MA Lighting recently improved its popular media server grandMA video. To make programming more comfortable and sophisticated the amount of video layers was increased to 32 layers. It’s also possible to reboot or shutdown all connected MA mediaPCs centrally from the console and to switch to the Pixel Mapper mode from the grandMA. Furthermore the network structure was enhanced with the Sniffer-mode. This mode allows the control of 254 grandMA video stations from one grandMA instead of “just” 31 in Slave-mode. Already available features like the scale and playmode functions have also been improved.

During the production of the “German Pop Idol 2007” altogether 22 MA mediaPCs with the grandMA video software were used. The media servers all received a SDI video signal to display every live camera picture on all of the installed screens and by doing this include them into the overall show design. This big installation led to the development of a special feature for this show. The control of the yellow tally-lights on the cameras was directly implemented into the grandMA console. This was a huge advantage regarding the display of live pictures on the built-in LED-screens because the director of photography and the side crew always knew which camera was on air.

grandMA video is a fully integrated part of the grandMA network system and not just triggered via DMX. This has many advantages. Not only a minimum of setup and configuration is required due to bi-directional communication between the console and the grandMA video software, but also the grandMA console allows for direct access to the server and automatically imports and previews content thumbnails in the presets.