Extron Premiers the ‘Annotator’
Extron Electronics has introduced the Annotator, a high-performance, hardware-based annotation processor for video and computer-video sources.
Extron Electronics has introduced the Annotator, a high-performance, hardware-based annotation processor for video and computer-video sources.
Annotator
The Annotator features a graphical user interface (GUI) that allows a presenter to draw, point, or add text to electronic presentation materials using a touch screen and/or a keyboard and mouse. An integrated, seven-input, multiformat presentation switcher supports common analog and digital AV signal types. Three standard outputs are provided, including RGB, VGA, and Extron MTP-Mini Twisted Pair, with a performance scaling up to 2048×1080 and HDTV 1080p.
To ease integration, a configurable fourth output comes with optional DVI, HD-SDI, or scan converter output boards. According to the company, the Annotator works well in any AV presentation application that requires the overlay of graphic and text elements for emphasis.
“Traditional video annotation systems have been very complex, with switchers, outboard scalers, and other products required to support the annotation function in a typical presentation environment,” said Lee Dodson, vice president of marketing for Extron, in a statement. “The Extron Annotator simplifies system design and significantly reduces overall system cost by integrating the switcher, scaling, annotation, and image capture functions in a single, 1U enclosure.”
The Annotator can be used with popular touch-screen displays; two USB ports are provided to support multiple touch screens simultaneously via USB hubs. An on-screen display provides quick access to essential annotation tools for drawing freehand or lines, adding rectangular or elliptical shapes, typing in text, pointing to objects, and highlighting any area of the presentation. Additional annotation functions include the ability to zoom and pan within the image, freeze a live image, and save an image with annotation to a file.
The Annotator uses hardware-based graphics and video processing. For enhanced integration flexibility, the outputs of the Annotator can be configured as Preview and Program outputs, to give the presenter full access to the annotation GUI on a local preview monitor, while the audience sees just the annotated presentation.
