Sencore – a leading broadcast equipment supplier and platform developer – will be using NAB 2023 to present their range of internet delivery and commercial AV solutions.
Front and center will be the newly released Centra Gateway – an end-to-end holistic network management platform, which debuted at IBC2022 to award winning acclaim. Centra Gateway will be complimented by the presence of Sencore’s extensive product range, which this year includes new additions in the field of ATSC 3.0 and UHD decoding.
Building on the success of its initial launch, Sencore will be focusing on demoing the comprehensive capabilities of Centra, which is deployable either as software on-prem, in the cloud or hardware appliance. Operating across a range of operational layers, Centra gives network engineers – and indeed, operators without any technical background – full eyes across their media chain, on multiple levels, from a centralized, intuitive interface. In addition, it automates an extensive range of tasks, achieving maximum efficiency and reliability while minimizing complexity and OpEx.
The core functionality of the platform is the reception, transmission, and conversion of internet protocols for optimized distribution of video. Protocols supported include RIST, SRT, Zixi, and HLS, along with MPEG over IP, allowing users to leverage the benefits associated with RIST and SRT protocols in terms of reliability, low latency, packet-drop compensation and forward error correction. Further, Centra automatically communicates with Edge devices to ascertain capacity, required protocol and other relevant conditions, and then distributes on that basis. Constant metrics assessing latency across network links allow for Centra to optimize transport according to resources and need. The NAB Show will provide opportunity for potential customers to discover first-hand the intuitive nature of this robust and comprehensive IP broadcast solution.
IP-based broadcast is crucial for Sencore, but the booth will also feature other important areas of focus. Sencore will be revealing a range of enhancements that have been made to the VideoBRIDGE monitoring system, which has now been upgraded with a new 4-port RF blade capable of monitoring ATSC 3.0 broadcasts and critical new SCTE 35 ad insertion monitoring features. With this expanded functionality, the VideoBRIDGE system continues to represent an end-to-end monitoring tool of unparalleled functionality and density, allowing customers to monitor signals and streams from ingest, through processing, and to final delivery, all while ensuring ad revenue and regulatory compliance.
In relation to their commercial AV solutions, Sencore will be demonstrating the range of products they offer – along with consultation, implementation, and financing services – to support a vast range of applications from worship and hospitality, to large-scale OTT and private cable. New additions include the Impulse 400D: a powerful and cost-effective 4K UHD receiver decoder/gateway that support MPEG-2/H.264/H.265 (HEVC) UHD/HD/SD decoding, re-multiplexing and re-transmission across industry standard protocols and IP infrastructures.
Aaron Doughten, Sr. Product Manager at Sencore, spoke about their upcoming attendance at NAB and the excitement surrounding the showcase of their latest product, Centra. Having already achieved remarkable success at IBC, Aaron expressed the company’s enthusiasm to showcase Centra on their home turf. “The product is the culmination of 70 years of expertise in audiovisual transmission, and Sencore’s early experience as suppliers of equipment for IP-based content delivery. While the provision of this equipment remains crucial to Sencore, we have incorporated years of accumulated knowledge and experience into Centra. This sets us apart from competitors and enables broadcasters to engage in flexible, agile delivery with reduced complexity, increased reliability and lower operational expenses, all through a single and intuitive platform”.
