Orca coder from Doremi Labs Company

By Dimitry Osminsky

At present the trends of the transition TV-production to format High Definition (HD) become obvious. This was confirmed by springtime NAB exhibition. However on the opinion of the most broadcasting specialists, the broad transition to new format is restrained by several factors, the main of which is high cost of the HD equipment line. The most economical and, mainly, the time-tested version is the step-by-step implementation of new format equipment into technological chain of TV-production, as this is recently occurred when turning from analogue equipment to digital. The transition to HD format of the shooting cameras must be carrying out firstly. Accordingly, then will get up the problem on integration, for instance, of HDCAM HDWF900 camcorder in TV equipment already existing. The interesting decision has offered by the engineers of Doremi Labs company. Their new development is Orca coder allows to convert the TV-pictures of high definition (1920×1080) and standard definition (720×576) to MPEG-2 files of broadcasting quality in realtime.

Constructively the Orca coder is a full-size PCI-card for PC-compatible computer and runs under Windows 2000/XP. The problem of the connection of TV-equipment miscellaneous format is solved by SDI interface set on the card. It allows to work both with videosignal of the high resolution (1920×1080) and of standard resolution (720×576). For remote control of units (e. g., of video recorder or disc recorder) the card provided by 9-pin interface, working on Sony protocol and became as the standard of TV-production. The cder is produced in two models: Orca-PCI-M and Orca-PCI-S. The main difference consists in choice of the coding profile of data. Orca-PCI-M is intended for work in 4:2:2/4:2:0 profile, but ORCA-PCI-S is intended for 4:2:0 only. It is necessary to note that this has effected on the price; so, the price of ORCA-PCI-S is lower.

The Orca coder converts the TV pictures of high and standard definition to broadcasting quality MPEG-2 files in real time

Special interest presents the ability of Orca coder to adjust the structure of the group of the frames — GOP (Group of Pictures). Depending on concrete task there is a possibility to assign the necessary structure GOP: I, IBP, IBBP, opened and locked IP. After performing the transformation in realtime mode there are MPEG-2 files or transport stream of DVB/ASI standard.

Well but now several words about that, where today can be used the possibilities put in Orca. The range of the device applications is very wide: the digital cinema with rising popularity; and functioning into complexes intended for direct transmission of sport and entertainment events; organizing of Internet broadcasting. The ability to code a content in stream to DVB/ASI standard immediately made Orca coder to suit for using in satellite broadcasting networks.

The possibility of the card using into TV-production studio is interesting too. As a rule, for economic reasons the like studios have not any advantage to buy an expensive shooting HD-equipment, since it will be difficult to provide its 100% loading. So like companies more often have to lease equipment for the concrete project. Herewith always appears the problem to joining of the different units of equipment producing by other companies. In this case Orca changes to brining salvation footbridge as means an multi-format device for video and audio capture. After MPEG-2 coding of corresponding profile the shot material can be sent on studio equipment for the further nonlinear editing or DVD-mastering.

Material is provided by Sinchro-Pro Company