Grass Valley Delivers Flawless Slow-Motion from High-Velocity World Ski Championships

In February, German broadcaster ZDF provided the host broadcast facilities for the 2011 World Ski Championships in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. Immediately before the event, it added a new Grass Valley™ LDK 8300 Live Super SloMo camera paired with a K2 Dyno™ Replay System.

In February, German broadcaster ZDF provided the host broadcast facilities for the 2011 World Ski Championships in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. Immediately before the event, it added a new Grass Valley™ LDK 8300 Live Super SloMo camera paired with a K2 Dyno™ Replay System. ZDF also bought two new Grass Valley LDK 8000 Elite wireless cameras systems to add to its outside broadcast inventory.

The Grass Valley LDK 8300 Live Super SloMo camera produces full resolution HD images at 1X, 2X, or 3X normal frame rates. A server captures this high-speed output and replays it at standard frame rates, slowing the action by up to three times, smoothly and without compromising image quality. The LDK 8300 also has a standard frame rate output so it can be used as one of the main standard-speed cameras, saving the cost of an additional operator and taking up no additional space.

The dockable concept of the LDK 8000 Elite HD camera means that the wireless adapter directly replaces the triax or fiber adapter, ensuring that the camera keeps its perfect balanced ergonomics for shoulder operation and that the look and feel is identical to a cabled version. This is particularly important when the operator needs to get into the action, getting close-up reaction shots from ski racers as they skid to a stop at the bottom of the course. The common front end of the wireless LDK 8000 Elite, cabled LDK 8000 Elite, and Super SloMo LDK 8300 cameras means that their pictures match perfectly, ensuring that the director can intercut between any sources on a busy live broadcast without disconcerting jumps in image quality.

As part of its K2 Dyno Replay System, ZDF selected the Grass Valley K2 Summit™ media server to be used with the K2 Dyno Replay Controller which provides an intuitive way for operators to identify and cue clips to be replayed, and to control the speed of playback for maximum impact on screen.

The K2 Dyno Replay System can provide replay capability for one or two 3X Super SloMo cameras, but can also be configured for use with up to six standard-speed cameras or three pairs of 3D camera rigs. This powerful versatility is made possible by the unique ChannelFlex™ capability of Grass Valley K2 Summit and K2 Solo servers. ChannelFlex allows a single server channel to handle multiple HD video streams simultaneously.

"The K2 Dyno and K2 Summit combination is a relatively new concept from Grass Valley that ZDF was tracking with interest," said Dirk Bubley, Grass Valley Key Account manager for ZDF. "It forms a powerful and very cost-effective combination with the LDK 8300 Super SloMo camera. The combined K2 Dyno Replay System performed flawlessly at Garmisch-Partenkirchen. Everyone was delighted with the quality of the coverage."

"Skiing is a great showplace for specialty camera systems, with the potential for fantastic slow-motion replays to illustrate the forces on the skier's legs and the flexing of the skis themselves," said Jeff Rosica, Executive Vice President of Grass Valley. "The Grass Valley LDK 8300 is the world standard in super slo-mo cameras. We are delighted to support ZDF's high-end sport production needs. By bundling the LDK 8300 with the K2 Dyno Replay Controller and K2 Summit media server, we are able to make live super slow-motion very affordable."

For additional German language information on the Grass Valley super slo-mo camera and replay system, German-speaking customers Germany can contact the Grass Valley Germany Sales office in Weiterstadt at +49 (0) 6150 104 782.

* Disclaimer: Grass Valley is not an official sponsor of the World Ski Championships, nor is it affiliated in any way with the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships or IPC Alpine Skiing World Championships or any of its sponsoring organizations. Information supplied in this press release does not imply endorsement from the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships, IPC Alpine Skiing World Championships or the World Ski Championships.

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