Grass Valley guides customers through IP solutions, 4K workflows, and new business models

Grass Valley is showing show its solutions for capture, transmission, replay, workflow and storage, as well as provide insights that will help attendees make the most of new technology with solutions that guide their future handling of IP and help them make the most of digital delivery platforms.

There is one industry in particular that can provide valuable insight on how to deal with the constant state of change.

“The challenges that broadcasters face are not unlike those in the data center industry,” said Marco Lopez, president of Grass Valley. “Our customers need the same scalability, redundancy, upgradability, and simplicity found in a data center, combined with the low latency, vertically accurate switching, and familiar workflows of a broadcast environment. This new ‘Broadcast Data Center’ concept provides a unique point of view for future growth and optimized handling of broadcast content.”

This Broadcast Data Center is a key part of Grass Valley’s “Glass-to-Glass” IP solution, first introduced earlier this year.

A range of new IP solutions will debut at IBC, along with a range of other solutions in the areas of capture, editing, playout and infrastructure. Some of the highlights at the booth include:

• Glass-to-Glass Live Production IP Solutions — Grass Valley’s delivery of IP connectivity across its product portfolio, from the glass of the camera lens to the glass of the monitor wall, is enabling customers to realize the true power of IP and minimize costly and unnecessary SDI-to-IP conversion gear. A key part of Grass Valley’s Glass-to-Glass offering is GV Convergent, a powerful new SDN system that controls both commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) IT switchers and SDI routers. With a unified control that is familiar to broadcasters, GV Convergent enables migration from SDI to IP at the pace and scale that’s right for individual broadcasters.

Debuting at IBC is GV Node, the world’s first true, real-time IP processing platform, offering multipurpose video and audio processing and vertically accurate switching, which brings the convenience and flexibility of IP into the live production world.

To demonstrate the impact of IP in production, Grass Valley is showing its new 4K one-wire capability based on TICO 4:1 visually lossless compression with IP connectivity for K-Frame switchers processing a 4K/UHD source from the LDX 86 series XCU base station—all via a single, lightweight cable.

IP is featured in Grass Valley’s playout solutions as well, with the new iTX 2.8 on hand demonstrating its newly redesigned broadcast engine that now features compressed IP I/Os and fully integrated Softel subtitling.

• Accessible, Switchable 4K/UHD Workflows — Grass Valley sets the standard in 4K/UHD live production starting with the LDX 86 Universe 4K/6X HD switchable camera in tandem with the K2 Dyno Universe replay system. Broadcasters can now own an acquisition/replay solution that supports HD, 4K or 6X acquisition without having to change workflows or go over budget.

Debuting at IBC is the new Extended Dynamic Range (XDR) software upgrade option for all LDX 86 Series cameras working in single-speed formats (HD/3G/4K), leveraging the outstanding dynamic range of the Xensium-FT CMOS imagers for improved 4K/UHD content.

Further demonstrating its extensive knowledge and experience in IP technology, Grass Valley will participate in a joint demonstration of the LiveIP Project, a multi-vendor system integration to showcase IP-based live broadcast production with the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and Belgian public broadcasting company VRT. The demonstration is a scaled-down version of the full project, and will be featured in the EBU booth (10.F20).

On Friday, September 11th at 11:30 a.m. in room E102, Grass Valley’s vice president of infrastructure products, Mark Hilton, will participate in a conference session entitled, “The IP Infrastructure Revolution.” The session will address issues such as the business case for IP, the practicality of remote production and how soon IP will be used to deliver content from sensor to viewers’ screens.

IP is clearly the future of signal distribution and transport, but Grass Valley also provides broadcasters with business solutions they need to develop and prepare the content efficiently. At IBC, digital media solutions will be showcased that deliver automated VOD content and smooth handling of all multiplatform content delivery needs. These solutions, featuring both GV STRATUS and iTX platforms, provide flexibility to broadcasters and help them monetize content and realize additional revenues.

“IBC comes at a time of significant transformation in the way our customers work,” added Lopez. “At the show, we will focus on helping them through the transition and finding the solutions that will make their lives easier. All broadcasters move at their own pace, and we understand that. There is no one solution that works for everyone—our ‘Future-Ready’ portfolio gives customers the flexibility they need to make smart business and investment decisions.”