'MLB Tonight' Switches To Grass Valley

Has purchased a Kayenne Video Production Center switcher for upgraded HD control room

By George Winslow -- Broadcasting & Cable, 6/26/2012 7:00:00 PM

MLB Network has acquired a new Grass Valley Kayenne Video Production Center switcher for a newly upgraded HD video production control room that is being used for its flagship studio program MLB Tonight.

The large frame (4.5 M/E) Kayenne system with a 4 M/Epanel includes 96 inputs, 48 outputs, six keyers per M/E channel, Grass Valley's FlexiKey programmable clean feed mode, and the DoubleTake split M/E mode that increases the number of M/Es to as many as 10 within an 8 RU frame, the vendor reported.

"The system power provided by the Kayenne switcher's advanced functionality and speed fit MLB Network's content like a glove," said Mark Haden, VP of Engineering and IT at MLB Network. "We wanted the best technology for today and going forward, which led us to the Kayenne, and our operators agreed. The flexibility to rapidly change our effects is second to none, allowing us to create a multiple looks that makes MLB Tonight unique throughout the entire day."

The MLB has been a Grass Valley customer since the network launched in January 2009 and its facility also includes 15 Grass Valley Aurora editing systems and multiple Grass Valley K2 HD media servers.