Magewell -- the award-winning developer of innovative video interface and IP workflow solutions -- has expanded its support for the Mac platform with a new SDK for the company's popular PCI Express capture cards and plug-and-play, external capture devices. Available immediately, the SDK lets third-party developers directly access the advanced capabilities of Magewell capture devices in their macOS and OS X software applications.

Magewell has released a new upgrade for its award-winning Ultra Stream family of live streaming encoder hardware that further enhances the devices' exceptional ease of use and versatility. Available in all new units and as a free firmware update for existing customers, version 1.3 adds flexible new recording modes alongside expanded streaming protocol support and various minor refinements.

Magewell's Ultra Stream encoders make live streaming remarkably simple even for non-professional users, enabling them to record or stream high-quality video with one click using on-device buttons, a browser-based web interface or an intuitive smartphone app. Designed for users who want to stream but may have minimal technical knowledge, the compact devices are ideal for addressing the increased need for live streaming created by today's stay-at-home and social distancing restrictions.

Magewell has been named to the second annual Streaming Media Producer 25 list of the leading technology companies driving advances in live streaming media production. The Streaming Media Producer 25 recognizes innovative companies that enable, enhance and streamline the workflows of live video producers – particularly those who need the mobility, agility, and versatility to deliver great work, regardless of the venue or production conditions.

“The Streaming Media Producer 25 highlights companies who develop and manufacture gear that not only demonstrates promise or prowess in one or more stages of the live production and streaming process, but also fits well as part of a kit that makes the overall workflow successful,” said Steve Nathans-Kelly, editor of Streaming Media Producer.

The 2020 edition marks the second time that Magewell has been named to the Streaming Media Producer 25. Since its selection to the inaugural list last year, the company has continued to introduce new products and expanded features that help a diverse range of content producers create, deliver and display high-quality streams easily, efficiently and cost-effectively. Magewell has also made the transition to IP-based production workflows affordable and practical with new models in its Pro Convert family of NDI^® encoders and decoders.

UK loudspeaker manufacturer PMC has appointed Sweetwater Sound as a full-line US dealer for its entire range of professional studio monitoring products.

Established in 1979, Sweetwater Sound is the leading online musical instrument and pro audio equipment retailer in the US and has experienced unprecedented growth for over a decade. It is a perfect fit for PMC because it is always looking for the best products to offer its dedicated customer base.

PMC is already trusted by discerning audio professionals worldwide as the idea monitoring solution for accurate and transparent mixing and mastering. Since the release of its twotwo range of nearfield monitors and the subsequent release of its Result6 compact nearfield monitors, PMC has been searching for the right US partner to help introduce more people to its high quality professional product range.

Magewell will unveil its most powerful decoder hardware to date in booth SU5724 at the 2020 NAB Show (April 19-22 in Las Vegas). Believed to be the industry's first hardware decoder to support both Newtek's NDI(r) technology for production-grade media transport and the Secure Reliable Transport (SRT) protocol -- developed and open-sourced by Haivision -- for internet-delivered H.264 and H.265 streams, the Pro Convert for NDI(r) to HDMI 4K transforms IP streams up to 4Kp60 for baseband output over HDMI.

The company is also simultaneously launching a second new model, the Pro Convert H.26x to HDMI 4K, which offers the same rich features as the Pro Convert for NDI(r) to HDMI 4K for users who don't require NDI support. Both models also support additional streaming protocols including RTSP, RTMP, UDP, RTP and HTTP streaming.

The two new low-latency converters decode input streams up to 4196x2160 at full 60 frames per second for output to baseband monitors, projectors, production or distribution equipment via an HDMI 2.0 interface. Offering the high reliability, assured performance and compact size of dedicated hardware compared to software-based stream playout, they are perfect for applications including multi-site video distribution; image magnification (IMAG); video walls; digital signage; remote production; or bridging legacy and next-generation media infrastructures.

Digital Video Group (DVG) recently installed and commissioned a Calrec Brio 12 digital broadcast audio console as part of a brand-new broadcast studio project for NBC Virginia affiliate, WSLS. The Brio was selected by WSLS and DVG for its powerful and comprehensive feature set and audio quality.

“We typically spec Calrec for our high-end installations because the company offers great support as well as quality equipment,” says Alex Martin, CEO, Digital Video Group. “We went with the Calrec Brio 12 because we knew it would act as a bridge between the studio’s analog equipment and digital gear. Since the system and the production control room are automated, a large traditional audio mixer wasn’t required for this project.”

While the focus was on automation, the Brio gives the studio a physical interface where users can manually operate it, if required. The fact that the Brio can use both MADI and Dante was also an important capability for the WSLS project. Installing the Calrec console, using multi-channel digital audio with a Ross router, expedited setup and required less than six cables, where it was once necessary to use dozens.

Sony has launched a new set of high-grade picture monitors from its TRIMASTER range at this year’s BSC Expo in London. 

The PVM-X2400 (24’’) and the PVM-X1800 (18.4’’) monitors provide high picture quality and accurate colour reproduction thanks to specified and dedicated panels from Sony, which offer ultra-high definition with a resolution of 3840 x 2160 pixels and an impressive brightness of all-white luminance of 1000 cd/m2.

Magewell has announced a versatile new conversion product that seamlessly brings together the worlds of IP-based streaming and baseband AV presentation equipment. The new Pro Convert H.26x to HDMI multi-protocol, SRT-compatible streaming media decoder will make its first public appearance in stand 8-G475 at the ISE 2020 exhibition in Amsterdam.

