Lawo NAB 2019 Preview: Real-world IP Video, Audio, Control and Monitoring Products at Booth N2503

Again a “must-visit” destination at the Las Vegas Convention Center’s North Hall, IP broadcast pioneer Lawo showcases several new products at NAB.

“Whenever broadcasters gather together, IP is the topic,” says Andreas Hilmer, Director, Marketing and Communications. “Video and audio networks are converging at an incredible rate, and broadcasters are re-thinking their infrastructure. We do not just talk about IP, we do IP! We have contributed to the success of customers in more than 50 major real-world IP projects. If you’re coming to NAB with IP in mind, make sure to see us.”

New Lawo products on display at NAB include:

• Multiviewer: Lawo adds support for compressed OTT formats to its V__matrix vm_dmv infinitely expandable multiviewer app
  The LiveView™ Decoding Engineenables Lawo’s V__matrix vm_dmv multiviewer to show both production (ST2110/ST2022-6) and compressed transmission (HEVC/H.264/MPEG/OTT) formats on the same screen for end-to-end visibility. The engine is a pure software application, running on COTS x86 servers or as a virtualized appliance. The multiviewer now provides full support for 4K/UHD, 3G, HD and SD compressed and uncompressed formats. It scales linearly to any size by adding more V__matrix C100 processing blades. Integrated IP and the software-defined nature of V__matrix provide a future-proof solution for any project – baseband SDI, hybrid or pure IP. It supports embedded and discrete audio, and works with pixel perfect mosaics with ultra-low latency. Intuitive drag’n’drop layouts are easily done with Lawo’s “theWALL”

• Network Monitoring: New Auto-Topology, PTP-Monitoring, Cloud and Data Storage features added to the SMART System Monitoring and Real-time Telemetry Solution
  Premiered at NAB 2019, smartDASH’s Auto-Topology Microservice automatically discovers, registers and documents the IP network topology, and presents device status in real time. Furthermore, the new PTP Monitoring Microservice detects, classifies and analyzes PTP at the network layer, acting as a referenced, locked receiver for essential timing measurements for video, audio and data streams. New features include auto detection of PTP, type modes, histograms, slave ports and lock state. smartDASH can now also run on virtual machines and in the cloud for running network device analysis of cloud-based applications, e.g. virtualized playout channels. smartDASH supports solutions based on AWS, Google, VM Networks and others. The new smartDS is a complementary data storage solution to smartDASH, allowing users to log and store months of alarm and data, recording everything from network bandwidth to signal loss. smartDASH’s reports feature can access and analyze the smartDS data to create rich reports for operations, engineering and management tiers within an organization. Last but not least, smartSCOPEnow supports SMPTE ST2110-20/21/30/40 and ST2022-6/7 live production video formats in addition to its existing transmission format support. As a result, smartSCOPE allows integrated monitoring of both compressed and uncompressed streams in high-capacity hybrid systems.

• Audio Production: Dual Fader Panel for mc²56 Audio Consoles and A__UHD Core Ultra-high Density DSP Engine
  Making its US debut, the Dual Fader Panel optionfor Lawo’s IP-based mc²56 MkIII console supports up to 144 faders in a very compact footprint. The dual-fader option incorporates Lawo’s revolutionary LiveView™ thumbnail technology, placing previews of video streams in fader strips. All console fader bays can be equipped with the new dual-fader module or standard fader module with extended free control section. Also making its US premiere and ready to ship, the A__UHD Core, a software-defined IP audio DSP engine for mc²consoles supports 1,024 fully featured mc² DSP channels that can be used by a single mc² for the most challenging productions or shared between up to four consoles. Eight independent 10/1GbE network interfaces with SFPs enable the use of redundant networks via ST2022-7 seamless protection switching (SPS). A__UHD Core’s total network I/O capacity is 40,000 48kHz/24bit audio channels.

• Remote Production: Power Core^RP All-in-one IP Audio Remote Production Solution
  Lawo’s Power Core^RPis a new all-in-one IP audio remote production solution with modular I/O and onboard WAN-capability. Only 1RU, Power Core^RPfeatures low-latency on-site audio processing for monitoring and IFB mixing of up to 64 inputs, 64 processing channels and 16 stereo AUX busses, with full remote control of relevant channel parameters from mc² consoles’ channel strips. A touch-screen GUI is available for on-site and remote operations. Power Core^RP is the perfect team-mate for Lawo’s V__remote4 video contribution solution.

• Audio I/O: A__stage High-Density Audio Nodes for WAN and LAN Applications
  Three new A__stage high-density audio nodes serve as IP audio stageboxes for mc² consoles, audio extensions for the V__matrix ecosystem, or as standalone IP audio gateways. The A__stage48provides 16 mic/line in, 16 line out, 8 AES3 in/out, and one MADI redundant pair in 3RU. A__stage64has 32 XLR mic/line in, 16 XLR line out, 8 XLR AES3 in/out and one MADI redundant pair in 4RU, while the A__stage80packs 32 mic/line in, 32 line out, 8 AES3 in/out, and one MADI redundant pair into 3RU. All three units convert Analog Mic & Line, AES3 and MADI signals into SMPTE 2110-30/31, AES67 or RAVENNA streams, and support 2022-7 class C stream redundancy in LAN and WAN environments.

• Radio/On-Air: VisTool Solo Touchscreen User Panels and New Features for the ruby Radio Mixing Console
  VisTool Solois a lightweight version of Lawo’s VisTool GUI-Builder Software, for use on Windows^®touchscreen tablets. Broadcasters can build single-page graphical “user panels”, replacing hardware with an elegant touch-sensitive GUI tailored to talent workflow. A library of vector graphics with buttons, rotary knobs, faders and meters allows selector panels, Mic on/off/mute controls, clock/timer displays to be created – and even gives talent control of virtual faders. Perfect for host, producer, guest and news positions, or as a convenient point-of-control for engineering facilities.
  The award-winning ruby Mixing Consoledebuts SMPTE ST2022-7 Seamless Protection Switching, adding separate, simultaneous AoIP network links for flawless networking in mission-critical applications. Sleek, intuitive, and powerful, ruby’s customizable, context-sensitive touchscreen GUI provides a smooth, integrated workflow that complements familiar physical controls for error free operation in the fastest-paced production environments.

Visitors to NAB can learn more about the entire line of advanced Lawo TV and radio products at Booth #N2503 at the Las Vegas Convention Center during NAB 2019, April 6-11, 2019, or by browsing www.lawo.com.

About Lawo

Lawo designs and manufactures pioneering network, control, audio and video technology for broadcast and post production, as well as live performance and theatrical applications. Products include control and monitoring systems, digital audio mixing consoles, routers, video processing tools as well as solutions for IP-based A/V infrastructures and routing systems. All products are developed in Germany and manufactured according to highest quality standards at the company’s headquarters in the Rhine valley town of Rastatt, Germany. For additional information, please visit www.lawo.com.