Scaled-Down Models Target Education, Corporate AV, Churches, Start at $42,000

Sony announced a trio of new mid-range production switchers designed to gain a foothold in organizations such as schools, corporate AV departments, and churches, as well as small-scale applications within larger broadcast operations. The new line-up brings much of the design and technology from Sony's high-end switchers downmarket by eliminating less widely used features and focusing on core functions.

The MVS-3000 is a 2 M/E system (four keyers per M/E for a total of eight, with a total of four resizers) with 32 inputs and 16 outputs and a specially designed, simplified, control panel (pictured, top). Each keyer has linear, luminance, pattern and chromakey modes, and the 2.5D resize engine offers some simple perspective effects. It's expected to sell to end users for $42,000.

That price, by the way, gets you a "fully loaded" model, meaning it includes the MVS-3000 and ICP-3000 control panel as well as the optional MKS-6550 format converter board, which enables frame-sync and frame-delay functions as well as the typical HD and SD format conversions. "The hardware [in the MKS-6550] is the same quality as in our high-end switchers," Sony Senior Engineering Product Manager for Beyond HD Production Solutions Glenn Hill told StudioDaily. The format-converter board can be configured with eight input channels only, or with four inputs and two outputs.

The next step up is the MVS-6520, a 2 M/E unit with the same number of keyers and resizers as the MVS-3000, but with a more fully featured control panel. It also features the MKS-6570 DME option board, which provides two channels of high-end effects, including digital sparkle effects (on one channel), 3d linear transformation, video modify, freeze, light/trail, input/output effect, digital sketch, metal, and glow. The 6520 also supports AUX bus dissolves on any two AUX bus outputs. It's $70,000, again fully loaded.

Finally, the new MVS-6530 is a robust 3 M/E system with 16 keyers and eight resizers as well as 48 inputs and 32 outputs, plus all the features of the two cheaper units. It's expected to sell for $110,000, including the option boards.

All three mid-range switchers have newly designed and individually configured control panels that incorporate easy-to-read OLED mnemonic displays and color source buttons.

The high-end MVS-8000X and MVS-7000X are obviously much larger and more powerful systems, with processors taking up as many as 10RU and supporting up to 164 inputs. Another key difference, Hill noted, is that they support 3G connectivity and stereoscopic production, where the MVX-3000 and MVX-6520 and -6530 do not. The MVX-3000, -6520 and -6530 are slated to ship in November.

For more information, including a detailed comparison of features across Sony's production switcher line-up, download Sony's brochure [PDF] or visit the Sony Electronics website.