Montreal, Canada – August 6, 2024 – Grass Valley, a leader in live production solutions, announces that Pacific Broadcast Pty Ltd. – a global broadcast facilities company based in Australia and with offices in the USA –is currently providing live coverage of a major global surfing competition taking place off the Tahitian coast this summer using a mix of Grass Valley LDX 150 Series UHD/HDR cameras. With French Polynesia offering a surfers’ paradise of world-class challenging waves, Pacific Broadcast aims to showcase the sport for a global audience using the highest quality images possible from every angle, including above and below the waves.

To ensure unobstructed views of surfers riding the waves, Pacific Broadcast built custom waterproof housings for the new Compact LDX C150 camera to enable the capture of exceptional quality images—even when submerged. Configurable as either NativeIP or SDI, LDX 150 standard and compact cameras offer 3x HD/UHD variable speed, and/or 6x HD with a perpetual or daily option. Uniquely, the LDX 150’s live UHD output was used while simultaneously capturing stunning 6x 1080p high-speed replay action shots.

Pacific Broadcast is also leveraging LDX 150 RF cameras, which enable wireless transmission of live image signals and full control of the cameras with low latency links thanks to a third-party wireless RF transmission module integrated by Pacific Broadcast’s design department into the camera housing. For any live event like this world-class surfing competition, wireless RF capability means that cameras can operate from places that would otherwise be difficult or impossible to reach with cable runs.

“Live coverage of any premium value sporting event calls for the highest performing cameras on the market today, which aptly describes Grass Valley’s LDX 150 cameras,” said Matt Percy, CEO of Pacific Broadcast Pty Ltd. “We chose these cameras for their no-compromise premium quality image capture, consistent from all camera positions,” Percy added. “We’ve been working closely with Grass Valley to build RF links according to their new unique interface specifications.” Since Pacific Broadcast needed to start their pre-production planning prior to the official unveiling of the LDX 150 RF cameras at the NAB Show in April 2024, Grass Valley proactively shared its camera prototypes, as well as electrical and physical interface specs, so that Pacific Broadcast would not be delayed. These resources helped Pacific Broadcast develop their plan for how the RF wireless capability could be implemented according to their precise requirements. The close cooperation between Grass Valley and Pacific Broadcast meant that all RF camera requirements were delivered in full to the competition prior to the event start. The quality of the UHD / HDR camera and link combination was met with universal acclaim.

The new Pacific Broadcast equipment package also includes a Grass Valley K-Frame XP live production switcher with a Kayenne control panel, chosen primarily for its automated, optimized HDR/SDR conversion capabilities.

“We’re extremely pleased to collaborate closely with our long-time, valued customer, Pacific Broadcast, as they prepared for live production of this global surfing competition,” said Adam Marshall, Chief Product Officer at Grass Valley. “The collaboration showcases the cutting-edge capabilities of our LDX 150 Series cameras and reaffirms our commitment to pushing the boundaries of live production technology, with one of the first deployments of our latest fully integrated RF camera solutions.”

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About Grass Valley

Grass Valley is the leading technology provider for the live media and entertainment industry market. We work with 90% of the world’s major media brands, enabling their live production centers, mobile production units, 24-hour newsrooms, and sports streaming platforms to be ever more productive with SaaS and hardware systems. Our solutions enable content owners and service providers to create and deliver compelling live content in the most profitable way.

From IP-native cameras to state-of-the-art software and hardware production and playout systems, we’re at the forefront of ground-breaking live media innovation. We continue to pioneer market-leading advances to create and move live content more efficiently and generate new revenue streams.

Headquartered in Montreal, Grass Valley has been engaged in the media technology business for over 65 years and is now part of Black Dragon Capital. Learn more at grassvalley.com.

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