Pro-Optics Launches Industry's First 60 km Uncompressed 12G-SDI Optical Extender, Solving Long-Haul Ultra-HD Transport
2026-06-06
New FPGA-powered device carries two 12G-SDI 4K/UHD video channels plus dual Gigabit Ethernet over a single optical fiber at distances up to 60 kilometers — with zero compression, zero latency, and full SMPTE ST 178 pathological pattern compliance
[City, Date] — Pro-Optics, a specialist in advanced fiber optic transmission solutions for the broadcast and media industry, today announced the availability of its 2×12G-SDI and 2×GE over 60km Long Reach Optical Extender — an FPGA-based platform that solves the two technical barriers that have made uncompressed 12G-SDI transport beyond 20 km impractical for broadcasters worldwide.
The Problem: Why 60 km 12G-SDI Has Remained Out of Reach
As broadcasters worldwide transition from HD to 4K/UHD production, the demand for long-distance transport of uncompressed 12G-SDI signals has grown dramatically. Live sports production, remote stadium cameras, and OB-to-studio links all require ultra-high-definition video to travel dozens of kilometers with zero quality loss. Yet two fundamental technical barriers have blocked this — until now.
Barrier one: receiver sensitivity. At 11.88 Gbps, optical power attenuates severely over long fiber runs. Standard optical transceiver designs cannot deliver the receiver sensitivity margins required to sustain a reliable 12G-SDI link at 60 km. Barrier two: chromatic dispersion at 1550 nm. The 1550 nm wavelength window provides the lowest fiber attenuation available — essential for long-reach applications — but chromatic dispersion at this wavelength progressively distorts high-speed waveforms over distance, imposing a hard ceiling on uncompressed SDI transport range.
Add to these the pathological pattern challenge: SDI's wide spectral footprint carries significant low-frequency energy under worst-case signal conditions. This low-frequency content is uniquely destructive to high-speed optical links at long distances, representing the benchmark that separates credible 60 km solutions from those that fail in real-world broadcast environments.
The Pro-Optics Solution: FPGA Demultiplexing Architecture
Pro-Optics engineers addressed all three barriers simultaneously through a proprietary FPGA-based demultiplexing engine. At the transmitter unit, the FPGA transparently splits each incoming 12G-SDI signal into four parallel 3G-SDI optical streams. Each stream travels independently over the single-mode fiber at a bitrate well within proven optical power budget limits — eliminating both the receiver sensitivity problem and chromatic dispersion sensitivity in a single architectural step.
At the receiving end, a complementary FPGA re-multiplexes the four streams seamlessly back into a single, full-quality 12G-SDI ultra-HD output. The result is uncompressed 4K/UHD video transport over 60 km of single-mode, single fiber — with zero compression artifacts, no perceptible latency, and full SMPTE ST 178 pathological pattern compliance.
"Long-haul 12G-SDI has been an unresolved problem for production facilities that depend on fiber infrastructure across large distances. Our FPGA demultiplexing architecture closes that gap — delivering contribution-quality 4K video transport that broadcasters can deploy over existing single-mode fiber plants," said a Pro-Optics spokesperson.
Key Features and Specifications
12G-SDI and Gigabit Ethernet in a Single Fiber
The extender carries two independent 12G-SDI ultra-HD video channels and two independent Gigabit Ethernet channels over a single optical fiber strand — up to 60 km of standard single-mode fiber. Both SDI channels include loop outputs for local monitoring without interrupting the fiber link.
Automatic SDI Rate Detection — Plug and Play
The unit automatically identifies incoming signal formats across the full SDI family: 12G-SDI, 6G-SDI, 3G-SDI, HD-SDI, and SD-SDI — with no manual rate configuration required. This makes the extender future-proof for mixed-format broadcast environments and simplifies installation for systems integrators.
SMPTE ST 178 Pathological Pattern Compliance
The product passes the full SDI pathological pattern stress test — the industry's most rigorous signal integrity benchmark — ensuring that signal quality is maintained under the most demanding real-world transmission conditions.
Comprehensive Front-Panel and Web-Based Management
Operators gain complete visibility through a front-panel LCD display showing laser wavelength, transmit and receive optical power levels, module temperature, dual PSU voltages, per-channel signal I/O status, and remote-end status readback — enabling each unit to monitor the operating state of its far-end counterpart. Dedicated LED indicators provide at-a-glance SDI, optical link, and power status. A fully integrated web-based management GUI supports remote monitoring and configuration from any standard browser, with both DHCP and static IP addressing, and NTP time synchronization.
Broadcast-Grade Reliability
Redundant AC + DC dual power supplies operate independently with automatic seamless failover, ensuring uninterrupted operation even during a power source failure — a critical requirement for live broadcast applications. The unit ships in a standard 1U 19-inch rack-mount chassis and is CE certified.
Full Technical Specifications
| Parameter | Specification |
|---|
| SDI Channels | 2× 12G/6G/3G/HD/SD-SDI (auto-detect) with loop outputs |
| Ethernet Channels | 2× GE (RJ45, 10/100/1000 Mbps auto-negotiation) |
| SDI Output Level | 800 mV P-P ±10% |
| Maximum SDI Jitter | ≤ 0.3 UI at 11.88 Gbps |
| SDI Wavelengths (CWDM) | 1470 / 1490 / 1510 / 1530 / 1550 / 1570 / 1590 / 1610 nm |
| GE Wavelengths | 1430 / 1450 nm |
| Transmit Power | 0 ~ +2 dBm per channel |
| Receive Sensitivity | –22 ~ –3 dBm (pathological pattern tested) |
| Max Transmission Distance | 60 km, single-mode single fiber |
| Optical Connectors | LC/PC, SC/PC, or FC/PC (optional) |
| AC Power | 100–265 V, < 30 W, CE certified |
| DC Power | 9–18 V, < 30 W |
| Form Factor | 1U 19-inch rack, 430 × 230 × 43 mm |
Target Applications
The Pro-Optics 60 km 12G-SDI Long Reach Optical Extender is designed for:
Live sports broadcast and outside broadcast (OB) production — transporting 4K/UHD camera signals from remote venues to production centers over existing dark fiber
Stadium and arena broadcast infrastructure — connecting distributed camera positions to central production facilities
Teleport and satellite uplink facilities — delivering uncompressed contribution feeds to uplink equipment
Campus and enterprise media networks — distributing 12G-SDI across multi-building fiber plants
Post-production and content distribution — lossless interconnection between distributed production facilities
Government, defense, and public safety video networks — reliable uncompressed video transport for mission-critical applications
Availability
The Pro-Optics 2×12G-SDI and 2×GE over 60km Long Reach Optical Extender is available now through Pro-Optics' global distribution network. For pricing, technical consultation, and regional availability, contact Pro-Optics directly at www.pro-optics.com.
