Hive Produces a Buzz at ISE 2025
Among the many companies that were exhibiting at the ISE Show in Barcelona last month was Hive Media Control, a company that specializes in media players and controlling software for high end A/V applications. The company’s website details a long list of prestigious projects around the world that have used the company’s technology.
Our attention was drawn to two of its ‘Beeblade’ media players that are built on the SDM architecture (Smart Display Module) that we wrote about a couple of years ago and developed by Intel. The concept was an extension of the OPS (Open Pluggable Specification) that was designed as a standardized way to add ‘smarts’ or alternative I/O facilities to ‘dumb’ displays. The idea was to allow display makers to include modular expansion ports, while other firms could also supply the modules. The displays could be flat panel LCDs or OLEDs, projectors or other display that can use an HDMI input. OPS was a popular technology and SDM builds on that.
Hive’s SDM Modules
Hive has a range of different SDM modules, based on Intel silicon, that can scale from a ‘Minima’ model that supports up to 2K x 2K I/O, through an Osmia module that can accept up to 4K at input or output, to the Pluto top of the range board that can input an 8K 60P media input while providing a 4K 60P HDMI 2.0 output. Using multiple modules connected together (or in Hive’s Beebox enclosure or 16 blade Beehive), the 8K input can be fed to multiple lower resolution displays that can be genlocked together. The firm claims that it can synchronize images across multiple devices with +/-5-microsecond accuracy
The Pluto module has an Intel IRIS Xe GPU, 32GB of DDR4 3200 and up to 4TB of storage. It can accept HEVC input at up to 800Mbps, for tremendous image quality. The Beeblades exploit the hardware in Intel processors to accelerate the video decoding process. As well as supporting a single 8K media layer, the unit can be configured for dual 4K layers and can drive HD outputs at up to 240FPS.
A major installation at Luna Park in Sydney, Australia, used 32 Beeblades in Beehive 5U enclosures (up to 16 in each) to drive Barco projectors from a ‘rack room’. A further ten Beeblades were used elswhere in the installation.
At the top of the range is the Beeblade Nexus. This is the first SDM module available in the market that can support 8K60P output with genlock, said the firm. The Nexus can support up to 8K60P displays using HDMI2.1 and it can also support SMPTE 2110 via a high speed 100Gb QSFP {Quad Small Form-factor Pluggable) fiber connection. 16 of the Nexus boards can be put in a single Beehive which, by our calculation, would mean up to 530 Megapixels of synchronized output! Hive believes it is the highest density media player on the market as a result. (If you know differently, please contact us!)
Software features of the control system include 10-bit HDR support and warping and blending for multi-projector set-ups. It uses Vioso software for display calibration and alignment.Â
The Panasonic ‘Global Teleport’ Experience
At ISE, Hive worked with Panasonic to produce a ‘Global Teleport’ experience. The installation used seven Panasonic projectors in a 180 degree blended curved screen to allow immersive views of many different parts of the world. The Beeblade SDM modules were integrated into the projectors (seven 25K output units for the main display with two 25K units illuminating the floor).
A live Unreal engine view of the world was projected onto the floor and was updated in real time to reflect the part of the world that was being shown on the screens. Hive see the capability to support live images from Unreal applications as a key advantage of its system.
Panasonic emphasized the cost and power efficiency and convenience of having the players inside the projectors. Especially at a trade show like ISE, it eliminated the need for a control room. The system was controlled using Hive’s own web-based UI system. Visitors were able to upload ‘postcards’ created with their cameras, using their smartphones. The images were converted to the correct aspect ratio, with the full screen image being created by AI. These were then uploaded to the main display, while the floor display showed the place in the world that the postcard was marked as coming from.
The two images used to cover the screen were each 8K so there was a total of 66MP on the main displays. The base video was created in 8K then upscaled (using Topaz) with four projectors showing one side and three showing the other. (there’s a brief explanation on YouTube here).
On its own booth at ISE, Hive had a fully loaded (16 8K modules) Beehive enclosure.
Beeblades can be configured for different aspect ratios and formats.
Another of the projects that uses the Beeblades is the ‘Frameless’ immersive gallery in London. There are four galleries within the facility (total area 30,000 sq ft/2,800 m2). The venue uses more than 50 Panasonic projectors (RQ22K & RQ35K as well as MZ16 series) to create immersive art experiences.
