Thoroughbred Racing Chooses Grass Valley Equipment to Enhance Live Production

Keeneland improves infrastructure for network broadcasting

To upgrade an award-winning production facility that major networks use for live coverage, Keeneland Race Course in Lexington, Kentucky has purchased routing and other equipment from Grass Valley, a Belden Brand. The track—a longtime Grass Valley customer—is now installing new equipment that will improve replay capabilities and enable future growth for both day-to-day operations and major events where networks broadcast live on-site.

The new equipment includes:
·    K2 Central TX, combined with the K2 Dyno control system, allows Keeneland up to 20 channels shared on the K2 Central storage platform. The two K2 Dyno controllers offer two replay control positions with access to all content shared between the channels simultaneously, without extraneous networking switches or costs.
 
·    K2 Dyno Replay System, which helps Keeneland create engaging replays and highlight packages by allowing users to switch angles, add transitions, change speeds and shuttle easily. It helps create and queue playlists and add clips, while the touchscreen user interface improves efficiency when creating and organizing clips. Keeneland found K2 Dyno easy to learn, answering the company’s growing replay needs for the future.

Thoroughbred Racing Production Facility Chooses Grass Valley Equipment to Enhance Live Production

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·    NV9000 router control system, which includes a wide range of highly adapted panels for superior control plus advanced, highly resilient router controllers, to help streamline production of the racing events.

·    NVISION 8500 HYBRID router combines exceptional resilience with cost, space and power efficiency making it the ideal transitional routing solution for Keeneland. The NV8500 offers the convenience of integrated audio processing and simplified cable management with no compromises on reliability.

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“We’re proud that we have built the country’s premier live production facility for Thoroughbred racing,” said GD Hieronymus, Keeneland’s broadcast services director. “There are so many different manufacturers of cameras, recording and replay devices, routing, switching and other kinds of equipment. We wanted to tie it all together for a greater product and a better overall facility, and we knew we could rely on Grass Valley.”

Keeneland conducts two race meets annually, in April and October, and last year hosted the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, broadcast live on one of the major networks. The track is a National Historic Landmark, and much of the movie Seabiscuit was filmed there because of the track’s retro feel. But Keeneland also has a history of innovative live productions and has been recognized as the Thoroughbred Racing Association’s Simulcast Award recipient six of the last eight years.

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In 2006, the track started investing in HD, choosing the LDK 4000 cameras from Grass Valley. Two years later, Keeneland rebuilt its control room, selecting Grass Valley switching and storage solutions.

Today the leader in live racing production uses 17 cameras for its broadcasts, and is considering other improvements, such as replacing its LDK cameras with Grass Valley’s LDX Series cameras for outstanding image performance, excellent light sensitivity and the ability to upgrade as production and business needs change.

“For those who watch some of horse racing’s biggest events, you know how remarkable Keeneland’s production facility is and the quality it generates,” said Kyle Luther, vice president of sales, North America, Grass Valley. “We are grateful for our partnership with Keeneland and how we’ve worked together to help that live production be top notch.”

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