Crestron DigitalMedia NVX Series Guide

DigitalMedia™ NVX Series System
Design Guide
Crestron Electronics, Inc.

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Design Guide – DOC. 7977CContents •i
Contents
Introduction 1
How NVX Works 1
NVX Design 2
NVX Endpoint Design .................................................................................................... 2
SFP-1G Modules .................................................................................................... 4
XIO Director ............................................................................................................ 5
Endpoint Bandwidth Design and Management ....................................................... 5
Endpoint Design Considerations ............................................................................. 6
NVX System Design....................................................................................................... 8
NVX System Design Overview................................................................................. 8
Network Topologies .............................................................................................. 10
Network Multicast Functionality............................................................................. 13
Network Security................................................................................................... 14
Network Design Considerations ............................................................................ 14
NVX System Installation 16
NVX Endpoint Installation............................................................................................. 16
NVX Network Installation.............................................................................................. 19
Crestron Service Provider Handoff............................................................................... 20
Case Studies 21
Case Study #1: Community College 4K AV Distribution via Network ........................... 21
Case Study #2: 4K Residential AV Distribution Network .............................................. 23
Case Study #3: 4K AV Distribution over Fiber.............................................................. 25
Glossary 27

Design Guide – DOC. 7977C DigitalMedia NVX Series System •1
DigitalMedia NVX Series System
Introduction
This document is provided as an aid to the design and installation of networked video and
audio distribution systems using the Crestron®DM-NVX series line of products.
NVX is the world’s first digital video distribution system capable of switching thousands of
4K video sources and displays at 60 frames per second with full 4:4:4 color sampling, High
Dynamic Range (HDR), and low latency over long distances using flexible commodity
Gigabit Ethernet fiber and copper network infrastructure.
With additional features for security, web-based configuration, local end-point video source
switching, video wall, remote USB peripheral control, and analog audio source switching
and playout, NVX is ideal for any application where scalability and flexibility with lower
deployment cost per endpoint is required.
For additional details on functionality and configuration, refer to the DM-NVX Series
Supplemental Guide (Doc. 7839) at www.crestron.com/manuals.
How NVX Works
Video distribution technology has evolved considerably since the emergence of analog video
switching and amplification. Digital video carried over interfaces such as HDMI®technology
has enabled high-quality experiences for average consumers. Despite this, inherent
limitations from the perspective of scale, coverage distance, installation flexibility, and
features persist because of the extreme high bandwidth imposed by uncompressed video
interfaces such as HDMI and HDBaseT®technology, particularly at 4K resolutions. Yet the
emergence of high-speed commodity network hardware and low-cost computing power
has revolutionized long-distance, high-quality streaming video distribution on both private
networks and the public Internet.
The cornerstone of NVX’s ability to leverage Gigabit Ethernet infrastructure is the JPEG
2000 compression format. Unlike traditional JPEG or MPEG that breaks images down into
blocks to remove visually redundant information, JPEG 2000 uses a method called
wavelet-based compression. This type of compression, in conjunction with the high bit rates
afforded by Gigabit Ethernet, recreates images with visually imperceptible losses in quality,
even when compared to an uncompressed version of the original.
NVX can easily switch and move many video sources using Gigabit Ethernet infrastructure,
resulting in considerable cost savings versus moving uncompressed lossless 4K 60 frames
per second 4:4:4 video. More significantly, this bandwidth savings allows NVX to scale up
the number of video sources and displays to much higher levels than is possible with
uncompressed sources, with no additional latency (due to the close integration with the
scaler during the decoding process).

