At its Brussels headquarters, NATO acquired a new camera system fully upgrading its main broadcast cameras with a deployment of five Grass Valley LDX 135 studio camera channels.
At its headquarters in Brussels, NATO is acquiring a new camera system for its main broadcast studio that will fully upgrade the facility’s existing camera equipment. Grass Valley has won the NATO-wide tender to supply the cameras in a deployment that includes five Grass Valley LDX 135 studio camera channels, delivered with their Belgian integration partner VP Media Solutions.
The channels will be used to support daily world-wide press conferences and broadcast operations from NATO’s headquarters. The system has already been fully installed and is now in live operation.
New Customer Relationship
Winning this tender marks an important new customer relationship for Grass Valley. VP Media Solutions led the tender response and was responsible for system design, installation, commissioning, training coordination and ongoing support. VP Media also managed logistics and on-site delivery, including security screening prior to equipment entering NATO’s broadcast facilities.
The tender specified requirements for a 4K/HD portable studio camera system with SMPTE fibre connectivity and compatibility with existing baseband SDI workflows.
In cooperation with Bart Vandendorpe, Head Broadcast at NATO, Grass Valley’s LDX 135 cameras were found to meet the technical requirements and delivered a clear improvement in image quality in terms of sharpness, contrast and colour reproduction.
The cameras achieve F11 sensitivity and a signal to noise ratio ratio of 62 dB combined with over 15 f-stops of dynamic range. The imager’s ability to capture resolution and contrast stands out due to a pixel structure that directs the light onto the photodiodes and reduces scattering loss. As a result, very fine details are captured without losing sharpness caused by blending into adjacent pixels.
Dynamic Connectivity
The set-up is straightforward to operate, includes Grass Valley’s Creative Grading solution for graphical camera shading, and integrates directly into NATO’s existing studio environment.
The LDX 135s are built with dynamic connectivity through multiplexed IP connections that allow users to switch rapidly between camera configurations. Implementation of AMWA-NMOS protocols means the camera is instantly discoverable on a network, and the use of common IP standards also makes it simpler to integrate audio, video and control, as well as accurate PTP timing. Also, all of this functionality is a basic part of the media stream, making the system easier to scale – new cameras can be added anywhere along the network.
Regarding signal distribution, the cameras function as IP endpoints with IP network connections for audio, video and control directly at the camera head. The camera sources can be distributed where they are needed on the network, without the delays caused by a separate control hub. New signal acquisition and distribution topology is possible as well – since the LDX 135 doesn’t need traditional SDI interconnects, distribution is much more flexible.
Creative Camera Shading
A Wide Color Gamut beam splitter helps capture extreme colours. Using Grass Valley’s Creative Grading control, camera shaders have the opportunity to create and apply a distinctive look for the organisation across all the cameras on the network without having to work through menus and settings.
By grouping parameters – exposure, filters, gain and so on – into logical bundles, and showing each adjustment visually in real time, engineers can adapt quickly to changing light conditions or visual styles. They can also capture, compare and apply different looks across all of the cameras instantly to control their consistency.
Tight Deployment Timeframe
The deployment was completed within a tight timeframe, and required the replacement of five existing camera chains followed by the installation of the new systems over a four-day period. Only one day of training was needed to bring the NATO production team up to speed, ready for a rapid transition to live operation.
“This project required precise coordination and careful planning due to the operational and security constraints of the site,” said Emmanuel Charlet, CEO of VP Media Solutions. “By working closely with NATO and Grass Valley, we were able to deliver the full upgrade within the required timeframe, while ensuring a smooth handover to the broadcast team.”
The system is currently operating in a baseband SDI architecture, with a clear pathway to IP-based workflows using incremental NativeIP software licensing to add and remove features, even on a daily basis, supporting NATO’s future infrastructure plans. These cameras have strong upgrade capabilities for future demands.
“Establishing a new partnership with NATO following a formal NATO-wide tender is a significant milestone for Grass Valley, and we’re delighted to be supporting Bart Vandendorpe and the team with their production capabilities,” said Rene Hueber, Director of Global Channel Sales at Grass Valley. “Working alongside VP Media Solutions, this project demonstrates the flexibility and efficiency of the LDX platform in meeting strict technical specifications while delivering clear operational and image quality benefits.” www.grassvalley.com
