StreamLabs Alpha Plus Composite Titler (Alpha Pro 2.0 Software)
DISCONTINUED
Composite version of Stream Alpha Titler with Software.
Stream Alpha cards and the Alpha Pro 2.0 software can be use in a wide range of applications:
- TV programs titling during editing and live broadcasting;
- TV program logotypes production;
- automated screening of current time, temperature, atmospheric pressure, and other similar information (additional equipment required);
- audience telephone polls during live broadcasts (additional equipment required);
- informational and graphical design of sports broadcasts;
- generation of various digital and analog clocks and timers;
- pre-scheduled broadcasting of informational and advertisement blocks;
- animation and video clips playback (in 4:4:4, 4:2:2, DV type 2, and AVI formats);
- subtitling.
Stream Alpha plus titler is designed for working with S-Video. The card has completely digital path of image shaping. It ensures better quality of the shaped signal and a better tie-in to input signal. The principle of inserting graphics into the passing signal without decoding is used in this card. The unique feature of the card is employment of a soft key signal in the process of working with a composite signal. That enables inserting a computer image into composite signal staying within brightness channel boundaries, avoiding color distortions (cross color) at the video-computer graphics boundaries.
Apart from analog mixing, digital mixing was added to Stream Alpha plus functions providing for input signal decoding. The card can be switched from passing signal mode to decoding mode. Though decoding and subsequent encoding introduces an essential delay (about 10 milliseconds), it enables the user to have a selection of input and output standards, and lower input signal quality requirements keeping high output signal quality.
In the course of graphics insert into the signal passing through the card without decoding sound signals and all support information pass intact. Graphics superposition over the passing signal is effected with the use of alpha channel with a palette, making it possible to regulate transparency level for every image point. Palette enables changing this transparency in the course of work, for example for applying Fade in/out effects without alpha channel copy.
The card has a stand-alone synchro generator that switches on automatically in absence of a synchronizing signal. On computer switch off or if BYPASS mode is on for all devices input and output are locked through the relay, the 75 Ohm load being switched off.
Alpha Pro 2.0, operating in Windows 98/2000 media enables creating scenarios (title sequences to be output with various effects) and play them back through the device for computer graphics superposition over TV/video signal. From the user's point of view it resembles a multi-window text processor, in which several scenarios can be edited and kept ready for output simultaneously. Besides, the same scenario can be opened in several separate windows, which simplifies text changing procedure in its various parts.
A scenario is paged, number of pages being unlimited. An individual video effect is related to every page determining its appearance, motion and fading out from video screen. The following effect types are supported: vertical text moving from bottom to top, Drum, Roll, infinite page moving horizontally from right to left (Creeping Line), Crawl, static page Cross Fade with a pause for display, Wipe, including user-defined, with adjustable transition softness, animation playback over static pages, effects with operating areas restricted to a certain part of the screen, animation symbols in Roll or Crawl pages. User-defined parameters for video effects are application area, speed and delay duration.
Stream Alpha cards and the Alpha Pro 2.0 software can be use in a wide range of applications:
- TV programs titling during editing and live broadcasting;
- TV program logotypes production;
- automated screening of current time, temperature, atmospheric pressure, and other similar information (additional equipment required);
- audience telephone polls during live broadcasts (additional equipment required);
- informational and graphical design of sports broadcasts;
- generation of various digital and analog clocks and timers;
- pre-scheduled broadcasting of informational and advertisement blocks;
- animation and video clips playback (in 4:4:4, 4:2:2, DV type 2, and AVI formats);
- subtitling.
Stream Alpha plus titler is designed for working with S-Video. The card has completely digital path of image shaping. It ensures better quality of the shaped signal and a better tie-in to input signal. The principle of inserting graphics into the passing signal without decoding is used in this card. The unique feature of the card is employment of a soft key signal in the process of working with a composite signal. That enables inserting a computer image into composite signal staying within brightness channel boundaries, avoiding color distortions (cross color) at the video-computer graphics boundaries.
Apart from analog mixing, digital mixing was added to Stream Alpha plus functions providing for input signal decoding. The card can be switched from passing signal mode to decoding mode. Though decoding and subsequent encoding introduces an essential delay (about 10 milliseconds), it enables the user to have a selection of input and output standards, and lower input signal quality requirements keeping high output signal quality.
In the course of graphics insert into the signal passing through the card without decoding sound signals and all support information pass intact. Graphics superposition over the passing signal is effected with the use of alpha channel with a palette, making it possible to regulate transparency level for every image point. Palette enables changing this transparency in the course of work, for example for applying Fade in/out effects without alpha channel copy.
The card has a stand-alone synchro generator that switches on automatically in absence of a synchronizing signal. On computer switch off or if BYPASS mode is on for all devices input and output are locked through the relay, the 75 Ohm load being switched off.
Alpha Pro 2.0, operating in Windows 98/2000 media enables creating scenarios (title sequences to be output with various effects) and play them back through the device for computer graphics superposition over TV/video signal. From the user's point of view it resembles a multi-window text processor, in which several scenarios can be edited and kept ready for output simultaneously. Besides, the same scenario can be opened in several separate windows, which simplifies text changing procedure in its various parts.
A scenario is paged, number of pages being unlimited. An individual video effect is related to every page determining its appearance, motion and fading out from video screen. The following effect types are supported: vertical text moving from bottom to top, Drum, Roll, infinite page moving horizontally from right to left (Creeping Line), Crawl, static page Cross Fade with a pause for display, Wipe, including user-defined, with adjustable transition softness, animation playback over static pages, effects with operating areas restricted to a certain part of the screen, animation symbols in Roll or Crawl pages. User-defined parameters for video effects are application area, speed and delay duration.
