SOLANA BEACH, CALIFORNIA, April 15, 2026 — Macnica will debut its new MEP25 SmartNIC at NAB Show 2026 (Booth N1167), introducing a 25GbE-optimized media I/O platform designed to bring deterministic SMPTE ST 2110 workflows to standard compute environments. Alongside the launch, Macnica will showcase a partner ecosystem spanning software, video processing and edge AI, demonstrating how interoperable technologies can be combined to build complete, modern media workflows.
The MEP25 extends Macnica’s MEP platform with hardware-accelerated ST 2110 transport over 25GbE, delivering a practical balance of performance, cost and system integration for software-based production systems, distributed architectures and Mac-based applications.
“The introduction of the MEP25 enables a broader range of applications and partners to participate in ST 2110 environments, using standard compute platforms and familiar software tools,” said Andrew Starks, Director of Product Marketing at Macnica.
At NAB Show, Macnica will feature partner technologies that highlight how the new MEP25 and the existing MEP100 integrate into real-world workflows:
- Softron will demonstrate Mac-based ingest, playout, replay and automation tools operating within ST 2110 environments, enabled by Macnica’s support for formats such as Apple ProRes over IP
- wTVision will showcase next-generation live production graphics running natively on macOS, illustrating how software-defined production systems can leverage IP-based media connectivity
- i-Chips will present multi-channel video processing for compositing, scaling and image manipulation, complementing IP-based transport with high-quality, low-power processing
- DEEPX will highlight low-power edge AI technologies for real-time video analytics and intelligent media applications, enabling on-device processing with extremely low latency
Together, these integrations demonstrate how Macnica’s platform connects capture, processing and communication across modern media pipelines. “We’re focused on enabling complete solutions,” said Trevor Bingham, VP of Sales, Macnica. “That means working with software developers, semiconductor partners and product designers to bring together the pieces needed to solve real production challenges.”
MEP25 is designed for environments where software-based production tools and modular system architectures are increasingly the norm. By offloading real-time media transport to FPGA hardware, the platform reduces CPU overhead while maintaining deterministic, low-latency performance across video, audio and metadata streams. This approach enables applications like Softron’s ingest and replay tools or wTVision’s real-time graphics engines to operate directly within ST 2110 infrastructures, without requiring specialized hardware platforms.
The platform is also closely aligned with Mac-based workflows, where Thunderbolt connectivity and available bandwidth map naturally to 25GbE media pipelines. This creates a practical path for macOS systems (Sonoma 14.6.1 or later) to participate in live production environments traditionally dominated by dedicated broadcast hardware.
“Apple has long been central to creative workflows,” said Starks. “What we’re seeing now is those environments extending into live production, with partners building new tools that take advantage of IP-based media infrastructure.”
By combining IP-based media transport with partner technologies such as ASIC-based video processing from i-Chips and real-time AI inference from DEEPX, Macnica is helping enable a new class of intelligent media systems. These workflows integrate transport, processing and analysis closer to the source, reducing latency and improving efficiency across live production environments.
MEP25 is well suited for applications including graphics and production workstations, playout and ingest servers, software-based production nodes and distributed processing systems. By aligning with widely deployed 25GbE infrastructure, it expands access to ST 2110 without requiring high-bandwidth core upgrades. Macnica will demonstrate the MEP25 alongside its full portfolio at NAB Show 2026, highlighting advancements in SmartNIC acceleration, ST 2110 workflows, edge AI and embedded media platforms.
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