While earlier Pro Convert models transform professional AV signals to and from NewTek’s NDI® AV-over-IP technology, the new Pro Convert H.26x to HDMI decodes a standard H.264 (AVC) or H.265 (HEVC) compressed video stream into a high-quality HDMI output for connection to baseband monitors, projectors and switchers. Supporting a wide range of streaming protocols for maximum source compatibility, the low-latency decoder is ideal for applications including multi-site video distribution between corporate, educational and church campuses; remote production; surveillance monitoring; digital signage and more.

The Pro Convert H.26x to HDMI is Magewell’s first product to support the SRT (Secure Reliable Transport) open source protocol. Enabling secure, resilient, low-latency video delivery over unpredictable networks, SRT ensures high-quality streaming experiences even over the public internet. Magewell is a proud member of the SRT Alliance. Other supported protocols include RTSP, RTMP, UDP, RTP and HTTP streaming.

The final ISE exhibition in Amsterdam before the show’s move to Barcelona is shaping up to be a big one for video capture, conversion and streaming innovator Magewell. Exhibiting in stand 8-G475 from February 11 to 14, the company will feature the global debuts of new products alongside the first ISE showings of several recently unveiled solutions.

Making its world premiere at ISE 2020, the ultra-compact, power-efficient Eco Capture SDI 4K Plus M.2 card captures 4K video at 60 frames per second over a single-link, 12G-SDI interface for use with popular AV software applications. Four additional models in the Eco Capture family will also be shown, as well as the company’s popular Pro Capture series of PCIe cards and USB Capture line of external capture devices.

Magewell will also showcase the industry’s broadest range of low-latency NDI® hardware converters to help simplify the transition to AV over IP for both integrators and end users. The Pro Convert family now offers six NDI encoder models and two decoders, including the recently-released Pro Convert for NDI to HDMI decoder for transforming NDI streams into high-quality HDMI baseband outputs.

Middle Atlantic Products, a brand of Legrand | AV, is celebrating 40 years of engineering professional AV solutions that deliver greater system reliability, efficiency, and flexibility to commercial and residential applications. To mark the occasion, the company held a full week of activities last month, which included opportunities for its manufacturing and office employees to come together to reminisce about Middle Atlantic's rich history, which has led the company to where it is today, and share their passion for the future of AV. In addition, Middle Atlantic sent treats to its 40 oldest customers to thank them for all their years of support.

Sony has announced that its Simple Live Streaming service, a new proposition for users to streamline the process of acquiring live content, is now available (as of 12th December 2019). The additional workflow flexibility for its palm-sized 4K HDR professional camcorders, the HXR-NX80 and PXW-Z90, can be accessed via a free firmware upgrade to enable content creators to shoot wherever and however they want. 

With Wi-Fi connectivity, Simple Live Streaming enables high quality live streaming to major video sharing websites and social media platforms such as Vimeo, YouTube and Facebook with a single camcorder. Offering simple operation, it further enhances the remote delivery of content quickly without compromising on image quality. 

Norbert Paquet, Head of Product Management for Sony Professional Solutions comments: “The introduction of Simple Live Streaming for the HXR-NX80 and PXW-Z90 streamlines the overall workflow, from shooting to live distribution. Equipped with Simple Live Streaming, the camcorders will have online sharing features, further empowering content creators to concentrate on what they do best – storytelling on the go.” 

Magewell will launch a powerful new model in its Eco Capture family of ultra-compact, power-efficient, M.2 video capture cards at the upcoming ISE 2020 exhibition in Amsterdam. The high-performance Eco Capture SDI 4K Plus M.2 captures one channel of 4K video up to 4096x2160 at full 60 frames per second over a single-link, 12G-SDI interface. The new card will make its global debut in stand 8-G475 at the event, taking place February 11-14, 2020.

Ideal for use in small and embedded systems where full-sized PCIe slots are not available, the cost-effective Eco Capture family offers systems integrators and OEM developers a robust capture solution with low power consumption for space-constrained applications. The low-latency Eco Capture devices feature a high-speed PCIe 2.0 bus interface with an M.2 connector and measure just 22x80mm (0.87x3.15in), matching the M.2 2280 size specification.

The new 4K 12G-SDI model joins four existing Eco Capture M.2 configurations: a single-channel model that captures 4K video at 30fps via an HDMI interface; dual-channel models that capture HD and 2K video over HDMI or SDI; and a quad-channel HD/2K model with SDI inputs. All five Eco Capture products also support up to eight channels of embedded audio per input.

BBC Scotland, a Nation division within the UK’s British Broadcast Corporation (BBC) and the largest public broadcaster in Scotland, has invested in advanced multi-format switchers from Sony. BBC Scotland has deployed one Sony XVS-8000 switcher in its news studio, and a Sony XVS-7000 switcher in their main general production studio, at Pacific Quay in Glasgow. A second Sony XVS-7000 switcher is installed in their large-format OB truck. The XVS series of advanced 4K/IP professional production switchers provides the foundation for any next-generation IP Live production system. These switchers support SDI and the latest SMPTE ST2110 standard to create mixed IP/SDI production environments, and offer excellent versatility, enhanced frame memory, format conversion, multi-viewer capabilities, and a wide range of video input and output formats. The latest range of Sony switchers now offers advanced workflow flexibility, operational versatility, and advanced integration with Vizrt Mosart. The Sony multi-format video switchers give BBC Scotland create roadmap towards future live broadcasts in 4K and UHD if required. 

Continuing its whirlwind world tour after highly-successful exhibits in China, Australia and Europe the past three months, Magewell is heading to the Big Apple next week with a full slate of new and recently-introduced solutions. Demonstrations in booth N354 at NAB Show New York (October 16 and 17) will include two products making their North American debuts, along with previously-unannounced new model variants in the company's Eco Capture family of ultra-compact, power-efficient, M.2 video capture cards.