Emerald is a converged KVM solution for distributing video, audio, and peripheral signals.
Black Box has introduced the Emerald Unified KVM Platform. Emerald is a converged KVM solution for distributing video, audio, and peripheral signals throughout expanding hybrid environments that include both IP and proprietary direct-connect networks, mixed resolutions up to and beyond UHD/4K, and physical and virtual desktops and servers.
“As media enterprises continue to migrate from SDI-based signal distribution to all-IP operations, they’re looking to leverage IP’s virtually unlimited scalability and cost savings through the use of commodity, low-cost hardware. At the same time, virtualisation offers even greater potential for reducing IT operational overhead and hardware expenses, and also for building resiliency into the network,” said Josh Whitney, Senior Vice President Technology Product Solutions business at Black Box.
“A critical requirement of IP operations is a centralised connectivity platform that can handle the complexities of today’s media environments, including 4K video distribution and support for virtualisation.
“As the first KVM platform to support both IP and direct connections, the Emerald Platform gives enterprises the ability to deploy both IP and proprietary KVM networks from all Emerald units. Customers can scale up as their operation expands, simply by adding endpoints. In this manner, Emerald provides seamless connectivity in a direct-connect SDI environment today, while paving a smooth and easy upgrade path to IP.”
Emerald is the first KVM platform, the company claims, to support DisplayPort 1.2 4K video at 60 Hz and 10-bit colour depth over standard IP network switches and connections, enabling 4K image transmission with mathematically lossless compression.
With the Emerald KVM platform, operations can scale and gradually across buildings, campuses, and wide area networks, using the existing network infrastructure and switching between sources at speeds of less than a second (IP) and even faster in a direct connect matrix, the release stated.
“Broadcasting and media enterprises, including post and live production, are clear beneficiaries of the Emerald KVM platform. But this innovative and future-proof technology will forever change the way KVM technology can be implemented and utilised across many different application areas, such as medical imaging, industrial automation and command and control rooms,” Whitney added.
“With Emerald as a true migration platform, Black Box has taken a large step forward towards helping its customers prepare for the future offering connectivity solutions for the Intelligent Digital Edge.”
