Convergent Design will introduce a new 4K/multi-stream player/recorder encoder/decoder unit at IBC.
The Athena is claimed to be the first standalone, tapeless player/recorder capable of 4K/UHD at up to 60p, 2K/HD 60p, and multi-stream (even in 4K). It is promised to be the first system with the ability to record/play four HD video streams along with 64 channels of MADI audio.
It is aimed at such applications as: production facility VTR replacement; a driver for multi-screen video walls; interactive multi-panel displays; a concert or live event multi-camera recorder; or to stream footage live from set back to post and load material remotely.
An easy-to-use playback system allows users to load Apple ProRes, Avid DNxHD or DPX files straight from a computer onto an SSD and play on Athena, or load them directly onto an SSD mounted in Athena via Gigabit Ethernet. Recording should be equally straightforward.
The half-rack 1RU system will have an LCD display for status information and confidence monitoring, a 2.5-inch SSD slot and deck controls, and should operate 24/7 continuously with a low power draw. An auto-start/auto-recovery mode means it can start up in seconds and resume operations if power is interrupted.
Athena will record and playback multiple resolutions or frame rate formats, and create all deliverables. Multiple Athenas can be ganged together for large-scale events.
It should also be usable for digital cinema, and should play DCP formats in 4K or 2K (JPEG2000), including 2x 4K/30p or 2x 2K/60p for 3D stereo projection.
Provisional specifications indicate it will have: four 6G-SDI outputs plus four 6G-SDI inputs; two Display Port 1.2a outputs (4K/60p) with DP/HDMI dual mode; two HDMI 2.0 outputs (4K/60p); four channels of AES audio out via two HD-BNCs; 64 channels of MADI audio I/O via two HD-BNCs; 64 channels of Dante audio I/O via Gig-E; 16 channel SDI embedded audio I/O; balanced stereo analogue audio out; tri-level sync, LTC time code, GPIO, deck remote control; and Gig-E for streaming files to Ethernet/Internet
It should be able to record/playback: one stream of 4K/QHD up to 60p, two streams up to 30p; two streams of 2K/HD 4:4:4 RGB 12-bit up to 60p, four streams up to 30p; four streams of HD 4:2:2 up to 30p; simultaneously stream online/offline video to post or Cloud via Gig-E; record 4K/30p or four streams of HD/30p and simultaneously stream proxy versions via Gig-E.
It will join Convergent Design’s existing Odyssey7Q, which can also record 4K (via purchased options for Canon’s C500 and Sony’s FS700), when it ships in Q4 2014.
