X Marks the Spot for New Grass Valley K-Frame

NEW YORK—Fluidity may best describe where those involved with video production find themselves today, and Grass Valley intends to help those involved with live TV deal with the unfolding changes in formats, signal sources and resolutions. Monday, the company announced the new GV K-Frame X video processing engine, which supports SDI, IP or mixed SDI-IP production requirements without sacrificing I/O density or creativity when switching between the formats.

The GV K-Frame X will enable users to accommodate both IP and SDI signal sources while providing them with 9 M/Es. Whether as the heart of a complex studio or a remote installation, the GV K-Frame X relies on published protocols for a smooth transition to IP regardless of the size or scale of the production environment, the company said. GV K-Frame X accepts uncompressed as well as TICO-compressed 4K and supports high dynamic range.

Kayenne, Karrera or GV Korona control surfaces each can be used with the new frame, which ensures any show created on any K-Frame or panel will work seamlessly on the new GV K-Frame X, the company said. Similarly, the same type of backwards compatibility applies to existing K-Frame Mix/Effects boards.

The GV K-Frame X can support 192 inputs by 96 outputs, and Grass Valley is offering a complete complement of I/O board options to support IP and SDI (capable of 12Gb/s) connections in its 15 RU. The frame also offers front-to-back plenum cooling, the company said.

Grass Valley has scheduled the first GV K-Frame X shipments for this month. A full manufacturing release is targeted for February 2018.

Phil Kurz

Phil Kurz is a contributing editor to TV Tech. He has written about TV and video technology for more than 30 years and served as editor of three leading industry magazines. He earned a Bachelor of Journalism and a Master’s Degree in Journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Journalism.