The creative and technical skills of UK Production Services (UKPS) were both put to the test by a global software giant who employed its services to provide an A/V solution for a major product launch. Director Carl Wackan knew he would need the very best equipment to satisfy the requirement of this heavyweight client…

The project presented a number of challenges and the Roland V-1600HD Multi Format Live Video Switcher was chosen for the job. ‘The V-1600HD is a well thought out bit of kit that ticked all the boxes’ says Wackan, ‘I can see what I’m doing and what is going on because the screen is right in front of me and I have everything to hand for every eventuality’.

The launch took place in a cinema – a good choice, as the power of the cinema projector ensured that each detail was clear to the 20m cinema screen. With an audience of around 600 people, it was not just the live event that UKPS had to consider as it was also to be recorded for online distribution.

There were several risks involved in the project, which tested the skills of UKPS and the features of the Roland V-1600HD. The first was the possibility that the software the client being launched might itself be unstable, and any faults would not only be immediately evident to the live audience but would also be recorded. The solution was to devise multiple levels so that each level would be separate but still linked allowing UKPS to tidy up or revise where necessary.

The first level was the clients with machines and back-ups, the second was to separate and record to a recording studio – a TV studio that UKPS had practically built overnight. Each layer added complexity to the job but was essential as an insurance against any unforeseen problems.

UKPS used the V-1600HD at the centre of it all, designing a logogram of all the visuals – where they would come from and where they needed distributing to and how this was to be done. All visuals had to be shown and recorded at the same time so this had to be factored into the set-up. The loop out facility on the V-1600HD allowed UKPS to bring everything in and then choose to display locally or send to recording machines elsewhere.

The V-1600HD Live Video Switcher is aimed at live events and installations needing a high channel-count, and the ability to accept a variety of video input formats. The 16 inputs provide connectivity to HD/SD-SDI, DVI-D/HDMI, RGB, Component, S-video, and composite formats – as well as still images assignable via USB memory. The 14 mixing channels provide built-in scalers and frame syncs for seamless mixing regardless of resolution or format. In this instance, the scaling facility meant that the V-1600HD could take a lot of high-end computer signals and turn them into high end HDSDI.

‘In post production, the quality of the recorded image on screen was so good it looked like we had the software open on our system,’ says Wackan.

Because of the menu options and high-resolution preview monitor, UKPS could check that all sources were connected and preview them. The monitor also made life easier for UKPS to adjust and resize images live.

Wackan refers to the V-1600HD as an ‘ace up his sleeve’: ‘It is an essential tool for all of our jobs – the vision mixers are good for the money, highly spec’d and easy to use – that’s very important when you are working with a lot of freelancers, if they can come in and pick it up and you don’t have to train them, that’s a great benefit’.

More: www.rolandsg.co.uk