RGB Spectrum Zio IP4K-E – HDMI Input, IP Encode/Decode Card

Product Overview

The Zio IP4K-E input and IP encode/decode card is the two-way version of the Zio 4000 IP input card: four mini-HDMI inputs plus a single RJ45 connector supporting up to 12x 1080p30 IP stream encodes or decodes, or equivalent. Encoding matters when content held on the wall processor has to reach viewers outside the room — remote operators, supervisors, other facilities or a recording system — rather than only appearing on the local displays. Integrators specify the IP4K-E in control rooms and command centers that both consume network streams and publish them. It is ordered as a Zio 4000 card and installed into an available chassis slot.

Product Description

A wall processor that can only receive streams keeps its picture inside one room. The IP4K-E removes that limit by putting encode and decode capability on the same card, with a published budget of up to 12x 1080p30 IP stream encodes or decodes — or equivalent, in RGB Spectrum's wording, which is how higher-resolution streams are accounted for against the same capacity. That single figure covers whichever direction the deployment needs, so a watch floor can decode camera feeds during normal operation and encode its wall layout to off-site commanders during an incident.

The four mini-HDMI inputs handle rack-local sources on the same slot, which keeps the card count down in chassis where slots are the scarce resource. As with the IP4K, mini-HDMI carries no locking connector, so the Zio BRK-IP4K cable retention bracket belongs on the same order in any permanently installed system. Where decode-only capacity is sufficient, the Zio IP4K card covers the same local input format at lower cost; where the local sources are DisplayPort or SDI, look at the Zio IPDP-E and Zio IPSDI-E cards instead. Output cards such as the Zio AD-8D-6 complete the build on the display side.

Card slot capacity differs across the Zio 4000 series chassis, and the preconfigured W4008 models ship with their input and output complement already set. The chassis this card is ordered against are:

• Zio W4008 wall processor chassis — 1RU card-based chassis for compact control room and edge deployments.
• Zio W4008-A, Zio W4008-B, Zio W4008-C, Zio W4008-D and Zio W4008-E — the five preconfigured W4008 models, ordered when the input and output mix is fixed at purchase.
• Zio W4024 wall processor chassis — 4RU chassis for mid-size video wall and multi-display systems.
• Zio W4028 wall processor chassis — 4RU multi-slot chassis with dual redundant power for 24/7 operations centers.
• Zio W4040-A wall processor chassis — dual-processor 4RU chassis for the largest Zio 4000 video wall builds.

Creation Networks quotes the IP4K-E as part of a complete Zio 4000 configuration and confirms the encode and decode allocation with RGB Spectrum for your stream mix before the order is placed.

Key Features

• Encode or decode on one card — Up to 12x 1080p30 IP streams in either direction lets a single card both receive network sources and publish the room's content.
• Wall content reaches remote viewers — Encoding makes the processor a source on the AV-over-IP network, so supervisors and off-site teams can see the same picture.
• Four mini-HDMI local inputs — Rack-local sources connect on the same slot, keeping the card count low in slot-constrained chassis.
• Capacity published with equivalents — RGB Spectrum states up to 12x 1080p30 encodes or decodes or equivalent, so higher-resolution streams draw proportionally on the same budget.
• Cable retention available — The Zio BRK-IP4K bracket secures the mini-HDMI connections where cables are disturbed or re-patched.
• Ordered across the Zio 4000 chassis range — The same card serves 1RU and 4RU chassis, so distributed sites can standardise on one input card.
• Supplied as a configured build — Creation Networks confirms card, slot and licence counts with RGB Spectrum before shipment.

Typical Applications

• Command center — Decodes site-wide streams and encodes the wall layout out to off-site commanders during an incident.
• Control room — Publishes operator views to supervisors and adjacent rooms without duplicating source hardware.
• Emergency operations center — Shares the common operating picture with partner agencies over the network during an activation.
• Operations center — Sends monitoring layouts to on-call staff while continuing to decode incoming network sources.
• Broadcast studio — Encodes gallery and engineering monitoring layouts for distribution around the facility.
• Government space — Supports watch floors that must both consume and redistribute streams across a secured network.
• All-hands room — Encodes a multi-source wall layout for staff joining the session from other locations.

Technical Specifications

RGB Spectrum publishes no product page, specification table or datasheet for this card part number. The list below reproduces only what the RGB Spectrum Gold Integrator price list states for the part, with nothing added or estimated.

• Part number — Zio IP4K-E
• Product line — Zio 4000 series wall processor cards
• Card type — Input & IP Encode/Decode Card
• Local inputs — 4x mini-HDMI
• Network connector — 1x RJ45
• IP capability — Up to 12x 1080p30 IP stream encodes or decodes (or equivalent)

RGB Spectrum does not publish a datasheet for this part number. Contact Creation Networks for confirmed specifications before ordering.

Specifications published by RGB Spectrum.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between the IP4K and the IP4K-E?
Both cards have four mini-HDMI inputs and one RJ45 connector. The Zio IP4K is published as an input and IP decode card; the IP4K-E is published as an input and IP encode/decode card, with up to 12x 1080p30 IP stream encodes or decodes. Specify the -E version when content has to leave the room over the network.

Which chassis does the IP4K-E fit?
It is a Zio 4000 series input card, ordered against the Zio W4008, W4024, W4028 and W4040-A chassis and the preconfigured W4008-A through W4008-E models. Creation Networks confirms slot availability for your chassis model before quoting.

Is the 12-stream figure shared between encoding and decoding?
RGB Spectrum publishes a single figure of up to 12x 1080p30 IP stream encodes or decodes, or equivalent, and no separate per-direction table. Creation Networks will obtain a confirmed allocation from RGB Spectrum for your intended encode and decode mix rather than estimate one.

Do I need the cable retention bracket?
It is advised for permanent installations. The Zio BRK-IP4K bracket is made for the mini-HDMI connections on the IP4K and IP4K-E cards and prevents a source dropping out if a cable is knocked.

Can several IP4K-E cards go in one chassis?
The price list states no card maximum for the IP4K-E. The practical limit is the free slots in your chassis model, which Creation Networks confirms with RGB Spectrum as part of the configuration.

How does this card fit an existing AV-over-IP deployment?
The Zio 4000 processor operates standalone or as part of a Zio AV-over-IP system. With an IP4K-E the chassis becomes both a receiver and a source on that network, and Zio Plus Software adds LDAP authentication and VNC/RDP virtual inputs on the same processor.

Why are there so few specifications listed for this card?
RGB Spectrum does not publish a product page or datasheet for the Zio 4000 card part numbers, so the only vendor-published wording for this part is the price list line reproduced in the Technical Specifications section. Creation Networks will request confirmed figures from RGB Spectrum for your project rather than quote values the manufacturer has not published.

What warranty covers this card?
The RGB Spectrum manufacturer warranty applies to the card as supplied. Creation Networks supports specification and procurement, confirms the part against your chassis configuration before the order is placed, and routes warranty claims to RGB Spectrum.