Reflektor is a gateway for broadcast streams that provides a simplified workflow for on-boarding and normalizing video transport. It can ingest and output media streams with various common wrappers, compression, video formats and resolutions. Its basic functionality is to act as a bridge between systems providing transparent interconnectivity between AV endpoints that use different standards.
The Reflektor provides dynamic allocation of software/hardware resources allowing dynamic flow generation based on ever changing flow requirements. This allows users/schedulers to request a source routed to a destination where the transport, codec or video formats do not match. MAGNUM will then find a Reflektor in the available pool along with the available resources to perform the necessary bridging function, effectively fulfilling the user's intent from a single request.
The Reflektor is ideal for providers of live/linear services, cloud applications or OTT. An ecosystem of functions that enables users to:
- Acquire/on-board
- Process for various functions
- Normalize the streams
The Reflektor supports a variety of form factors, including Server-Based Platform, Virtual Machine (VM), Container Platform, Cloud Platform and the ev670-X30 platform.
Features
- PID re-mapping
- Audio transcoding
- CC/SCTE35 data insertions
- SCTE35 modifications
- Audio/video alignment, lip sync
- Video encoding/decoding
- TR101/290 monitoring
Server-Based Platform
Reflektor consists of software residing on a CPU-based server with a Linux OS and an optional Evertz PCI gateway card. Reflektor can be purchased as an appliance consisting of Reflektor software installed on Evertz hardware or on an Evertz approved server platform such as the HP DL380 platform (specific configuration).
QSFPs are required for SMPTE ST 2110 input/output streams. The QSFP part number is QSFP25G-SM-PSM4-LR-G-NFEC or a third-party Evertz approved QSFP. The evINTL card supports two QSFPs, the second one is for redundancy.
Compressed streams will utilize the server motherboard NIC or a separate NIC card.
Virtual Machine (VM) or Container Platform
The Reflektor can run on a VM or container platform. The maximum number of streams and processing will depend on the available resources of the configured environment. *SMPTE ST 2110 I/Os will not be available unless the underlying hardware supports the PCIe bus and there is sufficient dedicated bandwidth allocated to the VM or container.
Cloud Platform
Reflektor will run on a cloud virtual machine or container. The maximum number of streams and processing will depend on the available resources of the configured environment.
Platform Availability
If a higher level of availability is required, then multiple Reflektor instances, regardless of platform, should be setup in different physical locations, with each instance configured with identical workflows.
Reflektor supports NMOS IS04 and IS05. Routing of sources to/from Reflektor is achieved using IS04/ISO5 NMOS and SDP.
Software Architecture
Reflektor has three types of functional units:
- Inputs - as shown on the left side of Figure 1 - are generally known as Receivers
- Outputs - as shown on the right side of Figure 1 - are generally known as Senders
- Processing Units - the encoders, decoders and non-codec processing blocks
A flow consists of an input, one or more optional processing units, and one output bound together. Protocol dependent, the input or output also performs the de-encapsulation and encapsulation.
Example Reflektor Flows
Flow Creation
Utilizing MAGNUM, operators can request to route a source into Reflektor, then route a Reflektor output to an Endpoint and then allocate Reflektor resources via API calls.
Schematic Diagram
Applications
Application 1: XPS + Reflektor for Ground to Cloud Processing
Application 2: Unicast Feed Replication
Application 3: Signal Normalization
Application 4: Transport Stream Normalization
Application 5: Bulk IP Transport Stream Automatic Changeover
Specifications
Video | |
|---|---|
| Transport Standards | NDI, RIST, SRT, MPEG-TS, SMPTE ST 2110, ST 2202-6 (requires NIC) |
| Video Codecs | H.264, HEVC, JPEG-XS |
| Video Formats | |
| HD | 720p/1080i @ 59.94Hz and 50Hz support |
| 3G | 1080p @ 59.94Hz and 50Hz support |
| 4K | 2160p @ 59.94Hz and 50Hz support |
Audio | |
|---|---|
| Audio Protocols | SIP, AES-67 |
| Audio Codecs | MPEG1-L2, AC3, AAC |
Processing Blocks | |
|---|---|
| Up/Down/Cross Conversion | Frame sync, Scaling between 1080i, 720p and 1080p standards, SDR to/from HDR conversion, SDR/HDR passthrough, Video delay and proc/color correction, Audio delay, mixing and shuffling |
| Data Insertion | (Future Features) Client caption insertion, SCTE104 insertion, SCTE35 insertion, Clean Switching (ACO) |
| H.264 | 4:2:0 8-bit and 4:2:2 10-bit H.264 encoding/decoding up to UHD |
| HEVC | Encoding/Decoding for signals ranging from HD to UHD |
| JPEG-XS | Encoding/Decoding of signals using JPEG-XS (TR-07) and JPEG-XS (TR-08) |
| MPEG-TS Processing | Transport Stream Muxer, Transport stream delay, Transport Stream, Demux |
Reflektor supports NMOS IS04 & IS05. Routing of sources to/from Reflektor is achieved using IS04/ISO5 NMOS & SDP.
