The Framecastic Compact SDI Codec puts 4 or 8 SDI channels of hardware encoding and decoding into a small desktop chassis, for sites where four to eight channels do not justify a 1 RU rack server. Every channel is independently configurable as an encoder (SDI → IP) or a decoder (IP → SDI). It runs the same codec software and REST API as the rest of the Framecastic SDI range, and is available as a turn-key unit or as a software-only licence on the customer's own qualified Intel hardware.
Signal Flow: Each Channel Runs One Direction
Encode
SDI In
SDI capture card
Hardware Encode
H.264 / HEVC
MPEG-TS over IP
UDP · RTP · SRT · RIST
Decode
MPEG-TS over IP
UDP · RTP · SRT · RIST
Hardware Decode
H.264 / HEVC
SDI Out
SDI + stereo audio
Key Features
- 4 or 8 SDI channels, any encode / decode mix, set per channel
- Hardware H.264 and H.265 (HEVC) encode and decode
- HEVC 4:2:0 and 4:2:2, 8-bit and 10-bit, on both encode and decode
- Per-stream transport: UDP, RTP, SRT or RIST
- Either end may be caller or listener for SRT and RIST, independent of the media direction
- Selectable low-latency and normal-quality decode profile per stream
- Up to 16 embedded audio channels captured per SDI input on encode
- Arbitrary audio channel-to-track mapping on encode
- Decoder input also accepts RTMP/RTMPS, RTSP, HLS and HTTP(S), plus a local file with seamless loop and a built-in test pattern
- DSCP QoS marking per output, verified on the wire
- WireGuard dial-home to the central Hub for remote sites
- HTTPS web UI behind login, full REST API
- Available turn-key or as a software-only licence
Encoding (SDI → IP)
| Interface | SDI (BNC), SDI capture card |
| Video Codec | H.264 (4:2:0, 8-bit) · HEVC 4:2:0 and 4:2:2, 8 and 10-bit |
| Format validation | Not measured on this chassis. The figures published for the Portable Codec were measured on that product and do not transfer: sustained rate follows the silicon and the cooling, and this is a different box. Ask before quoting a format. |
| 1080i50 | The codec core is shared with the Portable Codec, where an interlaced input is carried with both fields intact but the encoded stream is progressive-coded and carries no field-order signalling. |
| Rate Control | True CBR, configurable up to 50 Mbps |
| Audio Codec | AAC, MPEG-1 Layer II, Opus, PCM (SMPTE 302M) |
Decoding (IP → SDI)
| Decode | H.264, HEVC 4:2:0 and 4:2:2, 8 and 10-bit. Hardware. |
| Embedded Audio Out | Stereo (2 channels) only, today |
| Decode Profile | Selectable low-latency or normal-quality buffering, per stream |
| Inputs Accepted | UDP, RTP, SRT, RIST, RTMP/RTMPS, RTSP, HLS, HTTP(S), local file (loop), built-in test pattern. These are inputs; the unit has no RTMP, HLS or WHIP output. |
Models
| FC-CDX-4 | 4-channel unit, 4-port SDI card, for example 4 enc · 2 enc + 2 dec · 3 enc + 1 dec. Turn-key or software-only; price on request. |
| FC-CDX-4-SW | Software-only licence, customer-qualified Intel box + 4-port SDI card |
| FC-CDX-8 | 8-channel unit, 8-port SDI card, for example 8 enc · 6 enc + 2 dec · 4 enc + 4 dec. Turn-key or software-only; price on request. |
| FC-CDX-8-SW | Software-only licence, customer-qualified Intel box + 8-port SDI card |
Software licences are perpetual: buy once, own it. An optional annual SLA covers support and firmware. Software-only deployments run on Qualified Intel hardware. Validated platforms include Intel N150 and Core 3 304 (Wildcat Lake). Supplied turn-key units ship pre-validated with the OS, kernel and GPU driver stack pinned.
Product
Management & Monitoring
| API | RESTful JSON (status, control, config) |
| Web UI | On-device dashboard, HTTPS, login required |
| Security | PBKDF2-HMAC-SHA256 password hashing, HMAC-signed sessions, lockout on failed logins, SSH key-only |
| Remote Access | WireGuard dial-home; registers with the central Hub |
| Updates | Applied by the manufacturer over a route the customer allows; no customer self-service update today |
Physical & Environmental, Warranty
| Form Factor | Compact desktop chassis (non-rack) |
| Platform | Qualified Intel N-series (validated: N150, Core 3 304) |
| SDI I/O | 4 or 8× BNC (model-dependent), SDI capture card |
| Environment | 0 °C to +40 °C · 10–90% RH, non-condensing |
| Regulatory | Certification status to be confirmed |
| Warranty | 2 years hardware, 1 year software updates, included |
Not in This Release
- No ST 2022-7 or other dual-path redundancy
- No timecode, closed captions, teletext or other ancillary data
- No RTMP, HLS or WHIP output, and no live video preview in the UI
- No local recording
- No SNMP or syslog forwarding
- No user roles, password policy, audit log, custom CA or 802.1X
- No authentication on the central Hub, and therefore no fleet-wide access control
- No customer-driven update
- No interlaced coding: the stream is progressive-coded and carries no field-order signalling
- No 16-channel decoder audio
- No NDI, Zixi, JPEG XS or Dolby passthrough
- No 4K/UHD, HDR, scaling or frame-rate conversion