In Broadcast - May 2020 - 29

www.inbroadcast.com | Vol: 10 - Issue 5 | May 2020

InReply

Grass Valley Pioneering
Broadcast Technology
Tim Shoulders, President, Grass Valley, discusses the
pioneering development work from the company...
InBroadcast: Can you give us
a brief overview of what we can
expect in the next 6-12 months
within your sector?
Tim Shoulders: The market is
changing as purchasing models go
from CAPEX to pay-as-you-go and
from proprietary hardware to COTS
hardware. We are moving forward
to meet new market demands that
are going to cause some disruption.
We're also, of course, highly sensitive
to our customers' changing priorities
that have resulted from the COVID-19
pandemic.
At Grass Valley, we offer the most
technologically advanced, end-to-end
broadcast workflow solutions in media.
Our business has been strategically
innovating and evolving its product
offering to address new customer
requirements including cloud-based
and software-as-a-service solutions.
We are leveraging the power and
elasticity of cloud compute and turning
up the force of cloud production with
the launch of our new cloud-based
software as a service (SaaS) Agile
Media Processing Platform (GV AMPP).
GV AMPP is the core technology
powering the newly announced GV
Media Universe, a comprehensive
ecosystem of cloud-based tools and
services that revolutionises the way
live media is produced. The Media
Universe represents a ground-breaking
leap forward in spearheading media
companies' decision to move their
workflows into the cloud.

In many of today's production
scenarios, talent and crew are already
based in multiple locations and often
must travel to an event venue. With
AMPP's fully distributed workflow,
teams can work on the same
programme without having to
be in the same place. This type of
collaborative workflow that allows
production staff to work from any
location, even if it's their home, frees
up staff to focus on higher impact
creative tasks.
The decrease in travel demand and
increase in workflow consistency that
AMPP can enable will ultimately lead
to more and better content. Less time
spent traveling means less fatigue,
less time away from home, a better
work/life balance for the crew and a
greener more sustainable production
overall.

raster IP processing up to 4K UHD
with unmatched functionality across
multiformat environments and
high signal density, even with the
increased bandwidth requirements
of 4K UHD.
Grass Valley's LiveTouch 1300
brings enhanced flexibility to 4K UHD
Grass Valley's latest production allowing users to capture
camera system the IP-native UHD LDX 100 video directly from IP sources, and
streams with separate graphics and
delivers
expanded
collaborative
languages for each audience region
workflow capability making it ideal for
can be produced by a single operator
mobile production.
- all from one web-based interface and
Finally, GV STRATUS One Pro and
equipped with only PCs, screens, and a
GV STRATUS One Express allow
connection to the cloud. All monitoring
content creators to be faster and
and local programme distribution
more efficient with a small-footprint
processes take place entirely in the
solution. Redefining the potential
cloud.
of your production workflow, the
GV STRATUS One suite allows truly
InB: Which territories do you
collaborative working across every
think will show particular interest?
aspect of the media workflow.
TS: GV AMPP is a platform that will
InB: What challenges did you face ultimately deliver solutions for any
InB: Can you advise on your
when designing / launching the broadcast or media production need,
ideal market for these products/
product / services?
anywhere in the world. Today, GV
services?
TS: GV AMPP was launched with AMPP is being used for cloud-based
TS: The AMPP platform empowers
debut customer Activision Blizzard master control and we'll soon be
broadcasters to easily transition
Esports enabling the esports leader to introducing remote production and
to cloud and data centre-based
keep its Overwatch League and Call of playout capabilities.
operations because it addresses the
Duty League matches live since March
most critical concerns that complicate
28. The remote production element of
InB:
Any
future
product
many IP and cloud deployments this solution was accelerated by the innovations ahead that you can
network connectivity, latency and
COVID-19 outbreak, as cancellations discuss?
timing management.
of live events meant everything moved
TS: In addition to the launch of GV
In AMPP, Grass Valley has built a
to online gameplay, and as a result, AMPP, we have also introduced a suite
unique architecture based on five
Blizzard's production teams moved to of new solutions to drive the evolution
core technologies and 17 patented
AMPP right away.
of live production.
advancements, to deliver a solution
With AMPP Master Control, Activision
The latest addition to the company's
that expertly accommodates the need
Blizzard Esports' production teams can camera portfolio is the LDX 100, a
for a broadcast-centric network fabric,
InB: Can you explain the benefits create highly configurable "virtual" high-speed, native UHD camera that
intelligently managed timing, assured
in regard to the LATEST product / master control rooms accessible from takes a revolutionary approach to
connectivity, content and signal
service announcements?
anywhere in the world and eliminate camera design. Built from the ground
identity and easily managed adaptive
TS: The key value of GV AMPP is that the need for a conventional production up with native IP connectivity, the
streaming.
it opens the door to cloud elasticity control room. Multiple distribution camera delivers signals directly into
We have been pioneering the
and all of the benefits this
the network, removing the need
transition to broadcast IP and remote
brings. For example, AMPP
for a separate control unit and
production for many years. Our focus
enables workflows to easily
conveniently enabling access to
is always on enabling our customers
be spun up or down on an "asthem wherever they are needed.
to meet the ever-growing consumer
needed" basis - a real game
The launch of the GV K-Frame
demand for content and given the
changer for media companies
XP video production engine is
current global challenges we all face,
who currently need to build
designed to make higher resolution
the need to be able to create and
workflows to accommodate
content creation easier. The new
distribute content from our homes
a "peak" scenario that rarely
compact switcher packs a powerful
and remote locations has never been
occurs.
punch with single stream, full
greater.
Blizzard deployed the GV Agile Media Processing Platform

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In Broadcast - May 2020

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