Cromorama Simplifies Color Management and Quality Control for Live Productions with the ORION-CONVERT Pipeline and AJA ColorBox
Brie Clayton December 10, 2024
0 Comments
Well-executed productions come off seamlessly to audiences, regardless of the delivery format, but their underpinning is complex. Today, crews often work with a host of high dynamic range (HDR) and standard dynamic range (SDR) cameras and equipment, each with its own color science. Achieving a consistent look often requires crews to be able to color match production cameras and easily convert between SDR and HDR standards. However, broadcasters can still encounter quality control (QC) issues, where the feed they output looks off and adjustments must be made. European HDR and color management consultancy firm and software developer Cromorama is streamlining this process with its ORION-CONVERT color pipeline, which is built into AJA's ColorBox and OG-ColorBox color management and conversion solutions. Cromorama's aim is to make color management more accessible for clients like the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) while also supporting QC demands.
ORION-CONVERT's backstory Cromorama CEO and CTO Pablo Garcia developed ORION-CONVERT with a vision to give professionals more creative and technical control over color management capabilities. He didn't want them to worry as much about the math, especially as lighting conditions change. To this end, his team designs all Cromorama software with the philosophy that clients should be able to easily adapt.
We're a company that's all about improving color iteration, and the ORION-CONVERT algorithm originated out of a need we saw amongst clients, Garcia explained. Before Cromorama, there wasn't an easy way to execute high quality conversions between HDR and SDR with the level of control we wanted. This gap in the toolset was especially noticeable when we were preparing for a major 2020 international sporting event on behalf of a client, so we envisioned a piece of code and started fine tuning it.
That effort, said Garcia, led to the development of ORION-CONVERT , an intuitive engine with a unique two-stage compression process for full color management from display to display, SDR to/from HLG and PQ. The Cromorama team regularly deploys the software to serve clients globally, as it provides film production, broadcast, and research and development (R&D) services; it's also a core technology behind NBCU LUTs. They see ORION-CONVERT , AJA ColorBox, and AJA OG-ColorBox breaking down color management barriers.
The color management learning curve used to be steep, especially in broadcast, but we've reached an inflection point. ORION-CONVERT in AJA ColorBox and OG-ColorBox, a platform that's well targeted to live production demands, provides more control over SDR and HDR transforms, so it's easier to adapt to various scenarios in the field, Garcia noted. Both hardware solutions are also so valuable for QC purposes because I know I can trust them. If a broadcaster encounters an issue with their feed, I can run it through a ColorBox or OG-ColorBox and quickly uncover the issue with the original signal so they can fix it.
A closer look at the technology behind a major live sports championship production Since its founding over four years ago, Cromorama has worked closely with sports organizations, providing HDR and color management consultancy services. When its team began preparations in 2022 to support the UEFA EURO 2024 championship production, they benchmark tested a wide range of HDR production gear to achieve the desired visual outcome. Tests included solutions like AJA ColorBox and FS-HDR, as well as camera and graphics kit from other manufacturers. By the end of the process, UEFA had certified ColorBox as an approved production device.
Cromorama extensively leveraged the solution throughout the tournament venues for color conversion, QC, and testing needs. As QC Supervisor, Garcia oversaw two QC operators and the whole tournament production. He was quickly notified if any broadcasters encountered signal issues, such as picture quality or artifacts, and troubleshooted to identify the issue. This entailed passing their signal through a ColorBox on his desk, identifying the approved conversion path, analyzing whether there were artifacts, and finding the source of the problem in the chain.
I know that with ColorBox, the LUT is technically correct, so if there's an issue, it's often with the signal itself or a problem the broadcaster's in-house gear has created, and ColorBox helps me figure that out. Coupled with ORION-CONVERT, it's THE standard for color conversion, Garcia explained.
He added, ColorBox was a natural fit for a project like this because it's such an intuitive device that makes color management and QC simpler and more accessible. With ColorBox, you can easily complete SDR and HDR transforms and make adjustments. When we're working with clients, ColorBox also has such a fast protocol, especially when combined with tools like our Ennio Desktop application, which is great. I can see it processing video in near-real time, and the dynamic LUT mode in ColorBox is bonkers fast! I'm also excited to test out the latest ColorBox ACES implementation.
Charting the journey ahead Since ORION-CONVERT's rollout, Cromorama has continued to advance its technology with ease-of-use top of mind so that users don't have to be color scientists or specialists to figure out how to use it. Some of its latest innovations include an ORION-CONVERT plugin for a popular creative application that's used for nonlinear editing in television production, as well as Ennio, a color management orchestration desktop application.
Looking ahead, the company plans to continue this tr
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
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...
01/07/2026
Broadcast Management Group (BMG) has announced the appointment of Kathy Samuels ...
01/07/2026
Shade has announced Custom Objects and Automations, a platform expansion releasing June 29, 2026, that adds database and workflow automation capabilities direct...
