Epoch | 4K Neutron
Industry-proven 4K/UHD
Epoch | 4K Neutron can capture 4K/UHD as 3G-SDI or playout 4K/UHD as 3G-SDI or HDMI.
4K/UHD/2K/HD SDI I/O features
| 12/10/8-BIT YUV | 10/8-BIT 3D YUV | 10/8-BIT RGB | 12-BIT RGB | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4K/UHD @ 23, 24, 25 fps | YES | NO | YES* | NO |
| 4K/UHD @ 29, 30 fps | YES | NO | NO | NO |
| 2K/HD @ 23, 24, 25, 29, 30 fps | YES | YES | YES | YES |
| 2K/HD @ 48, 50, 59, 60 fps | YES | YES | NA | NA |
Independent bi-directional I/Os deliver unparalleled flexibility
4K Neutron provides flexibility and performance with 3 industry-standard BNC video connectors each allowing 3G/1.5G/HD/SD SDI or ASI input or output and HDMI preview for monitoring. With bi-directional connectivity built-in, developers choose whether they want the BNCs to be input, output, 4K, UHD, 2K, 3D, HD, SD or ASI and in 3G/1.5G/HD/SD video modes, each BNC connector can be any frame-rate and frequency of your choosing.
Compare features
| Epoch | 4K Neutron | Epoch | 4K Neutron LP | 2x Epoch | 4K Neutron | |
| SD-SDI | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| 1.5G HD-SDI | 3 | 3 | 6 |
| 3G-SDI (Level A+B) | 3 | 3 | 6 |
| Dual Link 1.5G (4:2:2:4/4:4:4:4) |
YES | YES | YES |
| Dual Link 3G (Level A+B) | YES | YES | YES |
| Quad Link 1.5G | NO | NO | YES |
| Quad Link 3G (Level A+B) | NO | NO | YES |
| 2K/HD/SD HDMI (OUTPUT) | YES# | YES# | YES# |
| 4K/UHD HDMI (OUTPUT) | YES# | YES# | YES# |
| Low-latency hardware keyer | YES | YES | YES |
| Multi-card interlock | YES | YES | YES |
| Colour space converter | YES | YES | YES |
| Customisable pixel formats | YES | YES | YES |
| Breakout cable 8 x AES Audio I/O 2 x analogue audio monitoring RS-422 Auxiliary Reference (INPUT) |
YES^ | YES^ | YES^ |
| 16-bit half float pixel format | YES | YES | YES |
| Interlocking Reference (INPUT) | YES | YES | YES |
| Bypass relays | YES | YES | YES |
| Full-duplex DMA | YES | YES | YES |
| VBI, HANC & VANC | YES | YES | YES |
| Embedded audio | YES | YES | YES |
| NVIDIA GPUDirect | YES | YES | YES |
| AMD DirectGMA | YES | YES | YES |
| Range of firmware options | YES | YES | YES |
^Refer to Optional Connectivity table for more information. #Available on all models except EB3006X.
Optional connectivity
The 4K Neutron range offers a variety of low-profile and full-height shield options allowing the same physical hardware to be deployed in any number of applications and inside any number of enclosures or chassis.
Developers have the flexibility to choose the specific I/O support they need for their product with the availability of 8 developer variants exposing the complete range of I/O from SDI only to SDI with HDMI preview, AES digital audio I/O, analogue audio output, LTC I/O and RS-422 device control.
