Harris Announces New Platinum IP3 Router

A newly designed router that Harris Broadcast announced today is focused on the IP future and covering ultra-high-bandwidth needs, including 4K.

Harris claims its new Platinum IP3 router is the industry’s first router to accommodate separate video, audio and data paths within the same frame and have the ability to scale to multi-frame configurations for large broadcast and media operations using a common architecture.

“Offering a future-proof design that looks beyond baseband/IP convergence to cover ultra-high-bandwidth needs, including 4K and beyond, gives our customers a unique opportunity to prepare for approaching changes,” Harris Morris, president of Harris Broadcast, said in a statement. “But the ability for our customers to intelligently scale routing systems to any size using a common architecture, along with the best possible on-air protection, delivers real-world benefits that are clearly viable today.”

That “triple-path” architecture for signal routing maximizes on-air security, with an approach to audio, video and multiviewer signal protection based on redundant crosspoints and integrated routing designs.

The Platnum IP3 should also benefit news organizations with multi-platform workflows, as it delivers signal routing up to 576 x 1024 in a single 28RU frame. It can scale to at least 2048 x 2048 in multi-frame configurations without external distribution amplifiers or combiners, reducing costs and labor. The design eliminates the need to take stations off the air while scaling into multiple frame systems.

Paul Eisner, vice president of workflow, infrastructure and networking for Harris, said the Platinum IP3 prevents customers from being dead-ended by limitations to matrix size, control options or expansion of integrated functions.

“This architecture gives users the freedom to protect their initial investments and build on their existing systems while also preparing them for an IP future.”

The Platinum IP3 is now shipping worldwide and will make its debut at the CABSAT 2013 show in Dubai in March and at the 2013 NAB Show in Las Vegas in April.