ARRI releases ARRI LightNet for Managing Studio Lighting

ARRI
(Image credit: ARRI)

BERLIN—ARRI has launched ARRI LightNet, a new software platform designed by ARRI’s Solutions Group to offer centralized monitoring, fault-finding, and management of broadcast studio lighting networks from anywhere. 

The tool is designed to help broadcast facilities to streamline the management of their lighting network in one robust platform, the company said. It will be offered with all ARRI Solutions Group tenders and projects.

The software offers a multi-user interface that observes and shows all elements across a broadcast studio lighting network—luminaires, consoles, network switches, splitters, nodes, etc. Displaying all the relevant data in real-time on a single interface, it allows for users and technicians to work harmoniously in parallel while accessing and managing different aspects of the network.

The software also offers easy setup and operation, ARRI said, with both IP-based and DMX-controlled lighting systems. Features include a very straightforward setup with a coherent, easy-to-understand dashboard to help maintain the status, security, and stability of these lighting systems. 

All devices on the network will be auto detected for speed and accuracy of setup, saving time and hassle. 

In addition ARRI LightNet is compatible with the hardware of multiple manufacturers and established lighting protocols and can be retrofitted into existing facilities and lighting eco-systems as easily as it can be deployed in new builds. 

For flexible operations, the central/decentral server infrastructure at the core of the product offers separate front and back ends. The system’s central back end can offer full redundancy and run on any performance machine, including virtual servers, which can be located anywhere and connected to the network. At the same time, the front end is accessed via a range of readily available standard tools like tablets and laptops.

As remote work and production becomes more popular, the software is designed to be accessible from anywhere and is widely adaptable for all environments, ARRI said.

The user interface can be run simultaneously on various client devices (the tablets, laptops mentioned above) which can be based locally in the studio or production control rooms, or much further away, and even in or out of the studio complex via a VPN. 

This dual local/remote access from anywhere helps maximize the efficiency of technicians working in busy studio environments where time and technology are always critical.

ARRI LightNet can also be integrated into external central monitoring systems such as Zabbix or Prometheus via an external API (application programming interface) which hands over all the collected lighting network data. 

For more information visit www.arri.com/lightnet

George Winslow

George Winslow is the senior content producer for TV Tech. He has written about the television, media and technology industries for nearly 30 years for such publications as Broadcasting & Cable, Multichannel News and TV Tech. Over the years, he has edited a number of magazines, including Multichannel News International and World Screen, and moderated panels at such major industry events as NAB and MIP TV. He has published two books and dozens of encyclopedia articles on such subjects as the media, New York City history and economics.