Ross Video Unveils Carbonite Ultra 60 at NAB Show

Ross
(Image credit: Ross Video)

LAS VEGAS—Ross Video has introduced Carbonite Ultra 60, the latest and most powerful switcher in its mid-sized Carbonite product line. 

Boasting an I/O of up to 60x25 in HD or UHD, the modular 3RU Carbonite Ultra 60 frame can be configured as 36x15 and expanded should demand increase. This allows media groups looking to undertake larger, more complex, and more demanding productions to do so without having to spend a considerable amount of money on one of the largest switchers on the market, the company said. Additionally, the new modular design of Carbonite Ultra 60, combined with the fact that it’s based on a software-defined hardware platform, makes upgrading from HD to UHD easier and more affordable.  

(Image credit: Ross Video)

“When we launched the first edition of Carbonite at NAB 12 years ago, we introduced a new class of production switcher that went beyond the capabilities of many products twice its size and price,” explained Nigel Spratling, Vice President of Production Switchers and Video Servers at Ross Video. “Since that time, we’ve continued to develop the range of Carbonite products to the point where Carbonite Ultra has become the most popular mid-sized production switcher on the market. With the announcement of Carbonite Ultra 60, we’ve taken another massive step forward in our production switcher offering with the biggest, fastest, and most powerful Carbonite to date.”

Although Ultra 60 leverages the latest hardware technology, it shares the DNA of Carbonite Ultra, including its entire feature set. It also goes beyond simple layering and transitions with onboard Frame Syncs, Format Converters, MultiViewers, and more. From SD to UHD and beyond, Carbonite Ultra 60 supports most major formats and frame rates as well as HDR and WCG support. Audio mixing and processing capabilities are also available with a license key. 

The Carbonite Ultra 60 package features modular I/O boards, making it easier and less costly for customers to leverage the switcher’s feature set without buying more I/O than necessary while supporting future growth, according to the company. Additionally, it is the first Carbonite with an internal power supply for easier installation. 

Ross is targeting Carbonite Ultra 60 towards facilities that need the power, affordability, and feature set of Carbonite but require more inputs and outputs than previously available. Finally, Carbonite Ultra 60 provides the same I/O capacity, without compromise, in both HD and UHD.

Les O’Reilly, Director of Product Management for Production Switchers, noted, “We’ve been on an incredible journey with the development of the Carbonite series, and during this time, thousands of technical directors around the world have turned to Carbonite. With this latest development, we’re thrilled to be able to offer customers what they’ve been requesting from us – a larger Carbonite frame. Carbonite Ultra 60 is the result of direct feedback from our customers and allows them to continue to create compelling content for news, sports, corporate communication, education, esports, houses of worship, and more.”

Tom Butts

Tom has covered the broadcast technology market for the past 25 years, including three years handling member communications for the National Association of Broadcasters followed by a year as editor of Video Technology News and DTV Business executive newsletters for Phillips Publishing. In 1999 he launched digitalbroadcasting.com for internet B2B portal Verticalnet. He is also a charter member of the CTA's Academy of Digital TV Pioneers. Since 2001, he has been editor-in-chief of TV Tech (www.tvtech.com), the leading source of news and information on broadcast and related media technology and is a frequent contributor and moderator to the brand’s Tech Leadership events.