Cobalt Digital is promising broadcasters a “simple path” to ATSC 3.0, an extended line of IP capable multiviewers, a family of high-density routers and control panels, a quad-channel bidirectional gateway to IP processing in openGear form and a new quad-channel 12G DANTE openGear card.

Cobalt’s 9905-MPx openGear card brings HDR to ATSC 3.0 (NextGen TV). The company says it has simplified the path to ATSC 3.0 by offering an “easy way to convert ATSC 1.0 to an ATSC 3.0 ready signal.” This capability is offered in Cobalt’s 9905-MPx multi-function 3G/HD/SD Quad-Path Up/Down/Cross Converter/Frame Sync/Embed/De-Embed openGear audio processor. The 9905-MPx also includes the ability to convert four channels of 1080i SDR to 1080p HDR for ATSC 3.0 and support for 3D-LUTs as a standard feature for all paths with available color correction for downstream HDR systems. This way, stations can get started in ATSC 3.0 by automatically generating a 1080p HDR feed from their existing 1080i or 720p SDR feed, and later switch to a native HDR signal.

Cobalt’s UltraBlue IP-MV multiviewers are available as both a software package and a cloud instance with a WebRTC output. These software-based multiviewers feature an “intuitive web interface” and are designed to grow with a customer’s needs by incorporating support for compressed and baseband (ST 2110) IP/SDI inputs and outputs. UltraBlue IP-MV can receive audio/video over IP in a variety of protocols and formats with very flexible audio routing. Mosaic configurations are a snap with arbitrary sizes and orientations available on multiple screens with graphic overlays, ancillary data, and tallies.

The COBALT WAVE family of routers are for a variety of applications with support for signals up to 12G-SDI. The newest is a 32×32 crosspoint solution that fits into a 2U frame, a smaller version of the 4U COBALT WAVE RTR-64×64. Both feature full-size BNC connectors, have a single 10/100/1000 Ethernet port for IP-based control, and offer RP-168 switching support. The web-based control allows full setup, salvos, monitoring and preset management. This design is specifically optimized for 12G SDI operation but handles lower SDI rates with ease, as well as ASI and MADI, according to the company. Cobalt routers feature an open modern control API for third party integration, as well as support for traditional control protocols.

Control of the COBALT WAVE routers is accomplished by Cobalt’s control panels developed to accommodate the WAVE router family and the new CP-44 and COBALT WAVE CP-42L which join the existing 78 and 84L button panels. The COBALT WAVE CP-44 features 44 back-lit buttons while the COBALT WAVE CP-42L features 42 back-lit LCD dot matrix display buttons. The WAVE panels allow different setups to be stored and recalled from the browser. After customizing the panel, simply upload the configuration to a different panel for rapid changes on the network. Cobalt says the control panels are easily customizable for almost any application using Lua scripts.

The new COBALT INDIGO SMPTE ST 2110 is a quad-channel bidirectional gateway available in the openGear form factor. This gateway “circumvents the error-prone and expensive need for multiple devices in the data path.” Redundant 25G Ethernet interfaces and a complete native ST 2110 stack (including NMOS IS 04/05) provide for an “easy-to-manage, fully integrated and cost-effective solution,” according to the company. Cobalt also offers the SMPTE ST 2110 interface as an add-on to COBALT’S 9905-MPx or 9904-UDX-4K very popular openGear processing cards with the simple addition of the INDIGO 2110-DC-01 daughter-card option.

Cobalt is also introducing the COBALT ARIA AUD-DANTE — a DANTE card in openGear form factor. COBALT ARIA AUD-DANTE is a quad-channel unit with up to 12G DANTE/AES/MADI/Embed and De-Embed functions with Frame Sync capabilities. The card features two gigabit Ethernet ports, a 64×64 configuration, and a full audio router mixer.

The DANTE capability can be also available on Cobalt’s 9904-UDX/9905-MPx processing cards for maximum functionality and flexibility.