NEP is embarking on a major upgrade of its fleet of mobile trucks over the next three years and has announced plans to bring several new vehicles online to replace some existing units.
The upgrades will begin with installations of Grass Valley K-Frame modular video processing engines with Kayenne Video Production Center switcher platforms in 30 of its mobile units.
In addition, NEP will install five Grass Valley Kayenne Classic frames with Karrera panels in a large flypack system being built for its U.K. based NEP Visions.
"We are launching this large-scale effort with a focus on one of the key technologies behind every live production — the switcher," said George Hoover, chief technology officer, NEP in a statement. "With features such as integrated clip players and the universally accepted Grass Valley interface, the new K-Frame platform will give our productions a huge boost. With 30 K-Frames deployed across our U.S. fleet and seven Kayennes in the U.K., the impact of this major upgrade will be felt by all of our clients."
In addition to the switcher improvements, NEP is also planning a number of other upgrades in 2014. These include enhancements to slow-motion replay capabilities using EVS XT3 servers, installing embedded audio in all units, replacing copper cable with fiber-optic cable to interconnect multiple vehicles on larger productions, and new monitor walls in several mobile units.
The upgrades will take place in cycles so as not to interfere with previously scheduled productions.
