The RACK Series is designed to be deployed in fixed locations and directly connected on wired IP networks, offering a real cost-effective alternative to satellite or fibre.
AVIWEST, a provider of video contribution systems, has announced its new RACK Series, the next generation of the company’s video contribution encoder set to be released this summer.
By integrating the H.265/HEVC encoder as well as an H.264/AVC encoder into a compact platform, the RACK Series is designed for space-constrained live production, including contribution applications and multicamera remote/at-home productions.
The RACK Series can be used on vans or trucks and connected to a roof-mounted AVIWEST QUAD CellLink 3G/4G antenna or KA satellite transmitter, enabling video broadcast from any location globally.
Equipped with a touch screen, the unit supports multiple operational modes including live, record, live and record, file forward, and data hot spot for high-speed internet connectivity. All of these operations are possible in only two taps on the touch screen.
The brand-new RACK Series also features a SIP-based intercom to simplify communications between the master control room on the broadcaster premises and remote operators in the field.
Another feature of the RACK hybrid encoder is its video return function. In less than one second, it promises to enable remote crews to receive the on-air feed from the studio, receive teleprompting information, and ensure the live stream is being delivered properly.
With its 1-U half-rack form factor, the product reduces costs and space requirements, making it perfect for sports and entertainment live video production and other remote integration or at-home production use cases. The device can synchronously backhaul multiple live feeds with perfect genlock and lip sync across multiple cameras.
The RACK Series embeds a high-performance full HD encoder to reach low bit rates at subsecond latency without comprising on video quality. Powered by the double-award-winning SST technology (Safe Streams Transport), the RACK encoder offers ultra-reliable transmission on any network, thanks to an intelligent IP-bonding stack that aggregates all available bandwidth without needing to stop a live transmission, even as connections are added or dropped.
Ultimately, the RACK Series helps video production crews to expand their live coverage capabilities and create enthralling live stories.
Commenting on the product, Samuel Fleischhacker, senior product manager at AVIWEST, said: “As broadcasters aim to deliver superior-quality video content for live events, data costs are spiralling out of control. The RACK Series features a next-generation encoder that is extremely powerful, significantly reducing the bit rates typically associated with broadcasting high-quality video in real time over bonded cellular and the public internet.”
