Imagine Communications proves successful at Autodromo Nazionale di Monza

Technology from Imagine Communications has proved successful in an unusual challenge at Autodromo Nazionale di Monza. Its systems power the new live UHD production truck operated by Global Production, which took part in an extensive trial organized by Ferrari as part of its Ferrari Challenge World Final. This trial determined who could deliver the most consistent and accurate live color images across all resolutions, including Ferrari’s trademark red.

Global Production’s new truck was designed and built by Italian systems integrator Chromaline, with a hybrid SDI and IP infrastructure specified and implemented together with the engineers from Imagine Communications. The outside broadcast company’s demanding requirements include the ability to support as many as 30 true 4K UHD cameras, with comprehensive and responsive production capabilities suitable for the rigors of premium sports coverage. This was achieved using software-based systems from Imagine Communications. The Global Production truck beat the competition in a competitive color accuracy test. It delivered the most accurate rendition of Ferrari red to viewers watching on all standards, from SD and HD to UHD in 4K and HDR. Aside from the test, Global Production was providing host broadcaster coverage of the 4-day event for Sky Italia, RAI, and other broadcasters around the world.

The tests demonstrated the power of the Imagine Communications hybrid infrastructure, built around the Selenio Network Processor (SNP). The standards-based, high-density platform offers SDI/IP gateway functionality and all-IP-capable processing with instantaneous conversion capabilities between environments. The compact SNP platform also delivers space- and power-savings, essential to optimal mobile operations. At the core of the truck’s infrastructure are four SNP units for processing and HD/UHD up- and down-conversion, which also serve as a bridge between uncompressed IP signals in SMPTE ST 2110 and the SDI infrastructure. All connectivity, in SDI as well as IP, is managed by the Magellan SDN Orchestrator software control system, allowing the production team to switch and interwork seamlessly between HD, UHD, and uncompressed real-time SMPTE ST 2110 streams. The result is that the powerful production capability is implemented in a tenth of the rack space normally required. This is a critical advantage in achieving the capacity necessary. Without it, Global Production’s goal of full functionality, including 30 true 4K UHD camera capability, could not have been achieved inside a road-legal vehicle.