Grass Valley Lands Early Commitments for LDX 86 Universe Camera; LeSEA, Dorna Sports Invest in New Gear
Grass Valley announced a number of customer wins and major sales of its production equipment at NAB this year, including several customers committed to the new LDX 86 Universe switchable 4K/extreme-speed HD camera, Spain’s Dorna Sports’ investment in K2 Dyno replay systems and Stratus production and content management systems, and LeSEA Broadcasting Network’s suite of Grass Valley live production equipment for its new HD production truck.
A number of industry leaders have committed to the new Grass Valley LDX 86 Universe switchable 4K/extreme-speed HD camera, according to the company. Following on the heels of last year’s successful 6X extreme-speed camera introduction, the LDX 86 Universe allows either 6X HD acquisition or 4K acquisition from the same camera, and is also available as an upgrade to existing LDX 86 XtremeSpeed cameras.
For rental houses, this will give them one camera platform that can provide content acquisition in multiple formats; for stadium owners, it will offer even more compelling content display options; and for OB vans, it will expand their capabilities with a multiformat camera that can deliver extreme-slow motion or 4K images to best fit the storytelling needs of the event.
“The only area Grass Valley focuses on more than producing high-quality, innovative products is providing the highest level of service and loyalty to our clients,” says Mike Cronk, SVP of strategic marketing, Grass Valley. “We are pleased that a wide range of industry leaders have committed to joining us by upgrading to our new LDX 4K/6X switchable camera. The LDX 86 Universe will help our customers stay ahead of the competition with the most advanced imaging possible.”
A growing list of Grass Valley’s customers has already committed to the LDX 86 Universe, including OB truck operators Mobile TV Group (MTVG), Lyon Video, and NEP Broadcasting; rental houses Bexel, Video Equipment Rentals (VER), and Fletcher Sports; and professional sporting venues for the Oakland Athletics and Cleveland Cavaliers.
The first true 4K camera with B4 lens technology, the LDX 86 Universe represents a leap forward in 4K sports production. Now broadcasters can shoot sports productions in 4K with no differences in depth of field, zoom range or sensitivity compared to HD cameras, retaining all the shot-framing capability and creativity they are accustomed to with HD. This combined with the fact that the LDX 86 Universe can also be used in any camera position where a normal HD, high-speed 3X or extreme-speed 6X camera is required, makes the LDX 86 Universe a versatile camera for any sports production. With one camera, now broadcast rights holders, OB van companies and rental houses can be future-ready, applying technology once limited to “specialty positions” to more and more camera angles.
The introduction of the LDX 86 Universe builds upon the success of Grass Valley’s widely used LDX 86 high-speed camera systems, which include the LDX 86 HiSpeed 3X HD super-slow motion and LDX XtremeSpeed 6X HD/3X 3G extreme-slow motion cameras. Other new additions to the LDX 86 Series include the multiformat LDX 86 WorldCam with HD content in 1080i/720p/1080PsF and 1080p with an upgrade path to 4K and the LDX 86 4K camera with an upgrade path to the LDX Universe.
Spain’s Dorna Sports Renews Replay Platform with Grass Valley
Dorna Sports, an international sports management, marketing, and media company, has renewed its contract with Grass Valley for an additional four years. Dorna has invested in 20 K2 Dyno replay systems to deliver instant replay and highlight generation with pan/zoom technology for SD/HD/3G and 4K, and three GV STRATUS video-production and content-management systems, for a full set of production tools in one application to produce highly creative content with an efficient and flexible workflow.
“Grass Valley’s live production solutions are highly intuitive and deliver the workflow efficiency we need to create and share engaging content,” says Sergi Sendra Vives, director of TV production, Dorna Sports S.L. “As we look to increase our coverage of Moto GP competitions, we are confident in our decision to renew our replay platform with Grass Valley in order to exceed our viewers’ expectations now and in the future.
A key factor in the renewal of Dorna’s contract with Grass Valley is the ability to increase coverage at Moto GP premium events around the globe with an enhanced replay system and unique content-management tools.
“By combining our powerful K2 Dyno with the unique workflow application of GV STRATUS in the live production environment, Grass Valley is able to help Dorna enhance their storytelling capabilities and plan for their future,” comments Said Bacho, SVP, EMEA, Grass Valley. “This renewal demonstrates the need for strategic partners as broadcast needs change, and we look forward to working alongside Dorna to meet their business goals.”
LeSEA Broadcasting Network Powers New HD Truck with Grass Valley Gear
Grass Valley has furnished LeSEA Broadcasting Network with a suite of advanced live production technology for its new HD production truck. LeSEA’s new HD truck will be utilizing Grass Valley’s Kayenne K-Frame Video Production Center, LDX WorldCam cameras with XCU WorldCam base stations, NVISION 8500 hybrid routers and Kaleido multiviewers. The purchase builds upon the longstanding relationship between the two companies and the success LeSEA has had with Grass Valley equipment in their studios.
“We’ve been successfully using Grass Valley equipment for a number of years in our studios and production truck, so when it came time to outfit our new HD production truck, it was an easy decision to continue with Grass Valley technology,” says Wes Hylton, director of engineering, LeSEA Broadcasting. “Grass Valley is the standard in the industry, their products are dependable, and we want to maintain the same level of production value that our clients demand, whether we’re in the studio or live in the field.”
Grass Valley’s LDX WorldCam enables 1080p productions that are normally impossible to cover without huge investments in additional lighting or without serious degradation of the image quality. The XCU base stations give LeSEA full 3G transmission connectivity for both triax and fiber. The unique XCU cradles are premounted and prewired in the rack, making a secure mechanical and electrical connection. The XCUs can easily slide in and out whenever needed and are transferable between the network’s mobile units and studios.
The Kayenne K-Frame can be mounted flat or in a banked curve and configured with full multiformat support, including 1080p and 4K. And its familiar design makes it ideal for environments where freelancers are employed. When needed, Kayenne can adapt to offer up to 192 inputs, 96 outputs and up to 9 M/Es with six keyers in every full M/E.
NVISION 8500 hybrid routers combine exceptional resilience with cost, space and power efficiency to make them the ideal enterprise-class routing solution. Suited for production and playout applications from trucks to the largest engine rooms, they offer the convenience of integrated audio processing and simplified cable management with no compromises on reliability.
Grass Valley’s Kaleido multiviewers are ideal single-site or enterprise-wide monitoring solution, producing solid picture quality, flexibility, and resilience. Every Kaleido multiviewer is designed to expand and interoperate seamlessly into any workflow, saving you space and lowering overall costs.
“We’re delighted to work with LeSEA in equipping their new HD production truck with live production solutions that are reliable and perform to an exceptional standard,” says Stephen Stubelt, VP of sales, North America, Grass Valley. “In this ever-changing broadcast landscape, it’s important that our customers are on the leading edge with their solutions, and LeSEA is a perfect example of how we execute that plan.”
LeSEA Broadcasting Network’s new HD production truck was at 2015 NAB Show in the Gerling Booth OE 601.