|
Part Number |
Product |
Description |
|---|---|---|
| EB3006A | Epoch | 4K Neutron | Full-height: HDMI Only |
| EB3006B | Epoch | 4K Neutron | Full-height: AUX Reference (INPUT) |
| EB3006C | Epoch | 4K Neutron | Full-height: AES Audio I/O / Analogue Audio Out / RS-422 / Auxiliary Reference (INPUT) |
| EB3006D | Epoch | 4K Neutron | Full-height: AES Audio I/O / Analogue Audio Out / RS-422 / LTC I/O |
| CAB_ILOK | Interlock Cable | Locks multiple cards to a single sync source |
|
Part Number |
Product |
Description |
|---|---|---|
| EB3006E | Epoch | 4K Neutron | Full-height: LTC I/O / RS-422 |
| EB3006X | Epoch | 4K Neutron | Full-height: Non HDMI |
| EB3006F | Epoch | 4K Neutron LP | Low-profile: HDMI |
| EB3006G | Epoch | 4K Neutron LP | Low-profile: AES audio I/O / Analogue Audio Out / RS-422 / Auxiliary Reference (INPUT) |
| CAB_ILOK | Interlock Cable | Locks multiple cards to a single sync source |
4K/UHD HDMI monitoring
4K Neutron includes a cost-effective HDMI monitoring solution supporting up to 4K/UHD resolutions. Enjoy simultaneous 4K/UHD HDMI & SDI from 4K Neutron.
Low-latency video keyer
4K Neutron has a low-latency hardware video keyer allowing video layers to be combined in hardware with microseconds of delay. This feature allows animated logos, captions, tickers, etc. to be keyed over live video feeds at full 12-bit precision and with minimum input to output delay. The hardware keyer can also function as an image pre-multiplier to assist in previewing images with alpha data.
DMA features
The industry's lowest-latency I/O, by design
4K Neutron has, by design, the world's lowest-latency providing access to captured fields or frames to on-board card memory even before the whole field or frame is complete, thereby reducing the latency to sub one field or frame. During a capture or playout, each process can occur at less than or equal to 1 field for interlaced modes, and less than 1 frame for progressive modes.
Low-latency framestores
4K Neutron firmware and driver architecture provides I/O framestores with predictable and short propagation delays enabling the lowest possible latency through the card. The Bluefish444 SDK supports sub-field interrupts enabling access to the video field or frame even before the video field/frame has been fully captured. This low-level access to video and audio data provides maximum control over video and audio synchronisation.
FIFO mode protection
4K Neutron firmware and driver architecture supports a FIFO mode that can be utilised for buffering I/O framestores ensuring that no field/frame will ever be dropped. The FIFO architecture can be used to increase or decrease the I/O latency to a fixed value.
Full-duplex asynchronous DMA engine
4K Neutron developers have full control over the heavily optimised DMA engine via the Bluefish444 SDK. The DMA engine supports full-duplex transfers to and from each of 4K Neutron’s 4 video channels at the maximum available PCIe bandwidth.
The DMA engine can independently transfer video and anciliary data and has a selective DMA feature for the transfer of customisable portions of a video field or frame. This is especially useful when dealing with individual HD quadrants that make up a 4K video buffer.
Complete access to ancillary data
4K Neutron allows full read and write access to the VBI for standard definition video signals. In high definition signals, read and write access is available for HANC and VANC data allowing AFD, KLV, closed caption data and more.
The industry’s lowest jitter, by design
Building on 10+ years of Bluefish444 innovative hardware development, 4K Neutron jitter circuit design surpasses the industry’s minimum standard for jitter and eye pattern measurements by almost twice the permitted tolerance.
High quality 3G/HD bypass relays
4K Neutron offers the highest quality 3G/HD/SD bypass relays allowing critical on-air systems to manage system failures, power outages, and other unforeseeable circumstances that can be encountered in the world of live broadcast systems.
MR2 Master Routing Resource
The MR2, Master Routing Resource, within 4K Neutron enables a user to flexibly configure main and preview outputs to suit individual workflows. The Master Routing Resource acts like a telephone exchange for super connectivity. Allowing video from SDI or host workstation to be routed to any or all of the 4K Neutron outputs simultaneously.
Maintaining a 12-bit processing pipeline
A 12-bit image processing pipeline is standard within 4K Neutron. This allows 8, 10 & 12-bit SDI video signals to be produced from 8, 10, 12 & 16-bit pixel formats providing the highest image quality available from your source material. A 12-bit image pipe means that 4096 discrete values of red, green & blue are maintained per-pixel; that’s 4 times the colour precision of a traditional 10-bit processing pipeline!
