Broadcast Sapphire HEVC User manual

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Sapphire HEVC Decoder User Manual
Sapphire
Sapphire Sapphire
Sapphire HEVC
HEVC HEVC
HEVC De
DeDe
Decoder
codercoder
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User Manual
User ManualUser Manual
User Manual
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1
Broadcast Wireless Systems Ltd
Unit 9, Swanwick Business Centre
Swanwick
Southampton
SO31 7GB
Phone: [phone]
Email:
[e-mail]

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Sapphire HEVC Decoder User Manual
Table of Contents
Table of Contents .................................................................................................................................... 2
Change History ........................................................................................................................................
About the User Manual ........................................................................................................................... 4
Warranty and Support ............................................................................................................................ 4
Introduction to the Sapphire HEVC Decoder .......................................................................................... 5
Safe Operating Procedures ..................................................................................................................... 6
EMC / Safety Approvals .......................................................................................................................... 6
Unpacking the Sapphire HEVC Decoder .................................................................................................. 7
Connecting to the Sapphire HEVC Decoder ............................................................................................ 8
Front Panel Status Indicators ................................................................................................................ 12
Changing Video Format UHD and HD ................................................................................................... 12
Ultra Low Delay vs. Low Delay .............................................................................................................. 12
Automatic Service Selection ................................................................................................................. 12
Using Genlock ....................................................................................................................................... 1
Front Panel Menus Structures .............................................................................................................. 14
Installing the Sapphire HEVC Decoder .................................................................................................. 19
Upgrading the Sapphire HEVC Decoder, and Front Panel .................................................................... 20
Connector Interfaces ............................................................................................................................ 21
Technical Specifications ........................................................................................................................ 2
Dimension Drawings ......................................................................................................................... 24

Sapphire HEVC Decoder User Manual
Change History
Version Date Change Summary Author
V1.0 1.4.2018 Initial Draft MB
V1.1 9.5.2018 Minor corrections & formatting SB

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Sapphire HEVC Decoder User Manual
About the User Manual
This user manual describes the operation of the Sapphire HEVC Decoder.
The user manual is split into two sections.
Section one is the user guide, in which the reader is introduced to the Sapphire HEVC
Decoder and its operation. The various control options are described. A guide to
installation of the system is given.
Section two is the technical section, the system specifications, dimensions and interfaces
are described.
Warranty and Support
All Broadcast Wireless Systems products are supplied as standard with a 12 month ‘Return
to Base’ warranty.
In the event of a suspected product failure, users should contact the Broadcast Wireless
Systems support team on the telephone at [phone] or please email us on
[e-mail]
Should the fault persist or if the support team are unable to resolve the fault, it may become
necessary to return the equipment.
Equipment should only be returned using the RMA (Returns Management Authorisation)
process, users should contact the support team on the number above and request an RMA
form and RMA number. Equipment can then be returned to:
Returns Department
Broadcast Wireless Systems Ltd
Unit 9, Swanwick Business Centre
Swanwick
Southampton
SO31 7GB

