Choosing right broadcast encoder is very important, since those devices affect both picture quality and the functionality to support the total broadcast system. Careful research is necessary to ensure proper functionality prior to selecting an appropriate unit. Therefore, we encourage you to do your homework, we'll help assist with some pointers.
Best Broadcast Encoders.
Here you can acquaint yourself with a few very good products from the Thor portfolio at various price points:
Encoders are used to translate rotary or linear motion into a digital signals. This is for the purpose of monitoring or controlling motion parameters, such as speed, rate, direction, distance or position.
The encoder is a combinational logic circuit that converts an active input signal into a coded output signal. It has n input lines, only one of which is active at a time and m output lines. It encodes one of the active inputs to a coded binary output with m bits. The number of output lines is smaller than the number of inputs.
First things first, you should think of what purpose or content you will need to encode with your device. In the market we can find both encoders and transcoders, but what is the difference? Encoding takes analog source content and converts it to a digital format, such as converting your old family video films to DVD. In contrast, transcoding takes an existing digital format and converts it to a different digital format.
There are also decoders, which perform the opposite function than encoders. Encoders convert 2N lines of input into a code of N bits and decoders decode the N bits into 2N lines. Decoders can be used for obtaining the required data from the code or for obtaining the parallel data from the serial data received. A decoder is similar to a demultiplexer, however it has no select inputs.
A multiplexer takes in one of the several inputs and sends to the output. An encoder takes in all the 1s from every input and codes them into an output. A multiplexer is known as a data selector since it simply selects the data and sends it to the output. An encoder just codes the data. A multiplexer has n inputs and one output, whereas encoders have 2^n inputs and n outputs. Multiplexers find applications in communication channels, when encoders find them in compression of information for transmission or storage and for encryption.
Priority encoders give a coded output by assigning a priority to the bits of input. The lower priority bits’ values don’t matter - if the higher priority bit is high, then the output will be generated depending on the high bit’s position. The outputs are the same as in normal encoder, but the range of inputs is higher since the output depends only on the highest priority bit. Priority encoders are great at handling interrupt requests for a microprocessor.
The broadcast market for encoders in digital transmission has been developing since the introduction of linear video codecs in the beginning of the 1990s. It started with contribution and primary distribution systems for in-studio/production-to-studio applications and continued on to studio and transmitter locations. The efficiency of encoders increased dramatically during this time, and this has contributed to the success of new formats, such as HDTV and compression standards, such as H.264. Nowadays the need for encoders in broadcast environments can be divided into three main areas: contribution, primary distribution and distribution-to-the-home.
One of the most vital features is low latency. Video latency refers to the amount of time it takes for a video signal to be transmitted from one place to another, sometimes also referred to as delay. Delay can completely ruin exchanges between even the most expert broadcast professionals and can be unworkable for untrained participants. This feature is very important, for example, while doing interviews. It is also important for the encoder to be able to adapt to network conditions in order to ensure that video streaming will not fail under any circumstances.