VM Specifications | |
|---|---|
| Number of Inputs | |
| 2 Inputs per ACO | Silver ACO |
| # of vCPU (2.6GHz) | 14 |
| Memory In GB | 38 |
| Disk Space In GB | 50 |
| 4 Inputs per ACO | Gold ACO |
| # of vCPU (2.6GHz) | 26 |
| Memory In GB | 48 |
| Disk Space In GB | 50 |
Ordering Information
| RFK-SW | Reflektor Cloud Media Gateway |
|---|---|
| RFK-SW-1YR | Annual software license for Reflektor software stack |
Ordering Options | |
|---|---|
| RFK-CK-XPSHEVC-NDI | Channel key to enable NDI output from XPS HEVC input |
| RFK-CK-NDI-XPSHEVC | Channel key to enable HEVC XPS output from NDI input |
| RFK-CK-SRT | Channel key to enable 1x SRT Tx or Rx Stream Flows on Reflektor |
| RFK-CK-RIST | Channel key to enable 1x RIST Tx or Rx Stream flows on Reflektor |
| RFK-MFIO-A-2110-IO-1FLOW | Single service of video/audio/anc reflektor SRT or RIST or TS or UDP or to/or from 2110 with inline professional deinterlacing, rescaling and frame synchronization ptp synchronized and phase aligned as well as a MPEG2 or h264 or HEVC or jpeg2000 or jpegXS decoder or encoder as necessary. Each system output requires a channel key. In the case of single input with multiple outputs Magnum may opportunistically tap the signal path within Reflektor to optimize computation load as when possible. |
| RFK-CL-NDI-2110-IO-1FLOW | Single video/audio/anc service reflektor NDI to/or from 2110 with inline professional deinterlacing, rescaling and frame synchronization ptp synchronized and phase aligned. Each system output requires a channel key. In the case single input with multiple outputs Magnum may opportunistically tap the signal path within Reflektor to optimize computation load as when possible. |
| RFK-MFIO-A-2110-IO-1FLOW-ONDPD | On Demand Channel key to enabling a single service of video/audio/anc reflektor SRT or RIST or TS or UDP or to/or from 2110 with inline professional deinterlacing, rescaling and frame synchronization ptp synchronized and phase aligned as well as a MPEG2 or h264 or HEVC or jpeg2000 or jpegXS decoder or encoder as necessary. Each system output requires a channel key. In the case of single input with multiple outputs Magnum may opportunistically tap the signal path within Reflektor to optimize computation load as when possible. Per day of flow processed. |
| RFK-MFIO-A-2110-IO-1FLOW-ONDPM | On Demand Channel key to enabling a single service of video/audio/anc reflektor SRT or RIST or TS or UDP or to/or from 2110 with inline professional deinterlacing, rescaling and frame synchronization ptp synchronized and phase aligned as well as a MPEG2 or h264 or HEVC or jpeg2000 or jpegXS decoder or encoder as necessary. Each system output requires a channel key. In the case of single input with multiple outputs Magnum may opportunistically tap the signal path within Reflektor to optimize computation load as when possible. Per month of flow processed. |
| RFK-CL-NDI-2110-IO-1FLOW-ONDPD | On Demand Channel key to enabling a single video/audio/anc service reflektor NDI to/or from 2110 with inline professional deinterlacing, rescaling and frame synchronization ptp synchronized and phase aligned. Each system output requires a channel key. In the case single input with multiple outputs Magnum may opportunistically tap the signal path within Reflektor to optimize computation load as when possible. Per day of flow processed. |
| RFK-CL-NDI-2110-IO-1FLOW-ONDPM | On Demand Channel key to enabling a single video/audio/anc service reflektor NDI to/or from 2110 with inline professional deinterlacing, rescaling and frame synchronization ptp synchronized and phase aligned. Each system output requires a channel key. In the case single input with multiple outputs Magnum may opportunistically tap the signal path within Reflektor to optimize computation load as when possible. Per month of flow processed. |
| evX86-HW-G4 | Generic 2RU X86 server with redundant power supplies. Feature keys required to be purchased separately to enable functionality. |
| evX86-HW | Generic 2RU X86 hardware with 100G interface. |
Software Options | |
|---|---|
| MXP-SW-APP-ACO | IP Transport Stream ACO Application, must purchase MXP-SW-FK-XXX to enable functionality |
| MXP-SW-APP-TSM | IP Transport Stream Monitor Container Application. Must purchase MXP-SW-FK-XXXX to enable functionality |
Feature Key Options | |
|---|---|
| MXP-SW-FK-ACO | Feature key to enable 1 IP Transport Stream ACO on the 3482TXE-T2110. |
| MXP-SW-FK-TSM | Feature Key to enable one input of TSM Monitoring on a 3482MXP-VM-APP-XXXX |
| MXP-SW-SRTSRV | MediaFlow SRT Server software. Includes license for 128 users. Additional user licenses can be purchased separately. |
| MXP-CK-SRTENG-1U | Channel key for enabling of 1x SRT Tx or Rx Stream Flows on MXP-SW-SRT |