SAM adds HDR capability to Kahuna switchers
Details
Joseph O'Halloran
| 01 September 2017

In an indication of the direction of the video industry, Snell Advanced Media has added high dynamic range capability to its Kahuna production switcher range through the latest release of its FormatFusion software.

The FormatFusion engine is at the heart of the Kahuna switcher and is the key to its multi-format capabilities. SAM’s Kahuna with FormatFusion4 technology was a key part of BT Sport and Telegenic’s 4K HDR workflow in June at the UEFA Champions League Final in Cardiff. The new FormatFusion4 multi-format technology supports any combination of SD, HD, 1080p, 4K, SDR and HDR in parallel for sports, news and entertainment productions.

FormatFusion4 also supports the electrical optical transfer functions (EOTF) for real-time control of perceptual quantiser (PQ), real-time control of hybrid log gamma (HLG) and Sony S-Log3 profile. It also includes colour space support for wide colour gamut (WCG; BT709 and BT2020) in all formats (1080i, 1080p and Ultra HD).

“FormatFusion4 confirms our commitment to making SAM’s production switchers the most flexible and powerful in the market,” said SAM EVP and general manager, live production and infrastructure Robert Szabó-Rowe. “The technology said is completely transparent to our customer’s live production workflows and requires no additional engineering or external equipment, even in Ultra HD. Its proven success by BT Sport at this year’s UEFA Champions League Final is a fantastic testament to its capabilities as we start to see Kahuna users transition to HDR production.”