DTC to showcase wireless 4K/UHD transmitter

DTC Broadcast will feature the AEON-TX transmitter for wireless 4K/UHD at NAB Show 2018 (Booth C6043). To address the overall requirements of wireless 4K UHD, the new AEON-TX has adopted the encoding algorithm H.265/HEVC, that also includes MPEG-2 and H.264 for other applications.

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DTC to showcase wireless 4K/UHD transmitter

Until now, the volume of raw data transmission required for 4K/UHD production has made wireless cameras largely impractical for live sport, event, and news applications. However, cameras equipped with DTC’s AEON-TX can now transmit 4K UHD video formats up to and including 2160p60 by taking advantage of the extremely efficient encoding technology built into the AEON-TX.

DTC Vice President, Broadcast Sales, JP Delport said, “AEON-TX is hugely cost effective because it substantially reduces bandwidth costs without compromising quality. It opens up new vistas for ultra-high resolution production.”

AEON-TX’s connectivity options are plentiful, and future-proof. The unit includes fully integrated return channels for bi-directional IP connectivity and low-bandwidth telemetry, plus a scalable return channel for talk-back, camera control, and return video. The transmitter also includes industry standard DVB-T modulation for compatibility with existing systems and DTC’s proprietary UMVL modulation for enhanced high frequency/high speed performance.

Delport added, “AEON-TX is ready for immediate delivery ……. the only latency challenge is waiting for the market to catch up. NAB 2018 will be the breakout show for AEON-TX.”

Domo Tactical Communications (DTC) has been involved in the manufacture of wireless technology for nearly two decades, starting with SD, moving to HD, and now to wireless 4K UHD transmission mitigating the processing power, horsepower, bandwidth and heat generation issues. As DTC stressed, this is revolutionary for the Production Industry.

“Broadcast and production companies require a 4K UHD solution that will slip into their current RF architecture in a way that has ultra-low latency as a core requirement of its functionality. This is absolutely key in driving the delivery of wireless content”, says Delport. “To address the overall requirements of wireless 4K UHD, our new AEON-TX has adopted a new encoding algorithm called H.265/HEVC, that also includes MPEG-2 and H.264 for other applications. We’ve also provided active cooling within the transmitter to deal with processing power heat, and our dual-pedestal UMVL modulation scheme enables us to transmit higher bitrate content over a wider bandwidth pedestal.”

But the kicker is the AEON-TX’s ultra-low, sub-100ms latency, which has proven to be the ultimate decider on whether wireless 4K transmitters can be used for certain applications. Then add in the camera control and return data channel capabilities of our AEON-TX package and you will see why it’s deemed revolutionary.

The AEON video input supports quad HD-SDI, which can be used as four independent HD camera sources for motorsport where it can provide multiple views from a car or bike.

In the transmission of 4K content over RF, we offer the choice of a single DVB-T 8MHz channel, or a dual pedestal mode for greater flexibility. This enables the user to select between the highest possible picture quality or the maximum RF stability. In practice, we have found that it delivers excellent image quality and RF performance. It certainly meets the real requirements of production companies.

Thanks to the way in which our H.265/HEVC codec has been engineered and implemented, the AEON-TX is tuned for broadcast requirements with latency under 100ms. This is perfectly manageable in a live broadcast when cutting from fixed cabled camera positions to wireless camera positions in a multi-camera production.

As Alistair Horne, Sales Manager for our UK distributor, VideoSys said “This really is a substantial leap forward in technology. To show customers a fully functioning 4K system is one thing, but the AEON is a very powerful tool. With IP return and plans for return video all in one box, it becomes something really special. I think the most important part is the fact that it uses the same infrastructure as an HD system, so it is instantly familiar to operators.”

The first live demonstration using the AEON-TX on air was 2 December 2017, at the Emirates Stadium in London, when industry pioneer and major outside broadcast provider Arena TV provided coverage of a Premier League match between Arsenal and Manchester United. This was the first time an ultra-low latency wireless 4K camera system had ever been used for a live broadcast.

The AEON-TX was mounted on the back of a Sony PXW Z450, a native 4K camera. The colour control was managed by Domo Broadcast’s UK distributor VideoSys’s UHF system with the RF set to dual-pedestal mode.

“The Domo Broadcast AEON-TX and VideoSys control system worked flawlessly,” said Adam Klink, General Engineering Manager for Arena TV. He added, “Set up and installation is just like a normal RF camera, except it transmits 4K.

Juan Navarro, CEO, DTC shared, “We are proud to be the leader in new broadcast technologies, specifically, a true 4K wireless system that reaches if not surpasses our customer’s expectations.” (3/18)