Grass Valley recently provided the production switchers used to cover this year’s NBA Finals.
Coming straight from the court, the Dallas Mavericks’ Game 6 win over the Miami Heat this past Sunday was telecast live in 720p.
Supplying the two production companies responsible for the games’ coverage, Game Creek Video and NEP Supershooters, Grass Valley has developed long-standing business relationships over the years. The company’s switchers have reportedly become a staple of the on-site broadcast industry.
“It’s plain and simple, Grass Valley switchers are what our clients want,” said Paul Bonar, Game Creek Video vice president of engineering, in a press release. ”Technical Directors are well trained on them and the bulk of the freelance pool our clients use are immediately familiar with how they operate. So, staying with Grass Valley over the years has been a very easy business decision for our company.”
As per the rules, the Finals are split between the two teams’ home courts. Game Creek’s 53-foot “Liberty” truck, utilizing a Grass Valley Kayenne video production center, was on-site at the American Airlines Arena in Miami, Fl. NEP Sharpshooters’ truck, with a Kalypso HD production switcher, was stationed at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Tex.
Both companies’ trucks have also been instrumental in covering several of the first and divisional rounds of the NBA playoff series for ABC Sports, ESPN HD and TNT HD.
