Article Overview

Harris Demonstrates Latest Innovations to help Broadcasters Optimize Core Processing Workflow

Highlights Include Platinum™ Router Frame Sync Input Card and IP Multiviewer

Harris Corporation (NYSE:HRS), an international communications and information technology company, is demonstrating technology that helps broadcasters more efficiently manage the processing of audio and video signals in the facility. At the booth, customers can see the latest Harris advancements in content routing and display, including a new frame sync input card for the Platinum™ router and new IP multiviewer solutions.

Routers

Harris introduces a new eight-channel frame sync input card for its Platinum large-scale router — the first solution of its kind in the industry. This new input card is the latest addition to the Platinum router line, building upon the mux/demux embedded audio-processing feature, also an industry first.

The new input card allows up to eight wild video signals to be synchronized to house reference — without the use of external frames or wiring. This greatly reduces customers' space requirements, as well as installation and hardware costs. In addition to synchronization, the card performs demultiplexing of up to 16 channels of embedded audio in each video stream, allowing the audio to be routed independently and discretely. ASI, SD, HD and 3 Gb/s signals are supported, as are coax and fiber connectivity. Backward-compatible with all Platinum frames, this flexible card provides powerful functionality, yet requires less external wiring, power and installation manpower than external solutions — significantly reducing complexity in the facility.

In addition, Harris also is announcing several new enhancements to the router control system. These include new enhanced tie-line capability, a new names-based protocol that improves support with third-party vendors and a new configuration application designed to improve both speed and usability.

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Multiviewers

Visitors to the Harris booth can see a demonstration of the new Harris IP multiviewer, which is built on the Harris® CENTRIO™ multiviewer technology. This full-featured multiviewer provides support for many codecs and transport formats over Ethernet, and delivers advanced graphics and monitoring capabilities in a 1RU form factor. The multiviewer decodes many stream formats including MPEG-2/MPEG-4/H.264 for multiple SD/HD streams, displays layouts across multiple displays and supports streaming of layouts back into the IP network fabric. Harris also will provide a technology demo of a new IP/ASI multiviewer based in the Harris 6800+™ modular platform. The 2RU IP/ASI multiviewer provides contribution-quality decoding and high-quality display of four video streams. Increasingly, broadcasters are receiving file-based compressed feeds, and this multiviewer breakthrough not only reduces the complexity and cost of decoding/re-encoding, but also ensures the signal is received as intended.

Also new to CENTRIO is virtual network connection (VNC) support, which enables CENTRIO to control and monitor a vast array of devices that support VNC server functionality (such as a Harris NEXIO® server). With VNC, the user can monitor multiple standalone devices and control them by simply moving a mouse to the desired device and clicking on it. This allows operators to respond more quickly to alarms and enables systems integrators to eliminate dedicated hardware for control and monitoring of third-party devices. Other CENTRIO enhancements include sophisticated Web control for layouts, as well as RSS feed support for interaction with a broad range of network data providers.

Harris continues to offer the widest range of multiviewers in the broadcast industry. The recently launched Harris "Change Your View" multiviewer campaign illustrates how Harris multiviewers deliver high-quality images and are well-suited for a variety of applications — from the studio to a master control suite to a broadcast truck. Harris Broadcast Communications offers products, systems and services that provide interoperable workflow solutions for broadcast, cable, satellite and out-of-home networks. The Harris ONE™ solution brings together highly integrated and cost-effective products that enable advanced media workflows for emerging content delivery business models.

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About Harris Corporation

Harris is an international communications and information technology company serving government and commercial markets in more than 150 countries. Headquartered in Melbourne, Florida, the company has approximately $5 billion of annual revenue and more than 15,000 employees — including nearly 7,000 engineers and scientists. Harris is dedicated to developing best-in-class assured communications® products, systems, and services.