Digital Rapids Corporation


digi_rapids_logo_blue.jpg (17861 bytes)Digital Rapids is based in Canada. Their business is focused purely on video streaming products - they don't make anything else. Digital Rapids' hardware approach to streaming ensures high quality at every stage of the encoding process with the added benefit of simple turnkey functionality. Although a new company, the key staff of Digital Rapids have been involved in the design of video hardware for 15 years, winning numerous awards for pioneering work and technology in the field of broadcast video engineering.

The company's rich programming experience is directly related to the advent of digital video on personal computers, including the first PC based video processing solutions (1984/5), the first PC based full motion video playback systems (1987), and some of the pioneering work in animation, motion capture, and stop motion technologies. It is this blend of traditional broadcast video processing technology and leading edge software engineering and processes that form the foundation of Digital Rapids Corporation.

Key benefits of Digital Rapids products include:-

  • Hardware video processing
  • Advanced noise reduction
  • Professional quality video & audio inputs including SDI & DV
  • Hardware audio EQ & processing (compression, expansion)
  • Dedicated software control application
  • Simultaneous multiple streams, bitrates & formats

Media Encoding

The DRC cards and Stream Pro software can be installed in any fast PC to produce a versatile media encoding station capable of realtime encoding of any video input to virtually any media format. The software can also be used to batch-transcode from any of the supported formats. Typical uses include MPEG2 encoding for DVD production. The DRC1500, for example, has a full range of audio & video inputs, including:-

  • SDI
  • 1394 (Firewire)
  • YUV (component)
  • Y/C (S-Video)
  • Composite video
  • Balanced audio (on XLR)
  • Un-balanced audio (on phonos)

Stream Pro v2.1 software - features include:-

- Auto DVD : Tape to authored DVD format, ready to burn to DVD **
- Multichannel audio support for AVI, WAV and WM9 files (and for AC3 if you purchase that option)
- Thumbnail capture : Capture a still image at the tape in-point **
- Sorenson ACE : MPEG4 with AAC audio, fast QuickTime, Flash (.flv,.swf ) **
- MPEG2 streaming : Stream MPEG-2 over UDP with low-latency **
- More Windows Media : Windows Media 9.5 advanced codec support
- Watch Folders : Drag and drop files for automated transcoding **
- Clip Lists : Automatically transcode lists of files **
- Encrypt archive file after encoding; Decrypt using Package Decryptor tool.**
- E-mail notification : Auto Email when a project is complete **
- FTP distribution : Automatically upload your encoded media **
- Copper distribution : Secure, wirespeed media delivery directly from within StreamPro **

** Not included in the LE version. Stream  v2.1 LE is now the standard software package included with all DRC 1000/2000 series cards. It can be upgraded to include some extra features like RS422 Deck-control/Batch Capture if the full version upgrade is not required. The following chart shows which features (x) are included in each version, with paid-for options shown as (o).

Some Key Features

Stream LE 2.1

StreamPro 2.1

StreamEnterprise 2.1

File inputs/outputs

x

x

x

Live video and audio inputs

x

x

x

Live video and audio preprocessing

x

x

x

Live video streaming: WM9 + Real

x

x

x

Live MPEG Streaming

o

x

x

Sorenson ACE file creation: MP4, MP3, AVC (H.264), Flash

o

x

x

AC3 audio file options

o

o

o

Deck Control

o

x

x

Batch Mode for encoding

 

x

x

Clip List (batch transcoding)

 

x

x

Image sequence input/output

 

x

x

Watch Folder

 

x

x

Post encode command

 

x

x

DVD Publish from Deck Control

 

x

x

Email notification

 

x

x

FTP

 

x

x

Publish codec level tags

x

x

x

Publish project level tags

 

x

x

Encrypt/Decrypt

 

x

x

Remote control by Stream Java app

 

 

x


DRC-Stream

The most powerful video and audio capture and processing available, multi-threaded and SMP optimised drivers and low level software, and an intuitive user interface all designed with one purpose in mind. Uncompromising quality for network based video.

Real-Time hardware based Video pre-processing


(per channel)
Motion adaptive de-interlacing
Vertical Temporal de-interlacing
3:2 and 2:2 film process de-interlacing (inverse telecine)
Arbitrary Shrink/Zoom
Motion Adaptive 3D noise reduction
2D bandwidth limiting (independent horiz and vert)
Aspect Ratio conversion
Cropping
Colour balance and correction

 digi_rapids_box.jpg (9817 bytes)
Key Features


A 64 bit 66Mhz design, the Stream hardware platform features the most comprehensive and versatile video and audio capture, processing, and mixing capabilities available.

Real-time Hardware based Audio processing


20 bit internal processing
7- Band Parametric EQ (4/8)
Dynamic Range Compression
Hardware Sample Rate Converter
Bass and Treble control
4/8 Channel Mix
Volume Control
Additional Features


Real-time audio/video capture and streaming
Real-time media encode to Real and Windows Media formats at multiple bitrates and resolutions
Single and Dual Channel Systems, PAL or NTSC
Integrated Web Server for monitoring and control
XML based Parameter integrates with existing web solutions
Broadcast Quality Record/Batch Processing (StreamForge)
Compatible with LAN and SAN installations

Other capture cards for media encoding include Vitec MPEG Profiler & Viewcast Osprey

Note - all prices quoted on this site are UK pounds - ex VAT & delivery

Digital Rapids - Media Encoding Servers and Cards Price
StreamZ Turnkey Streaming Media Encoders

from 3,995.00

All DRC cards include Stream 2.1 LE software and breakout cable for AV inputs.

  
DRC-500     Composite/S-Video input “Streaming Media encoder” half length PCI card 625.00
DRC-500 MPEG    as DRC-500 plus MPEG output 695.00
DRC-1000     Single Component/Composite/S-Video & Audio inputs 1,525.00
DRC-1400     Single SDI/Component/Composite/S-Video & Audio inputs 1,995.00
DRC-1500     Single SDI/1394-DV/Component/Composite/S-Video & Audio inputs 2,325.00
DRC-2000     Dual Component/Composite/S-Video & Audio inputs 2,195.00
DRC-2600     Dual SDI/1394-DV/Component/Composite/S-Video & Audio inputs 2,995.00
DRC-6510     Single channel PCI-Ex card. Captures via dual-link/3G*, HD-SDI, SDI; 16 ch audio over SDI.  *dual-link/ 3G ingest will be a free upgrade in a future release        4,450.00
DRC-6510     Single channel PCI-Ex card. Captures via dual-link/3G*, HD-SDI, SDI; 16 ch audio over SDI, plus analogue a/v inputs  *dual-link/ 3G will be a free upgrade TBA         5,100.00
Stream LE 3.0 upgrade from Stream LE 2.5          290.00

Stream FE 3.0 software upgrade from Stream LE - with additional features including Sorenson ACE & MPEG2 Streaming.

 1,395.00

StreamPro 2.5 or Stream Enterprise 2.5 upgrade to Stream FE 3.0

 850.00
AC3 Stereo - add AC3 Dolby Digital stereo encoding to your Stream software via the SurCode codec 349.00
AC3 Surround - add AC3 Dolby Digital 5.1 surround encoding via the SurCode codec 595.00
Sorenson ACE - as an add-on to Stream Pro 1.5 or LE if the full 2.1 upgrade is not required 250.00
On2 VP6 Flash 8 Codec for encoding, transcoding and archiving to files. Not for streaming. 395.00
On2 VP6 Flash 8 Codec for live streaming, encoding, transcoding and archiving to files. 1195.00
On2 VP6 Flash 8 Codec  Streaming upgrade for file encoder. 825.00

Stream BOB              Breakout Box for all Audio Video inputs to DRC-1000/1500/2000/2500

350.00

What we're about . . .      ZEN is not a traditional Audio-Visual dealer who started selling computers, nor is it a computer shop that also sells video editing systems. You won't get any salesmen giving you the "hard-sell" when you call, just straightforward advice and information - which for some callers is the knowledge that they don't need to buy whatever it is they thought they needed! Above all you'll be dealing with someone with a wide range of experience and knowledge of both PCs and video production. We're not the biggest, nor necessarily the cheapest, but we are one of the longest established computer/video specialists in the UK.

Company history . . .      ZEN was started in the 1980s by Martin Kay, then working for ITV at Granada's Manchester studios, who built his first 6502-based computer in 1979 from an Ohio Scientific kit, bought in the USA whilst working as a Sound Recordist on a film shoot for World In Action. With the advent of the Amiga, which could be gen-locked to a video source, Martin started writing a variety of video-related software. This included subtitling & tele-prompting, ident clocks, scoring software for sports & gameshows, and specialist software to mimic other computer displays for use in TV film dramas like Cracker, Prime Suspect and A Touch of Frost. Martin left Granada in 1993 to concentrate on his computer-video activities with ZEN, following a natural path into non-linear editing systems, now the main focus of the business, although he still maintains an active interest in video production.

ZEN - Home Page Phone 0161 736 5300 Copyright © 2010 Zen Computer Services.
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Revised: 04 May, 2010