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Sapphire HEVC Decoder User Manual
Introduction to the Sapphire HEVC Decoder
Sapphire HEVC is a broadcast quality H.265 Decoder, offering exceptional compression
ratios on video resolutions up to 4K UHD. The Sapphire Decoder can be easily integrated
into existing Earth Station or MCR systems to provide a cost-effective upgrade to the latest
decoding technology.
HEVC compression offers significant bitrate savings over traditional H.264 solutions, this
saves broadcasters money on contribution bandwidth and is set to become the go-to
compression standard demanded by SNG Operators going forward. HEVC also supports the
new 4K UHD formats required for contribution as the additional efficiency of HEVC makes
wireless transmission of 4K possible from smaller, less powerful systems.
The Sapphire HEVC Decoder offers Downlink and MCR Operators a simple and cost-
effective method of upgrading their existing infrastructure to HEVC operation as it functions
as a ‘bolt-on’ to existing systems., rather than a complete replacement.
Sapphire is ultra-compact, delivering up to 2 x HD decode streams in a single half-width 1RU
enclosure, so can be integrated with minimal disturbance to existing rack layouts. To ensure
backwards-compatibility, legacy compression systems such as H.264 and MPEG2 are also
supported via the ASI or IP interface.
The decoder connects to existing receive equipment via a single ASI co-ax cable for easy
upgrade and several units can be looped together for decoding large MCPC signals.
Key Features
•Up to 50% bit-rate reduction compared with H.264
•Decoding of 2x simultaneous HD signals from a single half-rack unit
•Reception of true 4K UHD signals with HDR
•Ultra-low Latency for live applications
•IP and DVB-ASI in
•2x in 1RU rack kit for high density mounting
•Legacy H.264 and MPEG2 Decoding also supported*
Benefits
•Cost-Effective – 2x high quality HD decoders in a single unit
•Saves Rack Real-Estate – up to 4x HD decoders in a single 1RU!
•Software upgrade to 4K/UHD
•Cost-effective – uses existing IRDs & RF systems

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Sapphire HEVC Decoder User Manual
Safe Operating Procedures
•Operate within the environmental limits specified for the product.
•Only authorized, trained personnel should open the product. There are no functions
that require the User to gain access to the interior of the product.
EMC / Safety Approvals
The equipment has been designed to meet and has been tested against the following
harmonized EMC and safety standards:
EN 61000-3-2:2000
EN 61000-3-3:1995
EN 55022:1998, Class B
EN 61000-4-2:1995
EN 61000-4-3:1996
EN 61000-4-4:1995
EN 61000-4-5:1995
EN 61000-4-6:1996
EN 61000-4-11:1994
EN 60950:2000

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Sapphire HEVC Decoder User Manual
Unpacking the Sapphire HEVC Decoder
The Sapphire HEVC Decoder is provided in dedicated protective packaging as shown below.
The Sapphire HEVC Decoder custom packaging should be retained and reused in the event
that the Sapphire HEVC Decoder requires onward transportation.
The Sapphire HEVC Decoder is provided without cables, because it is equipped with
industry standard interfaces. The table below shows optional cables and interfaces can be
provided if required.
Optional Mounting Devices, Cables and Interfaces
-CAB_AUD: Second audio channel XLR breakout cable
-4K_Converter: 12G and Dual 6G Interface Converter
-19’’_Long_Ear: Mounting kit for single Sapphire into 19’’
-19’’_Kit: Mounting Kit for Dual Sapphire 19’’ Mounting

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Sapphire HEVC Decoder User Manual
Connecting to the Sapphire HEVC Decoder
There are two principle modes of operation for the Sapphire HEVC Decoder.
Mode 1: 4K Ultra HD Mode. The input video format is 4K Ultra HD
Mode 2: HD Mode. The input video format is HD video, this can be up to 4 separate HD
video services.
Connections in Mode 1 – 4K Ultra HD Mode
VIDEO 1 VIDEO 2 VIDEO 4 VIDEO 3
GENLOCK ASI OUTASI IN
AUDIO 1-L AUDIO 1-R NETWORK
SERIAL
AUDIO 2
1
12G2x 6GHDMI 2.0
SAPPHIRE
FORMAT
CONVERTER
(OPTION)
4x 3G
VIDEO 1 VIDEO 2 VIDEO 4 VIDEO 3
GENLOCK ASI OUTASI IN
AUDIO 1-L AUDIO 1-R NETWORK
SERIAL
AUDIO 2
4K MONITOR
IP NETWORK
CAB020 – SERIAL
CONTROL CABLE
(OPTION)
CAB021 –
BALANCED AUDIO
OUTPUT CABLE
(OPTION)
TRI-LEVEL SYNC
SAPPHIRE
ENCODER
SAPPHIRE
DECODER
L R L R L R L R
AUDIO
1
AUDIO
2
AUDIO
3
AUDIO
4
The primary connections in mode 1 are as follows:
-3G HDSDI signals from the camera to the Encoder and from the Decoder to the
monitor. NB: care should be taken to connect these in the correct order.
-Suitable quality coaxial cables should be used to allow the passage of 3.5GHz 3G
HDSDI signals.
-ASI Connection. The ASI interface from the Encoder to the Decoder is critical and
care should be taken to use an appropriate quality coaxial cable.

