Blackmagic Design 2110 IP Presentation Converter

Front USB-C and controls

The front has a USB-C port for a laptop, a 2.2″ color display, three buttons and a spin knob for menus and settings. A speaker with an on/off button and a 6.35 mm headphone output allow audio checks right at the podium.

HDMI, USB-C, XLR and 10G Ethernet in one place

The HDMI output for the projector can be switched between the video input and the 2110 IP return feed. Two combination XLR/TRS inputs work at mic and line level and support +48 V phantom power; there are also two balanced XLR outputs for the PA and a headphone output.

A laptop powered by the converter

The front and rear USB-C ports receive video from the computer and charge it with up to 45 W, so the presenter needs no charger of their own. The HDMI input cannot capture copy protected content.

IP video in practice

Blackmagic Design offers a wide range of SMPTE-2110 IP video products – converters, video monitors, audio monitors and even cameras. They support Ultra HD over low-cost 10G Ethernet. Most converters are bidirectional, so they suit cameras that need an extra channel for program return. The rack mount models have an elegant front panel with a color LCD display for monitoring, menus and diagnostics. All models conform to the SMPTE ST-2110 standard including PTP synchronization and support NMOS, so connections can be made from a video router panel. The 2110 IP Mini models are small enough to hide behind other equipment, while the rack mount models are set up directly from the front panel.

Blackmagic 2110 IP converters integrate SDI equipment into an SMPTE-2110 video infrastructure and offer an affordable way to move all your equipment to this technology. Simply connect them to switchers, disk recorders, streaming processors, cameras, monitors and other equipment. The SMPTE ST-2110 standard specifies the transport, synchronization and description of 10-bit video, audio and ancillary data over IP networks. The converters can re-sync SDI inputs to the PTP clock or lock external equipment to a reference output generated from PTP. They support 10-bit video and SD, HD and Ultra HD standards up to 2160p60; they change to a new standard automatically when the input changes, and multi-channel models can run a different standard on each channel.

Blackmagic 2110 IP converters come with RJ-45 connectors for common Cat6 cables or with SFP slots for optical modules. Cat6 cables dramatically lower the cost of an SMPTE-2110 system – they are simple to make and 10G Ethernet switches are very common. A major challenge of SMPTE-2110 is the need for an IT technician on hand to keep the IP video system running. Blackmagic converters solve this because they can be connected point to point without a complex network switch. You still keep the benefits of SMPTE-2110 IP video: simple Ethernet cables, power over the cable and bidirectional video.

In larger SMPTE-2110 systems, such as broadcast, all equipment is plugged into a network switch and connections between devices are made with its configuration tool, much like a traditional video router. Blackmagic 2110 IP products also support the NMOS protocol: setup is more complex but offers great flexibility. With NMOS, all 2110 IP devices can work together as one large virtual router; Videohub Smart Control can also route sources in 2110 IP networks, as it works as an NMOS controller.

Thanks to 10G Ethernet, Blackmagic SMPTE-2110 video products can be smaller, more efficient and more affordable, and they can be powered over the network cable. For uncompressed 10-bit Ultra HD above 30 frames per second, however, 10G Ethernet does not have enough bandwidth. The answer is the Blackmagic IP10 codec: it has a low latency of 8 samples, is based on an open standard with no license fees and, as a lightweight codec, uses very little FPGA power, so compatible SMPTE-2110 products stay affordable.

Features of Blackmagic 2110 IP converters

• All converters conform to the SMPTE-2110 IP video standard
• Choose miniature converters or 19″ rack mount models
• Use common 10G Ethernet networks for low-cost installation
• SDI inputs re-synced to the PTP clock
• NMOS support for building a virtual router
• Low latency, open standard Blackmagic IP10 codec
• All SD, HD and Ultra HD standards up to 2160p60