FLX-ClockBox From Vortex

Vortex has been providing timing solutions to broadcasters for decades and FLX-ClockBox is its latest innovation to provide virtually any type of clock or timer using low-cost HDMI screens for display.

ClockBox is designed to be attached to the rear of the screen to provide an internally-generated HDMI time display, locked to an NTP reference (Network Time Protocol) over a computer network. It can be used stand-alone, generating analogue clocks (with hands) digital clocks, multi-zone clocks and timers in any combination plus there is a GPI interface option to allow display of messages such as "On Air" and "Telephone" – or as part of a larger integrated time and timer architecture.

Used as part of a system, an android tablet control surface allows pre-configuration of a wide range of time displays and provides real-time control of multiple timers using the intuitive touch screen interface. ClockBox supports a wide variety of clock types for your displays; Multi-zone, Analogue, count-up, count-down timers and custom animated clocks for clarity. Just about any timing configuration necessary can be projected to any low cost HDMI display using the ClockBox unit connected to a local network. The modular design of ClockBox allows you to add and subtract devices from your current network time system and multiple ClockBox systems can be used on the same local network.

The ClockBox Tablet Control Surface automatically seeks and synchronises to your other ClockBox Units across the Local Network. Once synchronised the HDMI Screen Display Boxes can be configured in real time and used as a count up or count down timer. All ClockBox Units can be NTP Locked to a NTP server which can also be configured via the Tablet Control Surface. From your control surface, digital or analogue clocks can be customised with different configurations and colours. All HDMI Screen Displays can be controlled from a single Tablet Control Surface and multiple Control Surfaces can be used on a single network. The standard ClockBox Production Timer comes with two simultaneous controlled count-up and count-down timers on a single screen. Add or subtract a length of time from your current timer selected if your productions gains or loses more air time. Signalling has also been incorporated into ClockBox, "On Air" and alarm notifications come as standard and more configurations can be included upon request.

ClockBox is able to lock to any NTP Time Server including the industry-standard TimeLord-Net Master Clock or low-cost TimeLord-µNet and may also run standalone. ClockBox can also lock to an external time source when connected to a network with access to the internet. Once locked all ClockBox units registered will then synchronise to the NTP Server registered to the Control Surface for high accuracy timing and in free running mode all clocks will synchronise regardless of obtaining an external reference.

Our V-400 series clock range has also received numerous updates, both our analogue and digital clocks can be synchronised to an NTP Time Server. Both our Master Clocks come with NTP as standard and our TimeLord-Net is now modular in design, 4 modules can be attached at any one time and supports all types of timecode you would need including EBU/LTC, impulse and optical out. The TimeLord-Net can be synchronised to NTP, SNTP, MSF, DCF and GPS/GLONASS for high accuracy timing and can be fully utilised by all of our clock range including ClockBox and any pre-existing clocks and timing systems from Vortex.

Our digital clock range has had a few welcome additions also, our new studio stopwatch timers display both time and count-up/count-down timer, perfect for broadcast use. The new V-401.01 is a 1U rack mountable clock with NTP locking as standard, the new V-600 clocks display frequency monitoring and synchronisation details and our analogue clock range now include options for NTP and silent movement. Additionally, almost all of our clocks both new and old have received a wider range of digit colours, case colours and outdoor options.

If you would like to find out more about ClockBox and the rest of our timing solutions, head over to www.vtx.co.uk, give us a call on 020-8579 2743 or send an email to [email protected], we will be more than happy to help.

www.vtx.co.uk

(JP/MH)