grandMA
video: Now with 32 layers
Lighting
Product News Published: 22 December 2007
MA Lighting recently improved its popular media server grandMA
video. To make programming more comfortable and sophisticated
the amount of video layers was increased to 32 layers. It’s
also possible to reboot or shutdown all connected MA mediaPCs
centrally from the console and to switch to the Pixel Mapper
mode from the grandMA. Furthermore the network structure was
enhanced with the Sniffer-mode. This mode allows the control
of 254 grandMA video stations from one grandMA instead of
“just” 31 in Slave-mode. Already available features
like the scale and playmode functions have also been improved.
During the production of the “German Pop Idol 2007”
altogether 22 MA mediaPCs with the grandMA video software
were used. The media servers all received a SDI video signal
to display every live camera picture on all of the installed
screens and by doing this include them into the overall show
design. This big installation led to the development of a
special feature for this show. The control of the yellow tally-lights
on the cameras was directly implemented into the grandMA console.
This was a huge advantage regarding the display of live pictures
on the built-in LED-screens because the director of photography
and the side crew always knew which camera was on air.
grandMA video is a fully integrated part of
the grandMA network system and not just triggered via DMX.
This has many advantages. Not only a minimum of setup and
configuration is required due to bi-directional communication
between the console and the grandMA video software, but also
the grandMA console allows for direct access to the server
and automatically imports and previews content thumbnails
in the presets.
