Arkona sharpens its BLADE//runner to cut costs, response to changing needs

Arkona Technologies, a German-based provider of IP core infrastructure solutions for professional broadcast, has released version 2.8 for its flagship BLADE//runner suite, which delivers ultra-low latency audio/video routing, compression and processing tools in live production environments. 

The new release continues Arkona’s commitment to delivering agile, high-performance control across software-defined broadcast infrastructures, and introduces several important enhancements that increase efficiency, interoperability, and creative flexibility. 

Chief amongst these changes is the introduction of a new licensing fee structure, designed to make user access simpler, easier and more cost effective.

Arkona’s BLADE//runner platform delivers a complete, software-defined ecosystem for real-time broadcast infrastructure, combining routing, processing and conversion within a single, scalable framework. Built on powerful Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) hardware such as the AT300, BLADE//runner enables broadcasters to perform demanding tasks like colour correction, high dynamic range (HDR)/standard dynamic range (SDR) conversion, audio processing, and JPEG-XS compression with ultra-low latency and high channel density. 

Its modular architecture allows users to dynamically deploy and reconfigure processing applications on demand, bridging SDI and IP domains with interoperability through open standards such as ST 2110 and Networked Media Open Specifications (NMOS). 

By collapsing traditionally separate hardware functions into a unified, software-defined platform, BLADE//runner gives broadcasters, live production companies and outside broadcast (OB) providers the flexibility to scale and adapt workflows in real time, whether managing hybrid infrastructures or migrating fully to IP. 

The result is greater efficiency, reduced rack space and power use, and a future-proof production environment that responds instantly to changing operational needs.

One of the most significant changes occurring under the 2.8 update is a restructuring of the underpinning licensing model, now overhauled to give users simple, comprehensive and flexible access to the functionality they need, when they need it, in a more cost-effective manner.

Previously, users would purchase licenses for each of the various app functions available on BLADE//runner. Now, with version 2.8, Arkona simplifies access by offering a ‘buffet’ of functionality which users can access without unnecessary impediment or administrative barriers. 

Erling Hedkvist, Sales & Business Development, Arkona Technologies, said, “Most important to our 2.8 update is our change to the licensing structure, which serves to reinforce a key Arkona concept — the idea of flexibility at the CORE.

“Across the board, our advancements serve to improve the capacity, functionality and usability of BLADE//runner – cementing us as a key player within the broadcast market. Now, under our own name and with full operational control, we are able to shape the user experience and product development roadmap directly, while still supporting our legacy systems.”