Imagine gives Selenio Network Processor new personality

The SNP-MV personality allows one or more processors within the SNP to become an instantly configurable multiviewer

Imagine has added what it describes as a comprehensive production multiviewer functionality as a new software ‘personality’ for its Selenio Network Processor (SNP).

The company believes that when you are covering sport you need a technical architecture that it almost infinitely flexible. The equipment needs to be able to transform between different production requirements almost every day. That also applies to the setup of monitor walls, Imagine continues, which will change between different sports and live events, as well as between directors. Monitoring and multiviewers cannot be ‘set and forget’, they have to be as flexible as every other part of the system, the company said.

Adding HDR to the production makes all these challenges even harder, since each event has different HDR requirements, and different operating positions in the facility also have different needs for seeing the HDR. It is too meet these challenges that Imagine added production multiviewer functionality to the capabilities offered by its SNP.

Already said to be familiar in many production environments, Imagine claims that the SNP is an extremely powerful processing platform. Each 1RU appliance has four independent processing chains, with functionality defined by software and the ability to switch between roles to suit production needs. SNPs are widely used as bridges between SDI and IP (ST 2110 or ST 2022-6); as converters between HD and 4K and between standard dynamic range and HDR (HLG, PQ or S Log 3); and for video processing and synchronisation.

The SNP-MV personality allows one or more processors within the SNP to become an instantly configurable multiviewer. Each one of the four processor paths supports up to nine input signals, rendered into one or two UHD displays. Ganging processors in an SNP supports up to 36 PiPs across two displays, or drives as many as eight 4K displays, all with extremely low latency.

Colour space conversion is included in the processing and is fully configurable, allowing different input colour formats to be mapped to the desired output formats. Outputs are always UHD, with an HD output simultaneously available, over 2110-IP. The inputs and outputs can be SDR or HDR or mixed according to production requirements, with the SNP-MV harmonising to the display format as needed.

SNP-MV provides full support for tally and UMD systems, compatible with Imagine’s Magellan SDN Orchestrator, as well as industry standards such as TSL 5.0. The SNP’s IP interfaces are managed via AMWA NMOS IS-04/05 to maximise interoperability. Setup is said to be easily configured using graphical web-based controls.

The result, according to Imagine, is enhanced production agility using low-power compact hardware which is already familiar to production engineers. Depending on daily requirements, the SNP platforms can provide multiviewers or be reassigned to other production requirements as necessary. As productions introduce enhanced quality elements including HDR and 4K, they can be integrated on the same multiviewer display, which itself can be HDR or SDR. All this, the company claims, can be achieved without extra hardware, and without adding latency.