Traditionally at most media outlets, standards conversion takes place in dedicated hardware devices. The files to be processed are taken out of file-based workflows, into an SDI stream, and run through dedicated hardware for standards conversion and noise removal. To get the video back into the file-based workflow, a media capture server is required for ingesting the file where it is then transcoded to the required delivery format. The round trip to and from baseband adds significant processing time, costing thousands of hours a year.
With RadiantGrid and Cinnafilm’s joint solution, users are able to experience faster-than-real-time speeds for standards conversion and have the ability to transcode to different file formats, all while staying in the file-based domain. This same processing can be combined with other plug-ins and modules contained within the RadiantGrid Platform, offering users even more options when processing content for distribution. For example, users can choose to incorporate higher-end features like advanced cadence analysis, auto correction for content with mixed mode, audio normalization and watermarking.
“At media outlets today, video content is entering the workflow from varying sources and needs to be prepared for a variety of distribution formats, but it is converting the video standards that can often hold up the process,” says Kirk Marple, president, chief software architect, RadiantGrid Technologies. “The solutions we have developed with Cinnafilm are unprecedented in the industry, in that they allow users to experience speeds several times faster than any file-based or SDI-based conversion tool out there, while being easy to integrate. By staying within the file-based workflow, it can help to save time and improve efficiency.”
The addition of Cinnafilm’s Tachyon and Dark Energy® plug-ins bring industry leading motion-estimation-based image optimization and format conversion technologies to the RadiantGrid Platform. Tachyon is offered as two plug-ins: Tachyon Convert, which handles standards conversions, and Tachyon Correct, which handles broken pulldown cadence, mixed mode and compositing errors. The Dark Energy plug-in performs grain and noise management for the prevention of compression artifacts.
“The Cinnafilm plug-ins on RadiantGrid gives users what no other solutions can — the ability to support options for real-time and faster than real-time standards transcoding across a range of system configurations; from single server to large scale multi-server transcoding farms,” says Lance Maurer, CEO of Cinnafilm. “Cinnafilm technology provides RadiantGrid users the first ever ‘Faster than real-time’ alternative to high-end, SDI-based standards converters.”
Along with the faster speeds, RadiantGrid offers a solution that is easily integrated into an existing IT infrastructure. The servers, which run the RadiantGrid Platform, are not proprietary, making it easier for the RadiantGrid Platform to be compatible with the IT setup currently in place. It also provides users the flexibility to select hardware that works best for their needs and budget.