HOW TO DOWN CONVERT WHEN YOU'VE RUN OUT OF RACK SPACE (September 2009)

Crystal Vision has released Q-Down Mini – a new version of its popular broadcast down converter and distribution amplifier. Q-Down Mini is Crystal Vision's first minibox and has been designed for attaching directly to the back of SD monitors in space-challenged environments with no spare rack space.

Q-Down Mini is a down converter with two major advantages: a unique level of image quality in its price range (with its sophisticated two dimensional filtering which avoids aliasing while retaining picture sharpness) and a short processing delay of just 16 lines which eliminates the need to compensate audio signals for the video delay.

This customer-requested product was developed because Austrian broadcaster ORF could find no alternative standalone product with the same level of conversion quality or short delay for the HD upgrade of its OB vehicle, which was retaining most of its SD monitors and therefore required down converters.

Q-Down Mini features flexible outputs, with a reclocked loop-through of the HD or SD input, a dedicated SDI output and three Standard Definition outputs individually link selectable between analogue (composite, Y/C, YUV and RGB) and digital.

Q-Down Mini can down convert 720p and 1080i High Definition at both 50Hz and 59.94Hz, with the down converter bypassed if the input is Standard Definition. Q-Down Mini includes four alternative filter characteristics for those who want to optimise the performance for their material.

Q-Down Mini will also deal with any aspect ratio conversion requirements, with Anamorphic, Letterbox and centre cut conversions all available and selected by using switches on the box or GPIs.

Competitively priced and available with a separate power supply, the 160mm x 80mm x 25mm size of this minibox means it fits easily on the back of a monitor. Control comes from DIP switches accessed from outside the box, from GPIs and from links within the box. LEDs are used to indicate the presence of power and an active HD or SD serial input.

Principally designed to be used for providing down converted feeds for SD monitors but equally useful for any other down conversion applications, Q-Down Mini is shipping now.