Mediatec Broadcast Norway integrates Grass Valley remote production solution

The NEP Group subsidiary combines the quality of Grass Valley cameras and control systems with a state-of-the-art remote network architecture.

In order to improve efficiency and sustainability, Mediatec Broadcast Norway, a subsidiary of the NEP group, has made a significant investment in cameras and broadcast infrastructure. Grass Valley. The audiovisual services company has acquired a total of 24 LDX 80 Première cameras, eight OCP 400 operational control panels, and two MCP 450 master control panels. All this equipment has been installed in a dozen locations in Norway, connected to a central control room at its Oslo headquarters.

Paul Henriksen, CEO of NEP Europe, highlights that "by centralizing our editing and production functions, we are in a position to manage, for example, horse racing content from anywhere. We have worked with engineers at Grass Valley to implement remote control in cameras, but this project is undoubtedly on a much larger scale. We are covering more than 500 events a year, and each one requires a very fast turnaround. We are now in a position to offer better content for less money."

Mediatec transports signals from the event venue under C2IP protocol over a Layer 3 IP VPN network to the central studio in Oslo, giving editors and producers more options for creating an exciting mix.

In the case of horse racing, the same process required several mobile units that traveled long distances to different locations throughout the country, which increased personnel and operational costs. Now, only three cameras are required at each site, which capture the action and are sent over the network to the central studio for editing and finishing.

The LDX 80 Première can work in both 1080i and 720p, and has the ability to adjust sharpness in shadows, midtones and highlights independently. Additionally, the camera can easily be upgraded according to production needs using the GV-eLicense program. The OCP 400 control panel, meanwhile, is one of the smallest available on the market and allows variable matrix control and fine detail and skin color adjustments. The MCP 450 allows users to interpret and record all network activity between cameras and control panels, gathering the data through a spreadsheet interface, while reviewing all camera settings.

Mediatec worked closely with the Grass Valley camera factory in Breda, the Netherlands, to develop this remote technology.

Said Bacho, Senior Vice President of Grass Valley in EMEA, acknowledges that "this project really shows the technical expertise of our engineers and their understanding of what the client wants to achieve. It is the only application that combines the very high quality of our cameras and control systems with a state-of-the-art remote network architecture for the client to improve the viewing experience at horse racing or any other."