Appear Unveils X Platform Upgrades

Appear, a global provider of live production technology, has broadened its X Platform at NAB Show 2026 in Las Vegas (Booth W1531), introducing Appear XM, a new estate management offering, and spotlighting the general availability and early deployments of both the Appear X5 and the SIx300 SDI/IP gateway module.

"Our customers are scaling live production and contribution workflows across more sites, more formats and more IP infrastructure, but they cannot afford any additional operational complexity," said Stephan Würmlin Stadler, Chief Product Officer, Appear. "With X5 extending X Platform to compact edge deployments and Appear XM simplifying estate operations at scale, we're expanding X Platform to meet the realities of modern broadcast networks, without compromising performance, resilience, or flexibility."

Appear XM is a self-hosted tool created to streamline day-to-day management across expanding X Platform estates. As deployments move from a few chassis to tens or hundreds, operators often juggle disparate tools and limited visibility. Appear XM tackles this with a secure, centralised interface that offers a unified view for engineers and operators, helping reduce configuration mistakes, prevent version mismatches, accelerate troubleshooting and cut operational overheads.

X5 is now generally available, bringing broadcast-grade contribution to compact and distributed environments such as venues, flypacks, OB trucks, regional sites and pop-up studios. The unit allows customers to apply a consistent operational model across both high-end and edge workflows.

X5 features AVC & HEVC encoding/decoding for edge contribution and local monitoring, plus TS and SRT I/O with support for TSoIP, seamless ST 2022-7 protection and ST 2022-1 FEC to ensure robust transport. Advanced audio options include Dolby D/D+ encode/decode and Dolby E decode, alongside a TCP API enabling SCTE-104 insertion.

Further investment in X Platform media processing introduces higher-density capabilities for live production. The SIx300 SDI/IP gateway module supports both JPEG 2000 and JPEG XS on a single reconfigurable module, giving rights holders, leagues, broadcasters and service providers a realistic path to ultra-low-latency IP workflows while preserving compatibility with existing infrastructures and mixed environments. The platform also exposes a comprehensive API for full remote management and integration with third-party systems such as Prometheus metrics.

In JPEG XS mode, the SIx300 supports up to 8 HD channels or 2 UHD streams with sub-frame latency. It also incorporates SMPTE ST 2110, ST 2022-7 and NMOS IS-04/05, enabling resilient hybrid SDI/IP deployments with the density and performance required for demanding live operations.

Collectively, these updates fortify X Platform as a unified base for live media transport and processing. The platform underpins major live events and customer workflows in more than 100 countries and is used by leading media organisations including NBCUniversal, PSSI, Corus Entertainment and beIN, among others.

Appear will showcase its latest live production solutions at NAB Show 2026 (Booth W1531).

www.appear.net