Archive notice: This article was originally published on April 12, 2007. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.
Since the beginning of the year, PTV Professional TeleVision GmbH has expanded its sales portfolio to include the video processors from Tcube. The French manufacturer specialises in special devices for analogue and digital studio technology. The philosophy of the compact devices is based on software that can be changed to suit the desired application, so that different tasks can be handled with one hardware platform.
The “Kiwi” hardware, which has been successfully placed on the market for several years, covers applications in the SD format, while the “Fig” platform is used for the HD/SD format. The software solutions cover tasks such as legaliser, colour correction, data inserter and generators, processing amplifier, variable delay, format converter, logo inserter, 3D LUT corrector or audio shuffler. In addition, there is a third platform called “Cherry”, which is designed primarily for converter tasks in the DV and HDV format.
With a Kiwi system and the VB/VW software, for example, systems can be built for generating and checking the data lines, which, with the increasing switch to contributions in the 16:9 format, prove to be necessary and helpful measuring instruments in the broadcast handling and programme control of the broadcasters. All devices are designed for continuous operation, as they are usually installed directly in the broadcast path, and are consequently available with a redundant power supply.
To create a copy with a “legal” video signal, any illegal signal components are set or limited to the standards-compliant value with the CO75 software. Such legalisers are mandatory at some European broadcasters; otherwise acceptance of deliveries can be refused.
Another configuration example is colour correction with four CO100 systems, which can be controlled in a user-friendly way via the external RC-CO control unit. The connection between the control unit and the devices is made with an Ethernet network. The Kiwi platform processes one channel at a time, while the Fig HD platform can process two individual channels or one DualLink channel.
If the CO200 software is used, colour correction with a legaliser function is possible under postproduction conditions – colour-correction control can be carried out from the editor and timecode-linked PC software.
All devices are built in the 1/2-19-inch-1RU format and make the output signal available at several ports for forwarding. Operation takes place on the device or externally with free Windows software. Thanks to the variable concept, all device versions are available at PTV Professional TeleVision for customer demos.
Further links:
- Detailed product information
