With the new LDX-86, Grass Valley breaks the zoom limitations in UHDTV production

IP transmission, improved workflows in 4K productions and the new possibilities offered by live replays are the focus of Grass Valley's presence at NAB 2015.

To make the work of broadcasters easier, Grass Valley is introducing new solutions in Las Vegas aimed at improving IP streaming, 4K production workflows and live replays.

Roel Vestjens, president of Belden Broadcast Solution, recalled at the beginning of this fair how Belden has gone from being a mere cable manufacturer in 2005 to becoming a global broadcast solutions company after the purchase of Miranda in 2012 and Grass Valley last year.

Today, the broadcast area is already the main source of business for the group with a turnover of over 992 million.

For his part, the president of Grass Valley, Marco López, assured that "our objective is that broadcasters, cable, satellite and IPTV operators can create and distribute content with the highest quality and at the lowest cost."

Regarding the rise of 4K, López admits that "in live broadcast operations, broadcasters can now do more with fewer resources. Consumer electronics is strongly betting on UHDTV, finding cases of 40' televisions for less than a thousand dollars. If consumption knocks on the door, our obligation is to open it."

"With all the technological advances and pressure to continually improve, it is very difficult to make investment decisions with confidence. That is why we work with each client individually to understand their goals and help develop a solution plan," he said.

Regarding the expected launch of the LDX-86, López emphasized that "until now producers had to choose between high-resolution 4K cameras and get the same creative tools they had in HD. The new LDX-86 offers the same depth of field and zoom as conventional HD cameras, thus eliminating the problem of zoom in live broadcasts such as sports."

Economical alternative to the LDX series

As one of this year's novelties, Grass Valley presents the Grass Valley Focus 70 camera, which was created as an economical alternative to the LDX series.

Grass Valley has introduced a new camera for professionals looking for a lower cost alternative to the LDX series. The Focus 70 camera represents a new step within Grass Valley cameras, providing high image quality for less demanding applications.

Consisting of two camera bodies in HD format with 1080i50/59.94 and a 720p50/59.94 support, the camera offers optimized performance to carry out the most common work in the studio and outdoors, with the application of easy operational control solutions.

The Focus 70 Live is based on LDX technology and has the same level of quality in the optical and mechanical blocks and the three fully digital Xensium-FT CMOS cameras with global shutter. The standard 2/3-inch B4 lens mount can be used to accommodate HD lenses. Due to its high sensitivity, it requires less light to operate. In addition, incredible adjustments can be achieved in the image, increasing the depth of field and the possibility of easy and fast focusing.

To provide technical support for this camera, Grass Valley has developed a line of broadcast solutions that include adapters and base stations in all versions with triax connections available on the market. This includes a hybrid SMPTE transmission system, based on the Lemo SMPTE fiber connector.

The Focus 70 Live camera is an ideal solution for its cost to be used in the studio by regional broadcasters, in small SNG mobile units and for mobile units as well as for shows and sporting events. The camera can be used in most 1.5G HD applications or SD applications. It is not compatible or interchangeable with LDX series cameras, nor 3G or XF fiber transmission solutions. Still, most of the LDX system accessories, such as viewfinders and C2IP camera control solution, are fully compatible with the new Focus 70 live cameras.

LDX86

Within the LDX series, Grass Valley has announced the launch of its LDX 4K/6X HD switchable camera. This is the LDX 86 universe in tandem with the Dyno Replay System. This system, the most advanced of its kind, offers extreme speed in storytelling, allowing any camera or image replay to be obtained extremely quickly in HD, 4K.

With the LDX series Grass Valley aims to set new standards in 4K. The LDX 86 universe offers flexibility with the same high quality, sensitivity and dynamism in all formats and with the same agility in the workflow. Using a Xensium-FT CMOS sensor, this new camera provides superior 4K quality and extreme speed, being able to operate in low light conditions.

The LDX 86 can be used at 1X, 3X or 6X. This includes the ability to connect the camera from 4K 1X operation to ultra-high-speed HD 6X operation, offering unprecedented coverage of numerous applications, from just a single camera. This makes it a very attractive product for today and tomorrow.

The introduction of the K2 Dyno Universe, and the implementation of the 4K or 6X options means that the image can be obtained from all angles and with the repetitions desired. Until now, the 4K replay option required twice as many servers, twice as much rack space and twice as many operators compared to HD. Now all this is possible with half the resources.

Glass-to-Glass, the new solution for migration to IP

For customers who have not yet begun the migration to IP infrastructure, Grass Valley offers a solution to adopt IP technology that adapts to all production needs. This is the Glass-to-Glass IP solution, which allows you to have all the power of IP to make workflows incredibly agile using SDN (software-defined network) and COTS (commercial off-the-shelf), connected in a centralized production environment.

Grass Valley has brought to the table numerous solutions and components adapted to SMPTE 2022-6 and IP I/Os. The use of SMPTE 2022-6 guarantees interoperability with the infrastructure based on COTS IP matrices.

GV Convergent SDN brings more transparent control to IP video and audio routing, which is easier because it appears the same as SDN routing. GV Convergent SDN takes advantage of IT technologies and allows the connection of multiple devices. Grass Valley has designed a complete, integrated configuration and powerful control system that is easy to use and very operationally efficient.

Grass Valley also offers other IP equipment such as cameras (the XCU HD/4K XF IP base station provides a complete end-to-end IP solution without the need for an external HDSDI to IP conversion. With the IP Gateways (Grass Valley has introduced IP Gateways, which can be easily added to signal ingestion and processing platforms allowing hybrid (SDI/IP) workflows while migrating to IP. The new Densité IP Gateway allows you to upgrade existing infrastructure. This approach makes it possible to integrate IP products with SDI infrastructure and for SDI devices to connect to an IP infrastructure); K2 Summit servers, introducing a new encryption card, which is IP compatible. It can be purchased with different configurations or as an upgradeable field. K2 Summits offers SDI and IP connectivity simultaneously; mixers (the modular design of Grass Valley's K-Frame mixers again proves flexibility and forward thinking by adding an IP I/O module, which allows the user to directly connect K-Frame to IP sources and destinations without the need for external conversion), and multi-displays (Grass Valley has introduced the new Kaleido-Modular-X IP input card, which integrates with the existing Kaleido-Modular-X. The combination of this new card with the current cards SDI allows mixing IP and SDI signal and monitoring it on the same multi-display. The Kaleido-Modular-X IP card also allows the design of multi-displays with IP inputs and outputs that will improve multi-display systems.