NAB Reflections: Acuity top-end switcher from Ross

At NAB Ross Video introduced Acuity, the first of a new generation of large production switcher platforms. The culmination of 40-years’ production switcher design experience, Acuity is claimed to be a breakthrough in modern production switcher technology and combines seemingly limitless production power with aesthetic beauty and unprecedented connectivity.

“We spent a lot of time talking to customers, partners and prospective users while designing Acuity to ensure it not only delivers fast, efficient and error-free production, but is also ergonomically perfect,” says David Ross, Chief Executive Officer. “We used innovative manufacturing techniques to construct control surfaces that considerably enhance overall operation and ease of use—and take production switchers to a whole new level. Acuity is stunningly beautiful. It’s a true TD’s dream machine—proven by the fact that we’ve already sold a significant number of platforms, including the very first one to the Buffalo Bills.”

Acuity accommodates all current production formats as well as full 3G 1080P and quad link UHD (4K). It’s also an interconnected communications hub for the entire system, and offers the industry’s largest library of third-party control protocols.

“Acuity’s unprecedented integration makes it by far the best-connected production system on the market today. When coupled with DashBoard system manager, the custom PanelBuilder or the industry leading OverDrive automated production control system, Acuity delivers production-control speed and efficiency as well as flawless program creation, every time, all the time,” says Nigel Spratling, Marketing Product Manager.

All six of Acuity’s new control panels are fully modular and can be custom configured to suit operators’ needs. Every button falls within perfect reach, all functions are directly accessible at the press of a single button, and button spacing has been carefully crafted to ensure accidental button presses are effectively eliminated. The 16:9 touchscreen menu and on-panel menu controls deliver ease of use and operational speed.

Acuity’s processing engines are built using the latest FPGA chips, which offer significant room for growth and ensure new features can be easily integrated. Acuity comes with two production engines. The compact 4RU frame packs six ME’s/Dual Head MultiViewers and an impressive 60 x 40 I/O, making it perfect for trucks and other environments where space is limited. The 8RU frame expands the I/O to a massive 120×60 and provides up to eight ME’s/Dual Head MultiViewers.