Video Devices PIX 60 Captures Footage Fit for a King as Part of the Royal Society Headquarters Refit

When The Royal Society in London was looking to refit the audio and visual facilities in two rooms at its headquarters at Carlton House Terrace in London, it turned to Video Devices, mission-critical video products by Sound Devices, and its PIX 260 for its video recording needs.

A fellowship of the world's most eminent scientists and the oldest scientific academy in continuous existence, The Royal Society acts as a scientific advisor to the British government, receiving a parliamentary grant-in-aid. Installed by Winchester-based AV integrator Whitwam, and provided through Shure Distribution UK, The Royal Society fitted three PIX 260s in its largest gallery, the Wellcome Trust lecture theatre, to capture video from the four cameras installed in the space. Throughout the year, members of the Society give presentations in the various lecture halls. Many are broadcast, recorded and archived. In addition, the organization installed two Shure SCM820 eight-channel automatic audio mixers in the dining rooms as part of its improved sound reinforcement efforts for speeches and awards.

The rack-mounted PIX 260 (recently upgraded to PIX 260i due to its updated screen) is a file-based audio and video recorder that seamlessly replaces tape-based video decks in production and post-production environments. The Video Devices PIX 260i also offers 32 tracks of audio recording and playback as well as control from browser-capable computers and tablets. It records QuickTime files in either Apple ProRes or Avid DNxHD video formats. Files recorded in these intra-frame codecs are ready for editing directly from the recorder in such common editing environments as Avid, Final Cut Pro and Adobe Premiere, eliminating time-consuming transferring and transcoding. For color-critical applications, the PIX 260i supports Apple ProRes 4444 through its 12-bit, 4:4:4 3G-SDI I/O. Users can also play out files from the PIX 260i for real-time applications.

PIX 260i recorders can be controlled from browser-capable computers and tablets. When connected to a data network, transport controls and setup menu controls are available on the Video Devices PIXNET, which offers IP-addressable control of one or multiple PIX 260i recorders. Users can group multiple units for simultaneous control. Data drives connected to the PIX 260i are also accessible on Ethernet-based networks as read-only SMB shares, opening up endless possibilities for file sharing. Files can be copied from any PIX 260i located on a network, enabling access from across a room or the globe. Up to four SATA drives can be connected to the PIX 260i simultaneously. For RAID-type redundancy and to eliminate the need for post-record copying when multiple copies are required, users can record to all four drives simultaneously.

Building on the companys deep heritage in production sound, Video Devices has infused the PIX 260i with 32-track record/playback capabilities. In addition to 16 channels of embedded SDI audio and eight channels of HDMI audio, the PIX 260i also accepts eight channels of line-level analog I/O and eight channels of AES digital audio. Using Audinate's Dante, the PIX 260i accepts and transmits up to 32 channels of audio over Ethernet.

The PIX 260i includes a built-in Ambient Clockit time-code generator and reader with genlock output for rock-steady multi-camera and double-system sound applications. In addition to generating ultra-stable time code, time code can be read from the SDI stream, the HDMI stream or from an external source. It also includes a sophisticated scaler and frame-rate converter. Regardless of the incoming signal, the PIX recorders can record the signal after up-, down- or cross-conversion at the same or a different rate. Hardware-based 3:2 pull-down removal and anamorphic conversion is also available. PIX 260is convenient half-rack, 2U chassis dimension allows it to be easily integrated into any existing environment. It is powered by 10-27 VDC through its four-pin XLR connector.

Video Devices, a brand of Sound Devices, includes digital video recorders and related products that address a range of multiple-source video productions, including fast-paced, mission-critical studio applications, live sports, live events and mobile production. Sound Devices, LLC designs and manufactures portable audio mixers, digital audio recorders and related equipment for feature film, episodic television, documentary, news-gathering, live event and acoustical test and measurement applications. Founded in 1998, the company designs and manufactures both brands from their Reedsburg, Wisconsin headquarters, with additional offices in Madison, WI and Highland Park, IL. For more information, visit Video Devices and Sound Devices websites, http://www.videodevices.com; http://www.sounddevices.com.

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