Hitomi Broadcast To Unveil Spectra HDR Colour Verification And MatchBox Panorama

Hitomi Broadcast will showcase Spectra, a new in‑picture HDR colour verification tool that does not rely on VPID, alongside the IBC debut of MatchBox Panorama for end‑to‑end timing visualisation.

Both will be demonstrated at IBC 2026, Hall 10, Stand A40.

Building on its work in lip-sync and timing, Hitomi is extending its expertise to colour accuracy with Spectra. The system helps engineers verify that colour remains faithful as content travels through increasingly complex production and distribution chains.

With multiple formats and versions often produced simultaneously — such as SDR and HDR from a single workflow — signals may pass through converters, routers, processors, LUTs and software environments. A single configuration mistake can leave a programme technically incorrect, even if the picture appears acceptable at first glance.

"In the pressure of set-up, errors in a video source can be missed because there is a recognisable picture," said Russell Johnson, Director at Hitomi. "If the colour path is wrong, that problem can travel through the workflow and affect the final programme.

"Engineers are dealing with more sources, more formats and more delivery paths than ever before. With MatchBox, we made timing checks fast, objective and simple. With Spectra, we are applying the same thinking, giving teams certainty that the image is being handled correctly before it reaches the viewer."

Spectra generates a defined palette of test colours at the source, sends them through the usual programme route and then analyses them at the destination. By comparing the measured colours with the expected results, it can reveal incorrect LUTs, unexpected conversions and routing mistakes between SDR and HDR paths.

This provides a rapid, objective validation that reduces reliance on visual judgement alone and helps teams catch configuration issues before they become visible on air.

Also making its first appearance at IBC is MatchBox Panorama, introduced earlier this year. The software offers a comprehensive view of timing across an entire live production, bringing latency and timing data from complex, multi‑site and software‑based workflows into a single, centralised display to pinpoint where delays are introduced.

MatchBox Panorama is a standalone software product aimed at larger production environments. It is already proven within the Grass Valley AMPP ecosystem, with additional integrations with other manufacturers to follow.

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