FOR-A, a leading manufacturer of video and audio systems for the broadcast and professional video industries, will introduce the MFR-5000 Series of routing switchers at the 2010 NAB Show in Las Vegas, Nev., April 12-15 (Booth C5219). The new MFR-5000 series offers multi-format support of 3G, HD, SD, ASI, AES, and RS-422 signals, and up to 10 units can be configured individually and linked together for customized, large-scale routing solutions.
“We are proud to bring FOR-A 3G routing support to the U.S. for the first time at NAB. The MFR-5000 Series offers lots of flexibility,” said Hiro Tanoue, president, FOR-A Corporation of America. “It can be scaled and configured to fit the needs of small and large operations, and it provides the multi-format support needed for today’s complex digital production environment.”
Each input board is configured in units of 16 channels, and up to eight boards can be installed together in the 8 RU case of the MFR-5000. All boards and power units can be exchanged from the front without removing any cables connected in the back.
A matrix of up to 128 input/128 output can be configured in each case – and by linking multiple cases, they can support up to 1,204 inputs. Because each signal is automatically recognized, it can be operated regardless of the type of signal.
FOR-A offers several remote control units to build a flexible control environment. One routing switcher can be virtually partitioned to build any theoretical hierarchy, which allows for various operating forms. In a fully independent switcher, for example, a single case can be used as multiple routing switchers if multiple matrix partitions are made. This makes it possible to do multiple operations while avoiding source sharing. Partitions could also be used for HD/SD simultaneous switching, video and key, or 3D applications.
The MFR-5000 offers a variety of redundancy, including direct control of the main unit, distributed control when using multiple units, a redundant CPU for backing up settings data manually, and manual settings backup to a PC. Optional network and power source redundancies are available. The router also includes SNMP support for remote monitoring.
The MFR-5000 enables tally linking with FOR-A’s HANABI Series of digital video switchers, and its MV Series multi-viewers. When switching between sources on the MFR-5000 side, the source name displayed by the video switcher or multi-viewer can also change automatically. With support for TSL and Harris protocols, the MFR-5000 can link to products from other companies as well.
The MFR-5000 will be available in July 2010.