2•DigitalMedia NVX Series System Design Guide – DOC. 7977C
NVX sends and receives video and audio by encapsulating it in an MPEG-2 Transport
Stream (TS), then sending that transport stream using Real-time Transport Protocol (RTP)
and Real-time Streaming Protocol (RTSP) over multicast Universal Datagram Protocol
(UDP). This allows NVX to distribute video from one source to thousands of receivers on the
network without resorting to inefficient unicast point-to-point links that would make
high-quality, multipoint video distribution impossible.
Every NVX endpoint is dynamically configurable as either an output transmitter (encoder) or
a receiver (decoder), using stand-alone endpoints as well as add-in cards in an NVX card
chassis for denser aggregation of inputs and outputs.
NVX Design
Designing a network for NVX requires a concerted effort in gathering information and
planning to implement correctly. This design guide assists the system designer in
understanding the implications of NVX functionality on endpoints and the network.
Throughout this process, ensure that the interaction between designer, installer,
programmer, and end user is considered in all design decisions.
NVX Endpoint Design
The basic building block of an NVX system is the encoder and decoder endpoint. There are
two primary types of endpoints available to the designer: stand-alone endpoints and
chassis-based cards. Each endpoint is capable of operating as an encoder or as a decoder
at a given time; specifically, one input or one output of an NVX endpoint is available as a
TS/RTP/RTSP/UDP stream to and from one or more NVX endpoints.
Networking infrastructure is essential to NVX functionality, as all endpoints must connect to
a purpose-designed nonblocking, multicast-enabled switched network in order to function
correctly. The selection of appropriate network infrastructure components is essential to
successful NVX implementations that can be reconfigured and maintained upon
deployment.
NVX Endpoint Hardware Overview and Features
There are four models of DM®NVX hardware as follows:
•The DM-NVX-350 and the DM-NVX-351 are stand-alone endpoints with IR and
serial control, discrete device console connections via RJ45 and USB, and manual
setup and reset buttons.
•The DM-NVX-350C and the DM-NVX-351C are card-based endpoints without IR
and serial control that are used in conjunction with the DMF-CI-8 8-card chassis for
sources in close proximity to a rack or for high endpoint density applications.
The DM-NVX-351 and DM-NVX-351C are also capable of downmixing a multichannel audio
source carried over HDMI.

Design Guide – DOC. 7977C DigitalMedia NVX Series System •3
DM-NVX-350 and DM-NVX-351 Front Panel
DM-NVX-350 and DM-NVX-351 Rear Panel
DM-NVX-350C and DM-NVX-351C Front View
All endpoints, stand-alone or card-based, have the following physical connectivity:
•Two switchable local HDMI inputs for 4K 60fps 4:4:4 HDR video and multichannel
audio
•One local HDMI output for 4K 60 fps 4:4:4 HDR video and multichannel audio
•One analog stereo balanced line-level input and output audio port, capable of local
insertion of audio, replacement of HDMI source audio, or playout of audio
•Two RJ45 Gigabit Ethernet ports capable of 330 ft (100 m) distances over shielded
Cat 5e/6/6a cable
•One SFP Gigabit Ethernet port for optional optical connection using Crestron
SFP-1G transceiver modules
•One USB 2.0 host port for connecting a USB host, such as a PC
•One USB 2.0 device port for connecting keyboards, mice, and other peripherals
DM-NVX Hardware Model Differences
Product Form Factor Audio
Downmix
Card Chassis
Required
IR Out Serial Out
DM-NVX-350 Stand-alone No No Yes Yes
DM-NVX-350C Card No Yes No No
DM-NVX-351 Stand-alone Yes No Yes Yes
DM-NVX-351C Card Yes Yes No No

4•DigitalMedia NVX Series System Design Guide – DOC. 7977C
Other key features available on all NVX hardware models include the following:
•Integrated Security: Every NVX endpoint integrates security features, including
802.1x using TLS or MS-CHAP v2 authentication, Active Directory®service support
for endpoint management, audio and video stream encryption, secure Crestron IP
device control, and secure device console access.
•CEC Control: Consumer Electronic Control messages can be passed between
endpoints, allowing for easy control of source and display devices that support
CEC.
•USB Routing: USB 2.0 may be routed from one NVX endpoint to another,
independently of video and audio routing. One device must be configured as a USB
host while the other device must be configured as a USB device port.
•3D Surround Audio Support: Endpoints can pass through audio for 3D speaker
configurations, as well as traditional 5.1 and 7.1 multichannel surround audio, with
lossless audio support; a DM-NVX-351 or DM-NVX-351C is required for generating
a stereo downmix if required.
•Secondary Audio: Encoders can generate a secondary audio stream that may be
routed independently of the primary AV stream. The secondary audio stream is
stereo LPCM only. If primary audio is multichannel content, a DM-NVX-351 or
DM-NVX-351C is required to downmix for the secondary audio stream.
•LAN Port Switch: A built-in three-port LAN switch is connected to the two RJ45
and one SFP module cage, enabling daisy chaining of endpoints and control of
third-party devices in addition to primary NVX video stream I/O.
•Power-over-LAN: An RJ45 LAN port is provided with built-in Power-over-LAN
power injection to provide power directly to an end device without an external
power supply, and compatible with the DM-PSU-ULTRA-MIDSPAN.
•Video Wall: Up to 64 displays can be daisy chained across endpoints to provide
multi-display video wall capability, with each endpoint providing fully customizable
bezel compensation and zoom on any part of the source video.
For additional details on functionality and configuration, refer to the DM-NVX Series
Supplemental Guide (Doc. 7839), the DM-NVX-350/DM-NVX-351 DO Guide (7799), and the
DM-NVX-350C/DM-NVX-351C DO Guide (7975).
SFP-1G Modules
The SFP-1G family of modules are specifically designed for NVX to be able to enable
additional gigabit network connectivity options for endpoints. While not technically required
for endpoint functionality, SFP-1G modules enable fiber connectivity at much greater
distances than traditional copper.
The available Crestron-certified SFP-1G modules include the following:
•SFP-1G-SX: 850 nm multimode fiber connections up to 1640 ft (550 m) over LC-
terminated OM3 or OM4 fiber
•SFP-1G-LX: 1310 nm single-mode fiber connections up to 6.2 mi (10 km) using
LC-terminated G.652 fiber
•SFP-1G-BX-U: 1310 nm/1490 nm single-mode fiber uplink connections up to 6.2
mi (10 km) using LC-terminated G.652 fiber
•SFP-1G-BX-D: 1310 nm/1490 nm single-mode fiber downlink connections up to
6.2mi (10 km) using LC-terminated G.652 fiber

