Visual Unity Launches 4K Gateway For Real-Time Low-Latency Video Streaming

Hailed as the latest step in the evolution of online video, 4K digital video offers approximately four times the resolution of the most widely-used HD television format, and 24 times that of a standard broadcast TV signal. This cost-effective streaming device allows film, post production and visualisation companies to harness the power of 4K over unlimited bandwidth/distance in collaborative environments.

“As 4K comes of age, media organisations face the challenge of efficiently and cost-effectively delivering a more immersive and engaging visual experience to their demanding audiences, says Tomas Petru, President of Visual Unity. “4K Gateway is an elegant solution to this challenge as it addresses the need for high quality and reliable transmission of high resolution content, whether it be for collaborative film post production, the streaming of live events in digital cinemas or e-Learning in medical and educational establishments.”

Linear and multiscreen systems integrator Visual Unity has a strong track recording for designing and implementing leading solutions for broadcasters and media organizations worldwide. To develop 4K Gateway, Visual Unity worked in conjunction with Czech academic association CESNET and Prague-based independent post-production facility ACE.

Operating over dedicated photonic networks or shared Internet, 4K Gateway offers very low latency of less than 1 ms plus networking delay, thus ensuring a truly interactive experience. Higher buffering can be optionally selected to compensate high network jitter or for special applications. 4K Gateway uses industry standard HD-SDI interfaces for eight video inputs and eight video outputs, all working simultaneously in multi-channel full-duplex operation. Each HD-SDI channel can operate in full mode (all dark areas transmitted) or view mode (dark areas not transmitted). The latter allows the transmission of eight HD-SDI channels over a single 10 Gigabit Ethernet interface, thus enabling uncompressed 3D 4K or 4K RGB (4:4:4) transmissions.

Visual Unity and its development partners have already put 4K Gateway through its paces on a series of projects. These include a  remote real-time low-latency collaboration on color grading of 4K video content, which was demonstrated over a distance of more than 6200 miles (10000 km) from Prague to San Diego, California.  Another successful project saw 4K Gateway employed to remotely access scientific visualisations using low-latency real-time interactive navigation in a remote 3D building model.

“We have proved that 4K Gateway can overcome bandwidth constrains to provide a truly flexible and efficient distribution platform for high-end content,” Petru adds. “Our successful collaboration with CESNET and ACE has resulted in a product that makes the breath-taking image quality of 4K native resolution even more accessible.”

About Visual UnityVisual Unity is an international Systems Integrator bridging the gap between linear broadcast, IT and IPTV to help clients reach and engage audiences on any screen. Since 1991, the team has been designing and delivering turnkey broadcast and complex multiscreen solutions worldwide – from HD Outside Broadcast vehicles and major playout facilities to live internet streaming and Video on Demand services.Visual Unity’s award-winning vuMediaTM platform helps broadcasters and content owners control how their brand and assets are managed and monetized in the multiscreen environment. Highly scalable and flexible, vuMediaTM delivers a cutting-edge live viewing experience on the web or any mobile or connected device, comprehensive VoD services, social network integration and secure robust content distribution – all of which can be deployed into existing workflows and business processes.Visual Unity is based in Prague, London, Cologne, Moscow, Bratislava, Belgrade, Nairobi and Dubai.