New Telos Multi-Channel IP Codec Debuts at IBC
New Zephyr iPort can transport 8 stereo channels over QOS-guaranteed IP links
07 August 2007, Cleveland Ohio, USA
Visitors to IBC 2007 in Amsterdam will be able to see a dramatically new addition to the Telos Systems Zephyr family of broadcast codecs: The Zephyr iPort MPEG Gateway, a new codec that can transport up to 8 channels of bi-directional stereo audio between locations, using Quality-of-Service (QoS) guaranteed IP networks.
“Just as ISDN revolutionized broadcasting ten years ago, IP networks will take them to the next level,” says Telos CEO and founder Steve Church. “More and more, broadcasters rely not only on content generated at local studios, but a mix of programming both local and external. Zephyr iPort provides a simple, efficient way to share multiple channels of low-delay, broadcast-quality audio between distant facilities, using IP networks.”
Zephyr iPort is equipped with a Livewire™ interface; when used as part of an IP-Audio network, iPort transports 8 channels of stereo audio plus control between two Livewire-equipped sites over an IP link. Connecting iPort to a Livewire network is easy: a single Ethernet cable is all that’s required; no need for expensive converters, interfaces or connectors. For standalone use outside a network, Zephyr iPort can be paired with an Axia Audio AES/EBU or Analog Audio Node for studio-quality audio I/O.
The technology in Zephyr iPort might just make it the most user-friendly broadcast codec ever. Livewire networks continuously “advertise” the presence of active audio sources, so the network knows when sources are available; iPort takes advantage of this source advertising so that whenever a codec connection is established, it appears instantly on the network. All the board-op at the console needs to do is assign the codec source to a fader, and audio automatically flows both ways.
Zephyr iPort can also be used for any application where MPEG encoding and/or decoding are needed for transmission over IP channels, such as STL links, Internet streaming, satellite uplinks, broadcasting to cell phones, and other audio distribution systems. iPort’s efficient use of Livewire I/O combined with multiple codecs in a single 2U device result in a low cost per channel compared to that of multiple single-channel codecs.
Because not every remote connection is the same, Zephyr iPort users have a comprehensive selection of connection protocols from which to choose. There are standard MPEG Layer 2, Layer 3, AAC and aacPlus choices, plus low-delay AAC-LD and high-efficiency low-delay AAC-LD+HE, both with special error resilience protection that conceals low levels of random packet loss. Zephyr iPort also includes AAC-HE+PS (High Efficiency + Perceptual Stereo), the most bit-efficient codec available today, allowing stereo operation down to 32kbps.
Zephyr iPort is perfect for facilities that already have Axia IP-Audio networks, but using it with a directly connected Axia Analog or AES Node offers a low-cost solution for any multi-channel MPEG over IP application. Zephyr iPort features two Ethernet ports: one to connect to the Livewire network, and another for connection to the WAN, maintaining full isolation between the two networks for security purposes.
Visitors to IBC 2007 can see Zephyr iPort at the Telos / Omnia / Axia display in Stand #8.239. Zephyr iPort will begin shipping 3rd Quarter, 2007, with a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $5,495.00 USD.
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Telos Systems, headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio with offices in Europe, is a leading manufacturer of ISDN, coded audio and telephone interface products for talk-shows, teleconferencing, audio production, remote broadcasts, and intercom applications.
Axia, a Telos company, builds Ethernet-based professional IP-Audio products for broadcast, production, sound-reinforcement and commercial audio applications. Products include digital audio routers, on-air control surfaces, DSP mixers and processors and software for configuring, managing, and interfacing networked audio systems.