Together with integration partner Tab M Solutions, Grass Valley has delivered an IP upgrade to power more than 150 annual live events across ACC competition
Grass Valley has expanded its long-term partnership with University of Pittsburgh Athletics by completing a major upgrade of its production infrastructure, transitioning the department’s broadcast facilities to a SMPTE ST 2110 IP backbone.
Pitt Athletics supports 19 NCAA Division I programs in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and produces more than 150 live events annually for broadcast, streaming, videoboards, and internal distribution. The IP upgrade, carried out in partnership with integrator Tab M Solutions, sought to modernize and future-proof Pitt’s live production infrastructure with its original 2018 SDI-based backend approaching end-of-life on several critical components.
“With more than 150 events produced annually, our production demands continue to grow across both broadcast and in-venue platforms,” explained Patrick O’Shea, Director of Operations and Strategy, University of Pittsburgh Athletics “The original LDX 86 installation allowed us to operate in 1080p from day one, and this upgrade now positions us for IP, HDR, and expanded slow-motion capabilities. Working with Tab M Solutions and Grass Valley allowed us to modernize in a way that protects our existing investments while giving us the flexibility to scale well into the future.”
The original 2018 installation included 14 Grass Valley LDX 86 cameras including two wireless units that were seamlessly integrated into the new ST 2110 IP backbone.
The upgrade replaced three V-Series K-Frame switcher frames and three Korona panels with two full-size K-Frame XP frames and three Kayenne panels. Fully populated with SMPTE ST 2110 IP cards, the dual K-Frame XP architecture now powers six switcher suites across five existing PCRs and one new control room, delivering expanded ME capacity, shared processing, simultaneous broadcast and videoboard workflows, and enhanced system resilience.
Despite coordinating more than a dozen vendors, Tab M Solutions completed the rip-and-replace without disrupting Pitt’s production schedule.
“Pitt needed a scalable production backbone that could support expansion across multiple control rooms while increasing flexibility and resilience,” said Kevin Tucker, Partner & CTO, Tab M Solutions. “By leveraging Grass Valley’s K-Frame XP ecosystem within a full 2110 architecture, we centralized resources, increased capacity, and created a clear path toward HDR and expanded super slow-motion workflows.”
Tab M Solutions CEO, Joe Wire, added: “Our relationship with Pitt Athletics has always been centered on long-term strategy. From the original 1080p deployment to this full IP transformation, the goal has been to keep Pitt at the forefront of collegiate production technology. By building on a scalable Grass Valley ecosystem, we’re ensuring that their production capabilities continue to evolve alongside the demands of the ACC, national broadcasters, and emerging content platforms.”
The project also showcases Grass Valley’s continued growth in collegiate and venue production, demonstrating seamless migration from SDI to IP while preserving long-term camera investments.
“We’re proud of our long-standing partnership with Pitt and Tab M and the innovations we’re bringing to the collegiate production market,” concluded Greg Doggett, VP of Sales, NAM Sports at Grass Valley. “This project highlights the longevity of the LDX 86 platform, seamless migration from SDI to 2110 IP, scalability of the K-Frame XP architecture, and a clear path toward HDR and expanded SSMO capabilities.”