Hippotizer Powers MasterChef Live Tour

Green Hippo's Hippotizer media servers underpinned the US tour of MasterChef Live, delivering real-time control of video, camera feeds and playback in a compact rig.

VUE Show Design Group specified, supplied and operated the system, with production designer Charles Ford at the helm.

The stage adaptation, produced by TCG Entertainment, brings the TV format to theatres with rapid-fire cook-offs, audience involvement and rich multimedia. The autumn itinerary opened in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, before closing in San Francisco.

Two Hippotizer Amba+ MK2 units — a primary and a redundant backup — handled all visual playback, camera routing and time-based graphics. A grandMA3 lighting console drove the servers, enabling one operator to fire video, lighting and audio cues over DMX. “The Hippotizer sits at the center of the system, triggered from the grandMA3,” said Ford. “It synchronizes show timers for the chefs, camera feeds and switching, audio cues, and lighting, so one operator can run the entire production without compromise.”

The system accepted SDI and NDI sources, including a wireless host camera and four robotic cameras over Cat5. Because NDI was processed natively within Hippotizer, VUE dispensed with external DAs or video switchers, shrinking rack space and cabling without curbing creative options. “NDI was a game-changer,” Ford continues. “It allowed us to monitor cameras both backstage and at front-of-house using a single cable. With NDI built into the Hippo, signal distribution became simpler, faster, and far more adaptable for a touring show.”

Hippotizer also generated multiple countdown clocks for contestants, keeping the show precisely paced. With cueing centralised in the servers, the operator could react instantly to timing or flow changes — essential in a live cooking environment. Demands for stability and low latency were met by Hippotizer’s real-time processing and DMX integration, supporting complex cue stacks. “The Hipptizer’s responsive control made it straightforward to adapt on the fly and kept everything consistent under pressure,” he adds.

The lean touring package preserved flexibility to refresh content and tweak visual timing from venue to venue, while blending bespoke media, live camera shots and lighting to spotlight the chefs’ on-stage action. Ford said the ability to mix pre-rendered and real-time sources was crucial to maintaining an engaging look: “Hippotizer gives us the power to maintain creative quality while staying technically lean. It’s versatile, stable, and built for the realities of touring.”

ACT Entertainment distributes Green Hippo Hippotizer media servers in North America. The MasterChef Live All-Stars edition featured favourite winners and finalists from earlier series.

www.green-hippo.com