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The LDK 4427 3G Fiber camera to 3G Triax converter.
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Grass Valley brought enhancements to existing products and innovative new products to NAB 2012. The company added to the flexibility of its 3G Camera Transmission system with the LDK 4427 3G Fiber camera to 3G Triax converter, which allows users to produce programs up to 1080p50/60 in resolution and send the signals across any cable infrastructure. The LDK 4427 performs a 1:1 conversion of a 3G Fiber camera signal to a 3G Triax signal, as well as all ancillary data such as return video, control and intercom.
"We introduced the 3G transmission system at last year's NAB," said Grass Valley Product Manager, Camera Products Paul de Bresser. "But customers want flexibility, so Grass Valley integrated 3G and Fiber, which will also allow them to be more efficient and save money."
The Grass Valley LDK 4427 is built to be robust in all weather conditions, is dustproof and waterproof and can be placed in a standard 19-inch rack, where up to four units can be mounted side-by-side. The company's 3G Triax transmission system delivers all HD video formats: 720p, 1080i, and 1080p, from the base station, and is compatible with the LDK 8000 Elite and LDK 4000 Elite HD camera heads.
"We want to help our customers to be more efficient," said de Bresser. "If they don't have you pull cables, their return on investment is faster. And that makes sense in today's world where people are focused on cost." The new LDK 4427 3G Fiber Camera to 3G Triax Converter will be available in May priced at $24,853.
With regard to Grass Valley's K2 family, Grass Valley brought in new features and functionality to STRATUS, whose modular design allows the company to easily and regularly add new software components.
Grass Valley K2 EDGE. Click image for larger view.
The latest software enhancements enable the user to streamline labor-intensive processes such as logging clips, replaying highlights and multi-layered editing as well as share clips and content creation tools between workgroups or individual users. Just prior to NAB 2012, Grass Valley debuted new software modules for STRATUS, one of them being integration with Grass Valley K2 Dyno Replay System, which allows metadata created with the K2 Replay System and stored on the K2 SAN to become immediately available to all STRATUS users working on the same network. The metadata integration is bi-directional, so that playlist clips created and saved within STRATUS are instantly accessible for playback on the K2 Dyno Replay System.
"STRATUS is about getting file-based production into studios," said Grass Valley Senior Director Solutions Marketing Matthew Allard. "Every studio with Dyno Replay on a SAN has the benefit of sharing with editors, newsroom computers and archiving. Metadata can be pushed all the way from production to archiving."
When using the K2 Dyno Replay System with STRATUS, users can also streamline the logging process by creating virtual logging panels within STRATUS, while using the same menu structure as the K2 Dyno system. All metadata is available to anyone working within STRATUS. Offering unlimited sharing of content, STRATUS uses the latest version (v8.1) of the Grass Valley K2 Summit and K2 Solo server and replay platforms as the foundation for all media clips to be stored, shared, and distributed.
Grass Valley also debuted the K2 Summit 3G, which integrates with existing Grass Valley Storage Area Networks (SANs), or can be used as a standalone server. In the future, the K2 Summit 3G will become the base server for the Grass Valley K2 Dyno Replay System, and will help power replay and studio applications for 720p/1080i 3D and with the 3G software update available later this year 1080p50/60 productions.
Allard pointed out some additions. "It now has the ability to simultaneously generate low-res proxies for all input channels," said Allard. "It's become a production-oriented server, not just about ingest and playback."
The API allows third party applications, which enables all kinds of low-res proxy workflows. Also new is support for AVCHD and H.264 file playback. A software update available later this year, the K2 Summit 3G server will become 3 Gb/s (1080p50/60) capable. To handle the extra data of 3G signals, 7.2 TB of storage capacity is available as an option.
Grass Valley also demonstrated the latest version of its EDIUS high definition NLE software for news and professional video production. EDIUS v.6.5 offers a 3D editing workflow with editing tools and 3D support across editing peripherals, such as the STORM 3G 3D and STORM 3G Elite 3D accelerator cards. Also new is native support for RED raw footage, a new Flash exporter, built-in Loudness Meter and closed caption/audio bit stream (Dolby-E, AC-3) pass-through support. A special EDIUS version can integrate with proxy files created and stored on the K2 Summit 3G server. EDIUS 6.5 software, which ships in June 2012, is priced at $699. Existing EDIUS 6 users can upgrade for $299.
"We want to empower people," said Allard. Harold Vermeulen, Grass Valley Vice President, Media, agreed. "We're adding a broadcast layer on top of IT," he said. "And we're seeing more and more IT. That's where Stratus comes in."
EDIUS 3D screenshot. Click image for larger view.
Grass Valley's array of new and enhanced technology has made it an increasingly important powerhouse in broadcast. As more broadcasters turn to file-based workflows, the company is making it easier than ever for stations and other broadcast users to keep up with technology and prosper.
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