Pro-Bel 800 Industry Firsts Include:

* No-compromise design – the only router to provide 1152 x 1152 inputs and outputs, AND redundancy AND multiviewer outputs
* System-friendly design loops inputs before crosspoints, enabling input video processing without “burning” input crosspoint
* Full integration with MCM control and monitoring links facility-wide control and monitoring directly to router
* Unique Catsii features simplify set-up and maintenance

At the 2009 NAB Show, Snell, the new company formed through the merger of Pro-Bel and Snell & Wilcox, will introduce the Pro-Bel 800 Series, an SD/HD/3Gbps routing switcher that brings an unprecedented range of new features and functionality to large scale router design.

The Pro-Bel 800 delivers the features and functions that sophisticated buyers demand while eliminating the need to trade off between features. It is the industry’s first router that enables up to 1152 x 1152 inputs and outputs, a redundant crosspoint architecture, and auxiliary outputs for external devices such as multiviewers – all at the same time.

The Pro-Bel 800 also uniquely enables input signals to be looped into external video processing devices, such as format converters, before they reach the router’s crosspoint architecture. This means that inputs can be processed as required by in-house standards without “burning” a router crosspoint in the process.

Simplifying router set-up maintenance and system diagnostics is Catsii, a deceptively simple way of providing essential input and output status information at a glance. Catsii uses multi-colored LEDs to illuminate the BNC connectors on the rear panel to show both which type of signal is connected and, more importantly, if it is valid. Catsii makes the often time-consuming diagnosis of system faults a straightforward task, as any input or output selected on the touch screen is clearly indicated right next to each cable.

Designed for Large-Scale 3Gbps Installations
Sharing the 3Gbps power of its popular Pyxis, Sirius, and Cygnus stable mates, the Pro-Bel 800 Series router consists of a range of different frames and card configurations, all based on a 576 x 576 matrix common card format, enabling capacity to be swiftly expanded to 1152 x 1152, even while the system is in use.

Comprehensive Choice of I/O
The Pro-Bel 800 frame accommodates up to 24 channels of input and output cards with optional fiber interfaces, including video cards for SD, ASI, 1.5Gbps, and 3Gbps using industry standard SFP modules, and audio modules with discrete AES and MADI interfaces.

Powerful Audio Functionality
The Pro-Bel 800’s architecture has been designed to accommodate high performance processing modules from day one, starting with a de-embedder/embedder option, which allows users to route, shuffle, and process up to 32 embedded audio signals on any input to any output. Audio de-multiplexing to AES, AES multiplexing, channel swapping – or any combination of these – can be performed within a single Pro-Bel 800 frame.

Multiple non-synchronous audio outputs can be sample-rate converted to a studio reference or passed transparently at the original data rate, while Dolby® E routing and clean switching is now possible thanks to smart processing that re-synchronizes to the transition point.

Unique Loop-Through Technology Enables External Processing, Saves Crosspoints
An innovative external processing function allows signals to be passed out to an external processing engine such as a modular up/down/crossconverter or frame synchronizer, instead of tying up valuable outputs.

Comprehensive Control and Monitoring
Built for dependable, round-the-clock video and audio routing, the Pro-Bel 800 uses sophisticated path monitoring to continually compare signals through the main and backup link. What amounts to a truly self-healing routing system is created simply by adding the MCM (Morpheus Control and Monitoring) system, which uses a set of rules to re-route signals automatically.

An easy-to-use graphical touch screen shows status and diagnostics information for the entire system, which can be accessed remotely with MCM, while simple LED indicators clearly show which crosspoint cards are actively routing signals at all times.

Multiviewer Outputs Without Losing Redundancy
Some 140 independently controllable outputs can be connected to any third-party multiviewer system, either via coax or a multi-way MV-LiNK. Significantly, utilizing multiviewer outputs does not require a tradeoff between router size and redundancy.

Environmentally Conscious Design
Snell is continuing the drive for more environmentally responsible products. Green initiatives include a video output disable mode that turns off video driver outputs if no load is detected on the output BNC, thermostatically regulated cooling fans, and crosspoints that power down wherever possible.