Always looking for a sharper edge, Pacific Broadcast Pty Ltd., a full service production company in Melbourne, Australia, is catchin’ some waves with eight Grass Valley™ LDK 8000 Elite cameras and a Kayak™ HD video production switcher to capture the action at some of the hottest championship surfing events around the globe.
Pacific Broadcast will deploy the new Grass Valley HD equipment in their OB vans and as part of specially designed flyaway production kits.
“Having a camera head with a choice of triax or fiber transmission is a fantastic feature. It’s reassuring to deploy the world’s best camera technology in harsh coastal conditions and be confident in the reliability of triax transmission,” said Matt Percy, Managing Director for Pacific Broadcast. “The LDK 8000’s dockable capability also allows us to create a lightweight RF camera system that can be used without crippling the camera operator. The rugged 2RU basestation is built to withstand the rigors of international transport and we’re confident that our long-term investment will be protected by quality equipment design.”
Pacific Broadcast also purchased two Grass Valley HD Triax Extenders to take advantage of extended cabling of up to 2.4 km (1.5 miles). Percy also added, “The outstanding new 7” LCD color viewfinder with sunhood is also very impressive working effortlessly under bright sunny or dull weather conditions.
“We see lots of applications for our LDK cameras and Kayak HD switchers, and this is yet another example where our HD Triax technology gives Pacific Broadcast the widest choice of technologies to meet their complex demands in the field of Outside Broadcast,” said Jeff Rosica, Executive Vice President at Grass Valley. The LDK 8000 camera’s ability to capture images in multiple HD and SD formats means Pacific Broadcast can choose different resolutions in 50 and 60 Hertz. It allows them to be creative with their global coverage of a sport that’s become very popular the world over.”
Pacific Broadcast is also a long term supporter of the Grass Valley Kayak production switcher. This new purchase represents a significant improvement in picture quality and keying flexibility as they transition to High Definition.
“We’ve had Kayak SD switchers for a few years now and we feel it’s the best production switcher for live remote use due to its compact frame and wide variety of features,” said Percy. “We rely on our equipment to work every time and we know that Grass Valley’s technology and reliability will always allow us to fulfill our often complex production requirements in the harshest of conditions.”
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