Down Under, It’s Surf’s Up for Grass Valley

Always looking for a sharper edge, Pacific Broadcast Pty Ltd., a full-service production company in Melbourne, Australia, is catchin’ some waves with eight Grass Valley LDK 8000 Elite cameras and a Kayak HD video production switcher to capture the action at some of the hottest championship surfing events around the globe.

Pacific Broadcast will deploy the new Grass Valley HD equipment in their OB vans and as part of specially designed flyaway production kits.

“Having a camera head with a choice of triax or fiber transmission is a fantastic feature,” says Matt Percy, Managing Director for Pacific Broadcast. “It’s reassuring to deploy the world’s best camera technology in harsh coastal conditions and be confident in the reliability of triax transmission.”

Percy adds that the LDK 8000’s dockable capability also allows Pacific Broadcast Pty to create a lightweight RF camera system that can be used without crippling the camera operator.  The rugged 2RU base station is built to withstand the rigors of international transport.

Pacific Broadcast also purchased two Grass Valley HD Triax Extenders to take advantage of extended cabling of up to 2.4 km (1.5 miles). Percy also added, “The outstanding new 7” LCD color viewfinder with sunhood is also very impressive working effortlessly under bright sunny or dull weather conditions.”

Jeff Rosica, Executive Vice President at Grass Valley , says the company sees lots of applications for LDK cameras and Kayak HD switchers, and this is yet another example where HD Triax technology gives Pacific Broadcast the widest choice of technologies to meet their complex demands.

“The LDK 8000 camera’s ability to capture images in multiple HD and SD formats means Pacific Broadcast can choose different resolutions in 50 and 60 Hertz,” adds Rosica. “It allows them to be creative with their global coverage of a sport that’s become very popular the world over.”