News

Miranda's launches HD-Bridge DEC HDV to HD-SDI interface with integral 720p/1080i cross converter (10/5/2005)

Miranda Technologies today announced the launch of its new HD-Bridge DEC which provides high quality HDV to HD-SDI 1080i/720p conversion with embedded audio and Time Code, along with digital and analog video/audio outputs. The HD-Bridge DEC's built-in cross converter allows users to effortlessly convert between 720p and 1080i.

"The HD-Bridge DEC will contribute to a significant step-up in HD electronic acquisition. HD-Bridge DEC and HDV cameras don't require the same level of financial investment as other HD cameras or film cameras," said Michel Proulx, Senior Vice-President of Product Development at Miranda Technologies.

"The combination of HDV cameras and Miranda's HD-Bridge DEC can deliver full-quality HD-SDI content at less than one tenth of the cost of an HD or film camera. This new HDV interface will enable HD to move beyond the networks and high-end content producers, and penetrate parts of the market that would have otherwise taken five years to move to high-definition. It is going to contribute enormously to the democratization of HD."

"In several ways, HDV is to high definition production as DV is to the current standard definition format," says Bob Ott, vice president of professional audio and video products in Sony Electronics' Broadcast and Production Systems Division. "The HD-Bridge DEC developed by Miranda is the missing piece of the puzzle for many types of operations and the device will allow a wider spectrum of content producers to benefit from the burgeoning HDV revolution."

Miranda's HD-Bridge DEC is a neat and affordable desktop interface which addresses multiple HDV interfacing tasks. The interface accepts HDV via an IEEE-1394 (iLink, Firewire) conection, and outputs HD-SDI at 1080i/720p with embedded audio and Time Code. Dual HD-SDI outputs provide one clean feed, and one feed with Time Code and Graticule Markers. The interface also provides Analog HD plus AES and Analog Audio outputs.

The interface can be used for broadcast distribution and playout, with edited HDV material converted into HD-SDI for direct playout into an HD-SDI infrastructure. HD-Bridge DEC can also be used to convert compressed HDV into uncompressed HD-SDI for lossless editing.

"Although it is anticipated that HDV will be used mostly for local broadcast news and simpler documentaries, HDV is not just of interest to smaller broadcasters and low cost producers. At the other end of the production spectrum, there will be real interest from the big names in news, especially for generating HD content from places too unpredictable or dangerous to risk sending an expensive film or HD camera", said Gilbert Besnard, Director of Product Development at Miranda Technologies.

www.miranda.com