Atlona recently introduced a free firmware upgrade for its OmniStream AV-over-IP platform. OmniStream 2.0 adds support for 4K/60 video with 4:4:4 color sampling, along with improved bit-rate efficiency and integrated Multiview processing capabilities, the company said when announcing the free upgrade.
Other new features of version 2.0 include integrated Ethernet link testing between encoders and decoders, faster switching between 4K/60 video streams, and the ability to preview video streams as thumbnails through the Velocity AV control systems or via web GUI.
“Significant gains in coding efficiency, compared to the earlier-generation VC-2 codec, enable more HD streams over 1-Gigabit Ethernet networks, multiple 4K streams over 10-Gigabit switch-to-switch uplinks, and simultaneous 4K and HD over Gigabit Ethernet,” Atlona added. “VCx also offers ultra-low-latency of less than 1 frame from encode to decode. The VCx codec enables 4K/60 4:4:4 streams with artifact-free presentation of both computer-generated and fast-motion video.”
The platform enhancement also provides new multiview window processing, which enables the simultaneous display of multiple sources from OmniStream Pro encoders on one screen from an AT-OMNI-121 decoder. It bypasses the need for a dedicated, external multiview processor, and Atlona pointed out it is ideal for settings including network operations centers, lecture halls or auditoriums with overflow rooms, and multi-room monitoring environments.
“4K/60 4:4:4 support with the VCx codec preserves crucial detail in computer graphics presentations that are commonly used in corporate and educational AV applications,” commented Paul Krizan, product manager for networked AV with Atlona. “Combining these visual benefits with the new multiview capabilities significantly expands the range of use cases for which networked AV can be deployed.”
The OmniStream 2.0 firmware is available in new OmniStream units and as a firmware update for existing OmniStream Pro and R-Type hardware models other than the AT-OMNI-122. Users can chose between the new VCx or earlier VC-2 codec.