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Sapphire HEVC Decoder User Manual
Secondary Connections in mode 1 are as follows:
-Ethernet Network: Ethernet is only required for web browser control of the Sapphire
HEVC Decoder, or for Ethernet streaming applications. Both of these are only
supported in version 1.4 software or higher.
-Analogue Audio: These connections are only required if analogue audio is
employed.
Connections in Mode 2 – HD Mode
4
3
2
1
VIDEO1 VIDEO 2 VIDEO 4VIDEO3
GENLOCK ASI OUTASI IN
AUDIO1-L AUDIO1 -R NETWORK
SERIAL
AUDIO2 VIDEO 1 VIDEO 2 VIDE O 4VIDE O 3
GENLOCK ASI OUTASI IN
AUDIO1-L AUDIO1 -R NETWORK
SERIAL
AUDIO2
IP NETWORK
TRI-LEVEL SYNC
SAPPHIRE
ENCODER
2x SAPPHIRE
DECODERS
VIDEO 1 VIDEO 2 VIDE O 4VIDE O 3
GENLOCK ASI OUTASI IN
AUDIO1-L AUDIO 1-R NETW ORK
SERIAL
AUDIO 2
CAMERA 1
CAMERA 2
CAMERA 3
CAMERA 4
AUDIO 1
AUDIO 2
AUDIO 3
AUDIO 4
CONTROL &
MONITORING
The primary connections in mode 2 are as follows:
-3G HDSDI signals from the camera sources to the Encoder and from the Decoder to
the monitor. A minimum of 1 camera source is required. A maximum of 4 camera
sources can be connected. Inputs should be connected in order from 1 to 4 as
required. Good quality coaxial cables suitable for 3G-HDSDI should be employed.
-ASI Connection. The ASI interface from the Encoder to the Decoder is critical and
care should be taken to use an appropriate quality coaxial cable.
NB: although the Encoder is capable of encoding 4x HD signals, the decoder can
only handle 2x HD signals. It is therefore necessary to use 2x Sapphire decoders
per Sapphire Encoder when decoding 3 or 4 HD signals

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Sapphire HEVC Decoder User Manual
Secondary Connections in mode 2 are as follows:
-Ethernet Network: Ethernet is only required for web browser control of the Sapphire
HEVC Decoder, or for Ethernet streaming applications. Both of these are only
supported in version 1.4 software or higher.
-Analogue Audio: These connections are only required if analogue audio is
employed.

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Sapphire HEVC Decoder User Manual
Powering on and getting started with Sapphire HEVC
Decoder
With the primary connections in place as described previously, the Sapphire HEVC Decoder
is ready to be powered.
The Sapphire HEVC Decoder can be powered on by connecting an IEC mains cable to the
mains socket and setting the On/Off switch on the front panel to the On position. The front
panel switch will illuminate to show that the unit is On.
After approximately 45 seconds the front panel will move from its ‘Initialising’ screen to the
‘Status’ Menu.
For successful decoding the following key parameters must be correctly set to match the
video encoder. Incorrect setting of these parameters may result in errors in the decoder
stream or possibly no stream at all.
The key parameters can be set in the Configuration Menu (See Front panel Menu Structures
for more details).
Key Parameters
Mode 1: 4K Ultra HD Mode
VIDEO FORMAT: The Video Format must match the video encoder eg. 2160p50 or
2160p59
PIDS: All the PIDs (video, Audio, PRC and PMT) should match between the Sapphire
HEVC Decoder and decoder. Alternatively Service Select Auto mode can be used.
Mode 2: HD Mode
VIDEO FORMAT: The Video Format must match the video encoder eg. 1080p50
PIDS: All the PIDs (video, Audio, PRC and PMT) should match between the Sapphire
HEVC Decoder and decoder. Alternatively Service Select Auto mode can be used.

