The 2012 Ryder Cup golf tournament at Medinah Country Club and 2012 London Olympic Games were just two of this year’s big events with live and televised production where crews relied upon the expanding range of ProPlex data distribution devices and cable options from TMB. The ProPlex line of devices includes GBS Gigabit Ethernet Switches, IQ Ethernet-DMX converters, DMX/RDM Opto-Splitters and forthcoming (early 2013) RMT remote media transceivers for multiplexed DVI transmission and distribution. ProPlex cable options are also expanding, including DMX, Cat5e and fiber optic cable and assembly/snake options now available, and TMB also recently introduced its ProPlex RDMigo touch-screen tester/controller and 8-Track devices for DMX record/playback and backup.
Rigged and Configurable
With reliability of paramount importance, TMB says its ProPlex components have been designed to take a considerable amount of abuse. The ProPlex “blue boxes,” in both rack-mount or portable-mount configurations, feature Neutrik connectors, shock-mounted circuitry and advanced thermal management.
Another key aspect of the ProPlex line of products is flexibility in configuration. The 1U and 2U rack-mount ProPlex GBS Gigabit Ethernet switches, for example, which feature 10 or 28 auto-switching ports, have a moveable port module design that lets connectors be added, removed or swapped front to back for customized, gig-specific wiring setups.
Data Distribution
Here’s a closer look at some of the key features and options relating to specific ProPlex devices for data distribution:
ProPlex GBS: Designed for portable entertainment and staging applications involving high-volume streams of multicast video, audio and lighting data, ProPlex GBS gigabit Ethernet switches are available in portable and rack mount versions.
The portable mount options include Mini (5-port) and Standard (8-port) devices. The rack-mount options (see picture, top of this page) include 1U (10-port) and 2U (28-port) versions. All are built with Neutrik connectors. Unmanaged versions are standard; managed versions of the rack mount units are optional.
Price range: : $2,450-$7,600.
ProPlex IQ: Also available in portable and rack-mount versions, TMB’s ProPlex IQ Ethernet/DMX converters
provide users with bi-directional Ethernet-DMX (sACN/ArtNet) conversion. Two options — IQ One 4 and IQ One 8 — convert between Ethernet and four or eight universes of DMX, respectively.
The devices feature web interfaces as well as front-panel controls. They are also designed for intuitive operation and rugged, reliable performance with Neutrik connecters, including a new fiber-optic devices featuring OpticalCON connectors.
Price Range: $2,085-$4,960.
ProPlex Opto-Splitters: ProPlex DMX and RDM Opto-Splitters are also available in rack-mount and mini-portable mount versions. Both are available with full RDM or DMX-only functionality.
The rack-mount opto-splitters feature two DMX inputs that are individually switchable between 4 or 8 isolated outputs. The DMX units feature a regeneration option for degraded signals. An RDM defeat option is also available with the RDM units.
The portable mount versions include the Opto-Splitter Mini RDM, a one-in, one-thru, four-out unit; the Opto-Splitter Mini RDM Wireless, with built-in LumenRadio wireless control (one-thru, four-out, plus switchable wired input); and a more basic DMX-only Mini 1×5 unit.
Price Range: $875-$2,285.
ProPlex RMT: ProPlex Remote Media Transceiver systems, featuring multiplexed DVI transmission and distribution over fiber optic cable, are due out in early 2013.
The three available RMT DVI models include a rack-mount transmitter (4- or 8-way ); rack-mount receiver (4- or 8-way); and portable-mount (BSH) transceiver (4-way).
TMB says the new RMT technology will be able to multiplex four single-link, 220 MHz DVI signals over one strand of fiber, effectively enabling up to 16 discrete full-bandwidth HD DVI signals to propagate over one quad-core ProPlex Fibre cable.
When combined with ProPlex GBS, users will alternately be able to transmit eight DVI signals plus Gigabit Ethernet over one ProPlex Fibre cable.
TMB also notes that because transmitters will include buffered monitor output and DVI Parrot EDID management functionality on each video input, users will be able to close a display EDID or create custom EDID files.
ProPlex RMT will also provide full bandwidth “DA” monitor output per DVI channel on its transmitter units. Users will be able to choose between end-to-end or multi-point transmission, and a ProPlex Fibre Splitter option will be able to send up to eight DVI signals to each of four discrete receivers.
Price Range: $4,895-$10,950 (projected).
More Products
ProPlex Fibre: Also touted for durability, ProPlex Fibre wraps its fiber optic core in Kevlar Aramid, galvanized steel and a military-grade jacket designed to combine impact, crush and cut resistance with an easy-to-coil, kink-free design. A four-fiber configuration (OM3 multi-mode/TAC4) is standard; single-mode and other configurations can be special-ordered. ProPlex Fibre assemblies with Neutrik OpticalCON Quad connectors and protective caps are also available.
ProPlex Fibre is available in 1.5-, 5-, 30- and 150-meter lengths. The 150-meter option comes packed on a reel in its own travel case; other lengths are shipped in a protective Cordura carrying bag. Alternate assembly lengths can be special-ordered.
ProPlex RDMigo: This RDM/DMX hand-held touch screen tester/controller is designed to let users control and monitor one universe in real-time. Its touch screen interface is geared for simplicity and ease-of-use, with control via a slider or numeric input. Compact for portability, it runs for up to eight hours via a lithium battery.
Price: $2,665.
ProPlex 8-Track: TMB offers four models of these compact, stand-alone DMX record/playback and backup devices: Standard (with eight static scenes); Plus (seven static + 1 dynamic scene); Super (eight dynamic scenes) and IQ (with the ability to play back static scenes from ProPlex IQ). Users can play one scene at a time, or several at once, and the devices each offer main and backup DMX inputs for a single universe of data.
Price range: $995-$1,160.
For more information, please visit www.tmb.com.
