Integrated Microwave Technologies showcased its Nucomm Newscoder 4 low-power, HD/SD, video/audio encoder with AES encryption at last week’s NAB show in Las Vegas. The compact Newscoder 4 is designed to work with any transmitter and delivers superior MPEG-4 H.264 SD and HD encoding, enabling broadcasters to transmit HD content efficiently over the same infrastructure used to transmit SD content.
“The Newscoder 4 continues to define the next level of video compression,’ says Integrated Microwave Technologies divisional chief executive Stephen Shpock. “What sets the Newscoder 4 apart is that it is designed to work with any transmitter. With an additional 30-percent bit rate reduction, low delays and video quality improvement over a baseline encoder, the MPEG-4-enabled encoder allows broadcasters to transmit HD content efficiently. Users will be especially pleased with the Newscoder 4’s ability to support a full main profile.’
The Newscoder 4 input accepts either composite (NTSC or PAL), SD-SDI or HD-SDI sources. It automatically detects the video input format, digitizes it and passes it to a high-performance H.264/AVC MP@L4 video encoder, where the video is compressed down to an extremely low data rate. The resulting output is an ASI transport stream.
In addition, the encoder has one stereo or two mono audio inputs and supports both line-level inputs and microphone-level inputs. Each mode supports independent gain selection ranging from 12 dB of attenuation to +50 dB and embedded audio.
Featuring two RS232 ports, one for remote control and a second for user data, the Newscoder 4 also employs AES encryption, preventing unauthorised viewing of the signal. A video test pattern generator is designed into the NCTX-4 that can be controlled externally through the preset switch or programmed to be automatically enabled when the video input is lost. The encoder has an ASI input and output, providing the ability to stack or multiplex multiple units.
The Newscoder 4 requires little setup and the local control panel is simple and user friendly. Simply apply video and power, then connect and select a preset. For advanced functions, such as AES encryption keys or unit naming, an easy-to-use administration software package is supplied, allowing the user to configure up to eight custom presets. The administrator can feel confident that with the use of access control, the end user cannot corrupt the preset configurations.
