Hot on the heels of the launch of Ultrix Acuity – a single-chassis production switcher and routing platform – Ross has announcd the next evolution of its ‘Software-Defined Production Engine’ with the launch of Ultrix Carbonite, a new integrated solution that combines the routing and AV processing capabilities of Ultrix with the creative capabilities of Carbonite mid-size production switcher.
The compact, single-chassis solution consumes less power, takes up less space, and requires less cooling compared with the equivalent racks of equipment it can replace. This simplifies system design, cabling and equipment installation. Combining the routing platform with the production switcher shrinks the number of inter-rack failure points and reduces maintenance requirements. Overall, significant CapEx and OpEx savings can be achieved over the life of Ultrix Carbonite.
Ultrix Carbonite is suitable for mid-size facilities faced with the challenges of mixed or changing signal formats or connectivity schemes. Any of the three available Ultrix I/O boards (SDI, IP or SFP) can be installed in available slots and mixed as needed, providing maximum flexibility and convenience both now and in the future.
Each Software-Defined Production Engine (SDPE) can be installed in either an Ultrix FR2 or FR5 frame and provides up to two powerful Carbonite M/E banks and versatile MiniMEs. That means a 2RU chassis and 1RU redundant power supply frame can provide a complete, multi-M/E production switcher and a flexible routing platform that can operate in either HD or 4K UHD. This space-saving solution, ideal for smaller technical facilities or OB vans, eliminates the need for audio processing, framesync and MultiViewer hardware, as well as the inter-rack cabling typically required in traditional system designs.
The versatile SDPE hardware blade that powers both Ultrix Carbonite and Ultrix Acuity provides significant advantages over traditional switchers. New features and functionality can be added without the need for costly hardware replacement, ensuring that the system can grow as customer needs and demands change. Multiple SDPE blades, configured as Carbonite switchers, can even be installed in a single FR5 frame, providing the opportunity to produce in HD and 4K UHD formats simultaneously.
“I’m delighted that we are now able to add Carbonite to the new SDPE blade installed in an Ultrix platform,” notes Nigel Spratling, VP of Switchers at Ross. “The combination of Ultrix and Carbonite brings together the best of Ross innovation with an incredibly powerful feature set, directly addressing customer requirements for greater efficiency and improved value. This really is a powerhouse solution and I know our customers are going to get enormous benefit from it.”
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