Sony XVS-G1 live video mixer used by German Hessischer Rundfunk
Weybridge, 28 November 2023: Hessischer Rundfunk (hr) is using the XVS-G1 live video mixer from Sony in the control room of its state parliament studio located in Wiesbaden. The XVS-G1 gathers all signals and distributes them to two cross-media control rooms.
All video signals from production and broadcasting rooms converge in the equipment room of the state parliament studio. Among the racks, the XVS-G1 video mixer stands out—a slim blue LED strip illuminates its almost 44-centimeter-wide and nearly 18-centimeter-high black housing, indicating its operational status. At the rear, a different scene unfolds: neatly arranged green signal cables are connected to almost all of the 44 inputs and 24 outputs. Heiko Herre, responsible for system and project planning, mentions, ‘The XVS-G1 manages a total of 11 cameras and all other signals from the studios above.’
The XVS-G1 system was designed to meet live production needs, including sports, news, or entertainment programs, and is ideally suited for small to medium-sized studios, outside broadcast vehicles, and mobile production units. It boasts up to 4 M/E, 44 inputs, and 24 outputs in HD/1080p mode, or 2 M/E, 24 inputs, and 12 outputs in UHD mode. It can flexibly mix all 1.5G, 3G, or 12G signals using standard format converters for inputs and outputs.
‘With the new platform, the mixer offers maximum versatility for various production requirements and environments,’ remarks Andreas Berghaus, Product Specialist at Sony Europe, emphasizing the demands of live productions for the right balance between price, performance, quick throughput times, high signal quality, reliability, and durability. The XVS-G1 introduces forward-thinking features like an internal clip player and the capability to convert SDR/HDR signals at both input and output.
This achievement is made possible through a new hybrid structure. In addition to the central processor (CPU) and high-quality FPGAs, the XVS-G1 integrates an optional graphics processor, ensuring superior performance in signal and image processing with minimal latency. It guarantees the necessary flexibility for present and future production needs while offering established features found in larger XVS systems, such as 2.5D resizer, chroma key (for all keyers), internal image memory, ME split, multi-PGM, or macro, snapshot, and keyframe registers.
An emergency concept enhances broadcast reliability by enabling the use of the video mixer from two control rooms. If one control room is occupied or unavailable for any reason, a seamless switch to control room number two is possible.
The XVS-G1 commenced operations at hr in Wiesbaden in March 2022, nearly nine months following its launch in Europe.
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