Grass Valley Adds Wireless Connectivity To Cams

Grass Valley is working with Vislink and at least one other manufacturer to incorporate wireless connectivity into its LDX Flex ENG camera, said Tim Thorsteinson, president-CEO of the company, at a press conference in its NAB booth Monday. The technology will be built into the camera rather than included in an attachment that snaps onto the camera body, he said.

The LDX Flex, introduced in September, is an entry-level camcorder that can be upgraded to expanded capabilities by inserting a flash drive into a PC, downloading upgraded capabilities and then plugging the drive into the camera, said Mike Cronk, Grass Valley’s SVP of marketing. Cronk added that the expanded functionality can be temporary. “If you have a live event to cover and want to expand the camera’s capabilities, you can do that. The extra functionality can be permanent or can expire after a week.”

Thorsteinson, who took the helm of Grass Valley two months ago but has run both it and Harris in the past, said Grass Valley anticipates a profitable second quarter, after sustaining losses in the second half of last year.

The company is investing 25% of its revenue into R&D, he said, noting after the press conference that he’d like to restore the company’s server line, which hasn’t been updated in seven years. He said he doesn’t want to simply develop a server that is much like those of rival manufacturers, however. “We are working on a server that will leapfrog current technology,” he said.