Ross announced the launch of softGear, a brand new signal-processing platform that draws its design and methodology from Ross Video’s openGear ecosystem and our experience of providing interoperable systems.

SoftGear is the technology platform that creates new ways to acquire, process, manage and distribute content. It complements existing hardware-based workflows with software-based processing for both on-premise workflows and, ultimately, cloud environments, offering video, audio and metadata processing on COTS hardware. Within softGear, algorithms are encapsulated using modern container technology, targeting CPU or GPU rather than FPGA or DSP. Media-processing services are deployed as microservices, instead of dedicated physical cards. This allows for rapid, hardware-less integration of IP from other companies that would not otherwise be possible. A typical user interface framework through DashBoard also ensures that softGear is user-friendly for operators everywhere.

Ross unveiled three initial product offerings built upon the softGear platform. First is the Nielsen Watermarking Encoder for IP (NWE-IP), which allows watermarking for audience measurement in AES67 and ST 2110 environments. The Radio and Streaming Audio Processor (RSAP) integrates the latest generation of legendary Orban radio processing for AM, FM, DAB and streaming. Finally, the Broadcast Audio Processor (BAP) integrates Dolby Realtime Loudness Levelling (RTLL), Nielsen Watermarking and Dolby Digital encoding in a flexible multichannel solution for television playout and distribution chains.