Telos Debuts Multi-Channel IP Codec at NAB

New Zephyr iPort can transport 8 stereo channels over QOS-guaranteed IP links

3 April 2007, Cleveland Ohio, USA

Telos Systems, the originators of MPEG codecs for broadcast, will unveil a dramatically new addition to its Zephyr family at NAB 2007: The Zephyr iPort MPEG Gateway, a new codec that can transport up to 8 channels of bi-directional stereo audio between locations, using Quality-of-Service (QoS) guaranteed IP networks.

“Just as ISDN revolutionized broadcasting ten years ago, IP networks going to take them to the next level,” says Telos CEO and founder Steve Church. “More and more, broadcasters rely not only on content generated at local studios, but a mix of programming both local and external. Zephyr iPort provides a simple, efficient way to share multiple channels of low-delay, broadcast-quality audio between distant facilities, using IP networks.”

Zephyr iPort is equipped with a LivewireTM interface; when used as part of an IP-Audio network, iPort transports 8 channels of stereo audio plus control between two Livewire-equipped sites over an IP link. Connecting iPort to a Livewire network is easy: a single Ethernet cable is all that’s required; no need for expensive converters, interfaces or connectors. For standalone use outside a network, Zephyr iPort can be paired with an Axia Audio AES/EBU or Analog Audio Node for studio-quality audio I/O.

“The technology in Zephyr iPort might just make it the most user-friendly broadcast codec ever,” remarks Rolf Taylor, Telos’ Telephony Product Manager. “Livewire networks continuously ‘advertise’ the presence of active audio sources, so the network ‘knows’ when sources are available. iPort takes advantage of this source advertising so that whenever a codec connection is established, it appears instantly on the network. All the board-op at the console needs to do is assign the codec source to a fader, and audio automatically flows both ways.”

Zephyr iPort can also be used for any application where MPEG encoding and/or decoding are needed for transmission over IP channels, such as STL links, Internet streaming, satellite uplinks, broadcasting to cell phones, and other audio distribution systems. iPort’s efficient use of Livewire I/O combined with multiple codecs in a single 2U device result in a low cost per channel compared to that of multiple single-channel codecs.

Because not every remote connection is the same, Zephyr iPort users have a comprehensive selection of connection protocols from which to choose. There are standard MPEG Layer 2, Layer 3, AAC and aacPlus choices, plus low-delay AAC-LD and high-efficiency low-delay AAC-LD+HE, both with special error resilience protection that conceals low levels of random packet loss. Zephyr iPort also includes AAC- HE+PS (High Efficiency + Perceptual Stereo), the most bit-efficient codec available today, allowing stereo operation down to 32kbps.