Bluebell Opticom 2018 NAB Show Preview

At the 2018 NAB Show, Bluebell will demonstrate the Silhouette line of rugged, deployable, high-density, mixed-technology media converters.

The heart of the Silhouette power-insertion product family for robotic cameras in remote production scenarios, the Silhouette is a fully integrated 4K UHD robotic head system that works with SD-SDI, HD-SDI, 3G-SDI, and 4K UHD cameras to provide power and control to the camera head and fibre optic connectivity for the remote-control panel.

As a result, operators no longer need to rely on stadium power. The customizable Silhouette comes in three sizes and can accommodate any combination of 4K HDR, quad 3G-SDI, trilevel sync, GigE, serial data control, communications, IFB, and multichannel audio signals. Customers can choose to get power from a 12V DC supply, a V-Mount battery, a hybrid cable, or a combination of the three. Introduced at IBC2017, Silhouette units are deployed all over the world in sports, theatre, and music venues.

New to the Silhouette power-insertion family are the Silhouette Combine4 and Combine8 converters, which will make their global debut at the 2018 NAB Show. The Combine4 and Combine8 let users replace four or eight SMPTE hybrid cables with just one. The units fit between the camera and the CCU on up to eight camera channels to eliminate rigging time, transport weight, and fault-finding. Designed to work with the Bluebell ShaxX, Combine4 and Combine8 can be configured for two identical hybrid I/Os. The Diverse Option helps eliminate the worry of losing all cameras on a shoot if someone cuts the hybrid cable. In that case, two identical connections carrying identical payload can be diversely routed between camera and CCU. The systems deploy self-healing ring topology, so users won't notice a glitch.

New Silhouette Sync
Also on display at the 2018 NAB Show will be Bluebell's Silhouette Sync, a larger version of the already very popular Silhouette module. It provides transport for 4K UHD, 3G-SDI, gen-lock, communications, camera control, data, GigE and program audio, all over one fibre. The Silhouette Sync has already been widely used in South Korea this winter. It is an extremely reliable way to control robotic camera heads over long distances. Although it was developed late last year, this is its first exposure at an exhibition.

12G-SDI Electrical or Optical Conversion to HDMI 2.0 for 4K Broadcast Applications
Bluebell Opticom offers a solid kit of rack-based fibre optic conversion and transport products for 4K/UHD applications, components and features of which will be on display at the 2018 NAB Show.

One of the most important features available in all Bluebell 12G 4K UHD transport kits is the option to convert 12G-SDI signals to HDMI 2.0 — a must-have tool for displaying beautiful high-resolution images. Using this option to convert to what is essentially 4K HDMI, users in TV production, postproduction, and OB truck environments can watch their work on a standard 4K monitor, thereby saving a small fortune on 12G-SDI monitors. The optional tool converts to HDMI 2.0 from four 3G-SDI or HD-SDI signals, or two 6G-SDI or 3G-SDI signals.

New — BC369 Super High-Density 12G-SDI I/O Card
New at the 2018 NAB Show will be Bluebell's BC369, a super high-density converter card that enables 12G UHD 4K HDR optical conversion with no less than eight I/Os on board. When the BC369 is deployed in Bluebell's standard 3-RU rack frame, users can achieve 120 ports of 12G-SDI in the space of three rack units for extra-dense, reliable broadcast transport. The same card in Bluebell's 1-RU frame yields 48 ports of 12G-SDI.

New — Configurability Features for BN390
Visitors to the 218 NAB Show will see new configuration features for Bluebell's BN390 unit, which combines four 3G-SDI signals onto one 12G-SDI signal via a single-mode fibre output. Bluebell has added new features that make it possible to remotely configure the link. Using a simple RJ45 connector, the BN390 serves its own webpage and allows the user to set the signal type and designation whilst in service. The BN390 is perfect for multifunctional truck applications.


Upgraded — BC860 and BC862 Now Equipped for Jumbo Packet Transport
To accommodate ubiquitous file-based video transfer and super-high resolution or high-speed video, Bluebell has upgraded its BC860-series multirate Ethernet-to-fibre converter cards. The BC860 series can now transport “jumbo packets” — Ethernet packets with more than 1500 bytes of payload. With this capability, the cards accept fewer headers and footers per byte of data, thereby lengthening the packet size and shortening the packet's transfer time. Support for jumbo packets makes the BC860 series ideal for the gaming industry or anyone who sends super-slow-motion images over Ethernet networks. Those who visit Bluebell at the 2018 NAB Show will see the BC860 in action.

Bluebell Advanced Network Monitoring and Diagnostics – ANMD
Visitors to Bluebell booth at the 2018 NAB Show will get a look at Bluebell's newly upgraded network monitoring system. More options, user-configurable settings, and an improved interface make the system an even more powerful management tool.

Emmy® Award-Winning SDI-Over-Fibre Technology
In 2017, Bluebell earned an Emmy® Award from the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences for pioneering development of SDI-over-fibre optic networks. Because of Bluebell's work, SDI signal transport over fibre has become commonplace, and Bluebell is now a trusted vendor for thousands of broadcasters, OB truck companies, stadiums, governments, and satellite uplink stations throughout the world. SDI over fibre is critical to almost every Bluebell product in use today, and it will be front and centre during Bluebell's 2018 NAB Show demonstrations.

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