New wide-ranging functionality being provided
Grass Valley (SL106) showing several new features for Grass Valley K2 Family of media servers. Targeted at facilities needing a file-based workflow, the servers provide even tighter integration with third-party applications to streamline HD content production and distribution.
Among the new K2 products that are being demonstrated are:
• K2 Coder Automated Transcoding Application — This high performance software enables users to ingest any type of file format and then automatically convert it to any other desired "house" format. Formats supported include (Ingest) DVCPro HD, JPEG 2000, DNxHD, HDV, and (Export) MPEG-1,-2, and -4, AVC Intra, Windows Media, and H.264.
• K2-ASI Media Client — A dedicated workstation that includes a custom application that allows users to receive ASI transport streams and convert them to files on a K2 Media Server system.
• K2 Capture Service — This application allows stations to receive and play out syndicated programming and commercial spots as part of a highly-automated system that manages the entire content life cycle of the media, including booking, playout, and invoicing.
The new Grass Valley K2 Capture Service software tells the automation system to locate and retrieve an incoming file from a store-and-forward content delivery service, like Pathfire and DG Systems, store it on a K2 server, and play it out at a predetermined time and day. This helps streamline the handling of content as digital files and increased staff productivity.
• K2 Production Storage — This is a set of dedicated, cost-effective, SAN storage system configurations for Grass Valley EDIUS editing workgroups that offering higher performance than a K2 near-line NAS system. The configuration supports up to 20 realtime HD streams. The storage systems are available with either Fibre Channel or Ethernet connectivity.
These storage arrays are ideally suited for small video production companies or a station's separate editing/creative services department that don't require the high-availability of a K2 SAN but need reliability and unlimited ability to share files and collaborate on projects that use similar material. Projects stored on a K2 Production Storage system can be moved to and from a K2 SAN as well.
• K2 Production Storage Distributed LAN Server — This gateway server can be attached to the K2 Production Storage system. It allows editing clients to have a high bandwidth access to the SAN through Ethernet. This option will be valuable to all Notebook PC editors, enabling realtime HD editing through a single Ethernet cable from and to the central SAN system.
• Enhanced Final Cut Pro Integration — This enables a K2 server to act as a broadcast-quality storage system for Apple Final Cut Pro/Final Cut Studio (FCP/FCS) HD workgroups. For those using either a K2 Production Storage system or a full K2 SAN, the K2 server natively stores and sends files that can be finished within FCP/FCS HD.
This tight integration allows editors working on Grass Valley Aurora news systems the ability to transfer low-resolution projects to a FCP/FCS workstation for finishing. The FCP/FCS workstations are directly mounted via Fibre Channel or SCSI connectivity to the K2 server, providing both "edit-in-place" and file transfer capabilities.
