Before Purchase

1. What problems need to be solved?
   Select a product group depending on the product functionality. Most requested categories:
   • TV broadcasting and streaming automation: broadcast control, title overlay, time shift – Forward TA, Forward TT, Forward TP;
   • organizing filming of news programs and TV shows in virtual scenery. Software mixer – virtual studio – All¹Mix;
   • live broadcasts of sports and other events with the possibility of live, slow-motion replays – Forward Goalkeeper;
   • workplace server of the stadium “Video Goal” system video referee – Forward Referee;
   • seamless splicing without reencoding (SCTE 35, SCTE 104, SCTE 118) – hardware or software Forward Splicer;
   • multi-camera recording to files with video synchronization (TV shows, live broadcasts) – Forward Ingest;
   • removing advertisements in the relayed signal – SLAdsRemover;
   • media planning, working with the video database and channel programming – Forward Office;
   • input/output board manufactured by SoftLab-NSK (OEM kit) for in-house developments: FD922, FD788, FD722, FD940, etc.
2. The number and types of signals at the system input and output.
   Select a product modification depending on the input and output signals: the number of signal sources / receivers, the transmission standard, and the input/output resolution. There are modifications that support:
   • NDI and IP protocols;
   • SDI (up to 12G);
   • ASI;
   • HDMI (1.4, 2.0), input only;
   • VGA modifications.
3. Assembly type (for hardware/software systems).
   Select the required option:
   • assembled video server;
   • product kit without computer;
   • turnkey solution – in this case, we will advise you on which integrator to contact.

This group includes Forward TT, Forward TA, Forward TP products. The products are suitable for the following tasks:

• retransmitting a signal from the headend with insertion of additional programs, advertisements and overlaid graphics;
• creating a TV channel with completely original content;
• superimposing titles onto a passing video signal;
• retransmitting with a time shift with rescheduling.

The table below will help you compare the products in this group by functionality (only the main feature set is shown).

Select the Forward TA, Forward TT, Forward TP product modification by answering the following questions:

1. The number of TV channels at the video server output.
2. The number of signals at the video server input.
3. Input/output signaling standard: SDI, HDMI (inputs only), NDI, TS over IP, TS over ASI, analog signals.
4. Output resolution: SD, HD, Ultra HD (4K).
5. If TV programs are broadcast via transport stream, select:
   • compression type: MPEG2, HEVC, AVC;
   • coding technology: Main Concept software; Intel Quick Sync Video hardware; NVidia hardware.

Visit the SoftLab-NSK booth at the nearest exhibition (see the exhibition calendar) to see systems based on our products in action, learn about our new products and plans.

We bring hardware and software systems that are ready for real work to every exhibition. Our engineers will demonstrate the functionality of the offered systems and will help you choose the product that suits your needs. You can get a demo version of the product you are interested in, along with an I / O board for testing (if available), and discuss the details of the purchase at the exhibition.

Request a demo of the product you are interested in from our sales team. The demo version of the product is provided for three months (the duration of the demo can be extended).

Please Note:

• In order to test a product that does not use I/O boards, we will issue a network key for you. This means that you can start working with the product immediately on the day you request the demo after specifying the product category and modification.
• In order to test a product based on an I/O board you will need to send us a letter of guarantee, upon receiving which we will send you a board and activate the demo.

The Forward Light mode allows you to study the functionality of the Forward TA, Forward TT, Forward TP products.

The Forward Light software is provided free of charge (go to the Forward Light software installer download page).

Use “Forward Light” to organize staff training. Using Forward Light, a user can create title projects, prepare a broadcast schedule, manage a broadcast. The broadcast can also be previewed.
Limitations of the Forward Light mode: there is no possibility of broadcasting a signal, there are no I / O board drivers or programs that require a board to work.

To get acquainted with the functionality of the FD922, FD788, FD722, FD940, FD720 I/O boards and evaluate the possibilities of using them in your solutions, please request a board for testing from our sales department. The board comes with a developer SDK. Test boards are provided free of charge. All you need is to send a letter of guarantee.

You can buy SoftLab-NSK products both through our dealers in Russia and abroad,and through the company’s sales department.

