Built as a monitoring solution for IP and SDI/IP-encapsulated production environments, the VB440 delivers ultra-low latency analytics of compressed and uncompressed data to provide creatives and technicians alike with the deep insight they need to ensure error-free delivery of live and recorded broadcast, from any remote location across the globe.

In relation to the addition of HDR functionality, the VB440 starts from the point of being able to identify the type of coded stream coming in, be this HLG, PG, S-Log3, or a number of other standards, either through manual setting or through automatic recognition from ancillary data or NMOS signalling data. The user is then able to access any of the existing wide range of waveform scopes within the VB440 and apply them to this HDR stream. In addition though, the Graticule has been adjusted to accommodate the needs of HDR more comprehensively, including not only IRE but NITs graticules, as well as an ability to adjust Graticule sensitivity.

An HDR CIE Chromaticity scope has also been added which demonstrates the full colour gamut of a given video, and provides a number of options in order to suit the user’s need. Of course, since HDR still represents a transitional standard that has not fully penetrated the market, the VB440 also facilitates data and image visualization according to SDR parameters.

Whilst these data visualisations are key, what is most fundamental about the HDR capabilities of the VB440 is its ability to give a visual preview of an HDR output image through a non-HDR compatible browser. This is achieved by converting the specific codings of the HDR image into the sRGB colourspace of the browser, thus effectively ‘mimicking’ a localised preview of what the HDR output will be like for audiences. This is a unique and significant one-device-only capability that sets the VB440 apart from other technologies in the field, and provides unrivalled insight and control for creative production professionals.

More than this, because it facilitates full insight through any HTML5 browser with ultra low latency, the VB440 allows for full production capability to be achieved from anywhere in the world, in real time. The contribution this makes to outside, remote and distributed production cannot be understated – both in terms of facilitating exceptional production standards, but by also providing a browser-based tool, complementary to existing HDR-capable equipment.

Speaking of the new functionality, Bridge Technologies Chairman Simen Frostad said: “As broadcast technology develops, so too do viewer expectations, and with the rise of HDR-ready TVs, viewers are becoming increasingly discerning in relation to image quality. But this represents a problem in the field of broadcast production, because the ability to work with both SDR and HDR in tandem – particularly in live or remote contexts – is both challenging and potentially expensive. It is this challenge that the most recent addition to the VB440 probe addresses: a suite of unique, innovative new HDR tools which allow content producers to adapt their workflows to accommodate HDR in an efficient, accessible, intuitive and accurate manner”.

He continued: “This is just one of a range of additions we are making to the VB440 – including JPEG XS monitoring and a range of innovative audio monitoring tools - to ensure that it remains at the forefront of developing production standards, particularly those relating to ‘immersive’ viewing. We look forward to showing audiences at IBC the full potential of our award-winning IP production tool”.