Justin Kennington – AptoVision
INTERVIEW
And that ’ s where your BlueRiver NT + AV-over-IP chipsets come in , right ? They rely on 10 GbE networks . What are some of the key products / categories the technology is being used for ? Wherever you see zero-latency , uncompressed 4K streaming advertised , you can be sure BlueRiver technology is inside . Our chipsets enable end-to-end systems over 10 GbE for AV and KVM signal extension , IP-based switching , video wall and multi-view applications . More than 25 manufacturers are now incorporating BlueRiver chipsets in over 35 AV signal distribution products and winning installations across all market verticals with their unique product implementations , education , corporate , medical and military to name a few .
What advantages / changes to the industry do you feel it delivers ? These manufacturers are leveraging the IT industry ’ s multi-billion-dollar investment in Ethernet hardware while applying unique capabilities to endpoints and bringing a whole new level of creativity and innovation focused on advanced AV management software .
We recently announced a new member of the BlueRiver NT + Series , the BlueRiver NT1000 , which delivers all the advanced IP-switching and extension capabilities AptoVision is known for , while reducing the bill of material costs for AV over IP encoders and decoders by up to 50 %. This new chipset is purpose built and cost optimised for AV / KVM switching and extension applications . It ’ s HDMI 2.0 and HDCP 2.2 compliant and can transmit true 4K / 60Hz ( 4:4:4 ) video with zero frame latency over 100m of CAT-x or 30KM of fiber . It supports the complete range of signal types including audio , GbE , USB 2.0 , RS232 and IR , all of which can be routed independently . Audio can be extracted from or injected into any HDMI stream within the network .
Along with AptoVision ’ s flagship chipset , BlueRiver NT2000 , which includes high-value AV processing capabilities to enable video-wall , multi-view and seamless switching applications , manufacturers now have what they need from us to offer a top-tobottom portfolio of AV-over-IP products which address the full range of feature , performance and pricing requirements for virtually all AV applications .
End users benefit from increased flexibility , more applications tailored to their particular needs and the opportunity to reduce both capital and operating expenses .
We ’ ve also been hearing you talk about ‘ software-defined video ’. What is the significance of that ? This is a topic that you will be hearing a lot more about as we move toward ISE 2017 . Basically , what it comes down to is that as the Pro AV industry makes its transition away from proprietary pointto-point matrix switches towards a world of IP-based distribution over commodity Ethernet switches , manufacturers add value and differentiation focused on the endpoints ( encoders and decoders ) and on new software applications to create customised user experiences .
We recently announced BlueRiver API , a complete application programming interface that lets developers easily harness all the features of our chipsets . The API provides a set of simple subroutine definitions , protocols and tools that control complex tasks to make it easier for developers to program their applications and get to market faster . The building blocks in BlueRiver API include easy interfaces to control upscaling up to 4K , downscaling , aspect ratio management , frame rate conversion , chroma sample conversion , video wall processing , image compositing , audio downmixing , video routing , independent audio routing , multicast IGMP management and much more .
This combined hardware / software platform approach means our customers can focus on creating the perfect user interfaces and AV management tools for their targeted market segments whether that ’ s in education , healthcare , enterprise , entertainment , hospitality , retail , houses of worship , government , military , industry or security .
What are the main challenges in seeing your technology rolled out across more manufacturers ? We are facing the same challenges every successful company faces as they grow quickly . We see so many opportunities for our technology and so many directions we can take it that we need more great engineers and support staff to keep things rolling . We have taken steps to invest in the people and infrastructure we need to support our customers ’ ambitious development efforts . We ’ ve made strategic new hires in R & D , product management and customer support plus we ’ ve just moved into a wonderful new facility in the Montreal Technoparc that quadruples lab and office space .
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