Fiber transforming audio-video productions

The recently introduced line of fiber-optic field transport systems for the audio-video (A/V) market from MultiDyne is intended for "applications where fiber is no longer an option but a necessity," the company said when announcing the line. The SD-4100 one-channel, SD-4200 two-channel and SD-4400 four-channel fiber-optic transport systems address the transport needs of productions transitioning from composite video-based systems to serial digital-based systems but do not yet require more-advanced platforms, the company adds.

"End users who do not yet require HD but need to transition from analog to digital can do so with our new line of cost-effective SD-SDI products," commented Frank Jachetta, managing director of MultiDyne. "With MultiDyne's design philosophy, customers can begin the transition with our SD-SDI cards and then upgrade the card to HD or even 3G, as their production needs change. With our good/better/best range of options, we offer the simplest to most-sophisticated solutions."

The transport systems support rates of 19.2 to 270 Mbits/sec, capable of operating over multimode or singlemode fiber. Link distances are up to 20 kilometers at 270 Mbits/sec on singlemode. Each card equalizes the incoming SD-SDI stream, re-clocks the signal, then transmits at 1310 nm. The receiver card accepts four fiber-optic inputs and converts them to four electrical outputs, which are re-clocked and line buffered.