01/07/2026
FOR-A America has announced the addition of Jaz Wray and Fernando Cruz to its U.S. sales team. Both report to Ernie Leon, Senior VP and Head of Sales and Strate...
01/07/2026
NBC Sports will air all 15 MLB games nationally on Sunday, July 5, across NBC, P...
01/07/2026
Clear-Com has announced a wireless communications upgrade for Jeopardy! and Wheel of Fortune, deploying FreeSpeak II and FreeSpeak Icon systems across both prod...
01/07/2026
England's performance team will use Sony's STATSports APEX GPS tracking system to monitor player physical data in real time during FIFA World Cup 2026 m...
01/07/2026
Adder Technology has announced the appointment of Neil Hillier as Chief Executive Officer, effective July 1, 2026. Hillier succeeds Adrian Dickens, who transiti...
01/07/2026
Bitcentral, Inc. has announced a strategic transaction creating two separate companies. The Production and Playout business will continue as Bitcentral, now own...
01/07/2026
DAZN has announced results from DAZN48, its creator initiative for the FIFA World Cup 2026. Launched in April 2026, the program received thousands of applicatio...
01/07/2026
Sarah Rose, VP, global services, Daktronics (NASDAQ: DAKT), will be inducted into the Information Display and Entertainment Association (IDEA) Hall of Fame at t...
01/07/2026
Gravity Media and the World Economic Forum's production team provided broadc...
01/07/2026
Insight Productions has announced the launch of Insight Storm, a 53-foot mobile broadcast unit built for esports production. The truck is built around a Ross Vi...
01/07/2026
ESPN has announced several content initiatives marking America's 250th anniversary, as part of The Walt Disney Company's Disney Celebrates America pro...
01/07/2026
Eleven production kits, REMI workflows, and cloud distribution bring 40 World Cu...
01/07/2026
The conference also discussed the opportunities offered an industry that is endu...
01/07/2026
The Mountain West Conference has announced the launch of MW , a direct-to-consumer streaming platform powered by Kiswe. The platform will carry live Mountain We...
01/07/2026
New AI Assistant, Multi-channel Audio, ARA2 improvements & more
Tracktion's DAW software has just received its latest major update, gaining a selection ...
01/07/2026
Stammering, stuttering, strangulated tones
The Crow Hill Company's latest creation promises to be the most original sound set they've produced to d...
01/07/2026
Exclusive run of limited-edition modelling pedals
Sweetwater and Andertons M...
01/07/2026
The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF) is pleased to announce that the ca...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Manfrotto Introduces UNCOVER, the new premium camera bag collection for modern h...
01/07/2026
Blackmagic Design Powers Houston Tamil Sangam Literacy Competition
Brie Clayton July 1, 2026
0 Comments
Volunteers use ATEM Mini Pro, Blackmagic Desig...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
PlayBox Technology has published State of Broadcast Infrastructure 2026, an in-depth industry research report examining the technologies, operational challenges...
01/07/2026
LONDON, UK, 1 JULY Jigsaw24 has appointed Alan Henry as Head of Sales for Media and Entertainment, reinforcing its continued investment in helping broadcaster...
01/07/2026
Content Vault, the patent-pending secure content distribution platform protecting high-value media from disclosures, theft and unauthorised access, today announ...
01/07/2026
Bitcentral, Inc. a leading provider of enterprise software and digital media solutions for news, sports and entertainment broadcasters, as well as streaming pla...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
01/07/2026
Groundbreaking First Nations Screen Business Accelerator launched through nation...
01/07/2026
Chyron Launches the All-New Chyron Academy: A Reimagined, Hands-On Learning Expe...
01/07/2026
Amplium Captures Kawasaki Brave Thunders Game with Blackmagic URSA Cine Immersiv...
01/07/2026
Boris FX Optics Expands Plugin Support to Apple Photos, Capture One, and Affinit...
01/07/2026
UKTV has today announced the appointment of Matt Berry to the newly created role of General Manager - Marketing, effective 1 July.
Matt will take on this senio...
01/07/2026
Sky Zero Footprint Fund-backed TV campaign featuring Deborah Meaden challenges consumers to rethink everyday bathroom wasteWednesday 1 July 2026
Fussy asks Bri...
01/07/2026
Constituency-level analysis reveals where girls miss out most on sport - and where targeted action could unlock more than £640 million in economic and health be...
01/07/2026
Wuppertal July 1, 2026
Riedel and SKAARHOJ Expand Collaboration With SimplyLive IntegrationRiedel Communications today announced an expanded collaboration wit...
01/07/2026
Apple today introduced power-packed updates to Apple Creator Studio, a groundbre...
Cromorama Simplifies Color Management and Quality Control for Live Productions with the ORION-CONVERT Pipeline and AJA ColorBox 
