ESE HD-488E SDI Time Code Reader/Generator/Inserter

The HD-488E is a rack-mount box for the machine room that reads, generates, and inserts time code directly into an HD-SDI signal, handling both Linear Time Code and RP-188 across the HD formats a facility runs. It can overlay time, user bits, and up to thirty characters of on-screen text in up to three independent, positionable windows, each rendered in one of seven selectable font colors so a burned-in ID stays legible over any background.

Setup runs from the front-panel LCD or the USB control-panel software, with three selectable on-screen date formats (YMD, DMY, MDY) and front-panel text entry for quick label changes. A universal 90-264 VAC supply means it runs anywhere without a separate power brick, and factory options add GPS timing, an NTP-C network clock source, or IRIG code generation/transcoding for facilities that need the box to also serve as a house time reference. The HD-488E/SD variant adds auto-detected Standard Definition SDI handling alongside HD, for a machine room running mixed-format signal paths.