www.ensembledesigns.com Tel: +1 530.478.1830
Press Contact:
Cindy Zuelsdorf
Marketing Czar
cindy@ensembledesigns.com
Tel: +1 530.478.8328
Press Contact:
Cindy ZuelsdorfEnsemble Designs
www.ensembledesigns.com
+1 530.478.8328
cindy@ensembledesigns.com