Outside broadcast provider Cloudbass invested in Grass Valley’s LDX 150 cameras and K-Frame VXP switcher for its new IP remote production vehicles, enhancing efficiency and adaptability.
Cloudbass in the UK supplies outside broadcast equipment and services, operating a fleet of UHD, 1080p/1080i, HDR/SDR OB trucks and scalable SMPTE 2110 and 2022-6 IP units. It currently has two new IP remote production vehicles, set for completion later this year, under construction by integration partner dB Broadcast. To equip the trucks, Cloudbass has purchased 32 LDX 150 cameras, three LDX C150 compact versions, and one K-Frame VXP production switcher from Grass Valley.
The deal is part of Cloudbass' move to expand its IP production capabilities, scale its workflows and increase performance. “Since we are designing the vehicles specifically for remote production, we chose Grass Valley’s gear for its flexible format support and ability to integrate directly into IP-driven workflows,” said Mike Beaumont, Technical Director at Cloudbass.
Live Production Efficiency
Built in collaboration with dB Broadcast, the trucks are designed for both on-site and remote production, resulting in flexibility while optimizing space, weight and power efficiency. “Deploying an all-IP workflow, reducing weight and energy consumption, and having the scope to ensure and control image quality will enhance our efficiency and production capabilities,” Mike said.
Reducing energy and operating costs were a central part of Cloudbass’ brief for the new units. In this regard, the advantages will include significant weight reduction leading to lower fuel consumption and emissions, and faster deployment times are expected to reduce the need for prolonged power usage and crew on-site. The scalable, software-driven workflows will give Cloudbass a better chance to optimize energy consumption based on production needs, while the remote production-ready systems minimise travel requirements for production crews.
“Even as we increase our operational capability. It’s our mission to lower energy consumption and operational costs in live broadcasting,” said Mike. “Grass Valley’s NativeIP camera transmission removes the need for traditional base stations. The physical system is simpler and makes the on-site team more efficient, which is very important to us.”
To optimize space, the trucks are compact builds with limited rack space, yet they are designed to handle a mix of HD, UHD and super slow-motion cameras with the flexibility to configure camera outputs as needed – including producing SDR versions of the feeds alongside the HDR versions directly from the head.
“We have been able to meet the demands for remote production with NativeIP, while maintaining the quality Cloudbass’ clients require, such as flexible output configuration, no compromise on UHD, colour space and HDR support to successfully bring the project together”, said Daragh Bass, Grass Valley’s Director of Business Development, EMEA.
Multi-Format Live Broadcasting
Overall, Cloudbass chose to work with Grass Valley’s K-Frame VXP and LDX camera systems to meet broadcast requirements with limited space, the need to redeploy daily, and IP-based workflows. The K-Frame VXP gives Cloudbass a combination of HDR/SDR colour mapping, flexible keyer configurations, integrated multiviewers, and native 100G IP connectivity, housed in a compact 6RU frame.
The K-Frame VXP handles 4K UHD 2160p processing with connectivity for 12G 4K UHD and 3G HD 1080p, uncompressed or using JPEG-XS compression, without resource loss and supporting various frame rates. HDR capabilities available through a software license.
It is also dense for its size, supporting up to 48 inputs and 24 outputs, configurable as all SDI, all IP or a combination to make it simpler to integrate into varied production environments. Each of its M/Es feature four keyers that support keying modes including chromakey and 2D Digital Picture Manipulators (DPMs), with optional 3D iDPMs for complex video compositions.
Image Quality and Workflow Options
On the camera side, the NativeIP support, flexible output configuration and super slow motion capabilities make the LDX Series useful for hybrid HD/UHD workflows, with robust image quality and custom HDR colour space handling, combined with straightforward control and remote configurability.
The LDX 100 Series camera sensors record high detail and vibrant colours, with global shutter and competitive low-light performance. They show high sensitivity and very favourable signal to noise ratio.
Capturing UHD at up 3x and HD at up tp 6x speed, they can adapt to multiple formats simultaneously, including HDR, 4K and HD and, with integrated LUT-based HDR-to-SDR conversion, users can transition between production standards.
Function expansion is achieved through software options, permanently and on a daily basis, which will help Cloudbass continue its ability to meet future production demands. The 150's Native IP connectivity also has a JPEG XS low latency compression option.
Cloudbass’ new trucks are scheduled to make their debut in top-tier English football coverage just after mid-2025, supporting high-speed, multi-format workflows for one of the most watched leagues in the world. Mike Bryan, Technology Director at dB Broadcast, believes Grass Valley’s IP-based architecture fits well for this project, helping Cloudbass maximize both operational efficiency and sustainability. He said, “Working with Grass Valley has been excellent to deliver trucks that are not only powerful but also future-proof and energy efficient.” www.grassvalley.com
