Grass Valley Continues to Drive Efficiency and Better Storytelling at IBC2015

“As always, we’ll have a number of innovative new products to unveil for the first time at IBC2015,” noted Marco Lopez, president, Grass Valley. “But we also understand that not every customer needs or is ready for the newest technologies. Our experts will work with them to determine which solutions can help handle increasing bandwidth demands, create more engaging content, and uncover new revenue opportunities. Every broadcast operation is unique—we work to understand their goals and make recommendations based on what they need today while taking steps to ensure they are ready for the future.”

Some of the products that will be highlighted at the show include:
·    LDX 86 Universe, an LDX 4K/6X HD switchable camera, in tandem with the K2 Dyno Universe Replay System—This first-of-its-kind system brings 4K and extreme-speed storytelling into the mainstream, enabling any camera or replay position to be set up for regular HD, 4K or extreme-speed acquisition/replay. With the combination of LDX Universe and K2 Dyno Universe, HD camera and replay positions can now become extreme-speed or even 4K positions with access to any shot, from any angle during any production. All cameras in the LDX series are upgradable through the GV-eLicense program, giving users easy access to the features and formats of the next level up. K2 Dyno Universe is the only product on the market capable of supporting four channels of 4K record and two channels of 4K playback, making it the only replay solution capable of supporting 4K productions without compromising camera positions.

·    Focus 70 Live Camera - Consisting of two different single HD format camera heads, with 1080i50/59.94 and 720p50/59.94 support, the camera offers a feature set optimized for many of the typical live studio and field applications at an affordable entry price. The Focus 70 Live is based on the LDX Series technology, using the same level of quality for the optical blocks, mechanics and three fully digital Xensium-FT CMOS imagers with global shutter. Standard B4 2/3-inch lens mounts can be used to accommodate HD lenses already on-hand.

·    GV Convergent SDN - With this solution, operators control the routing of IP signals using the same control surface they’ve been using for years to control SDI, providing transparent control in hybrid IP/SDI workflows. Part of Grass Valley’s Glass-to-Glass IP solution, GV Convergent SDN leverages proven IT technologies, such as COTS routing switches and SDN control, to maximize flexibility. It offers unified control of clean IP switching, COTS IP switching, SDI routing, and control of IP/SDI gateways, as well as control of SMPTE 2022-6 HD and 4K one-wire (TICO) signals.

·    GV STRATUS Video Production and Content Management System - A full set of production tools in one application—designed for simplicity, efficiency and speed—because exceptional, highly creative content starts with an efficient, flexible workflow. GV STRATUS lets you better manage entertainment, on-air operations and news production media workflows to stay competitive for your traditional broadcast as well as digital media audiences.

·    iTX Integrated Playout Platform version 2.8 - Featuring a game-changing broadcast engine, iTX delivers simulcast for greater scalability; is better adapted for live content with the most complete real-time processing algorithms; and provides enhanced automation of ingest for streamlined workflows, while lowering the cost of running television channels. Version 2.8 adds IP capability, supporting compressed inputs and outputs with DVB-complaint MPEG-2 or MPEG-4 transport streams enabling simulcast SDI/IP playout or IP-only delivery to streaming platforms and IP-enabled multiplexes. Version 2.8 also includes Softel subtitling inside iTX, providing fully redundant playout of WST, OP42, OP47, CC 608/708, Open, and DVB decoded from a range of file formats along with a live captioning input.

Grass Valley will also show a number of brand new products and enhancements to existing products. Demonstrations will take place throughout the event in the areas of Live Production, News, Infrastructure and Playout.

On Friday, September 11, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., Grass Valley’s Mark Hilton, VP of Infrastructure Products, will participate in a panel discussion at the IBC Conference entitled “The IP Infrastructure Revolution.” This session will address how the future of broadcasting is all IT-based and how UHD is accelerating the pace of change. The panel participants will discuss whether the solutions are mature enough for full-scale implementation across all aspects of broadcast production and distribution, whether IP will lower the cost of production and how far IP can go. The session will be located in room E102.

“Everyone will be talking about IP and 4K, and we have some exciting offerings in each area,” Lopez concluded. “Our goal is to make sure our customers are successful, and we do that by treating them as partners and developing solutions that are powerful, reliable, scalable and ‘Future Ready.’ We’ll move at the pace that best matches each customer—when they are ready for the next step, we have the right solutions and the expertise to help them get to where they want to be.”

About Grass Valley
The new Grass Valley keeps broadcasters, content owners and service providers Future-Ready as they navigate the changing landscape of television. With the most comprehensive collection of workflow solutions in the industry, Grass Valley delivers end-to-end television production and content distribution workflows that enable the efficiency and flexibility broadcasters need to stay competitive today—while offering technological foresight they need to keep pace with consumers’ desires for more content on more devices. Grass Valley, headquartered in Montreal, leverages the collective expertise and depth of the Grass Valley Group and Miranda Technologies, each having been acquired by St. Louis-based Belden Inc. Belden delivers a comprehensive product portfolio designed to meet the mission-critical network infrastructure needs of industrial, enterprise and broadcast markets. With innovative solutions targeted at reliable and secure transmission of rapidly growing amounts of data, audio and video needed for today's applications, Belden is at the center of the global transformation to a connected world.