Blog: why is this scaler proving so popular?

Is there a dearth of products on the market? A Google search for “universal scaler” brings up thousands of results. (It’s hard to believe that there are so many ways to clean a sink!) A better search for “universal video scaler” helps me get to the point: there are lots and lots of AV scalers on the market.

But something about the tvONE C2-2855 has clearly caught the industry’s attention. At Holdan, we’ve had huge interest in it from all sorts of customers, including for live events, AV installers and OB van builders. So is the functionality a breakthrough?

What does it do?

C2-2855 is a multi-format video scaler and signal converter, with plenty of digital (3G-SDI, HDMI, DVI) and analogue (YUV/YPbPr, RGB/YPbPr, CV, YC) inputs. It will fit into lots of HD and WUXGA workflows. One feed can be keyed (using chromakey or lumakey) against another, plus pictures can be zoomed from 10% to 1000% with full support for picture-in-picture (PIP) with lots of wipes and transitions. 

It also handles audio really well with stereo audio embedding. Unusually, it incorporates a 4x1 audio routing switcher with four unbalanced inputs that can follow the video input selection. It’s clearly well equipped. Buying the C2-2855 clearly saves customers having to invest in 2 or 3 separate devices so the tvONE saves space and money. 

It’s also very versatile, with the option to control using the control panel, remotely by RS-232, or over IP making it fit every workflow.

Results & Performance

And it also delivers excellent results. C2-2855 supports 4:4:4 RGB and 4:2:2 sampling, digital flicker elimination and motion compensation. The results are crisp, natural and dynamic. But surely great results should be taken for granted these days.

The Answer 

Sure, the features, functionality and quality do make a compelling case for the tvONE C2-2855. But I think there’s another reason for its popularity. 

Users of AV equipment can range from a seasoned AV professional to front desk receptionists. Scalers can be placed on a desk or integrated into a rack. And this is where the C2-2855 truly excels.

First, it can be set up in a third the time compared with earlier generation units. Second, the dynamic OLED display is incredibly easy to use and the illuminated control buttons are cleverly colour coded. Third, when in live use, the controls change from letting the user delve deep into the settings to providing essential shortcuts to key features. This gives novices the confidence to use it while videos are running and allows experts working under extreme pressure to operate the device quickly and easily. 

It’s the ease of use that has given the tvONE the edge.