Leading Ukrainian broadcast TV channel ‘Ukraine’ is upgrading its facilities to move to HD production and delivery, with a major order for Grass Valley equipment.
Three studios, including the news production centre at the broadcaster’s headquarters in Kiev, are being upgraded to HD. The studios will share 13 Grass Valley LDK 3000 HD cameras and an additional LDK 4000 HD camera fitted with Grass Valley’s HD wireless transmission system. The LDK 3000 camera uses three 2.4 million pixel Xensium images which allow switching between the 1080i and 720p HD formats. The LDK 3000 also uses a full bandwidth HD triax transmission system to allow cable runs up to 1,200 meters.
The order also includes two Kayak 4 M/E video production switchers. When systems integrator ComTel Broadcasting Solutions completes the project, it will allow ‘Ukraine’ to be the first broadcaster in the country to offer HD news to its viewers.
“We’ve always had good experiences with Grass Valley products, starting with our LDK 23 cameras,” said Przemyslaw Kula, chief technical officer of the channel. “This was a major project and we considered all of the major manufacturers, but Grass Valley gave us confidence in the quality of their products and their commitment to continued support.”
“This is a great win for us and we are delighted to be working with ‘Ukraine’,” said Jeff Rosica, senior vice president of Grass Valley. “We spent considerable time with their team from Kiev at NAB this year, showing them the capabilities of the products in detail and talking about our plans for the future. Now we look forward to seeing the new HD studios on air.”
The contract for Grass Valley equipment was signed in late June 2010. Delivery and installation commenced in August, with an on-air date in September.
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