Carbonite MinME
AMSTERDAM—Ross Video launched a range of new products and upgrades at the 2013 IBC Show here.
Dave Ross, president of Ross Video, opened the company’s IBC press conference announcing that the company was on track to log its 22nd consecutive year of growth and also hinted at things to come. “We plan on making more acquisitions in the next 12 months than at any other time in our history,” he said.
A number of new additions to its broad range of switcher, graphics, automation and routing products were announced. Overdrive, now in version 14.0 now includes a new ActiveX NRCS plug-in, along with support for third party switchers.
In the Vision product range, Ross announced the Vision Tritium, a 3MLE production switcher with the same production power found in the company’s Vision Octane. The company has also redesigned control panel modules for the Vision Octane 3G, Octane and Tritium models that have smaller ‘Euro’ style control buttons. Also new is the Vision DashBoard Control Panel, running under the Ross DashBoard PC, MAC or Linux control system. This new application provides Vision production switcher control via touchscreen or keyboard and mouse.
Ross Carbonite, which already has six control panels, now has a seventh, the Carbonite C2S, a new 2 ME control panel based on the Carbonite 2X but with 24 source select buttons instead of 32. Also new is the Carbonite MinME, which includes a mixer and 2 keyers—one traditional keyer that accepts linear and chroma keys and one reserved for DVE use. MiniMEs can be used anywhere in the signal flow; as pre-keyers to build a layered composition with keyed graphics, or as a virtual set background with a chroma key and add an OTS DVE selected as a direct input. MultiScreen production is now possible directly within a standard Carbonite with Ross’ new MiniMEs. The feature is available free as a software download for current Carbonite customers by the end of 2013 and will be a standard feature for all Carbonite switchers.
Ross was particularly enthused about the Carbonite product line, which was launched at the 2011 NAB Show and targets the mid-range market. “It’s our most successful mid-sized production switcher introduction ever, with more than 2,000 shipped in two years,” he said.
Ross also launched Inception Newsroom Control which allows journalists to directly create content for broadcast, social media and the web with publication to a growing list of services including: Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Flicker, Brightcove, BIM and Wordpress.
Ross updated its DashBoard open facility control and monitoring system with v6.0, which now includes PanelBuilder to create custom control panels, sophisticated Timers and VDCP Support.
Ross also announced a 10-20 percent price reduction on its CrossOver and Carbonite Production Switchers effective this month.
