
SVG Sit-Down: Grass Valley CEO Andrew Cross Examines AMPP's Power, Evolution The long-time leader in hardware aims to be tops in software, too By Ken Kerschbaumer, Editorial Director
Tuesday, September 20, 2022 - 11:14 am
Print This Story | Subscribe
Story Highlights
Grass Valley had its own hall at IBC, and one can see why. The suite of applications and software making up the Grass Valley Agile Media Processing Platform (AMPP) continues to expand, and that requires space to show them in action. And then there are the hardware-based solutions that continue to be a big part of the Grass Valley portfolio. All told, at IBC Grass Valley rolled out 11 new products, 24 new applications for AMPP, and 80 new features for the platform. Grass Valley CEO Dr. Andrew Cross sat down with SVG during the show to discuss what it all means and what lies ahead for Grass Valley customers and the industry.
Grass Valley's Dr. Andrew Cross: We are going to build AMPP as an infrastructure that we let everybody use.
It has been three years since IBC 2019, and a lot of companies have been transformed. Can you encapsulate all the changes at Grass Valley?
Cross: What is new about us is that we've become a leader in software technology. And nobody should take that for granted: Microsoft has gone from Windows to Azure. We've always been in hardware, but we are now an expert in software. And everything you've seen here at the show is doing real-time processing in software. We've got almost all our products in software, and that is a fundamental shift and one that is very hard for companies to make.
That's what is different. But here's what's not different: we understand that hardware still plays a role, and we are not looking to be a leader in software to replace hardware. We want to be a leader in software and hardware. And we are probably the only company that truly can be a leader in both. I think that that is important because it's like Apple: they represent 75% of all the money made in the cellphone market, but, if they had just made hardware, they would be 50% of the market, and, if they just made the software piece, they would be Android. It's the fact that they can combine to be the best of both.
I think that that's what Grass Valley is becoming and needs to become. We clearly have become experts in software. We also understand software is great where things like computers get commoditized, because it is just far easier to use GPUs and CPUs for certain things.
The Grass Valley LDX135 camera with global shutter debuted at IBC 2022.
But certain parts of broadcast hardware have not been commoditized and won't get commoditized because they're not just general-purpose markets. If you can be good at both, that can make you truly unique in the market. I think that that's something that only we can do.
If someone comes to you and asks, Which way should I go, hardware or software? Is there a delineation on what workflows work best one way or the other?
Cross: I don't think they're distinct; I think they help each other. There are certain things where you are in a facility, and you can't avoid having some kind of routing right now. It might be SDI routing now, but even then, if you are running a big show, you're going to do it on a control service, even if it's software doing some of the video processing. That is why there are two sides to it in just the same way I couldn't use a cellphone if wasn't running an OS. You need both pieces, and they need to come together.
What's new here at the show in terms of products?
Cross: I can give you an answer, but what we have here is more than the sum of the parts. We've got great new features in our switchers that combine multiple hardware switchers to generate up to 16 mix effects; we've got the LTX 135 camera that is amazing; and we have AMPP management, which now has NMOS integration. All of those are huge, but the fact that it's all built on one platform and all works together is the real story. Our platform now allows you to have your cameras in one part of the world and the production gallery in another with IT management in the cloud. That's the real story here.
How to do you introduce AMPP to someone unfamiliar with what it can mean to their operations?
Cross: We're talking with all the tier-one broadcasters, so I do think they get the concept. They are all asking about cloud-based workflows, and they get it. But what they're worrying about, legitimately so, is what this big change means for them. How does this change the technology? How do you do this without risking the business? How do you do it to grow the business and try new things without risking the old things? What kind of events is it worth doing it in? And what is it? Those are really good questions. A lot of [the broadcasters] are running POCs and tests.
Grass Valley AMPP Edge provides on-premises I/O and processing power.
But a lot of them are now going to air as well. It is kind of astounding that every customer meeting covers next-generation platforms and the next-generation workforce, how they interact with hardware, and how private cloud can be used to augment shows, capabilities, and allow people to work remotely.
You hear a lot of discussion about private vs. public cloud. How do you simplify those concepts?
Cross: I say cloud because then everybody understands what I mean. The real revolution is simple: affordable compute running software. Cloud is just affordable compute running software somewhere else. And here you can have an affordable compute running locally, and that has become cheap enough that you can do anything you need.
How are the conversations you are having different for European broadcasters from other broadcasters?
Cross: My instinctual answer i
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
21/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
21/05/2026
For cinematographer Ashley Barron ACS ( Rivals , Dangerous Liaisons , Disney's Doctor Who ), setting the look of Netflix's How to Get to Heaven from ...
21/05/2026
Jean-Fran ois Hensgens, AFC, SBC, (Tueurs, Six Days in Spring, Le Fil) brings his signature visual approach to Cannes 2026 premiering biopic L'Affaire Marie...
21/05/2026
2026 delegation for Partner with Australia (UK) initiative announced 21 May 2026
Screen Australia and Ausfilm have today announced the delegation for the 2026 ...
21/05/2026
Beeble launches Canvas, a node-based AI compositor for VFX and Virtual Productio...
21/05/2026
Shelly Johnson Elected President of American Society of Cinematographers
Brie Clayton May 20, 2026
0 Comments
The American Society of Cinematographers...
