In the 21st century, a groundbreaking invention by Ottawa developers earned one of the most prestigious accolades in broadcasting—the Emmy Award. The innovation, an open-source HDTV signal processing system, was developed by Ross Video. Learn more at iottawa.net.
About Ross Video
Ross Video is a Canadian company specializing in the design and manufacture of equipment for live broadcasting and video production. The company gained prominence through its production of video mixers, which laid the foundation for its establishment. After officially forming, Ross Video expanded its portfolio to include a wide range of products now used daily in over 100 countries. These products are employed by broadcast networks, cable television providers, stadiums, esports arenas, and more.
While Ross Video’s headquarters are in Iroquois, Ontario, all of its research and development is conducted in its R&D centre in Ottawa.
Founded in 1974 by engineer John Ross, a former employee of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Ross Video was initially created to produce video mixers. The company’s first product was the RVS, followed by a series of improvements like the RVS 16-4, which featured ten video inputs, and later the RVS 10-4, which included multiple video layers.
By 1980, Ross Video’s mixers had advanced to include multi-layer effects, enabling operators to preview content directly before going live.
In 1983, the company introduced the Encore Memory System, a feature that digitized the positions of switches and knobs for storage and later use during broadcasts. Two years later, Ross Video launched its third generation of video mixers, which were more compact and featured microprocessor-controlled electronics that communicated with control panels via serial channels.
Beyond mixers, Ross Video developed a range of groundbreaking technologies in Ottawa, including:
- Downstream multi-keying;
- Remote-controlled distribution amplifiers;
- Single-card encoders and decoders for converting analog video to digital;
- Synergy Aspectizer, which solved widescreen display challenges;
- The first terminal frame with open architecture for broadcasting, known as OpenGear;
- The first 8 MLE switcher;
- An open-source HDTV signal processing system.
Emmy Award for Ross Video’s HDTV Signal Processing
The open-source HDTV signal processing technology developed by Ross Video became so popular and widely adopted that it received an Emmy Award for Innovation in 2016. This Ottawa-born innovation was likened to IBM’s hardware and software for computers, becoming a trusted standard for companies worldwide, including those in Ottawa and beyond.
Ross Video’s engineers enhanced the OpenGear platform specifically for the television industry, simplifying system management while significantly reducing costs for broadcasters and live production companies. The innovation cemented Ottawa’s reputation as a hub of technological excellence, with Ross Video continuing to lead in broadcast technology development.