Another major step towards the predominance of commodity IT hardware is the Cinegy Multiviewer, which can display multiple images using a standard PC. SD and HD sources, along with idents, alarms and audio metering can be displayed in a user-defined configuration which can cross multiple displays if required. The system can monitor SDI and IP streams simultaneously, and it can display a multiplexed feed from a single standard satellite receiver for off-air checks. The result is a software multiviewer that meets typical broadcast requirements at a significantly lower cost than dedicated hardware, and can even add extra functionality. In particular, the displays are available over ethernet, so all streams and channels can be simultaneously monitored from any station in the network, with indicators displaying the current status of each channel in real time. This means that signals can be monitored away from the control room without a major investment in specialist wiring.
