Matek Uses Magewell Pro Capture SDI Cards for Linux-Based TV Headend Systems

Headquartered an hour outside of Boston in Hudson, Massachusetts, West Pond Enterprises develops products that enhance or enable in-house cable TV, RF and IPTV networks for markets including hospitality, digital signage and public/education/government (PEG) organizations.

West Pond initially sought a reliable, Linux-based capture card for their First Responder datacasting solution, which leverages over-the-air, digital television broadcast infrastructure to securely deliver live video and data to authorized public safety personnel without overloading cellular networks. High reliability was an obvious requirement given the mission-critical nature of the system, and making video connectivity simple and effortless was also important.

"The video interconnect to our systems must be as plug-and-play as possible, with users not having to worry about signal formats and compatibility," said Steve Hastings, President and CEO of West Pond Enterprises. "Anything less blemishes the overall functionality of the device, and could lead to higher technical support requirements. Our ability to support a variety of Linux kernels and hardware architectures is also important to us, so it too was a factor in our capture card selection."

West Pond learned of Magewell's Pro Capture family of PCI Express capture cards at the InfoComm Show, and found them to be a good fit. Furthermore, as the MX400 product line migrated from its original 2RU chassis to a more compact 1RU format, the cards' low-profile form factor enabled valuable space savings.

West Pond found the process of integrating the Magewell line straightforward, and the reliability of the cards flawless. "Our developers are very happy with Magewell's SDK and robust Linux drivers," praised Hastings. "And from a reliability standpoint, we're 100% satisfied; we've never had an issue.”

West Pond was also pleasantly surprised by their experience in working with Magewell distributor Mobile Video Devices (MVD). "Initially we dealt directly with Magewell, and when MVD became the local representative we were concerned about the addition of a middleman," said Hastings. "But the experience has turned out to be exceptional. MVD has gone above and beyond in their support of West Pond, and always represents us quickly in our interactions with Magewell."

In addition to the behind-the-scenes benefits that the use of Magewell products has brought to West Pond, the customer-facing advantages are even more valuable to the company. "The integration of Magewell capture cards into our solutions ensures our customers experience the superior quality they have come to expect from West Pond Enterprises," Hastings summarized. "We are a small company and want to focus on our software, not debugging interconnect issues our customers may have with various devices and video sources. The Magewell products enable us to do that.”