21/05/2026
ARRI expands Management Board to accelerate next phase of growth and innovation
Brie Clayton May 20, 2026
0 Comments
ARRI expands its Management Board...
20/05/2026
True to the Music City theme, the Tennessee Titans plan to make live music a prominent fixture on game days at the new venue
Reflecting the continuing converge...
20/05/2026
The long-term goal is innovation for the next generation of hockey rinks at both the professional and the community level
The National Hockey League (NHL) toda...
20/05/2026
End-users and vendors alike work toward cost-effective yet high-quality solution...
20/05/2026
The National Football League has announced that Nashville will host Super Bowl LXIV in 2030 at the new Nissan Stadium. The announcement was made at the NFL Spri...
20/05/2026
The NFL has announced that the 2028 NFL Draft presented by Bud Light will take place in Minnesota, uniting fans from around the world to celebrate one of the mo...
20/05/2026
As professional AV workflows continue to evolve, expectations around audio, video, networking, and control are rising rapidly. At InfoComm 2026 in Las Vegas, La...
20/05/2026
Haivision will showcase its latest innovations at InfoComm 2026, taking place fr...
20/05/2026
For the seventh year, Spotify is returning to CMA Fest with Spotify House, the festival's premiere destination for fans. We're taking over downtown Nash...
20/05/2026
Amp-simulation software expanded
Acustica Audio's latest release greatly expands on their amp-simulation platform, turning it into a complete amplifica...
20/05/2026
MainStage integration, Analog Lab improvements & more
Arturia have just announced the release of an update that brings an assortment of new features to thei...
20/05/2026
At the Annual General Meeting held on May 20, 2026, the shareholders of SGL Carb...
20/05/2026
From Gulkula to the nation: Yothu Yindi Foundation and NITV deepen national acce...
20/05/2026
SBS appoints David Fernandez as National Manager, Digital & TV Sales
20 May, 2026
Media releases
SBS has appointed David Fernandez as National Manager, Dig...
20/05/2026
Rohde & Schwarz and INFOZAHYST: A strategic alliance set to redefine modern defe...
20/05/2026
A Rotating Detonation Engine being hot fire tested at Purdue University's Zu...
20/05/2026
A U.S. Army VAMPIRE system, assigned to Bravo Battery, 1st Battalion, 51st Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 7th Infantry Division/Multi-Domain Command - Pacific ...
20/05/2026
Cable Captures Only Monthly Increase Among Viewing Categories in March, Earns it...
20/05/2026
April brought a symbolic decrease in the overall time spent in front of television screens. On average, Poles watched video content for 3 hours and 51 minutes a...
20/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
20/05/2026
The Royal Television Society Technology Centre today announces the launch of the RTS Technology Awards 2026, celebrating excellence, innovation and achievement ...
20/05/2026
In the heart of London's financial district, the new purpose-built Troubadour Canary Wharf Theatre invites audiences to experience Suzanne Collins' inte...
20/05/2026
LiveU, the leader in live IP-video solutions, today announced that production powerhouse BCC Live successfully deployed the new LU900Q intelligent production un...
20/05/2026
Nella Mente di Narciso Docuseries Uses Blackmagic Design Workflow
Brie Clayton May 19, 2026
0 Comments
PYXIS 6K full frame camera and DaVinci Resolve ...
20/05/2026
Beeble launches Canvas, a node-based AI compositor for VFX and Virtual Productio...
20/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
20/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
20/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
20/05/2026
First Nations Factual Co-production Development Fund launched to elevate Indigen...
20/05/2026
TLC Announces All-Star Comedy Line-Up for Mock the Week: Summer Specials' o...
20/05/2026
Back to All News
One Hundred Years of Solitude Concludes This August, With Part...
20/05/2026
Back to All News
Beloved NHK Dramas to Stream on Netflix Worldwide Starting June 22
Entertainment
20 May 2026
GlobalJapan
Link copied to clipboard
Netflix...
20/05/2026
May 20 2026, 06:00 (PDT) Dolby Recognized as 2025 Supplier of the Year and Over...
20/05/2026
Mayo's Dee Freney and Margaret Leahy from Galway have reached the final of RT Today's TV Home Cook competition.
Both contestants will cook again live...
20/05/2026
RT IN FULL BLOOM AT BORD BIA BLOOM 2026 WITH LIVE BROADCASTS, MUSIC, CHAT AND M...
19/05/2026
The winner of Thomson Foundation's Young Journalist of the Year 2025, Tracy Bonareri Onchoke, and runner up Wangu Kanuri enjoyed a three-day trip to London ...
19/05/2026
Cisco and the USGA have announced a multiyear extension of their partnership, which began in 2018. Cisco serves as the Official Technology Partner of the USGA, ...
19/05/2026
Urban Edge Network (UEN), a streaming platform for NAIA sports, has announced a partnership with Spiideo to provide streaming and production tools to UEN's ...
19/05/2026
Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) will provide live coverage of all 900 Roland-Garros matches across its platforms beginning with qualifiers on May 18. In Europe, 21...
19/05/2026
Tubi, Fox Corporation's free streaming service, has announced the launch of the FIFA World Cup 2026 FOX Hub, a dedicated destination for World Cup programmi...