India’s TV NOW Selects Grass Valley Solutions for First HD News Operation

TV NOW, a new 24-hour Malayalam satellite television channel for news and other informational programming, plans to launch with a fully integrated high-definition news production solution from Grass Valley.

GrassTV NOW’s new infrastructure will include three GV Director nonlinear live production systems, the powerfulGV STRATUS nonlinear media production tools,nine LDX Flex HD studio cameras, a Trinix NXT digital video routing switcher, a K2 Summit 3Gtransmission server, EDIUS nonlinear editing software, and HD K2 SANstorage. Together, these solutions will enable TV NOW to get news to air more quickly and without any interruptions, which is crucial to the smooth running of an operation that airs programming 24/7.

TV NOW, operated by the Kerala Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), will deliver programming in high definition to 40 million viewers across the state of Kerala in southwest India. Station management prides itself on its modern, forward-thinking approach in offering round-the-clock news that is accessible to viewers via smart phones, tablets, and other devices.

“As the only business consortium to launch a brand new channel in India, it’s important for us to have the most modern technologies in place to reach our millions of viewers in a timely and efficient manner,” said Bhagath Chandrasekhar at TV NOW. “With Grass Valley’s powerful toolset at our fingertips, we will have an integrated platform that combines production tools and asset management at TV NOW so we can confidently sign-on with state-of-the-art production processes.”

Offering a versatile software-based platform for nonlinear media production, GV Director combined with GV STRATUS forms a crucial part of the production chain for TV NOW. GV Director is the ultimate multipurpose tool for live production with integrated video switching, multi-layer effects, animated graphics, and multiviewer monitoring in a single system. GV STRATUS is a full set of tools in one workspace supporting ingest, editing, content aggregation, logging, transfer, and playout. Integrating with Grass Valley K2 media servers and storage, the solution offers an expandable foundation for new applications and workflows. Perfect for news studios, the LDX Flex is an extremely affordable camera that delivers high-quality images with exceptional performance.

“With TV NOW, we aim to create an exceptional television viewing experience and the only way to do that is with superior technology in place. Grass Valley’s expertise and experience in broadcast technologies made them the obvious choice for us, and we are so pleased to be working with them on this important project,” commented K.N. Marzook, Chairman at KCCI.

“The broadcast market in India is currently going through a period of exciting change and is a vital part of Grass Valley’s pathway,” said Stephen Wong, Senior Vice President of Asia Pacific, Grass Valley. “We’re excited to show broadcasters how our products can not only enable them to better manage their on-air operations but ensure flexibility for the future growth of their stations. Our solutions integrate seamlessly with TV NOW’s installed equipment, creating a one-stop solution to reach viewers faster, with enriched quality as news breaks around the globe. It also marks the first time GV Director and GV STRATUS will be deployed in India and signifies a powerful step forward for Grass Valley’s presence in India’s growing broadcast market”

Grass Valley Shows Range of Flexible Production Solutions at NATEXPO 2013
In preparation for the 2014 Winter Games being held in Sochi, Russia from February 7-23, Grass Valley will be exhibiting at the NATEXPO 2013 convention at the Crocus Expo in Moscow, Russia, from November 19-21. Visitors to the Grass Valley booth А 50 Hall 8 will get first hand demonstrations of a range of live production solutions that will support the 2014 Winter Games, including HD cameras, switchers, and software.

“2014 is a hugely important year for broadcasters in Russia, so we are delighted to be exhibiting our latest innovations and technical strategies at this year’s NATEXPO convention,” commented Said Bacho, Senior Vice President of EMEA, Grass Valley. “As part of our ongoing commitment to the region, we recently announced an important partnership with Russian satellite broadcaster NTV Plus to help them deliver multichannel sports productions for the 2014 Winter Games. We are helping NTV Plus to compete in an extraordinarily competitive market by providing a cost-effective, agile solution that integrates with their existing Grass Valley solutions and can even be reconfigured when the Games conclude.”

Visitors to Grass Valley’s booth will see a range of solutions including:

  • LDX Series — LDX Camera Series
  • LDX Compact — LDX Compact Camera Series
  • Kayenne — Video Production Center
  • GV STRATUS — Nonlinear Media Production Tools
  • K2 Dyno — Replay System
  • EDIUS — Multiformat Nonlinear Editing Software
  • GV Director — Nonlinear Live Production System
  • GV Edge — Integrated Playout System
  • CommandCenter —Broadcast System Control
  • Ignite — Automated Production System
  • K2 — Media Servers & Storage

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