IBC: Megapixel Announces 100G SMPTE ST 2110 Capability

Megapixel is a technology creator focused on LED processing, monitoring and analytics, and display solutions to the world’s entertainment, film, TV, and architectural applications. The HELIOS LED Processing Platform, pioneered by Megapixel as the first LED Processor capable of native SMPTE ST 2110 and the industry’s first 8K platform, will take another step forward at IBC 2023, according to a company press release.

Available immediately is an optional 100G QSFP fiber input module for HELIOS. The module expands upon the platform’s existing upgradeable input capabilities that include HDMI, SDI, DisplayPort and 10G ST 2110.

Jeremy Hochman, Megapixel founder, said in the release: “We couldn’t be happier to be launching this new amazing capability for HELIOS to the broadcast market at IBC. Many of our studio and production partners have been so excited about migrating to SMPTE 2110 but have waited for trusted partners to offer a pre-tested ecosystem. Now there is direct out-of-the-box compatibility with multiple 3rd parties.”

The 100G input module allows HELIOS to ingest up to 8K60 12-bit natively or 4x 4K60 enabling ultra large canvas sizes. Because HELIOS is bandwidth driven, rather than raster-driven, non-standard canvas sizes are supported such as 16K x 2K and even 32K x 1K.

Phil Galler, president of Lux Machina, said, “Lux Machina believes that the future of production requires an immense increase in bandwidth capacity – to support new innovations in content, larger display canvases and bi-directional control. Megapixel incorporating a 100G solution as part of the HELIOS platform is a huge leap forward for LED processing. We are reliant on these solutions moving forward for our stage designs, onset operations, as well as live events and broadcast projects. This upgrade should make setup, control and flexibility much easier for our teams globally.”

“SMPTE ST 2110 will play a significant role in the future of LED stage technology, and with the 100G QSFP fiber input module for the HELIOS system, Megapixel is pushing the envelope in this space,” said Alejandro Arango, technical director of virtual production at Epic Games. “The ability to have synchronized video streaming from a cluster of render nodes through a bi-directional high-bandwidth pipe means lower latency and superior performance from a more simplified hardware configuration, truly a win-win-win scenario.”

Not only is the 100G connection great for sending large amounts of pixels, it also reduces overall system latency by reducing the amount of equipment in a signal path, the company said.

Josh Kerekes, head of virtual production at Pixomondo, said, “Using ST 2110 reduces latency considerably in environments utilizing camera tracking because the round-trip is not going through an extensive amount of equipment that is all serially connected.”

With the transition from baseband infrastructure in broadcast to full IP-based systems, the native 2110 capabilities of HELIOS position the company for further expansion in this sector, Megapixel’s statement continued.

“HELIOS has been developed with the philosophy that it operates as a piece of infrastructure within a larger network, rather than a standalone device,” it went on. “This philosophy allows it to slot seamlessly into projects with both legacy signals and IP video requirements. Megapixel prides itself on the inclusion of its partners in their roadmap and R&D planning process.”

David Light of NEP Sweetwater said, “We love working with the Megapixel team, and with the adoption of 2110, they continue to show their technical expertise and leadership in this space. 2110 is the future of film, television, and live events and Megapixel is making sure we do not fall behind technical advancement.” And Raed Al-Tikriti, chief product and technology officer at Disguise, said, “Broadcasters are constantly pushing the boundaries of what XR can do for real-time storytelling, and this explosive growth in the studio market requires expanded network bandwidth capabilities to further enable customers to transition to full IP based systems.”

See the 100G input in action at the ROE Visual booth (7.C26) and Megapixel products in action at the following partner booths at IBC, taking place September 15-18, 2023 in Amsterdam.