US Food and Drug Administration Completes HD Upgrade with Gra Valley Solutions

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the US government agency responsible for advancing public health, recently rounded out a three-year high definition (HD) upgrade with a new 3 M/E Karrera Video Production Center switcher with K-Frame and a Concerto routing switcher from Grass Valley , replacing HD-capable equipment from a variety of other suppliers. With the help of broadcast supplier Digital Video Group, the FDA was able to complete the upgrade over the 2013 winter holidays and its Gaithersburg, MD studio is now fully HD operational.

Given the wide body of work we generate, upgrading our facility to HD was necessary in order to provide our internal and external clients with high-quality programs. Our audiences are used to seeing HD programming at home, so it's come to be expected in every viewing experience, said Chad Heupel, Director of Communication Media, FDA. It was an effortless choice to select Grass Valley because given the dwindling resources of the federal government, everyone is forced to do more with less. Grass Valley solutions are a huge proponent of efficiency, which is right in line with our needs.

The move from SD to HD is of huge importance to the FDA, as the migration will enhance the wide variety of programming it produces for internal use, as well as other federal government agencies through Inter-Agency agreements. Productions include the FDA's Center for Tobacco webcasts, as well as programs for the agency's Center for Food Safety and Nutrition that educate FDA inspectors, food manufacturers, and consumers on food safety. The FDA also produces programming for the US Army, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), and the Health Resources Service Administration (HRSA).

The Karrera Video Production Center, now available with K-Frame, delivers a modular approach to production switchers. It encompasses an intuitive, easy-to-learn control panel, touchscreen side panel interface and delivers full 3G 1080p50/60 HD support while drawing less power than other switchers in the market. Together, with the Concerto routing switcher, the Karrera gives the FDA considerably more production flexibility and power to meet the needs of its various internal and external production clients.

The Food and Drug Administrations consumer and regulatory mission necessitates the right technologies are in place, allowing the agency to deliver the absolute best content to its clients and the public, said Andy Jackson, Senior Vice President of North America, Grass Valley. We designed the Karrera with advanced, high-end features at a mid-market price, so agencies of all sizes-especially those that often work with limited staffing such as the FDA-can take advantage of its array of features and stay within their budget.

About Grass Valley

Grass Valley is changing the way live television is made and delivered. Recognized with 18 Emmy Awards for technology innovation, Grass Valley's product portfolio-from image acquisition to playout-offers a complete end-to-end workflow of flexible, forward thinking solutions which enable broadcasters and content owners to build multiscreen, multiplatform futures. By simplifying and enhancing the way content is produced and distributed, Grass Valley gives customers the freedom they need to be creative in the studio, the field, and the newsroom. Merging optimizations of IT technologies with best-in-breed media systems, Grass Valley's next generation solutions deliver higher quality and greater efficiencies. Customers include world-leading broadcasters, teleproduction facilities, service providers, government, religious, educational, corporate, and independent video professionals. Grass Valley is headquartered in Hillsboro, OR, and maintains local presence across the globe with offices throughout North and Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific regions.

###

LINK:	http://news.creativecow.net/story/874320...
	See more stories from creativecow

Most recent headlines