MONTREAL—Grass Valley and F&F Productions have announced that a suite of Grass Valley solutions are being deployed on F&F’s latest 2110 IP 4K remote production truck, the GTX-21.

The new GTX-21 (A, B and C Units) follows on from the GTX-20 as F&F’s second 2110 IP truck and will feature cutting-edge Grass Valley technology including a Kayenne Switcher, GV Orbit orchestration platform, GV Routing, and KIP-X240 Multiviewers. Grass Valley is also supplying a large Cisco IP Spine and Leaf Core as part of the build.

F&F Productions is a leading provider of high definition and 4K remote production facilities for premier sporting and entertainment events across North America. Its signature GTX series fleet has delivered live network coverage for major events such as the Super Bowl, U.S. Open Tennis, the World Series, Stanley Cup Finals, NCAA Men’s Final Four, The Masters, The Kentucky Derby, and NASCAR.

The two companies have a long-standing relationship with Grass Valley solutions forming a core part of F&F’s existing mobile units.

That relationship was expanded for the build of the GTX-20, F&F’s first 2110 IP truck, laying the ground for the current collaboration taking place on the GTX-21, which will be the most advanced 2110 IP production vehicle on the market, the companies reported.

“Grass Valley has been an integral partner in helping us build our next-generation mobile units,” says Marc Orgera, President of F&F Productions. “To realize our ambition in building the most advanced, state-of-the-art vehicle possible, we required a total 2110 IP solution using the most advanced technology, something that we know and trust that Grass Valley will always deliver. Their comprehensive suite of IP solutions, combined with their deep industry knowledge, support, and our existing work together made them the ideal choice to power the GTX-21.”

In particular, Orgera believes the advancements in Grass Valley’s IP router technology will have significant benefits for F&F’s operations as it grows. “The IP router technology is really advanced and can comfortably accommodate the increased bandwidth and engineering needs of our growing infrastructure,” he said. “We have a great relationship with Grass Valley, and our continued partnership will be very important as we collaborate on ways to make the router more user-friendly and efficient.”

The two companies said that the GTX-21 is being designed to produce the largest sports and entertainment shows across North America. The deal was finalized in December 2024 with the GTX-21 A, B, and C Units now in the build phase. Grass Valley’s engineers are working together with F&F’s team on delivering the new truck, with expected completion later this year.

“Designing and building world class OB vans is uniquely challenging as they are rolling production facilities, but the GTX-21 brings the added complexity of being fully 2110 IP enabled,” explains Alex Keighley, Grass Valley’s senior vice president of sales for North America. Grass Valley has also worked with Cisco on supplying the large Cisco IP Spine and Leaf Core.

“Our team of engineers have a great relationship with F&F’s director of engineering Don Adydan and his team, and we are working closely together on the GV product design and build of materials to meet all F&F’s requirements, including the large Cisco IP Spine and Leaf Core. We’re looking forward to delivering what will be the most advanced remote production vehicle in the North American market,” Keighley noted.

The deal is further evidence of Grass Valley’s market leadership as a specialist partner in live production innovation, and strengthens its position both in the North American market and as a leader in the delivery of fully integrated, scalable, and future-proof 2110 IP solutions.

Grass Valley is demonstrating the GV Media Universe at NAB Show 2025, April 6-9, in a new location in the North Hall, Booth N506

HEBDEN BRIDGE, ENGLAND—F&F Productions’ GTX-18 4K HDR production truck has enlisted Calrec Audio’s Artemis Beam system to provide the sound for its productions. This was put on display during the truck’s maiden production of a recent UFC fight between Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier.

The Artemis Beam on the GTX-18 features 64 faders and uses Calrec’s Bluefin2 FPGA technology, with 13 Calrec Hydra2 I/O devices and eight MADI I/O units for fiber-based signal transport. One I/O box is deployed in a booth kit that can be set up anywhere on location to deliver audio feeds from announcers. Other I/O units are part of stage boxes for use in live entertainment venues. The truck’s audio engineer is able to use the Artemis to store all of the settings and mix the sound from the booth.

F&F Productions had previously used Calrec technology on its GTX-15 production truck.

The GTX-18, along with its Artemis Beam system, will also be on hand to help cover the 2017 PGA Championship in Charlotte, N.C.

WAYNE, N.J.—F&F Productions LLC chose 17 Fujinon 4K UHD lenses to outfit the Sony HDC-4300 4K cameras systems on board the F&F’s first 4K mobile unit. The GTX-18 4K HDR Mobile Unit will have eight UA107x8.4BESM 4K studio lenses, five UA18x5.5BERD 4K portable zooms, three UA14x4.5BERD 4K portable zooms and one UA22x8BERD 4K portable lenses.

The company said the new mobile unit offers a complete 4K experience throughout, giving its clients a one-stop mobile unit that can produce 4K HDR, 1080p HDR, 1080p, 1080i, 720p.

George Orgera, president/CEO, F&F Productions, said it was important that the signal remain native 4K UHD resolution throughout the entire acquisition and distribution process. “These Ultra 4K lenses give us the ability to be true to that decision.

The unit was introduced to F&F clients during an open house July 26 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., ahead of its coverage of an Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) match.