The world of video switching gets thicker and more competitive by the month, it seems. For example, the small-to-medium multi-format market is booming right now — and for good reason. Lots of different devices offer lots of different I/O options. Designers “in the biz” realize that they need to provide a lot of bang for the buck, and it usually falls upon the technical crew to come up with the solution.
More often than not, the show will have multiple sources — this could be anything from a touring production with a couple of cameras and a graphics engine to a full-blown festival rig, where mission control has no idea what somebody is going to bring. They just know that there is an act performing (with a few cameras and a computer) and they can’t stop to re-patch the whole rig to accommodate someone with…a few cameras and a computer — on a switcher. We now enter the world of multi-format switchers. At this level, we need something that will allow one to switch between multiple types of signal (eight is a good number), process that signal and output a quality, scalable image. Maybe a few images….
Enter the Roland V-800HD. The smaller sibling of the popular V-1600HD, it shares many of its unique and useful features. It is second in line to the large offering from Roland and represents a great balance of power, size and features.
Inputs
The V-800HD has eight inputs that don’t care what you give them — computer, video, digital, or analog, as well as two additional inputs for still images or frame grab. The inputs have individual scalers, meaning you can crop, scale, stretch and zoom at will. Send them anything from 3G/HD/SDI, DVI-A/DVI-D/HDMI, RGB, component and composite. They are split up with the BNC’s on 1-4 and the multi-pin stuff on 5-8. A great feature here is that the 5-8 inputs are manually switchable from analog to digital. Inputs 9 and 10 are for still images/background (via a convenient front-panel USB interface) or for frame grab of a particular input.
Outputs
The V-800HD is a 1 M/E + DSK switcher with two outputs on DVI-D/HDMI, two on 3G/HD/SDI and one RGB/component. There’s also a bonus single Composite out for record or confidence. With PIP and DSK, many variations on output can be achieved. This is great if you plan on doing a corporate switch with a wide range of sources like HDMI DSLR’s, SDI video cameras and a computer or two. The key-compositing engine lets you adjust phase range, amount of chroma and other parameters based on HSV color space that is closely related to human chromatic sensation. This allows you to achieve high quality, tight chroma key compositing even when using 1080p video sources. Additionally, the V-800HD can accept an External Key. This composites CG titles and gradation/transparency clips, enabling you to achieve visual effects that are even more impressive. It also uses a multiviewer output so you can monitor all the signals in true preview/program. All the sources on your external HDCP-compatible monitor are highlighted by a ring around the source for quick confidence. Two Tally outputs are available (on Dsub 15’s) for cameras that support it. A big feature also is that it uses 4:4:4/10 bit internal processing, meaning you can output to large LED displays with sharp, unblurred, color perfect confidence.
We should talk a little about HDCP (High bandwidth Digital Copy Protection). The V-800HD is HDCP switchable, meaning that with the feature enabled, output on DVI is DIS-abled. Why does this matter? You’ve spent a lot on an event, you’ve even obtained permission to use the content that is on the Blu Ray disc that the client gave you. Switch off HDCP and you can watch the disc, but other switchers that don’t have this feature will not allow you to pass that signal, no matter whose permission you obtained.
Around the Front
The front panel is laid out in typical switcher configuration with cross-point PVW/PGM busses in the lower left along with a T-bar. The layout is simple, and for anyone who has used a Roland switcher before, it’s a no-brainer. The button response on the buss is a little soft (I’m a big fan of satisfying ‘clicks’) and I had a few mis-hits. Might be a spacing thing, which for my Fred Flintstone fingers is an issue. But normal people will be fine. There are separate areas for pattern selection, scaling/PinP/Key/DSK controls, as well as Menu config. There is a dedicated Output Fade (handy handy handy) and Transition time knob with an LED readout. Rounding out the front is the USB interface with a really cool sliding door to keep out the grunge and a Memory bank button group. Roland’s on-screen menus are exceedingly easy to navigate (especially with a rotary knob) and took only a few moments to get comfortable with.
Some Unique Features
I found a few very unique and compelling features to this unit. First, each input can be ‘shared’ with another (1 with 2-4, and 5 with 6-8), essentially daisy-chaining the inputs. Using the zoom function on the shared input, you can enlarge various areas to create a virtual camera space. Could get confusing on a live switch, but it could radically change a set studio switch. Second, MIDI and RS-232 control. Using MIDI, you can slave another V-800HD or a Roland V-Mixing compatible device for tandem control or for 3D split output. Lastly, using memory banks to recall complex setups make for a very compelling feature.
End of the Road
The fact that the V-800HD is this powerful in a 6 rack unit space is astounding. Some very capable people have used it on a number of high-profile live events already, so it’s got street cred. It is an extremely powerful switcher and will be very welcome in the market. Certainly its pricing is going to mean it’s reserved for small-to-medium sized businesses (unless you’re an individual with a pretty large spending limit). Switchers of this capability are rarely cheap, but it does seem to conflict a long-standing axiom: you get what you pay for. In the case of the Roland V-800HD, you get a LOT.
Roland V-800HD Multi Format Switcher
MSRP $12,995
Jeff Gooch’s blog is at www.projectionfreak.com.
