Broadcast Pix Granite Expansion Targets Larger Productions

The Broadcast Pix product family is expanding, with the new Granite 2000 live production system, featuring a wide control panel with 1 M/E, and the Granite 5000, featuring 2 M/E. Both systems are available now.

“This opens up some new markets for us,” says Broadcast Pix President Ken Swanton. “The Granite 1000 has so much power, but people want a bigger control panel, and the Granite 2000 [and 5000] are wide enough for sports where there are usually more cameras.”

The Broadcast Pix system concept ties an HD switcher with an HD server that can hold clips, animations, graphics, and data. The company’s Fluent file-based workflow software can hold up to 120 hours of HD clips in H.264 or MPEG-4 format and can also auto-start on the transition and be available on a multiview screen. The system also has RAID10 available for backup redundancy.

“The user can also see the file names so it is tightly integrated,” says Swanton.

The Granite 2000 control panel provides a much larger work area than the popular Granite 1000, which is still available for small studios and production trucks that need a more compact system.

Both the 2000 and 5000 control panels provide faster access to all of Granite’s video and file-based content, which is provided by the only production switcher with an integrated server. The new panels, combined with Granite’s Fluent file-based workflow software, enable a single operator or small team to create compelling live video for broadcasts, Webcasts, events, and other productions.

The 2000, for example, can handle up to 32 sources via 16 input buttons, doubles the number of keyer buttons from three to six, and increases auxiliary output buttons from two to 10. It also adds key priority controls, as well as mnemonics to display auxiliary output assignments.

“Going from three to six keyer buttons is a big improvement in terms of power,” says Swanton.

Users will also find enhanced macro functionality, which he says Turner Sports relies on for a number of productions it handles with the Granite. “Our macros are very different than others because they are file based,” he notes.

The Granite 2000 panel also adds more device controls to provide faster access to the full complement of the built-in Fluent file stores for clips, animations, and graphics (including those from the built-in CG) as well as for external devices, such as robotic cameras, audio mixers, video streamers, and video servers.

The enhanced Granite 5000 control panel offers the features that debuted on the Granite 2000, including dedicated Fluent Macros buttons, control of all aux outputs, and key priority controls for each M/E. In addition, the Granite 5000 panel provides capabilities for the new bank of Fluent Macros controls.

Both new panels feature patented PixButtons for every input, key, and content library. PixButtons enable operators to switch both video and file-based content with confidence, because they dynamically display the file names on the buttons.

The Granite 2000 is priced at $34,995, complete with wide control panel, 3RU switcher, 2RU server, Fluent workflow software, clip store, animation and graphic stores, Harris CG, and multiview support for two monitors (expandable to four). The new Granite 5000 control panel replaces the previous 2 M/E control panel at no additional cost. The Granite family also includes the Granite 1000 with a compact 1 M/E panel and the Granite 100, which can be controlled from a touchscreen, mouse, keyboard, or Apple iPad app ($9.95 download).