PHABRIX makes a real show at NAB

PHABRIX makes a real show at NAB Once gain PHABRIX is set to show what British ingenuity can offer the global broadcast industry at NAB 2014. With its new handheld instrument TAG gaining industry recognition, PHABRIX has also announced some very significant enhancements to its Rx rack mount instruments.

Starting with the TAG, this multi interface hand held offers support for SDI, optical and analogue. The company originally designed it as a low cost entry product to attract customers in emerging markets where the transition between analogue and SDI is still underway. With the addition of an SFP cage for optical it seems the industry generally is ready for this multi format, single portable device for all broadcast eventualities. Surprisingly a lot of analogue still remains, particularly at live events and stadiums.

The TAG is also well tooled for both digital and analogue audio. A useful break out cable, sold separately, provides XLR and BNC inputs/outputs via a D15 on the TAG. The SFP functions in the TAG are also quite extensive with a very important replaceable SFP cage at nominal cost. In use portable instruments have a lot of wear and tear. Sliding an SFP module in and out will inevitably cause some damage. In this design remove two screws and pop in a new cage a real winner in design.

SFP developments are making huge changes to the industry and so it is unsurprising that this new facility in the TAG has be seen favourably by the industry. It even has an SFP status window showing manufacturers detail, configuration (RX or TX) and luma Tx/Rx power levels. The TAG also accepts HDBNC copper SDI SFP s which in combination with the generation option, gives access to simultaneous generation and analysis.

PHABRIX is well known for its portable instruments, the famous PHABRIX SxE with eye and jitter measurement can be found in almost all of the major broadcasters worldwide. The company has continued to update the unit, now with support for Dolby E, D and D plus generation and analysis. Harris has recently discontinued its HDstar and PHABRIX reports high volumes of its hand held range as customers worldwide seek a replacement.

Probably the most significant area of development for PHABRIX has been its Rx rack mount range. Quietly developing this product over the last two years, this impressive modular test and measurement monitoring system has just been given a huge technological promotion with the addition of hi-resolution waveforms. With a rasterized output of 1920 x 1080 - full HD - more than any other test and measurement device in this price break, the Rx can show impressive waveforms with such clarity that broadcasters are going to be quite literally surprised by the detail now presented by the RX range.

PHABRIX did show an early version at BVE this year, but now with full cursor control, the waveforms show easily the transition between 8bit and 10bit source. In picture out of gamut indication also features on the new V9 release.

PHABRIX have also added considerably more audio tools to the Rx range with Loudness, lissajous, a new AES module and another huge plus for the range full Dolby decode. The company sees its development of Dolby E, Dolby digital and Dolby digital Plus as a key technology working with Dolby to make a solid platform to offer this technology to the industry.

One innovation the company is showing at NAB on its futures zone is its support for touchscreens. The company sees the future as head engineers configuring the presets then allowing access to the instrument displays though a series of on-screen touch buttons. In use it looks very impressive and does away with mouse and keyboard. Not that PHABRIX hasn t thought of this either the KVM ability of the Rx range means the unit can be set well away from say a quiet editing bay with control of the unit shared throughout the facility at the press of a KVM switch.

Look out for PHABRIX s new coloured hands marketing campaign swat those broadcast bugs and pick up your flyswatter on the stand N6115 at NAB. You may be pleasantly surprised by the price TAG attached to it.

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