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Sapphire HEVC Decoder User Manual
Front Panel Status Indicators
Status data is presented on the front panel screen of the Sapphire HEVC Decoder.
The front panel screen has two key status indicators.
ASI Lock
ASI Lock status is available from the Status Screen. To achieve ASI lock, a suitable ASI
transport stream should be connected to the ASI input connector.
Temperature
Temperature status is available from the front panel unit menu. Temperatures should be
below 85 degC for correct operation.
Changing Video Format UHD and HD
The switch between Mode 1 (4K Ultra HD Mode) and Mode 2 (HD Mode), is achieved using
the VIDEO FORMAT command from the configuration menus. The selected VIDEO
FORMAT must match the video format generated by the encoder.
Ultra Low Delay vs. Low Delay
The Sapphire HEVC Decoder has two styles of decoding, Ultra Low Delay and Low Delay.
In Ultra Low Delay the Decoder is optimised to minimise end to end video latency. The
latencies shown below can be achieved when using a Sapphire HEVC Encoder and
Decoder in Ultra Low Delay mode.
4K Ultra HD 59p (2SI format) = 66ms
4K Ultra HD 50p (2SI format) = 75ms
HD 1080 59p = 55ms
HD 1080 50p = 70ms
HD 1080 59i = 83ms
HD 1080 50i = 98ms
In Ultra Low Delay mode the Encoder is not optimised to achieve best image quality. In user
scenarios where signal delay is not a key concern, then Low Latency rather than Ultra Low
Latency should be employed. In low latency mode a noticeable improvement in image
quality can be achieved for a given bitrate.
Automatic Service Selection
Users can avoid the manual setting of PIDs (Packet Identifiers) by selecting SERVICE
SELECT = AUTO in the configuration menu. Invoking this mode forces the Sapphire HEVC
Decoder to use the PSI (Program Service Information) in the transport stream from the
encoder to select the service.

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Sapphire HEVC Decoder User Manual
Using Genlock
The Sapphire HEVC Decoder has a Genlock function.
Users wishing to Genlock the decoder should connect a suitable Trilevel Sync or Black and
Burst signal to the Genlock input on the rear of the decoder. The sync signal should be of
the same video format as is being decoded by the Sapphire HEVC decoder.
When Genlock mode is selected the Sapphire HEVC Decoder must first achieve lock to the
Genlock signal, lock can be established by looking at the Genlock Lock status in the status
menus. Achieving lock can take 30-40 seconds.
Once Genlock Lock has been achieved, users can make Line and Pixel adjustments can be
made using the Genlock Line Offset and Genlock Pixel Offset commands in the
configuration menu.
Line offsets can be made in the range 0 to frame length -1.
Pixel adjustments can be made in the range 0 to line length -1.

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Sapphire HEVC Decoder User Manual
Front Panel Menus Structures
Control of the Sapphire HEVC Decoder is achieved by using the Front Panel Display.
During boot up the front panel display will show the text ‘INITIALISING…’. This will last for
approximately 45 seconds. Until the ‘Status’ screen is shown. The Home screen is the
default screen for the Sapphire HEVC Decoder.
Sapphire HEVC Decoder Status Screen
The Sapphire HEVC Decoder menu system is navigated using the two front panel buttons.
Left Button: is a press only button and is for cancel and return.
Right Button: is a 5 way joystick (press for enter, Left, Right, Up, Down)
Pressing the left Cancel button will enter the Top Level Menus as shown below.
Front Panel buttons have the following functions.
Cancel Button: Enter top level menus, exit menus and cancel operation
Joystick Press: To enter and select a new value
Joystick Left: To move the cursor left
Joystick Right: To move the cursor right
Joystick Up: To move up in a list or increment a value
Joystick Down: To move down in a list or decrement a value
Cancel/Return
button
Joystick button: Enter
(centre), Left, Right,
U
p, Do n

