Snell improves signal processing technology
Dec 13, 2010 8:00 AM
Snell has also upgraded its Mach HD signal conversion platform with new Dolby E support and by enhancing the system’s ability to handle content with fast-moving objects.
Due to on-going product development, Snell has introduced new features and capabilities for its motion-compensated conversion products that deliver significant improvements in visual quality. For example, the Alchemist Ph.C-HD standards converter now includes new software that extends format and metadata support and incorporates more sophisticated audio and image processing tools.
Snell has also upgraded its Mach HD signal conversion platform by adding Dolby E support and by enhancing the system’s ability to handle content with fast-moving objects.
The release of Alchemist Ph.C-HD version 5.1 software adds 3Gb/s 1080 50p and 60p support (available only with the 3Gb/s 1080p option) to help broadcasters future-proof their operations. Snell has also upgraded the system with additional audio processing tools and, with the Dolby E Authoring option, has included support for external Dolby metadata. A newly included (and more sophisticated) adaptive noise reducer not only preserves image clarity, but also enhances efficiency in downstream compression processes.
There’s also improved deinterlacing in new format conversion modes that allow content owners to achieve better crossconversion quality for same frame-rate format conversions, even with fast-paced sports action and complex detail. Version 5.1 upgrades also include SNMP control and monitoring and a new VANC bypass mode so that data carried in the VANC can be seamlessly transferred in all pass-through or ARC modes.
The Mach HD SD/HD motion-compensated standards and crossconverter with synchronization capability provides upconversion, downconversion and crossconversion both within and between frame rates. Snell is now shipping upgraded units (the Mach HD version 4) with a new Dolby E option that supports the passing of a single Dolby E stream in frame rate conversion modes and enables Dolby E decoding and transcoding. Supplied with Dolby E processing, these Mach HD units can automatically process eight pairs of PCM/non-PCM audio.
Mach HD version 4 is available with four modes of Dolby E audio processing: frame rate conversion, same frame rate mode (pass-through), same frame rate mode (decode and encode) and Dolby E decode. The newly enhanced Mach HD offers even better performance when frame rate converting SD and HD content and incorporates new algorithms to further improve the quality results when converting content with fast-moving objects.
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