RGB Spectrum Zio IP4K – HDMI Input and IP Decode Card

Product Overview

The Zio IP4K input and IP decode card gives a Zio 4000 series wall processor both local and network inputs on one slot: four mini-HDMI inputs for cabled sources and a single RJ45 connector carrying up to 12x 1080p30 IP stream decodes, or other equivalents. That combination is what makes it the default input card for control room walls that draw most of their content from an AV-over-IP network rather than from the rack. Integrators specify the IP4K when camera feeds, video management system streams and encoder outputs all arrive over Ethernet. Ordered as a Zio 4000 card, it populates an available slot in the chassis.

Product Description

Most modern control room and command center builds have moved their sources onto the network, and the Zio IP4K is the card that reflects that. One RJ45 connector handles up to 12x 1080p30 IP stream decodes — or other equivalents, as RGB Spectrum words it, which is how higher-resolution streams are accounted for against the same decode budget. Four mini-HDMI inputs remain available on the same card for sources that are genuinely local, so a single slot covers a mixed room instead of consuming two. Each decoded stream and each local input becomes a window the operator can place, size and recall as part of a preset layout.

In practice this is the card that lets one Zio 4000 chassis serve a watch floor: camera and VMS streams from across the site fill the wall, while the rack-local sources plug into the mini-HDMI connectors. Because mini-HDMI connectors carry no locking mechanism, the Zio BRK-IP4K cable retention bracket is a standard companion order and should be quoted with the card in any installation subject to vibration or frequent re-patching. Where more baseband capacity is needed than the four local inputs provide, add a Zio BB4K input card in another slot; where the source mix is DisplayPort or SDI, the Zio IPDP and Zio IPSDI-E cards cover the same decode role with different local connectors.

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 configures the chassis, input cards, output cards and licensing as a single build, so the decode count you specify is the decode count that arrives.

Key Features

• Up to 12x 1080p30 IP decodes — One RJ45 connector supplies a dozen network streams to the wall, which covers a typical camera and VMS load from a single slot.
• Decode budget stated with equivalents — RGB Spectrum publishes the figure as up to 12x 1080p30 or other equivalents, so higher-resolution streams draw proportionally on the same capacity.
• Four mini-HDMI local inputs — Rack-local sources connect on the same card, so a mixed baseband and network room does not need a second slot.
• Single-slot mixed input — Combining local and IP inputs on one card leaves remaining slots free for output cards or additional decode capacity.
• Cable retention available — The Zio BRK-IP4K bracket secures the mini-HDMI connections in installations where cables are disturbed.
• Works across the Zio 4000 chassis range — The same card is ordered against 1RU and 4RU chassis, so a small edge room and a main control room share one input standard.
• Fits AV-over-IP deployments — The card connects the wall processor directly to streams produced by Zio encoders elsewhere on the network.

Typical Applications

• Control room — Places up to a dozen network streams on the wall from one slot, which suits camera-heavy monitoring positions.
• Command center — Aggregates IP sources from across a site into a single shared situational picture.
• Operations center — Feeds VMS, SCADA client and network monitoring streams onto the wall as the source list grows.
• Emergency operations center — Brings remote camera and agency streams onto the wall during an activation without new cable runs.
• Broadcast studio — Decodes contribution and monitoring streams for a gallery or engineering wall.
• Government space — Supports watch floors where sources are distributed across the network rather than cabled to the rack.
• Training room — Shows instructor and remote streams alongside a locally cabled source on a multi-display wall.

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
• Product line — Zio 4000 series wall processor cards
• Card type — Input & IP Decode Card
• Local inputs — 4x mini-HDMI
• Network connector — 1x RJ45
• IP decode capability — Up to 12x 1080p30 IP stream decodes (or other equivalents)

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

Which chassis does the Zio IP4K 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 with RGB Spectrum before the order is placed.

What does "or other equivalents" mean for the decode count?
It is RGB Spectrum's own wording. The published figure is up to 12x 1080p30 decodes, and higher-resolution or higher-frame-rate streams consume more of that capacity. RGB Spectrum publishes no conversion table for the card, so Creation Networks will obtain a confirmed decode budget for your stream mix.

Do I need the cable retention bracket?
It is strongly advised. The Zio BRK-IP4K bracket secures the mini-HDMI connections on the IP4K and IP4K-E cards, and it is inexpensive relative to a call-out for a dropped source in a live control room.

Can this card encode as well as decode?
No. The IP4K is published as an input and IP decode card. For a card that also encodes, specify the Zio IP4K-E input and IP encode/decode card, which RGB Spectrum lists as supporting up to 12x 1080p30 IP stream encodes or decodes.

Can baseband and IP input cards share one chassis?
Yes. A Zio 4000 chassis is populated with the card mix the room needs, so an IP4K can sit alongside a Zio BB4K baseband card and an output card in the same processor, subject to the slot count of your chassis model.

How does the card integrate with the rest of a Zio AV-over-IP system?
The Zio 4000 processor operates standalone or as part of a Zio AV-over-IP system, and the IP4K is the point where network streams enter the processor. Adding Zio Plus Software brings LDAP authentication and VNC/RDP virtual inputs to the same chassis.

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.