Grass Valley solutions for Spanish media group Atresmedia
Atresmedia, a leading TV and media group in Spain, is outfitting its new HD studio with several live production solutions from Grass Valley including the Karrera Video Production Center switcher with K-Frame, as well as a K2 Dyno Replay System.
Atresmedia operates eight on-air channels that deliver news, magazines, entertainment shows, top quality TV series and movies to millions of viewers across Spain. This new solution from Grass Valley will enable Atresmedia to double its on-air studio production capabilities and make its current workflow more consistent and smooth. The broadcaster expects its new TV studio to be fully operational by April 2014.
“The concept of our new studio design is based on an architecture of centralized production resources such as studio cameras, video servers, graphics, switchers and Digital Video Effects (DVE),” explains Raul Lorenzo, head of broadcast engineering & technical support, Atresmedia. “We listed quality and dependability as our most important factors when selecting a solution. A few months ago, Grass Valley loaned us a Karrera switcher, and we were satisfied with its easy-to-use features—such as its intuitive control panel and touchscreen side panel. We were able to trial for ourselves that it really offers the high-end features we expect from Grass Valley, but at a mid-market switcher price.”
The lightweight Karrera with K-Frame delivers a modular approach to production switchers. It encompasses an intuitive, easy-to-learn control panel, touchscreen side panel interface, and delivers full 3G 1080p50/60 HD support while drawing less power than other switchers in its class. The Karrera gives Atresmedia more production flexibility and power to manage its various TV channels. With K-Frame, Atresmedia can benefit from greater macro flexibility and features like internal video clip storage and playback, as well as a M/E multi-previewer function.
Further simplifying Atresmedia’s overall operation is the K2 Dyno Replay System, which provides a comprehensive set of live production replay tools that are seamlessly integrated for use in nonlinear, file-based production environments. K2 Dyno offers a more streamlined and familiar workflow, with the ability to work in tandem with other members of Grass Valley’s K2 family of products.
“Switching and replay technology are key to the successful function of any broadcast environment, and we’re pleased to have provided such an established company like Atresmedia with the necessary tools it needs to deliver a more paralleled workflow,” says Said Bacho, senior vice president, EMEA, Grass Valley. “Grass Valley has a very strong position in Europe, and Spain is undoubtedly a key area of growth for the region. So it’s exciting to see Grass Valley solutions being used in projects like this.”