GEAR HEADS
Matrox ConvertIP Fresh from exhibiting with distribution partner Abcom at GITEX 2025, Cecilia Wills, Sales Director at Matrox Video, discusses how Matrox ConvertIP is powering next-generation IP video infrastructures across the Middle East.
How was the experience exhibiting with Abcom at GITEX this year? GITEX 2025 provided an outstanding platform for Matrox Video to connect with the Middle East market. Visitors showed strong interest in next-generation IP video workflows and broadcast/AV solutions. The event’s massive scale made it clear that GITEX has outgrown its traditional footprint, and the move to a larger venue of Expo city in 2026 will further support its momentum. Partnering with Abcom at the show strengthened our ability to engage directly with customers, demo real workflows, and highlight trusted, reliable solutions for the region’s booming event and AV integration sectors. What are the main features of Matrox ConvertIP that benefit end users? Matrox ConvertIP is a versatile family of ST 2110/IPMX encoders, decoders, and converters designed to form the backbone of openstandards–based IP video infrastructures. With multiple I/O options – including HDMI, SDI, and HDBaseT – ConvertIP enables users to route and distribute professional-grade video signals over IP networks while still using their trusted cameras, switchers, monitors, and projectors. A key advantage of ConvertIP is its standards-based interoperability. With support for ST 2110, NMOS, and IPMX-ready operation, it integrates seamlessly into mixed-vendor environments, helping rental firms, system integrators, and production crews reduce setup time and avoid compatibility issues. ConvertIP also supports both uncompressed Middle East
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and compressed workflows, including JPEGXS, allowing teams to allocate bandwidth efficiently. Uncompressed streams can be used for mission-critical screens and lowlatency stage feeds, while compressed streams are ideal for overflow areas, backstage monitoring, and other auxiliary viewing spaces. These devices maintain subframe latency and deliver full-fidelity video, including 4K60, HDR, and professional colour spaces. This ensures screens remain in sync across multi-display environments and that image quality is preserved for even the most demanding live-event applications. Designed for scalability, ConvertIP works across 1G to 25G networks and supports both copper and fibre infrastructures. This makes it easy for venues to expand, modernise, or hybridise systems without committing to a full network overhaul. Select ConvertIP models also offer quadview monitoring on a single display, providing operators with real-time visibility of multiple feeds without requiring additional equipment — ideal for control rooms, production racks, and event back-of-house operations. Why is ConvertIP well suited to the Middle East events market? The Middle East continues to host increasingly ambitious events from mega concerts to high-profile conferences and televised global spectacles. ConvertIP aligns perfectly with this market’s growing demand for flexible, scalable, future-proof AV infrastructure. ConvertIP makes it simple to deliver high-quality, low-
latency feeds to overflow spaces, remote studios, and online platforms, supporting modern hybrid event formats that have grown in popularity region-wide. With open-standard compatibility, rental and staging companies benefit from device interchangeability across suppliers, venues, and event types. This reduces logistical complexity and protects long-term investment. Middle Eastern venues – whether temporary or permanent – increasingly require adaptable IP-based systems, and ConvertIP scales easily from small productions to large, networked broadcast environments. What kind of support does Abcom offer to Matrox Video users in the Middle East? Abcom, one of Matrox’s long-standing partners in Dubai, provides end-to-end support for AV and IP-based deployments across the region. Their services include: a fully equipped demo and experience centre; hands-on demonstrations of ConvertIP and other Matrox Video solutions; expert pre-sales consultation; post-sales technical support and troubleshooting; training sessions for integrators, rental companies, and end users; and assistance with system design, configuration, and commissioning. Abcom’s knowledgeable team ensures that customers deploy solutions confidently and efficiently, whether for live events, control rooms, or corporate AV applications. Photo: Matrox Video www.video.matrox.com www.abcom.ae