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Sapphire HEVC Decoder User Manual
Status Menu
The Home menu displays the following information
Video format
ASI input lock status
Navigating the Sapphire HEVC Decoder Menus
The Enter and Cancel buttons can be used to Navigate the menu structure as shown below.
UHD HEVC Decoder
2160p50 ASI: Lock
Status Menu
Status
Configuration
Unit
See Unit Menu
See Configuration Menu
Top Level Menu
Configuration Menu
Unit Menu
Cancel
Enter
Enter
Enter
See Status Menu
Status Menu

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Sapphire HEVC Decoder User Manual
The Configuration Menu Structure
The Configuration menu structure with example settings is shown below. The up and down
joystick button is used to navigate between menus.
VIDEO FORMAT
2160p50
SAMPLE FORMAT
SQD
LATENCY MODE
Ultra Low Delay
SERVICE SELECT MODE
Manual
MANUAL VIDEO PID
100
MANUAL AUDIO PID
200
MANUAL PCR PID
257
MANUAL PMT PID
256
GENLOCK MODE
Off
GENLOCK LINE OFFSET
0
GENLOCK PIXEL OFFSET
0
VIDEO FAIL MODE
Freeze

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Sapphire HEVC Decoder User Manual
Status Menu Structure
The Status menu structure with example settings is shown below. The up and down joystick
button is used to navigate between menus.
Status Menu 1 is shown below and is used to indicate selected video format and ASI Input
lock status.
UHD HEVC DECODER
2160p50 ASI : LOCK
Status Menu 2 is shown below and is used to indicate service and PID information
Service 1
Video PID: 100
Audio PID: 200
Status Menu 3 is shown below and provides the IP Address
IP Address
192.168.0.13
The Unit Menu Structure
The Unit menu structure with example settings is shown below. The up and down joystick
button is used to navigate between menus.
IP ADDRESS

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Sapphire HEVC Decoder User Manual
192.168.0.215
DHCP
OFF
SOFTWARE VER
B110 V1.3b6
CTRL V1.3b1
TEMPERATURE
PSU 53.8
FPGA 68.3

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Sapphire HEVC Decoder User Manual
Installing the Sapphire HEVC Decoder
The Sapphire HEVC Decoder is designed for 19’’ Rack or desk mount operation. The
Sapphire HEVC Decoder is not suitable for outdoor use. Care should be taken when
installing the Sapphire HEVC Decoder to not obstruct the air vents on the side of the unit,
obstruction of these vents can cause overheating and subsequent damage.
For 19’’ Rack mounting there are two options.
Option 1 allows a single Sapphire HEVC Decoder to be mounted in a 19’’ rack by using the
19’’ Long Ear Rack Mount bracket option as shown below.
Option 2 allows two Sapphire HEVC Decoders to be mounted in a 19’’ rack by using the Dual
19’’ Mounting bracket kit as shown above.

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Sapphire HEVC Decoder User Manual
Upgrading the Sapphire HEVC Decoder, and Front Panel
For Sapphire HEVC Decoders web update of code is possible.
To carry out a web update follow the procedure below.
From a PC with a suitable browser application such as’ Firefox’ or ‘Chrome’, navigate to the
IP address of the Sapphire HEVC Decoder. The iP address can be found on the front panel
menus.
Note that as of version 1.2 there is an outstanding issue with the web server, which can at
times respond with a “Server unavailable” page/message. Normally power cycling the unit is
sufficient to resolve it so try this if you encounter this issue.
After downloading the file to the unit, when you see the transfer completed page, please
power cycle and wait approx. 10 minutes for the upgrade to complete. This is mostly due to
the codec chip firmware update.
1) Enter the IP address of the Sapphire HEVC Decoder, the web browser should show:
2) Click on Browse
3) Select the release tar file (e.g. B110_vx.y.tar)