IBC2023: Grass Valley Announces Investments in SDI/IP Infrastructure Processing

Grass Valley multiviewers
(Image credit: Grass Valley)

MONTREAL—During IBC2023, Grass Valley will be demonstrating how the company’s critical signal processing, conversion,  and network management solutions enable customers to work more efficiently while also migrating their workflows to the integrated SDI/IP infrastructure of Grass Valley’s Agile Media  Processing Platform (AMPP). 

The company said that the demos show the flexibility of its solutions, which let customers use any combination of on-premises, cloud-based, or hybrid approaches. Media enterprises can  select the architecture that best serves their needs today, and that seamlessly adapts to  accommodate their changing needs. 

Among the recent infrastructure additions is an integrated tally management option for GV  Orbit, the Grass Valley IP and SDI configuration, control, and monitoring solution.

This allows users to include tally management capabilities on the same server that controls all signal paths, and that provides configuration and monitoring in a single integrated view. Adding Tally Management to a server a client is already using saves rack space, cabling, power, and installation labor. 

“We’ve partnered with TSL to add GVO-Tally as an option within GV Orbit,” says Steve Bilow,  senior product manager, infrastructure software platforms for Grass Valley. “You don’t need  extra power, rack space, cabling, or installation labor to get a complete tally system that facilitates communication between Grass Valley Production Switchers, Camera tally lamps, and  the labels and properties on UMDs and multiviewer tiles.” 

GV Orbit also features many tools that simplify its use, the company reported. 

For example, it can discover all  connected Grass Valley and NMOS-compliant network devices and will display them  automatically in any of several available views. Rather than having to manually connect each device within a network topology, simply drag the sources you need to the main topology  display and “auto-provision” them. GV Orbit automatically connects all the links between your  IP switches, gateways, and IP devices, while still permitting manual configuration as needed. 

Grass Valley also reported that its drive for greater efficiency and simplicity is apparent in the latest introductions to the Kaleido multiviewer family. 

Kaleido-IP (KIP) already offers the largest number of simultaneous video and audio program decodes in the industry. That tradition of leadership  continues with the new top-of-the-line KIP-X240 1RU platform supporting up to 400G of IP  bandwidth. This breakthrough allows the KIP-X240 to monitor, probe and display up 100  uncompressed inputs with full 2022-7 redundancy, the company said. 

“Kaleido-IP already excelled in compressed workflows. With the KIP-X240 we now offer a  software-based solution that rivals the uncompressed performance of proprietary hardware offerings while maintaining the flexibility to support uncompressed or compressed applications on a single platform,” says Lee Buchanan, vice president of cameras and networking for Grass Valley. “The  KIP-X240 achieves this leap in performance while continuing to support the rich feature set the  industry has come to know. These include best-in-class signal probing and alarming, simple and  flexible layout creation and the Kaleido innovation of `any source, anywhere’ which allows nearly limitless replication and scaling of input sources.”

During IBC2023 at the Grass Valley stand, customers will also see the new MV-1200 Series Standalone and  Modular Multiviewers. 

The MV-1200 Series Multiviewers provide high-density and cost effective options for SDI multiviewing up to 12G. Standalone models include 16 or 32 inputs  with 4 output heads over SDI and/or HDMI in a 1RU form factor. Also available is a 3RU  Modular frame expandable up to 144 12G-SDI inputs with up to 16 output heads. 

There are also upgrades in the KudosPro converter line with the addition of ST 2110 IP  capability in the new ULC2000 and UMC1000 UHD framerate converters. 

Finally, Grass Valley also announced a significant investment in next-generation hardware  processing technology – part of a sustained focus on providing high-quality SDI- and IP-based  infrastructure products. The investment adds 25 additional R&D resources to accelerate  advancements in Densité modular processing, while enabling the continuing development of  advanced hardware products. 

With over 40,000 frames shipped to date, the Densité modular system comprises a wide range  of frames and cards, including the XIP Agile Processing Platform. The XIP hosts software-defined  applications, including JPEG-XS encode/decode, ASI/IP gateway and up/down/cross conversion for SDI/IP workflows. Grass Valley’s IBC demonstrations will include a 5th generation ST 2110  IP/SDI gateway application running on the XIP Platform. 

To see how Grass Valley’s latest network orchestration, multiviewer, routing and signal  conversion products are driving the transition to ST 2110 while maintaining full integration with  SDI, visit stand 9-A01 at IBC 2023 at the RAI Amsterdam Convention Centre between  September 15th and 18th.

More information is available at grassvalley.com.  

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.