Media transport innovator provides AV product developers with simple path to IP with industry’s most complete and affordable IPMX Development Kit

Macnica, a leader in live video over IP transport technologies, comes to InfoComm 2021 with strong momentum behind IPMX, the emerging open standard protocol for AV over IP networks. Since its ISE2020 introduction nearly 17 months ago, Macnica has worked closely with the AIMS Alliance and other member companies to drive IPMX product development and prepare hardware manufacturers for the standard once ratified.

At InfoComm 2021, Macnica will unveil its latest technology innovations to forward these initiatives at Booth 1117, including new an IPMX Development Kit with its latest full-stack AV over IP modules. Macnica will also provide an advance demonstration of its software-only IPMX implementation, to be introduced closer to ISE2022 in February. The software demonstration will show UHD video streaming from a PC to Macnica’s flagship MPA1000 full-stack AV over IP module, also introduced at ISE2020.

“Macnica is all in on IPMX, which we believe is the standard that manufacturers, integrators and end users need to achieve truly engaging IP media experiences,” said Andrew Starks, Director of Product Management, Macnica and AIMS Alliance board member. “IPMX is not a one-trick pony. It’s designed from the ground up to provide clear, simple interoperability and extreme flexibility with both hardware and software inside single facilities, across multiple campuses, and in the cloud. Integrators and end users can compose and manage systems that perfectly match requirements and budget across a variety of AV applications, including corporate boardrooms, digital signage, distance learning, live production and medical analysis.”

Macnica’s IPMX Development Kit at the center of its InfoComm plans emphasizes many of the key technologies and applications required for building and managing such systems, including sub-frame latency, USB extension, and outstanding UHD quality over 1GbE networks. Macnica will highlight a new “Launch Kit” within its IPMX Development Kit framework. The Launch Kit, which supports the MPA1000 and Macnica’s ME10 SoC module, will help product developers evaluate how standards-based video works with current and future products, and offer a reliable reference to the connections and configurations required for production purposes.

The MPA1000 and ME10 SoC share the same product development and real-world operational benefits for different approaches. Both modules transport HDMI 2.0 4K60 4:4:4 video, audio and control data over 1GbE networks. Each includes an integrated web interface with customizable APIs, with support for JPEG-XS compression to optimize AV over IP performance.

The key difference is development volume: The MPA1000 is built for product prototypes and smaller production runs, while the ME10 SoC is optimized for larger production runs and use in compact products. Macnica’s Launch Kit includes two baseboards, power adapter, uSD cards with adapters and Lua scripting environments among other tools that help IPMX product developers minimize engineering resources.

“The excitement around IPMX is everywhere, and we can report that several companies are making future products with our IPMX Development Kit, with others in the planning stages,” said Starks. “We expect many IPMX technologies to be ratified in the next six months, including AV transport, timing, error correction, HDCP compliance and EDID negotiation. We are excited to show off Macnica’s customization capabilities, which gives developers a simple API that they can access through Lua scripting. Both Macnica and AIMS believe that standardizing the core technology of AV over IP transport is not only inevitable, but also transformative as we look to InfoComm 2021 and beyond.”

InfoComm 2021 takes place October 27-29 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida.