Link Electronics HDC-925 Up/Down/Cross to SD/HD-SDI Converter with Noise Reduction

When it comes to professional video conversion, the HDC-925 1RU unit stands out as a comprehensive solution for up, down, and cross conversion. This high-performance converter is equipped with advanced features such as PixelMotion De-interlacing and Multidirectional Diagonal filter (MDDF) algorithms, which work together to significantly reduce jaggies on diagonal lines, enhancing the overall image quality.

One of the key features of the HDC-925 is its Per-Pixel Temporal Recursive Noise Reduction algorithm. This powerful tool effectively minimizes HD and SD video noise, ensuring a crisp and clear output. Moreover, the unit boasts a Flexview Aspect Ratio, a non-linear anamorphic aspect ratio specifically designed to convert 4:3 aspect ratio material to 16:9 aspect ratios. This unique feature eliminates the distortion typically associated with anamorphic stretching, leaving the center portion of the image untouched while providing increasing amounts of stretch towards the edges of the image.

The HDC-925 converter utilizes Teranex's HQV Technology, delivering unsurpassed image quality for the most demanding users. This versatile unit can handle a wide range of broadcasting formats at its inputs and outputs in either HD or SD formats. Inside, the HDC-925 houses a Silicon Optix Realta image processing engine that maximizes image processing capability, resulting in the best possible picture quality.

The user-friendly front panel of the HDC-925, coupled with its intuitive software, allows users to easily set up all functions of the unit. The converter also supports a variety of features including Broadcast Quality Processing, Up/Down/Cross Conversion, SD/HD SDI I/O, Noise Reduction, 8 Channels of Embedded Audio, WSS & RP186 Aspect Ratio Control, FlexView Aspect Ratio, Control And Status Via Web Browser, Full SD 608 & HD 708 Closed Caption Support, Black Burst/Tri-Level Gen-Lock, AFD Insertion, Audio Error Checking, Frame Synchronizer, Audio Delay, Video Proc Amp, DVI-I Output, HD Caption Line Select, 5 GPI Triggered Selection, ATC Ancellary Time Code Supported, Detail & Sharpness Enhancement, and Field Up-Gradable PixelMotion De-interlacing.

The HDC-925's Detail Enhancement feature is an edge-sharpening filter based on a traditional film compositing technique called "Unsharp Masking." This filter corrects any blurring introduced during image capture, compression, or resampling. Its adjustable noise reduction controls offer a greater degree of temporal recursive noise reduction with fewer artifacts, and a bias control allows the aggressiveness to be fine-tuned.

In situations where the highest image quality up- or down-conversion is necessary, the HDC-925 uses proprietary PixelMotion De-interlacing and Detail Enhancement combined with powerful array processing to provide the best image solution. The unit's automatic identification process determines whether the input material is video or film originated, applying the appropriate filter to recover the full vertical resolution of the input material. The result is a perfect progressive frame ready for further processing, with all the detail of the original interlaced image preserved and jaggies in the output image eliminated. The advanced 3:2 pull-down filter avoids frame rate conversion artifacts and provides the highest vertical resolution and motion quality. Once the image has been de-interlaced and up-converted, Detail Enhancement can be applied to further sharpen and enhance the output. This filter adds an additional level of image quality by helping to better define the detail in the up-converted image.