Design Guide – DOC. 7977C DigitalMedia NVX Series System •5
SFP-1G Modules
For each endpoint, the connectivity options and distance requirements will determine the
appropriate module to install.
XIO Director
Older pre-NVX digital video switch products did not make use of external network
equipment in the video switching path, opting instead to handle such switching in a
centralized card-based chassis and switch matrix. Due to the complexities of network video
management, and to bridge the gap between traditional AV designers and more
network-oriented AV designers and IT staff, XIO Director provides a comprehensive NVX
configuration and signal routing tool.
Crestron XIO Director's web-based interface emulates a traditional hardware-based
interface that allows users to automatically discover, configure, and route signals in an NVX
network. XIO Director also offers domain grouping of individual subsystems, custom
endpoint naming and search, XML-based device map file import and export for rapid
configuration of multiple endpoints, along with logging, diagnostics, and SNMP messaging
support for easy administration of NVX networks.
For additional information on XIO Director, please contact a Crestron sales representative.
Endpoint Bandwidth Design and Management
A single DM NVX network link can carry the following data streams:
•Primary Audio/Video stream: This is the video and audio from an HDMI input
(or inserted via the audio line in the port) that is encoded and sent to the network
for decoding by a remote endpoint.
•Secondary audio stream: Every encoder may generate a secondary audio stream
that may be sent independently of the primary AV stream.
•USB device and host traffic: This is USB data from the NVX device or host port.
•Other Ethernet traffic: This traffic includes control data as well as data from NVX
network ports connected to third-party devices such as displays or cameras, as
well as network protocol traffic such as DHCP, DNS, or RADIUS for 802.1x.
The default settings should be sufficient for most installations. They may, be adjusted to
accommodate unique situations. Since USB 2.0 can support up to 480 Mbps of traffic, this
exceeds the default bandwidth reservations in the forward direction and may need to be
adjusted for high-bandwidth devices. Devices such as keyboards and mice can consume
anywhere between 0.1 Mbit/s sustained and 12 Mbit/s peak, whereas mass storage and
web cameras can sustain up to 100 Mbit/s or more and peak at the USB 2.0 limit of 480
Mbit/s. It is recommended to contact the manufacturer of the USB device to confirm both
the sustained and peak bandwidth of the device to be connected.

6•DigitalMedia NVX Series System Design Guide – DOC. 7977C
Ethernet bandwidth ratings are bidirectional, so full USB 2.0 bandwidth is supported in the
reverse direction. Consider an NVX installation in which video from a PC is encoded and
sent to a decoder at a display, and in which a high-bandwidth USB camera at the display is
sending USB video back to the PC. While the sum of all traffic in this case may exceed a
gigabit, the traffic in each direction is less than one gigabit and no bandwidth issues will
exist.
Bidirectional Bandwidth under 1 Gbps Example
Conversely, an encoder that attempts to send 900 Mbps video and 480 Mbps USB 2.0
traffic will exceed the maximum network link bandwidth of 1 Gbps and fail.
Failed Link with Required Bandwidth Greater than 1 Gbps Example
For additional information on bandwidth management and configuration settings, refer to
the DM-NVX Series Supplemental Guide (Doc. 7839).
Endpoint Design Considerations
With the basic tools for NVX endpoints available, the designer must carefully consider a
number of factors for each endpoint to implement an optimal configuration for the
installation. The design considerations include the following:
•If rack-mount sources are required or a high density of endpoints are in proximity to
each other in distance, use DM-NVX-350C or DM-NVX-351C card versions of the
endpoints instead of the DM-NVX-350 or DM-NVX-351 stand-alone endpoints.
•If simultaneous stereo downmix alongside multichannel audio output is required,
use DM-NVX-351 or DM-NVX-351C instead of the DM-NVX-350 and DM-NVX-
350C.