Sony’s powerful and space-saving switcher XVS-G1 praised by Standby Television
London-based facilities specialist upgrades production capabilities with Sony’s powerful but space-saving live video switcher.
- TV production facilities specialist required easily transportable video switching solution for live events
- Sony XVS-G1 live production switcher integrated in flightcased portable production unit
- Extremely high picture quality in HD or 4K UHD
- Familiar operation for production personnel
The XVS-G1 is a very logical vision mixer and easy to operate. The button pads have a firm pressure when selecting the cameras. It’s an excellently designed piece of equipment which can be set up in a very confined space.
Hilary Briegel, Vision Mixer
Supporting leading UK broadcasters
Established in 2008, Standby Television is a successful independent provider of production facilities to the broadcast and content industries. London-based Standby supports UK broadcasters including the BBC and ITV, providing production services, equipment and crew for concerts, TV shows and special events that are typically recorded, streamed or broadcast live.
“We’ll typically show up at the venue with everything that’s needed, including cameras, vision control, VT, comms and sound plus crew” says owner and director Ross Millard, emphasising Standby Television’s ability to cater for a wide range of projects. “Depending on the job we can have a production gallery – from suitcase style flyaway kits to 20-channel multiview production suites – up and running in a short time.”
Switching up to the next generation
In September 2023 Standby Television upgraded its capabilities with the addition of Sony’s next-generation XVS-G1 live production switcher that offers HDR and SDR capabilities in both HD and UHD in a powerful but compact rackmounting unit. Building on the heritage of the ubiquitous MVS-3000A, MVS-6000 and XVS series, the XVS-G1 is built on a new platform it shares with the larger MLS-X1 modular scalable switcher platform.
In a live situation feeds from camera CCUs are fed straight into Standby’s XVS-G1 that’s integrated into a portable production unit that’s flightcased for easy transportation.
The reassurance of an industry standard name
As Ross explains, the switcher’s advanced capabilities don’t come at the expense of familiarity for engineers who are accustomed to working with Sony’s industry-standard vision mixer family: “Walk into any big studio and there’s more than a chance you’ll see a Sony switcher. The G1 shares that heritage with an intuitive user interface that’s instantly recognisable. It’s great from an operator’s perspective. If I bring someone on board for a job using the G1, they’ll immediately know their way around the control panel – it’s very reassuring for us and for our clients. And of course the image quality of the Sony switcher is a given. While many of our deliverables are still in HD 1080, I really like the G1’s 4K and HDR capabilities. A recent job in 4K UHD was ‘Free Your Mind: The Matrix Now’ for Factory International for the BBC that aired in the UK on New Year’s Eve 2023.”
Flexibility and convenience on live projects
Ross praises the G1’s multiviewer capability, replacing the need for multiple monitors to view separate camera feeds. “It offers sharp images and UMDs [Under Monitor Displays]” says Ross: “It also saves us on needing additional equipment and extra video feeds to another device.”
Vision mixing teams also appreciate the mixer’s ability to be controlled via a mobile device, giving extra flexibility in a live situation. “We use a 1ME panel for the main controls, but we also use a laptop or tablet that lets us access the G1’s vast menu and also save show-specific settings” explain Ross. “You can add multiple laptops and tablets to the network to control the G1 from a number of areas to save going backwards and forwards in a venue.”
Impeccable image quality
Ross is also a longstanding advocate of Sony camera technology. Alongside Sony’s industry standard HDC-2500 series, clients can now be offered the acclaimed HDC-F5500 Super 35mm 4K camera system, as well as the full-frame FX9. “If it’s an HD project we’ll normally use Sony’s HDC-2500 that is still a fantastic camera” confirms Ross. “And if we need cameras with a large format sensor we’ll often use the HDC-F5500: it’s a great complement to the amazing picture quality of the XVS-G1.”
