The 9904-UDX family of openGear advanced scaler/frame synchronisers from Cobalt Digital has been enhanced with numerous features and functionalities. Key among these is the fact that it now accepts 3G Level B-DL signals in addition to 3G Level A (the two main formats for 3G-SDI support).

“The 9904-UDX series is found in the toolkit of organisations all around the world, ranging from post-production and production facilities to sports broadcasters, houses of worship, educational institutions and corporate entities,” said Suzana Brady, Cobalt Digital’s SVP of worldwide sales and marketing. “Now we’ve added even more features and support capabilities that place it in a class of its own – unique in its openGear form factor and at a budget-pleasing price point.”

Cobalt

The series now accepts 3G Level B-DL signals

The 9904-UDX series can now accept 3G Level B-DL in addition to 3G Level A, automatically detect the format and output either 3G Level A or 3G Level B-DL as configured by the operator. In addition, RGB 4:4:4 and YCbCr 4:4:4 formats are also accepted and supported by the built-in frame sync as well as all audio de/embed and processing functions.

Prior to the enhancement, the 9904-UDX family already supported 480i, 576i, 720p, 1080i, 1080pSF, 1080p and provided full up/down conversion between HD/3G, ST 2082 12G-SDI single-wire, and SDM/2SI quad 3G-SDI based formats, with ST 2082 12G-SDI single-wire and quad 3G UHD available at both input and output.

This latest version of the 9904-UDX is already in use at The Foundation, a full-service post-production provider located in Burbank’s Media District. The Foundation provides picture services and workflows in current and emerging formats, including HD, 2K, 4K, UHD, HDR10 and Dolby Vision. It is using Cobalt’s 9904-UDX card to capture a variety of film source material from a DaVinci Resolve as Level-B, process the audio by either delaying, embedding or de-embedding, and sending it back to the Resolve for composition.

John Stevens, engineering director at The Foundation, explained: “When using a Resolve in dual output mode, HDR and SDR simultaneously, each output is set to Level B and the audio is only embedded on the first output – the HDR. The 9904 is the only openGear card that incorporates that capability which is a very important feature for us. That coupled with all the formats the Cobalt card supports and its attractive price made it a no-brainer for us!”