If you purchase a product from the SoftLab-NSK sales department, the following rules apply:

1. The issued invoice is valid for seven days.
2. When invoicing, the price of shipping the equipment to the customer location will be added to the price of the product and is calculated in accordance with the rates of the transport company.
3. The term of shipment of the finished video server is 30 days from the receipt of the payment invoice. Preparatory work to assemble the server, configure and test the system will be realized during this time.
4. Delivery is carried out throughout Russia and to other countries via transport companies.

To use any product of SoftLab-NSK you will need to activate the registration key on the computer where it is installed. If registration is not completed the product functions will be blocked.

The registration key is supplied with the product. It can be a special reg file (*.reg) linked to the board or a set of a HASP HL USB key / Netkey and a reg file (for products that do not use a board).

Important: When contacting technical support for questions related to registration (for example, in the case of the loss of a registration file), be sure to provide the serial number of the board / USB key number engraved on its surface.

A permanent registration key is issued when purchasing a product. Upon user request, a temporary key for a particular product can be additionally issued to familiarize a user with its capabilities.

Licenses for purchased products have no expiration date. Software updates are provided free of charge.

You can purchase products for broadcasting automation both as a turnkey video server and as a product kit without a computer. If assembling a video server yourself, we strongly recommend that you specify the configuration of the computer onto which the product will be installed with our technical support department.

General recommendations for video server configuration:

1. A computer running 64 bit Windows. See supported OS below.
2. A separate hard drive for the operating system, an SSD will work.
3. A separate hard drive for audiovisual materials. At least 500 GB of space is required for one channel in SD resolution, and at least 2 TB for one channel in HD resolution.
4. Two network cards in case of receiving / transmitting TV programs in a transport stream via IP. One is for the internal local network, the other is for receiving and generating an IP stream.
5. A video card.
   1. General recommendations: a separate video card is not required for graphics processing, the integrated graphics on the motherboard is sufficient. Therefore an additional video card is not required for all modifications that don’t transmit programs via transport stream.
   2. For modifications with hardware encoding based on NVIDIA technology (TV programs in MPEG-2 TS): a video card with NVENC support is required.
6. Required RAM: from 3-4 GB for a channel in SD resolution and from 6-8 GB for a channel in HD resolution.
7. A CPU.
   1. General recommendations: Intel, AMD processors are supported, starting from Intel Core 2 Duo (single broadcast channel in SD resolution). The CPU’s clock speed should not be lower than 2.8 – 3.0 GHz.
   2. For modifications with hardware encoding using the Intel Quick Sync Video graphics subsystem of the processor (TV programs in MPEG-2 TS) a processor with Intel Quick Sync Video support is required.

An example of an assembled turnkey system from SoftLab-NSK:

• CPU Intel Core I7 10700 (or equivalent in number of cores/threads and clock speed);
• motherboard for the selected processor, preferably Supermicro or Asus on Q, W or Z chipsets;
• cooler;
• RAM DDR4 8 GB x2;
• HDD 500 GB (for the system, an SSD or SSD M.2 will work);
• HDD 4 TB x2 (for data)
• Microsoft Windows 10 Pro 64Bit / Windows Server 2016/2019.

Product modifications for working with a transport stream with hardware encoding (Intel Quick Sync Video, NVENC):

1. Windows 10.
2. Windows Server 2016.
3. Windows Server 2019.

Products that do not use hardware encoding:

1. Windows 7 SP 1 (32/64 bit). 
   Security update KB 3033929 or KB 3035131 must be installed.
2. Windows 10 (32/64 bit)
3. Windows Server 2008 R2 SP 1. 
   Security update KB 3033929 or KB 3035131 must be installed.
4. Windows Server 2012 R2.
5. Windows Server 2016.
6. Windows Server 2019.

SoftLab-NSK products use video signal I/O boards of our own design and manufacture. Depending on the type of signals at the server input and output, the products include the following boards:

1. ASI, SDI: FD922/ FD722/ FD788 I/O board.
2. HDMI: FD720/ FD940 input board.
3. Modifications that work via IP, NDI do not contain SoftLab-NSK I/O boards (a computer network card is used), only software.

The All¹Mix software mixer can operate both on the basis of SoftLab-NSK I/O boards and on boards from other manufacturers (request information).