April 10, 2023 - A leading technology provider for the live media and entertainment industry, Grass Valley enables content providers to efficiently create, capture, and deliver compelling live experiences. The company's array of products, including a popular line of live broadcast cameras, power media centers, mobile production units, 24-hour newsrooms, and sports streaming platforms is utilized for global media brands. To ensure its products comply with various industry standards, the company works with a range of manufacturers' test and measurement equipment during its research and development (R&D). As part of its R&D process, Grass Valley recently leveraged AJA's HDR Image Analyzer 12G to validate its technology for the LDX 150 premium live broadcast camera and the newly revealed LDX C135 compact camera.
During testing, the R&D engineer connected the camera being evaluated to an HDR Image Analyzer 12G and to an HDR monitor using single-wire 12G-SDI. To compare the outputs of two different cameras, an AJA KUMO SDI router was added to the setup, allowing for seamless switching between sources. Each camera's 4K/UHD output was sent to a monitor for visual evaluation and through HDR Image Analyzer, where the real-time signal analysis revealed technical information about the live signal. From there, the engineer could switch between camera sources and conduct an accurate color comparison using HDR Image Analyzer's histograms, vectorscope, and HDR waveform monitoring features.
"People view pictures differently. You need good equipment and accurate data to validate what you're seeing and prove that your development is headed in the right direction," said Grass Valley Product Manager Paul de Bresser. "With HDR Image Analyzer 12G, our development team can look at different aspects of the signal in real-time and make adjustments so that we can ensure our products are compatible with industry standards and consistent across color spaces. This allows us to optimize our testing process and ensures we are developing a quality product that meets and exceeds our customers' expectations."
Grass Valley cameras and video processing technology are designed for compatibility across SMPTE SDI and 2110 standards, in HDR, SDR, Rec.2020, and Rec.709 color spaces, and are validated accordingly. AJA HDR Image Analyzer 12G allows the company's engineering team to evaluate and test these parameters with a simple 12G-SDI interface and real-time analysis. Whenever the team needs extra support, the AJA team is quick to respond.
"We're all in the broadcast business together and depend on each other to deliver. Good relationships and trust are important, and we know we can rely on AJA. If we run into an issue, we can get help immediately," de Bresser concluded. "By working collaboratively, we're able to move the industry forward."
About AJA HDR Image Analyzer
HDR Image Analyzer 12G delivers a comprehensive array of tools for the effective analysis of the latest 4K/UltraHD HDR standards, over a single cable with 12G-SDI – including HLG, PQ, Rec.2020 and Rec.709 – including 8K/UltraHD2/2K/HD content in a convenient real time 1RU device. Developed in partnership with Colorfront, AJA HDR Image Analyzer 12G supports a wealth of inputs from camera Log formats to SDR (Rec.709), PQ (ST 2084) and HLG and offers color gamut support for BT.2020 alongside traditional BT.709. AJA hardware prowess ensures high reliability and performance, with 4x 12G-SDI bidirectional I/O, and DisplayPort connections. Specifically designed to be used wherever needed, the 1RU form factor fits into a range of environments, providing the confidence you need for consistent and predictable HDR production and mastering. www.aja.com/hdr-image-analyzer-12g
