The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) has honoured the Grass Valley Ignite automated production system with a 2012 Technical & Engineering Emmy Award for pioneering the development of event driven control room automation systems for production of live television shows – which encompasses full control of robotic cameras, audio, graphics and video resources. “The National Academy’s Technology and Engineering Achievement Committee is pleased to honour Grass Valley and all other technology companies and individuals whose innovation and vision have materially affected the way the audience views television and who have set the standard for technological excellence in the industry,” said committee Chairman, Robert P. Seidel, vice president of CBS Engineering and Advanced Technology. “The Grass Valley Ignite system was key in gaining market acceptance of this new way of producing a live newscast and became an essential component of many automated news control rooms,” said Alex Holtz, lead inventor of the Ignite Systems and senior director for Grass Valley. “By altering the economic model and delivering more content with a production crew of only one or two operators, the Ignite system allowed budget-conscious television stations to do more with less. The technology continues to be a key component in Grass Valley’s strategy of enabling Non-linear Production techniques, by automating control rooms and not only bringing efficiencies and ensuring consistency but also increasing content output across all live production genres.”www.grassvalley.com
