Panasonic KAIROS Makes Its Global Live Festival Debut

Panasonic Connect Europe's IP-based live production platform, KAIROS, has made its global live music festival debut at Camper Calling 2024.

Full-service AV rental, production, and virtual event company, CPL, has deployed KAIROS to streamline its technology infrastructure and minimise the intermediary kit and cabling required, as part of its migration to the SMPTE ST 2110 IP-based transmission standard.

Ideal for broadcast productions, remote production and streaming of live sporting and music events, KAIROS virtualises traditional switcher functions and eliminates many legacy switcher hardware constraints. It features innovative CPU/GPU architecture, and removes the one-to-one input constraints of SDI-only switchers.

CPL opted for Panasonic’s most powerful KAIROS mainframe, the AT-KC2000S1. The KC2000 is fully supportive of baseband signals and IP-based transmissions, and is perfectly suited to large-scale, complex events such as Camper Calling 2024.

The KC2000’s Smart Routing feature enables the KAIROS platform to virtually handle a larger number of input sources by automatically switching the video input to the network switch – giving CPL peace of mind on the bandwidth limitations of the video that KAIROS can receive simultaneously.

KAIROS significantly increases flexibility for CPL. Creators on the network, using a variety of Panasonic control panels, can share workload and incorporate VT playback, keying, clips, sponsor loops, band logos, and the festival schedule to screens. Panasonic’s MultiViewers and AV-HS410 live switcher can also deploy output across all stages instead of using a separate media server. Furthermore, all graphics, videos, and still images shared by bands’ tour managers prior to the festival can be seamlessly selected by operators.

CPL has also selected three Panasonic AK-UC4000 4K studio cameras for use in front of the stages, and two of its AW-UE160 4K PTZ cameras for audience and on-stage shots. These are paired with Panasonic’s AK-UCU600 Camera Control Unit, and AK-HRP1010 Remote Operation Panel, delivering uncompressed, long-distance transmission of stunning 4K images. CPL has also adopted Panasonic's SQ1 series of 55-inch 4K professional displays for use throughout the festival site.

Lee Gruszeckyj, Production Director at CPL, commented: "Our long-standing relationship with Panasonic meant it was only natural that we utilised its KAIROS live video production platform as part of our overall investment in ST 2110 – and we can already see the benefits. This was the first time we had used KAIROS in a live festival setting, and it worked seamlessly. Whereas some of our contemporaries are adopting ST 2110 converters, KAIROS offers instant, uncompressed 4K visuals straight out of the box – and delivers the flexibility, scalability, and ease-of-use we need for Camper Calling in the future. Regardless of what the festival threw at us, we knew we had it covered with Panasonic."