AJA FS-HDR converter helps drive HDR production for Studio Berlin
Studio Berlin has long explored HDR to elevate production quality on a range of projects, including live sporting events such as Bundesliga matches. It produces a number of projects natively in UltraHD HDR, largely using a proprietary workflow that it has crafted over the years and continues to refine.
Tailored to each project, the pipeline has proven crucial in helping the team to extend colour and luminance across projects and extract more detail from the picture. The underlying kit largely comprises high-quality cameras, wireless video transmission links, UltraHD HDR monitors and an AJA FS-HDR. The studio often also leverages AJA Hi5-4K-Plus mini converters to display UltraHD HDR materials on consumer HDMI monitors.
“Every project is a learning experience and with each one we’re able to raise the bar in terms of what’s visually achievable. For most UltraHD HDR broadcasts, we’re starting with previously shot HD or even SD SDR content, so we lean heavily on AJA’s FS-HDR real-time HDR/WCG converter,” shared Matthias Alexandru, CTO, Studio Berlin. “FS-HDR provides diverse settings that allow us to adapt to whatever source material we’re working with to ensure that we can always achieve the desired output. It also helps us implement the various formats required at the end of the production chain.”
Studio Berlin leverages the FS-HDR in a number of ways, such as to broadcast live HDR content to Astra’s UltraHD channel and, in parallel, convert and map the production in HD SDR for distribution to other channels. Alexandru added: “Because we convert the UltraHD HDR product into HD SDR via the AJA FS-HDR, rather than run parallel UltraHD HDR and HD SDR productions, our customers can deliver captivating images in both formats, without the time, equipment and personnel costs that parallel production would incur.”
Studio Berlin is in the midst of wrapping up its latest UltraHD HDR OB build, which is expected to reach completion this summer. As it does, the company is continuing to explore how it can leverage emerging technology and production techniques and listen to its customers to develop audience-centric concepts. Alexandru concluded: “With a highly motivated team and technology like AJA’s FS-HDR, it will be easier for us to meet emerging customer demands and continue surprising ourselves and others in the process.”