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Sapphire HEVC Decoder User Manual
Front Panel Status Indicators
Status data is presented on the front panel screen of the Sapphire HEVC Decoder.
The front panel screen has two key status indicators.
ASI Lock
ASI Lock status is available from the Status Screen. To achieve ASI lock, a suitable ASI
transport stream should be connected to the ASI input connector.
Temperature
Temperature status is available from the front panel unit menu. Temperatures should be
below 85 degC for correct operation.
Changing Video Format UHD and HD
The switch between Mode 1 (4K Ultra HD Mode) and Mode 2 (HD Mode), is achieved using
the VIDEO FORMAT command from the configuration menus. The selected VIDEO
FORMAT must match the video format generated by the encoder.
Ultra Low Delay vs. Low Delay
The Sapphire HEVC Decoder has two styles of decoding, Ultra Low Delay and Low Delay.
In Ultra Low Delay the Decoder is optimised to minimise end to end video latency. The
latencies shown below can be achieved when using a Sapphire HEVC Encoder and
Decoder in Ultra Low Delay mode.
4K Ultra HD 59p (2SI format) = 66ms
4K Ultra HD 50p (2SI format) = 75ms
HD 1080 59p = 55ms
HD 1080 50p = 70ms
HD 1080 59i = 83ms
HD 1080 50i = 98ms
In Ultra Low Delay mode the Encoder is not optimised to achieve best image quality. In user
scenarios where signal delay is not a key concern, then Low Latency rather than Ultra Low
Latency should be employed. In low latency mode a noticeable improvement in image
quality can be achieved for a given bitrate.
Automatic Service Selection
Users can avoid the manual setting of PIDs (Packet Identifiers) by selecting SERVICE
SELECT = AUTO in the configuration menu. Invoking this mode forces the Sapphire HEVC
Decoder to use the PSI (Program Service Information) in the transport stream from the
encoder to select the service.
