StreamLabs ALPHA SDI with ALPHA Pro Software

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StreamLabs ALPHA SDI with ALPHA Pro Software
Stream ALPHA SDI is a multi-functional video card, which is able to substitute several devices in a studio at a time. Besides the primary function of graphics overlaying on transmitted digital signal of SDI format or its output for external mixer, the video card may converse analog signal to digital SDI format of video signal and work as frame-grabber and video sequence-grabber.

Stream ALPHA SDI works with 8- and 10-bit serial component SDI input signal and 10-bit - output signal, in accordance with CCIR656 and SMPTE259m instructions. At signal passing through the board all service information is kept, and sound packs may be either kept or replaced depending on the required conditions. In the input signal error check with calculation of checksum under EDH technique is performed. At output, EDH packs are always generated anew according to SMPTE165 instruction.

The board works in external synchronization mode, which is performed on the input video signal. If at the output is only computer graphics, synchronization signal Black burst may be sent to the main input or to optional analog one. At external synchronization absence internal generator is used.

For use of the described devices in combination with external mixer having DSK input (Down Stream Key), key signal output (of alpha channel) is specially designed in analog and digital format. Board setup program allows setting both positive and negative delay of key signal in relation to the output graphics within broad range.

At switching off computer power supply or at BYPASS mode activating inputs and outputs of all devices form a circle through relay, and 75 Ohm load is switched off. During power supply switching off and also initialization no distortions of the transmitted signal take place at the output.

For output of computer graphics the video card memory buffer is used of 720x576 points size for 50 Hz video systems and 720x480 points for 60 Hz systems. Each point has 32-bit representation, 24 bits of which are used for representation of its color (16 mln. shades), and 8 bits - for specification of one of 256 transparency degrees (alpha channel). Although the component of points color of computer graphics has 24 bits in its presentation (8x8x8), at mixing representation of 30 bits (10x10x10) is used, i.e. if the input signal was a 10-bit one, it will remain such at output after mixing.

The memory used for graphics buffer, and also data throughput of PCI bus of modern computers allow to refresh entirely its content in real time without loss of pictures, transmitting uncompressed image (32 bit/pixel) together with the sound component.

Video card Stream ALPHA SDI besides the digital serial input is also equipped with analog inputs - YUV/RGB, S-Video and a composite input. It also may generate analog signals YUV/RGB regardless of input used at the output simultaneously with SDI signal.

For generation of signals at analog outputs 10-bit digital to analog converter with fourfold oversampling is used. It allows obtaining of their HF noise total filtration without additional reduction of channel signal output brightness bandwidth.

8- and 10-bit serial video component SDI signal, full compliance with CCIR656 and SMPTE259m recommendations.

Two options in video signal synchronization: the analog Black Burst or SDI video.

Output SDI and analog key-signal to support external video mixer equipped by DSK input.

Automatic pass-through mode.

Live mode video mixer and display on RGB monitor, composition of source video signal and computer graphics, animation and text data without pre-processing.

Analog YUV/RGB, S-Video, and Composite video inputs and outputs.

Features

Character Generation program Alpha Pro 2.0, which operates in Windows 2000/XP environment, is designed for titling, creating interactive programs, telephone voting on-air, displaying blocks of commercials, and design of live television programs, such as: news, weather forecasts, sports reports, talk shows, etc. Alpha Pro 2.0 combines many years of engineering experience and current professional video production requirements.

Concerning the possibilities of artistic design, the limit is only the artist's imagination; any fonts, three-dimensional shadows, semitransparent masks, textures, complex multilayer compositions, animation, etc. can be employed.

Program features:

- TV-program titling while editing or on the air, manually or in automatic mode;
- Text and graphic information display in form of crawl and roll;
- TV-channel / program static or dynamic logo display;
- Automated time or temperature display;
- Telephone voting results broadcast;
- Any kind of analog or digital clocks generation and display;
- Informational and graphic design of interactive talk-shows, news and sports reports;
- Animations and logos playback;
- Cyclic playback of scripts;
- Multilayered graphic windows for incoming information display.

High quality and ease of Character Generation:

- Using all available Windows TrueType fonts;
- Symbols and tickers design with complex 3D-shades, borders, outlines and borders;
- Using text processors and graphic editing programs principles;
- Fonts with random direction gradients, textures including images in JPEG, BMP and TGA 32-bit formats;
- Anti-aliasing broadcasting rasterization quality;
- Line interlacing flicker filter;
- Placing logos as symbols in crawls;
- Using 16.7 million colours and 256 transparency levels to fill any page element.

Usability and efficiency:

- Edit and hold in readiness several scripts simultaneously;
- Classical Windows program interface and WISIWYG mode;
- Instant title output by using prepared scripts (templates).

Wide range of linear effects:

Script consists of an unlimited number of pages; every page has a video effect assigned to it.

Alpha Pro 2.0 uses the following effects:

- Vertical Roll - text that runs vertically from bottom to top;
- Horizontal Crawl - "endless" page of random height and length that runs horizontally from left to right;
- Reveal Up / Reveal Left - horizontal and vertical slide-ins;
- Animated logos and clips playback as an individual effect, or as a part of titles block;
- Fade In / Fade Out / Cross Fade - smooth transition effects;
- Zoom - scaling effect;
- Near 300 kinds of Wipes with transition softness settings.

All effects can be displayed on full screen or in any specified rectangular area. All effects have speed, duration, delay, timing or external events control settings.

Extended program features:

Alpha Pro 2.0 supports objects control from external applications, including programs developed by the user. These programs can use VBA scripts from Microsoft Office suite, including Word, Excel and Access scripts, Visual Basic based programs, Web-page, which contain VBScript, and also Delphi Visual C++ based programs.

This method allows to eliminate all possible accidents in on-air broadcasting, while leaving only the necessary functions. While writing the script in a precise way and preparing the templates, the user can rigorously specify the design style and effects. This way the user gets a custom "control panel" without irrelevant and distracting control elements.

Program design is put together in a form of a template. Operational data is placed into the template directly at the time of output. This helps to use the current system in the design of on-air sports transmissions, game shows, etc. The same approach allows to broadcast telephone votes, SMS-chats, etc.

Specifications

Recommended computer configuration:

- Computer IBM PC on Intel processor: Pentium D or Pentium Core 2 DUO;
- Not less than 512 Mb of main memory;
- At least 50 Mb of free space on hard drive;
- Operating system Windows 2000/XP. Any graphical working mode in Windows environment with resolution 1024x768 pixels High Color (16 bit) and more.

We recommend to apply for Intel Pentium D or Pentium Core 2 DUO platform motherboards models by Asustek, for instance, of ASUS P5LD2 or P5B series...

Downloads

In the Box

- Stream ALPHA SDI Board;
- USB software protection dongle;
- CD-disk with software and demo;
- Software user manual in hard copy and on CD-disk in PDF-format.

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