Cobalt Digital Upgrades Ancillary Metadata Monitor Series

Cobalt Digital announced significant upgrades and enhancements to the company's ANC-MON series of ancillary metadata monitors. The ANC-MON combines the probing capabilities of multiple pieces of test equipment into a single tool that automatically detects and displays a comprehensive range of ancillary data and enables broadcast control room operators to verify if specific data is in or out of spec.

Launched earlier this year, the ANC-MON is part of a suite of data-processing products that also includes a serial, GPI/O, and IP data insertion and extraction tool for 3G/HD/SD-SDI video.

The ANC-MON probe is specifically designed for live production, postproduction, broadcast, archival applications, and any other deployments that require verification of the metadata content of a baseband SDI signal. Driven by feedback and requests from customers during early trials of the product, the latest enhancements to the ANC-MON include a new capability for the user to load a static background image to support branding and customization, and the ability to detect and display Dolby metadata including the encoded Dialnorm value. In addition, the solution now has enhanced SCTE 104 packet detection capabilities and optional audio loudness metering and display.

The new upgrades reflect our strategy for the ANC-MON from day one - to develop a useful ancillary data monitor with direct input from our customers, many of whom are heavy openGear and BBG-1000 users, says Jesse Foster, western sales manager and product manager for Cobalt Digital. The ANC-MON minimizes the potential for operator errors by providing multiple presets with fast recall and the ability to customize data detection and display characteristics, showing users what they need to see, when they need to see it. The solution effectively presents the same level of usable detail as an expensive video-scope test-and-measurement system, but with a much more unified, straightforward, and easy-to-use approach.

The ANC-MON plays a key role in regulatory and corporate compliance by continuously and automatically monitoring ancillary data such as SCTE 104 messages, active format description, embedded audio, closed captioning, and program loudness. In this manner, the ANC-MON gives operators confidence that signals are presented accurately and provides engineers and managers with proof of compliance with FCC and other regulations, as well as proof of ad insertions.

Foster adds, Already, the upgrades to the ANC-MON are a big hit with our customers; for instance, one large broadcaster has told us that the enhanced SCTE 104 packet detection capabilities make the ANC-MON the best product they've found for this application. Plus, the ability to monitor Dialnorm values and ensure that they're set correctly is critical in today's broadcast environments. These improvements demonstrate our commitment to quickly incorporate the feature enhancements we compile from our customer trials and surveys.

The ANC-MON comes in two form factors. The 9978-ANC-MON is a card module for the openGear terminal gear system used in high-density rack-mount applications. The ANC-MON is also available in Cobalt's BBG-1000 platform, a desktop stand-alone enclosure with front-panel control and integrated Web GUI. Known as the BBG-1078-ANC-MON, this solution enables easy deployment in the field or for customers that don't require high card density.

The latest version of the ANC-MON probe will be available for shipment early in the fourth quarter. Cobalt Digital will demonstrate the capabilities of the ANC-MON and the company's other openGear cards and stand-alone systems at IBC2015 on stand 10.B44.

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