Coming off a successful NAB2003, Thomson Grass Valley has announced an additional set of new products for IBC2003. The company introduced more than 20 new products at the spring show and is following up with a half-dozen more for IBC.
The company highlighted the broad range of new lower-cost products, which are targeted at small- and medium-market broadcasters. Marc Valentin, president, Thomson Broadcast & Media Solutions, noted the increased demand for multiformat and HD programming, needs that his company is addressing.
Calling the new theme “digital affordability initiative,” Valentin announced several of the new products included in the plan: the LDK 300 digital camera, a 2M/E version of the recently announced KayakDD production switcher, the Acappella utility router line, the Prelude embedded router control, key additions to the Gecko and Kameleon modular products lines, and the Newton modular control system.
Also announced at the press conference were contracts of tens of millions of Euros with media companies around the world.
The systems integration division of Matsushita Electrical (MEI) recently placed a multi-million Euro order with Thomson for an HD Grass Valley Open SAN for its client Tokai Television Broadcasting Company (THK). MEI designed the all-serial digital facility, from which THK will begin broadcasting a terrestrial digital HD signal throughout Japan later this year.
The UK’s largest mobile TV production company, Visions, has taken delivery of a new OBV, which can support up to 24 cameras and SD and HD programming with Grass Valley XtenDD SD and XtendDD HD production switchers, SD/HD switchable LDK 6000 mk II Worldcam cameras, a Trinix HD/SD digital video router and a Concerto Series audio router. The truck will cover both SD and HD events throughout Europe.
On the U.S. side, Thomson Grass Valley announced that Jefferson-Pilot Communications installed Grass Valley DNPS systems at its three U.S. TV stations, in Richmond, VA; Charlotte, NC; and Charleston, SC.
Thomson Grass Valley LDK 300 digital camera
The new low-cost camera provides 12-bit SD processing with two new digital DSPs housed in a rugged, lightweight camera body; flexible design will satisfy a wide range of equipment requirements and budgets; supports Triax adaptors, DVCPRO50 recording formats and the new Grass Valley Digital Wireless Triax Camera System and the Grass Valley C2IP Ethernet-based camera control system; variety of imagers available with DPM and FT as well as ultra-low smear IT and ITW CCDs.
The DPM and ITW sensors can switch between 4:3 and 16:9 aspect ratios at the push of a button; camera is also available with either one manual filter wheel or two remote controllable filters wheels.
The LDK 300, combined with the LDK 5430 Triax adapter system, fully supports the increasingly popular TFT teleprompters with prompter signal, tally and power capabilities built-in.
Thomson Grass Valley KayakDD digital production mixers
KayakDD is 3RU in height; provides eight total keyers, machine control and networking capabilities and a touch-screen color display; features a minimum of 24 inputs, 10 fixed M/E outputs and 10 timed auxiliary busses.
Leverages the same high-quality engineering and many features of the Grass Valley Zodiak and XtenDD digital video switchers lines; new 2M/E KayakDD switcher is an expanded version of the 1M/E system announced at NAB2003; this version provides more inputs, additional keyers, more built-in DVE capability and a programmable clean-feed system for multi-client productions.
KayakDD is 3RU in height; provides eight total keyers, machine control and networking capabilities and a touch-screen color display; features a minimum of 24 inputs, 10 fixed M/E outputs and 10 timed auxiliary busses.
Switcher also supports optional RGB color correction and RAMRecorder for clip and still storage; supports a large variety of popular server, router and audio control protocols. System is available in both PAL and NTSC.
Thomson Grass Valley NewsEdit SC NLE
Software-based NLE; based on the News Edit XT system, combines cuts-only edit bay capabilities, DVE25 media and DV camcorder integration, traditional A/B roll suite transition functions, and storage and network connectivity options, creating a highly cost-effective toolset for journalists.
Thomson Grass Valley Acappella router
With the Acappella family, users can pair one of the new matrices with an optional control panel to quickly create a flexible system .
Utility router line for broadcast and professional media applications; this is the first of the line offering a new 16x4 matrix, designed to support SD, HD and analog video as well as AES digital and analog audio in a single-format and variety of dual-format configurations.
