NAB 2016: PESA To Demo New Vidblox HTR Converter/Extender Units

PESA will demonstrate its new Vidblox HTR converter/extender units at NAB 2016 (Booth SL4621) next month in Las Vegas, NV. Available as throwdown boxes or as cards for its PESA Blade System (PBS), the Vidblox HTR incorporates HDMI technology, supports a wide variety of resolutions, and can be easily configured by the user as a transmitter (TX) or receiver (RX).

The latest addition to the Vidblox product line, the compact Vidblox HTR supports up to four identical inputs or outputs. Two coax ports that extend signals up to 140m (153 yards) are standard, and two optional single-mode fiber ports (via a dual SFP cage) extend signals up to 10km (6.2 miles).

Beyond HDMI, the Vidblox HTR supports SD and HD formats including 480i, 480p, 720p, 1080i, and 1080p. It can also embed/de‑embed audio from an HDMI signal, and users can select between the embedded audio or discrete audio. DVI is supported with an HDMI-to-DVI adapter. Outputs include 720p, 1080i, or 1080p at 50/59.94/60fps, or 4K at 30fps.

Both the throwdown box and card versions are controlled through PESA’s Cattrax management control software, and are backward compatible with Cheetah 3G-SDI (2.97 Gbps), HD-SDI (1.485 Gbps), and SD-SDI (270 Mbps) routers. Introduced last year, the PBS houses up to 10 cards in the 2 RU Ross openGear chassis and connects baseband environments with IP-based technologies.

“As a card for the PESA Blade System, the Vidblox HTR is an ideal solution for a campus environment that supports dozens or even hundreds of workstations with HDMI or SDI connectivity needs,” says John T. Wright, SVP of sales and business development. “Whether you need the high-density solution of the PESA Blade System or just a throwdown box to overcome signal loss for a videowall installation, the Vidblox HTR is an affordable solution for adding long distance HDMI to existing facilities.”