Designed to meet the demands of shows today and tomorrow, the new Hippotizer V4 features include 4K+ support, more outputs, Output Manager, STRATA Caddy System, SHAPE 3D projection mapping, visualiser, multiple mixes, and a number of output options, including HD-SDI. The new Hippotizer range features the powerhouse Taiga with four inputs / six outputs; the tour-proof Boreal with four inputs / four outputs; the customisable Karst with two inputs / three outputs; and the compact Amba with two inputs / one output.
The models received much interest upon their unveiling on the AC-ET stand at PLASA London last year - and when demonstrated at the recent PLASA Focus show in Leeds. "PLASA London was a fantastic show and the buzz around the stand was not like anything we had witnessed before for new video technologies," says Stuart Burdett, technical sales executive for the company's specialist video product division. "Green Hippo users from many different countries were visiting the stand to catch a glimpse of the new V4 software and hardware. Since then, interest in the range has been non-stop."
Some of the customers to have already invested in Hippotizer V4 include LED screen hire and video wall rental specialists, YSLV, respected TV lighting and visual media programmer, Russ Grubiak, and production services rental company, Urban Lites to say a few.
"As big users of media servers, we were eagerly awaiting these new hardware releases from Hippo," says James Whitmarsh, operations manager at YSLV, which has invested in a Boreal DVI server. "I knew that any product release from them would not be without thorough R&D, so the V4 was something I wanted to adopt early. The Boreal was ideal to launch with our V-Lite R3 - a real 3.6mm 77,160 pixels per square metre indoor LED display."
With four DVI or HD-SDI outputs, Hippotizer Boreal is designed for the rigours of life on the road. All video outputs are EDID managed, with dedicated hardware to ensure easy setup and operation in any environment. Each output includes a second parallel connection to enable local monitoring.
"We were delighted to be able to provide the Boreal and an LED screen to an educational National Student Drama Festival in Scarborough - allowing students to be hands on with Green Hippo," James continues.
"We also support Backstage Academy in Leeds with LED products each year, and I look forward to seeing what the students produce with V4. The Boreal was trialled by our team for an event in Blackpool, which played host to the world's largest line dancing awards. The server provided playback and live video input flawlessly. We premiered our Boreal at a high-profile international mobile phone exhibition in Barcelona, driving a huge 28 square metres of LED screen featuring a mix of 4mm and 3mm resolutions. The Boreal provided effortless, rock solid playback throughout the event."
Russ Grubiak has invested in two Karst servers. "I like the new hardware and capabilities of the new software for such a physically small machine," says Russ. "The visualiser gives me and my clients great tools to view our setup, and play with new concepts that could work with video. It makes pre-programming possible with accurate frame rate and FX. The in-built SHAPE component means that adjusting the model when projecting onto a 3D surface is fast and easy."
Urban Lites also invested in a Karst server for their rental inventory, as they wanted to give clients access to the very latest form of media server technology for a number of recent film and corporate events in London. James Baker from Creative Video Design, who specified the Karst server, commented, "This is Urban's first step into media ser
