Grass Valley powers CCTV’s transition to 4K/UHD and IP

The Chinese state broadcaster’s 4K/UHD IP-equipped studio will support production and playout for its free-to-air (FTA) and paid channels

Chinese national broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV) has selected Grass Valley, a Belden Brand, as its technology partner to power its transition to 4K/Ultra HD (UHD) with IP infrastructure and workflows. The implementation of Grass Valley’s technology will enable CCTV to benefit from an end-to-end 4K/UHD IP-equipped studio that supports production and playout for its wide array of FTA and paid channels.

Hou Jia, team leader of the E16 technical crew, CCTV, said: “It was imperative for us that the transition to 4K/UHD be as smooth as possible with minimal disruption to our service. Not only has this project been a huge success, but it is also a massive step forward for our network and our viewers. We are committed to excellence, pushing the boundaries to deliver outstanding viewing experiences to our audiences.”

The end-to-end solution encompasses four LDX 86N 4K/UHD cameras, a 3M/E Karrera production switcher with the GV K-Frame X engine, two GV Node IP routing and processing nodes, two GV Convergent IP/SDI router control and configuration systems, and 39 IPG-3901 plug-and-play IP/SDI modules. The new infrastructure and workflow, according to Grass Valley, will give CCTV the scalability and flexibility needed to deliver 4K/UHD content without compromising on the speed and efficiency of its production process.

Somu Patil, vice-president of sales, Asia-Pacific, Grass Valley, concluded: “The speed at which broadcasters transition to 4K/UHD will vary, but to ensure consumers see minimal disruption to services, any transition must be swift and as seamless as possible. This means working with the right technology provider that understands their business and is able to make such a transition in a way that is right for their needs is critical. This is exactly what we provided for CCTV.”