Video Switcher
Video producers use switchers to help them create integrated video content for broadcast television and other video productions. Video switchers allow producers to utilize data input from a number of video sources, such as cameras and video servers. Using video switchers, producers can add key visual elements to a video production, including:
- Special effects
- Transitions between video sources
- Picture-in-picture, text, or still images added to existing video
Video switchers consist of a main control panel that acts as the user interface and a rack-unit (RU) of PCBs that performs various functions based upon the producer’s input. Switchers support standard-definition (SD) video, high-definition (HD) video, or both. Also, the studios are in the middle of an upgrade cycle to support the new and faster serial digital interface (SDI) standard—third-generation (3G) SDI (SMPTE 424M). 3G SDI, which runs at 2.97 Gbps, helps a switcher support 1080p resolution on a single SDI link. Figure 1 shows a typical video switcher solution using Altera® programmable logic.
Figure 1. Altera Usage Example for Video Switchers
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Some examples of Altera intellectual property (IP) from the IP MegaStoreTM used in video switchers are:
Feature-Rich Programmable Solutions for Video Switchers
The feature-rich architecture of the Stratix® II (with HardCopy® II structured ASIC support), Stratix II GX, and ArriaTM GX families provides an excellent solution for the video switcher's video production needs. These programmable device families provide flexibility, performance, integration, and design resources that are not available in any other device solution.
The Stratix device family uses a high-performance architecture that accelerates block-based designs for maximum system performance. Stratix II devices include high-performance digital signal processing (DSP) blocks, up to 16 Mbits of embedded TriMatrix memory, up to 340K logic elements (LEs), and flexible I/O standards. The Stratix II device feature-set provides an ideal solution for implementing video processing functions such as color processing, image filtering and formatting, and digital effects.
The Stratix II GX and Arria GX device families include up to 20 full-duplex transceiver channels that support the HD video SDI rates of 1.485 Gbps and 3 Gbps. The inclusion of the transceivers provides a solution that is both cost- and board-space-efficient for video switchers with multiple SDI input and output channels. Built on the Stratix architecture, Stratix II GX devices include the TriMatrix memory and LE resources needed for SDI input and output data processing functions, such as framing, scrambling and de-scrambling, and clock signal synchronization. Refer to the Using Stratix II GX in HDTV Video Production Applications white paper (PDF) for more information.
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