Ross Video Acquires Unreel LLC—and Makes the Studio of the Future Available Now

Sunday April 6, 2014 [Las Vegas, Nevada, USA] – Today, Ross Video announced that it has acquired Massachusetts-based Unreel LLC, a leading augmented reality (AR) and virtual set (VS) solutions provider. The acquisition makes Ross Video the only company in the broadcast industry that’s able to offer a single-vendor turnkey AR/VS studio solution. This state-of-the-art “Studio of the Future” will be on display at NAB 2014.

“Cost and complexity have, in the past, confined the virtual-set and augmented-reality market primarily to the largest national broadcasters,” says David Ross, CEO of Ross Video. “At Ross, we saw there was a need to not only be able to deliver network quality AR and VS solutions cost-effectively to any broadcast customer, but also open the door to a powerful new revenue opportunity: virtual advertising. Unreel, which has more than two decades’ experience in the AR/VS solutions market, an enviable list of clients that includes CBS, CNBC, ESPN, NBC, NESN, NASDAQ, Reuters, the Pentagon and the Social Security Administration, and multiple feature-film credits to its name, has groundbreaking technology and an innovative creative model that we’re excited to be building upon to create the Studio of the Future.”

Ross Video will use Unreel’s UX AR/VS control software and UX design services, alongside multiple Ross Video products, including the XPression Real Time Motion Graphics System, Ross robotic camera systems, Inception social-media management, production switchers and UltraChrome™ chroma keyer, to deliver turnkey AR/VS solutions that are easy to create, install and use.

“We believe the acquisition of Unreel by Ross Video brings AR/VS cost, technology and ease-of-use to the point where virtual sets and augmented reality can be readily accessible to all broadcasters,” says Paul Lacombe, Creative Director of Ross Video AR/VS solutions. “The market is already shifting its focus to high-quality designs and creative uses of virtual sets, and now Ross Video has the technology to make that a reality.”

Ross Video will offer incomparable AR/VS solutions because it provides a complete set of all the necessary tools, which have been designed to work together. Additionally, Ross Video’s AR/VS solutions can also coexist with existing third-party keying, rendering, camera tracking, production control, social media and other non-Ross product providers. The Ross Video AR/VS solution will integrate with partners and competitors to ensure complete customer satisfaction. To this end, Ross Video will continue to work with and, in some cases, resell best-of-breed third-party products to ensure its solutions continue to meet customer needs.

“At Unreel, our goal is to enhance the ability of broadcasters to tell compelling stories using VS and AR, deliver new ways to generate in-program revenue using virtual advertising, and increase programming flexibility at lower cost,” says Dave Larson, General Manager of Ross Video AR/VS solutions. “Joining Ross will enable us to continue to work with our current technology and design partners, and establish new partnerships to accelerate the growth of the AR/VS market.”

For more information about Ross Video AR/VS and its products and design services, please contact Dave Larson at dlarson@rossvideo.com.

About Unreel
Unreel is the industry leader in next-generation Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Set (VS) solutions for broadcast, web, and on-set visualization for feature film production. Unreel’s UX software delivers unprecedented control of AR and VS elements in an intuitive touchscreen interface, enabling the delivery of tailored customer solutions. Clients include CBS, CNBC, ESPN, NBC, NESN, NASDAQ, Reuters, Pentagon, and the Social Security Administration. Feature-film credits include iRobot, Speed Racer, X-Men Origins, Alice in Wonderland, and OZ: The Great and Powerful. Unreels’s headquarters are co-located with Academy Award-winner, Douglas Trumbull, at Trumbull Studios in Southfield, Mass. For more information, visit www.unreel.com.

About Ross Video
Ross Video designs, manufactures and supports a wide range of innovative products for use in video production applications. Ross’ award winning product line includes Acuity, Vision, Vision Octane, Vision Tritium, CrossOver and Carbonite Video Production Switchers; openGear, RossGear and GearLite Terminal Equipment; BlackStorm Video Servers; OverDrive Automated Production Control Systems; DashBoard Facility Control and Monitoring; Inception Media Management Systems; XPression Real-Time Motion Graphic Systems; NK Series Routing Systems and Ross Robotics. Ross Mobile Productions is a premium full service mobile sports production company, aligned to meet the needs to produce economical Internet and Broadcast content. Ross products are installed in over 100 countries around the world, and are used daily by top broadcasters, production companies, sports stadiums, government agencies and houses of worship.

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Ross Video Media Contact:
Sara Bell
Media Relations Co-ordinator
t. (613) 652-3020
f. (613) 652-4425
e. sbell@rossvideo.com

Ross Video Media Contact – EMEA:
Stuart G. Russell
Marketing Manager, EMEA
t. +44 7827 019494
f. +1 613-652-4425
e. srussell@rossvideo.com

Ross Video Media Contact – Asia Pacific:
Vivian Yu
Marketing & Operations Manager, Asia Pacific
t. +65 9827 3531
f. +1 613-652-4425
e. vyu@rossvideo.com