Lawo is celebrating the fifth anniversary of the launch of its V__matrix platform with some significant software-based enhancements.
The updated vm_udx application turns the V__matrix C100 processing blades into robust up/down/cross converters with up to 8 format conversion paths and up to four 3D LUT color space conversion paths. The latest software release, available on lawo.com, adds powerful new features that make conversion workflows more effective and Lawo’s future-proof V__matrix platform more potent than ever.
In the light of a rapidly growing trend towards remote maintenance, vm_udx’s web UI allows operators to monitor which video content is currently processed by a given C100 blade. The new Live Video Preview display enables users to visualize the video content received by an SDI or IP input, or the output of a processing stage, directly in vm_udx’s web UI.
In response to vm_udx user requests, Lawo has enhanced the +hdr color space 3D LUT conversion engine. Each of the four vm_udx paths now features top-notch tetrahedral interpolation for conversions between various color spaces.
To support flexible audio workflows, vm_udx adds a range of new features. A newly designed downmix engine with 2048 mono-equivalent inputs into 256 mono-equivalent summing busses can be freely configured for flexible mono or stereo summing and dedicated 5.1 > stereo or 7.1 > stereo downmixing.
Lawo has extended the digital gain range for all audio leveling instances to support level adjustments between –∞ and +24dB. In addition, vm_udx can interface with a MADI environment simply by adding the optional +madi license and communicating with the SDI rear plate connected to the processing blade that hosts the Up/Down/Cross Converter. BNC connectors can be software-switched to MADI in almost any combination.
The new vm_udx release furthermore supports metadata workflows with an advanced ancillary-data handling engine. Able to handle ANC data in 2110-40, 2022-6 and SDI signals simultaneously during the conversion process, users can keep or remove individual DID/SDID in the ANC payload.
The new +tc_gen license generates timecode flavors from PTP or other time sources and provides up to three independent generators. Generated ancillary timecode (ATC) formats can be embedded into TX and SDI outputs, including VITC1, VITC2 and LTC.
“With this new release, the vm_udx app boasts advanced audio and ancillary data handling which complements its powerful up/down/cross video feature set,” says Stephan Türkay, Lawo’s Senior Product Manager Media Infrastructure. “The software-defined nature of Lawo’s V__matrix ecosystem inherently means that its feature set can evolve as market requirements change. This flexible approach allows V__matrix users to operate at the cutting edge for many years to come.”