Other key Acappella line features include synchronous glitch-free switching, looping reference, a serial interface and support for Grass Valley Net Central SNMP-based remote monitoring system.
The Acappella family supports a variety of control solutions. Users can pair one of the new matrices with an optional control panel to quickly create a flexible system; supports the new Grass valley Prelude embedded control system. Prelude is a software-based control system targeted at small production and broadcast environments; based on the Grass Valley Encore facility control system; Prelude can be upgraded to a full-feature Encore control system.
Thomson Grass Valley Prelude embedded control system
A new embedded control system package based on the Grass Valley Encore facility control system; tailored for small and space-constrained broadcast and professional production applications. It interfaces seamlessly with the Grass Valley Acappella and Concerto Series routers and is upgradeable to the full-featured Encore control system.
Thomson Grass Valley Newton control system
A modular control system enabling fast, multi-knob, Ethernet-based access to Grass Valley modular products; provides operator-controlled separate, system-level configuration tasks; modular products can be grouped by function regardless of their physical locations.
Newton allows an engineer fast, easy access to all Grass Valley Gecko andKameleon modules in a signal processing path. Newton can separate system-level configuration tasks from operational tasks, minimizing the potential for on-air mistakes. Plus, the ability to control modular products regardless of their physical locations greatly eases installation and control.
The permissions-based approach ensures fewer on-air mistakes; workflow is simplified. Up to 1000 unique signal path names or channels, each with 200 set-ups can be configured. There is no limit to the number of control panels that can reside on a Newton system-controlled network.
Thomson Grass Valley LDK 500 digital camera
The LDK 500 digital camera features 3-layered remote controllable filters including an array of digital filters such as customizable soft-focus filters, gradient filters and a sepia filter.
First 14-bit SD camera; features a completely new digital architecture to provide the highest possible image quality and unmatched video processing; includes a freeze-frame feature, which allows engineers to test camera parameters such as skin tone and synchronize multiple cameras without on-air talent having to be present.
The LDK 500 allows users to add software plug-in features to increase its effectiveness; optional features include a multi-matrix color corrector that allows a user to adjust a signal color in a frame without affecting the other colors.
Camera features 3-layered remote controllable filters including an array of digital filters such as customizable soft-focus filters, gradient filters and a sepia filter.
Compatible with the LDK 100/LKD 200 docking interface, the LDK 500 camera can be used with current and future SD adapters, compatible with the Grass Valley digital wireless camera system and the C2IP camera control system.
Nextream ViBE
MPEG encoder platform for compression and distribution; designed for high-end broadcast applications; features the new Thomson 3G-video compression chip; includes dual-pass encoding, advanced signal pre-processing and statistical multiplexing.
Thomson Grass Valley announces sales
VTR Beirut SAL, a franchise of VTR plc, the UK’s leading post-production group, will open a new 1500-square-meter facility housing with an impressive production equipment available today. The facility will rely on a Thomson Sprit DataCine for film scanning.
Moscow’s Mosfilm Cinema, the largest feature-film and post-production facility in the Russian Federation, recently installed a Spirit DataCine film scanner, Scream gain reduction tool and a Phantom Transfer Engine. Mosfilm will use the Grass Valley equipment for digital intermediates and post-production for film.
Asia-Pacific region sales include a Spirit DataCine HD system for P-Three in Tokyo, as well as a Sprit DataCine HD and Phantom Transfer Engine for Oriental Post in Bangkok. In addition, Post Bangkok has acquired an HD upgrade for its Sprit DataCine and has purchased a Shadow Telecine. Prime Focus in Mumbai is also using a recently purchased Spirit DataCine HD and Phantom Transfer Engine for the production of commercials and digital intermediates.
Other Pacific region Spirit DataCine sales include Beeps in Brisbane, and Film Unit in Wellington, which also purchased a Phantom Transfer Engine.
In Europe, Treibhaus Production AG is using a Shadow Telecine for short-form productions, SD commercials and video clips. The company is planning to prost produce its first feature film in HD with the Shadow Telecine.
For more information visit www.thomsongrassvalley.com.