4K/UHD HDR
4K Neutron features three 3G-SDI I/O allowing capture and playout of 4K/UHD video streams. HDR/SDR workflows are supported for capture and playout of 4K/UHD and HD High Dynamic Range content with access to SDI ancillary space for HDR metadata.
VR/AR/Stereoscopic Support
With three 3G-SDI I/O connections VR/AR/Stereoscopic workflows can synchronise multiple SDI inputs into various formats for VR/AR/3D imaging.
IPConnect API
IPConnect API is provided to support Video Over IP workflows for SMPTE IP and NDI protocols. SMPTE 2022-6 Uncompressed IP can be captured from standard off-the-shelf network adapters and used alongside Bluefish444 hardware with full control provided by the Bluefish444 SDK and IPConnect API.
Maintaining the highest quality RGB <=> YUV
Colour space conversion image processing includes a fully programmable 4 x 4 x 33-bit colour matrix providing the highest quality colour space conversions that are a standard requirement in professional video workflows. The fully programmable 4 x 4 x 33-bit colour matrix reduces colour space conversion errors and ensures the highest quality colour accuracy during capture, monitoring and mastering.
SDK tools for developers
The Bluefish SDK ships with a number of useful tools for developers to streamline integration and allow for easy troubleshooting.
BlueToolBox provides important card information including the card state, input and output video modes, DMA settings and more. BlueSigGen gives developers the ability to send out test signals in any video mode, so that validating multiple formats is quick and easy.
An extensive set of sample applications and interfaces are provided making integration of Bluefish hardware into applications and systems extremely efficient.
SDI <=> ASI
4K Neutron can capture, play-through and playout raw transport DVB ASI streams in addition to supporting SDI I/O. 4K Neutron offers the flexibility to choose between capturing 4K/UHD/2K/HD/SD SDI or ASI and similarly the flexibility to choose to playback either 4K/UHD/2K/HD/SD SDI or ASI. That’s maximum transport flexibility for either live or file-based workflows.
Achieve advanced 4K workflows
Synchronising 2 4K Neutron's using the interlock cable will create the performance required for capture or playback of 4K/UHD 3G-SDI up to 60 fps.
Simultaneously preview 4K/UHD HDMI during playback.
Single system multi-card support
The Bluefish444 SDK provides unrestricted integration of multiple 4K Neutron video cards per-system with some developers using up to 5 cards per-server to deliver 15 channels of SDI in a single box. 4K Neutron features an internal interlock system, allowing cards to generate a proprietary interlocking signal which will sync lock additional 4K Neutron cards when connected to the internal interlock connector.
Thunderbolt expansion chassis compatibility
Popular PCI Express and Thunderbolt expansion chassis' are designed to be light and portable, and 4K Neutron is compatible with most PCIe expansion devices from those featuring a single slot right through to much larger multi-slot devices.
For the full list of qualified third-party chassis' visit Bluefish444 Certified Solutions page.
Access a unified API across Windows, Linux & macOS
The Bluefish444 cross-platform SDK provides rapid distribution across multiple platforms including Windows, Linux and macOS and delivers a unified driver for all models of Bluefish444 hardware.
4K Neutron is compatible with DirectShow filters, the Medialooks MPlatform SDK for Windows and Video4Linux2 offering advanced features like multi-channel, multi-card I/O and 4K/UHD.
4K Neutron supports AMD DirectGMA and NVIDIA GPUDirect in order to reduce memory bandwidth and latency for processing video data on the GPU.Cross-platform support with Industry leading 3rd-party software
4K Neutron leverages a decade of Bluefish444 software development. It is compatible with industry-leading software developed by Bluefish444 and by 3rd-party developers using our Windows, Linux and macOS Software Development Kit. Strong partnerships with companies like Adobe, Avid, ASSIMILATE, NVIDIA, AMD and many more, allow Bluefish444 to deliver hardware, drivers and software plug-ins for the creative industry.
For a full list of compatible software, visit the software section.
