NEP Harnesses the Powerful Capabilities of Grass Valley’s K-Frame Switcher Platform

posted:

20/12/2013

Veteran broadcast services company purchases 26 K-Frame systems and upgrades 5 Kayenne Classics for use for its OB trucks

NEP, a leading provider of mobile and fixed broadcast facilities in the United States and the United Kingdom, has purchased 26 Grass Valley® K-Frame™ modular video processing engines to be used with Kayenne® and Karrera® Video Production Centers to upgrade more than 30 of its outside broadcasting (OB) trucks across their fleet. NEP will take delivery of the K-Frames over the next three years, through to 2016.

NEP’s facilities are widely used to broadcast many high-profile events, including the Emmy® Awards, NASCAR, and the U.S. Open golf tournament. Its new Grass Valley K-Frames will primarily cover live sporting events and entertainment productions, including the upcoming NBA All-Star Games in February 2014. As part of their upgrades, NEP will also allocate 5 Kayenne Classic frames to their fleet in the United Kingdom, adding Karrera panels for use on locations, including Wimbledon in June 2014. NEP and Grass Valley have been working together for several years, and this latest announcement further solidifies the relationship between the two companies. It also strengthens Grass Valley’s unique position as an innovative leader in the live sports and entertainment production markets.

“Our clients look to us to provide premiere facilities in both the fixed and mobile arenas so they can deliver the most sophisticated, high-end broadcasts possible,” said George Hoover, Chief Technology Officer at NEP. “To make this possible, it’s imperative that we have the requisite architecture in place, especially in our OB trucks. For years we’ve continually relied upon Grass Valley’s deep knowledge of mobile broadcast and live sports production. This purchase was the most logical decision based on their expertise in these areas, and the strength, proven performance, and stability of the K-Frame.”

Built on a modular approach, K-Frame is ideally suited for mobile production environments. It measures only 7 RU high with up to 5 M/Es (the optional 9 M/E frame is only 14 RU high), making it the perfect choice where space is of paramount concern. With easy configuration and setup, K-Frame drives a more unified workflow inside NEP’s OB trucks so operators can focus on creativity and more compelling shots. K-Frame is compatible with both SD and HD formats, with full 3G 1080p50/60 HD support, to help NEP broaden its customer base. And with K-Frame’s easy-to-use engineering configuration, NEP’s clients can quickly customize the system for every show.

“We are so pleased that NEP continues to benefit from Grass Valley’s cutting-edge and sophisticated line of switcher solutions,” said Tim Thorsteinson, President and CEO, Grass Valley. “The confidence that NEP has shown in selecting K-Frame is a testament to the renewed commitment Grass Valley brings to supporting its broadcast customers across all production segments.”

At IBC 2013, Grass Valley demonstrated the latest version of K-Frame, which includes internal video clip storage and playback, greater macro flexibility, and an M/E multi-previewer function. Since its release in June 2013, K-Frame has been installed in more than 75 production facilities worldwide.

Andy Jackson, Senior Vice President, North America Region, Grass Valley commented, “We continue to innovate our products so that broadcasters and media organizations have cost-effective solutions that deliver high-end results—K-Frame is right in line with this strategy. With an upgraded feature set and full 3G 1080p50/60 HD support, K-Frame truly sets a new benchmark in live production, whether in a fixed or mobile environment.”

Grass Valley is changing the way live television is made and delivered. Recognized with 18 Emmy® Awards for technology innovation, Grass Valley’s product portfolio—from image acquisition to playout—offers a complete end-to-end workflow of flexible, forward thinking solutions which enable broadcasters and content owners to build multiscreen, multiplatform futures. By simplifying and enhancing the way content is produced and distributed, Grass Valley gives customers the freedom they need to be creative in the studio, the field, and the newsroom. Merging optimizations of IT technologies with best-in-breed media systems, Grass Valley’s next generation solutions deliver higher quality and greater efficiencies. Customers include world-leading broadcasters, teleproduction facilities, service providers, government, religious, educational, corporate, and independent video professionals. Grass Valley is headquartered in Hillsboro, OR, and maintains local presence across the globe with offices throughout North and Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific regions.