Video Transcript
Streams, Formats, HDCP and EDID
6m 59s
00:08
Let’s talk about the specifics of video stream capabilities of the NV Series endpoints.
00:13
The number of streams that NV Series device can either encode
00:17
or decode are determined by the resolution of the inputs and outputs.
00:21
If your content is standard 1080p60 HD video,
00:25
then you can set the NV Series to “encoder”
00:28
and can stream all three of its inputs into the Q-SYS Ecosystem simultaneously.
00:33
Likewise, an NV Series set to “decoder”
00:35
can decode up to two 1080p60 streams simultaneously to two different displays.
00:42
However, if you’re using Ultra High Definition 4K content, commonly known as 4K,
00:47
then each encoder and decoder is limited to encoding or decoding a single 4K source at a time.
00:54
That means you could still connect three 4K sources to an encoder
00:58
as long as it’s only ever sending one of those streams out at a time…
01:02
… but if you need to send two or more sources from a single encoder,
01:05
then those video sources will be forced to 1080 rather than 4K.
01:09
What if you need multiple 4K sources encoded on the network?
01:13
Forget it Patrick, you’re out of your element.
01:16
You simply need multiple NV Series set to “encoders” to do this.
01:21
Similarly, an NV Series set to decode mode
01:24
can only operate in 4K mode if you’re only decoding a single 4K output –
01:29
– using both outputs will not only automatically set the decode output to 1080p,
01:34
but it will also lower your sources to 1080p as well, regardless of any other destinations.
01:41
So even though your display will say it's displaying at 4k,
01:45
it's actually displaying a 1080p signal that's being scaled to fit your monitor's resolution.
01:51
Before we dive into the software,
01:53
let’s make sure that everyone’s on the same page about 4K versus 1080,
01:57
because if you’re relatively new to video this can sometimes be confusing.
02:00
1080 refers to a resolution of 1920 pixels wide by 1080 pixels high, which is a Full HD widescreen format.
02:10
You’ll usually see this as 1080p, which stands for “progressive scan”,
02:15
which basically means that all 1080 horizontal lines are refreshed with every frame,
02:20
as opposed to 1080i which “interlaces” every other line on every other frame.
02:26
1080p is pretty much the standard for most media out there, as of 2019.
02:32
But higher resolution sources are becoming more and more readily available.
02:36
UHD, or Ultra High-Definition, is a resolution of 3840 pixels wide by 2160 pixels high,
02:45
which is slightly different than 4K which is most commonly found in Cinemas, which is 4096x2160.
02:53
But we don’t call these 2160. Why not?
02:57
Well those math geniuses amongst you can guess that 2160 sounds like it’s only twice as good as 1080,
03:04
but in reality it’s four times better, because when we double the height we also double the width.
03:10
And since the length is approximately 4,000 pixels, this resolution is known as 4K,
03:16
probably because it sounds like it’s 4 times greater than 1080, which is about 1K.
03:21
So yeah. 1080 refers to height, 4K refers to width,
03:25
and if you have a problem with that then you can go talk to the beautiful minds who decide these things.
03:29
For both formats, you’ll also see another number after the resolution, such as 4k60.
03:36
This refers to the number of frames per second.
03:39
60 frames per second gives you incredibly smooth fluid motion and is very responsive to change.
03:45
This is highly valuable in meeting room content like Word, Excel and presentations,
03:50
as well as video games and sports.
03:52
On the flip side, most movies are shot in a cinematic 24 frames per second
03:58
and it will create a lot more motion blur for the viewer.
04:00
And if you try to watch one in 60 frames per second
04:03
then it often looks unnatural or more like a “camcorder” (which is actually 30 frames per second).
04:09
More frames per second means, you guessed it, more data transmitted on the network!
04:14
But don’t worry, you’re not going to see any limitations at different frame rates using the NV-32-H.
04:20
The main thing you need to consider is your resolution, because as we discussed earlier,
04:25
the use of 4K sources will be the big determining factor for your topology.
04:30
Also, an important thing to keep in mind
04:32
is that it doesn’t matter how high the format of your content is if your display device isn’t up to snuff!
04:38
If your display isn’t 4K, then you’re wasting your network bandwidth by transmitting 4K content.
04:44
On the other side, you may want to consider the SIZE of your display.
04:48
The smaller the display, the less likely that you’ll be able to see a difference
04:52
between a 4K source and a 1080p source in the first place.
04:55
There are also a few other general concepts that you should be aware of: HDCP and EDID.
05:02
HDCP, or High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection,
05:06
is a digital standard designed to prevent encrypted content like movies or TV shows from being copied
05:12
or even played on devices that aren’t HDCP compliant.
05:16
When you have an HDCP-encrypted source connected to your system,
05:20
they go through an authentication process that ensures that all connected devices are HDCP compliant,
05:27
or else it won’t play.
05:29
The most commonly used HDCP standards are HDCP 1.4 and 2.2,
05:35
both of which are supported by NV Series endpoints.
05:39
There are a few places in the software where you can investigate the HDCP status of your devices,
05:44
which may be important when you’re troubleshooting.
05:47
EDID stands for Extended Display Identification Data,
05:51
which is another handshaking process between devices
05:54
that lets a video source know which formats are available, unavailable,
05:58
or preferred by a particular video display.
06:01
The EDID tells the source device which resolution and frame rate settings are optimal for the display
06:07
in order to properly show your video content.
06:10
Once again,
06:11
you’ll see a number of places in the software where you can see the results of this EDID handshake,
06:15
and select from available video sources.
06:18
You can even copy a display’s EDID to your Core Manager
06:21
and apply it directly to a source, ensuring the right format will be used.
06:26
Hopefully you won’t have to become an expert on either of these topics,
06:31
but since you’ll see information on HDCP and EDID throughout the software,
06:35
we wanted to make sure you have at least a passing understanding of what they are.
06:39
In most circumstances, HDCP and EDID authentication take place invisibly behind the scenes,
06:44
and all you’ll have to worry about is wiring your system properly, which we’ll look at in the next video.
06:49
So take a quick break…
06:51
But I’ll be back …
06:52
and we’ll start connecting your system together in the Q-SYS Designer software. Thanks for watching.
Lesson Description
Streams, Formats, HDCP and EDID
6m 59s
Explore the video stream capabilities of the NV Series endpoints and get a better understanding of video formats.
Downloads and Links
Streams, Formats, HDCP and EDID
6m 59s