There’s a persistent assumption in live sports production that richer analysis means more complexity, more setup, more risk. That the kind of tactical depth viewers expect from the best broadcasts is simply out of reach in a first-replay window.

PIERO 21.0 challenges that assumption directly. Formation tracking and multi-player effects that once required extensive manual work are now up to 3× faster. The ceiling on what’s achievable in the time available has moved, and with it, the quality of storytelling that live production can consistently deliver.

PIERO 21.0 isn’t the story of new features. It’s the story of time returned to the people who know best how to use it.

When analysts spend less time on technology and more time on craft, sports television gets better. The storytelling gets sharper. And the viewer, who never sees the workflow only the result; gets more of what they came for.

That’s the production standard worth chasing. And it’s closer than it’s ever been.

Faster to get on air. Smoother to operate. Tell richer stories.

Hardware Requirements Intelligent Player Tracking and Zero-Click Calibration require M9 hardware. Upgrading also futureproofs your operation for AI/ML enhancements to come.

Release Notes & Support Full details in the PIERO 21.0

Questions or need a walkthrough? Our team is ready.
Contact a ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ Video Representative

Already a PIERO user? Here’s how to update to 21.0

The HyperMax Resource Pool is the culmination of our past year of development since HyperMax’s launch at NAB 2025. By combining multiple production switcher instances within one engine, enabling dynamic control from a single panel, and flexibly managing software across diverse hardware, it transforms how organizations utilize their switcher resources across the entire operation.

Drive Multiple Switchers Within a Single Frame

With HyperMax, you can craft exactly the switcher you need inside an Ultrix FR5 or FR12 frame using SDPE blades. Each blade can be configured as MaxME for a full ME, MaxMini for multiple MiniMEs, or MaxScene for layered scene resources. But beyond building a custom switcher, HyperMax lets you run multiple independent switcher instances in the same frame. You might create a HyperMax 1 with a 4-ME setup, a HyperMax 2 mixing 1 MEs and 6 MiniMEs, and a HyperMax 3 blending MEs, MiniMEs, and scene layers. In short, you’re driving multiple switchers from one frame, giving you more production power, all in one place.

Control Multiple Switchers with a Single Panel

With the latest update, a single TouchDrive panel can now access and control specific ME and MiniME resources across up to four production switchers simultaneously. Once connected, a technical director can examine the resources of any switcher from the TouchDrive panel and map it to any row. This revolutionary workflow gives production teams centralized access to local and remote resources on any Carbonite:

• Carbonite HyperMax
• Ultrix Carbonite
• Ultrix Mosaic
• Carbonite Ultra 60
• Carbonite Ultra
• Carbonite Ultra Solo
• Carbonite Ultra Mosaic

That means more flexible remote workflows, easier multi-system operation, and eliminating the need for separate panels per switcher. Whether you’re linking your studio sports broadcast to a REMI truck on-site at a game, hooking into a remote studio feed, or even integrating with a cloud-based production, you have the flexibility. From one panel, you can control multiple switchers at once, accessing the exact resources you need in real time.

Manage Multiple Facilities with a Single Platform Manager

With enhanced ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ Platform Manager integration, you can manage licenses and switcher configurations centrally from a single, secure, browser-based platform.

• License Pooling: RPM helps facilities get more value from their HyperMax investment by enabling shared license pools for advanced features such as MaxME, MaxMini, and MaxScene across SDPE blades. Instead of provisioning software for the grand sum of all productions, teams can activate the tools they need where they need them to cover peak usage, dynamically deploying licenses as needed.
• Switcher Set Snapshots: Save and recall complete configuration snapshots, including file sets and switcher layouts. You can seamlessly shift from a large HyperMax setup for a sports broadcast to a multi-instance talk show configuration, all in moments. Operators and engineers can save complete switcher configuration snapshots and instantly recall them, making it faster to move between shows, restore proven setups, or recover complex configurations with confidence.
• Blade Mode Switching: Reconfigure SDPE blades between HyperMax modes or standalone Ultrix Carbonite switchers. Deploy combinations of HyperMax instances and fully self-contained switchers, across all hardware engines in your organization.

The result is a production platform that is not only powerful, but easier to standardize, secure, scale, and adapt from one production to the next. With RPM and HyperMax working in tandem, managing switcher resources across your organization has never been easier.

Agile Production for Today’s Hybrid Workflows.

With the Resource Pool workflow, local productions can seamlessly incorporate remote studios, REMI camera trucks, event flight packs, or even virtual and cloud-based systems for disaster recovery and temporary expansion. Whether you are scaling up for a complex live event, adding remote contribution points, or building in extra resiliency, Carbonite HyperMax gives teams the freedom to pool resources, extend production capability, and deliver more ambitious shows with greater flexibility.

/Historically, Carbonite was ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ Video’s mid-tier switcher, while Acuity led the way in large-scale productions. Now, with HyperMax, we’re delivering big-league switcher capabilities within the Carbonite user experience embraced by thousands of operators around the world.

MultiFeed Outputs and Split MEs

Create more feeds within a single ME. Carbonite HyperMax’s MultiFeed capability offers four fully programmable outputs per ME, with precise control over which keyers and transitions appear on each output—whether fully loaded or true clean feeds. Beyond that, MultiFeed’s split ME function lets you operate distinct A and B programs within the same ME, allowing a single HyperMax system with up to 8 MEs to provide a 16 ME split feed workflow.

For today’s live productions, that flexibility matters. Broadcasters, venues, sports teams, houses of worship, corporate events, and streaming productions increasingly need multiple versions of the same show: program and clean feeds, broadcast and in-room displays, alternate language outputs, social or digital feeds, and specialized screen content. MultiFeed makes it easier to build and manage those deliverables within each of HyperMax’s powerful ME resources.

Custom Control Logic with User Variables

With Custom Control Logic and user variables, Carbonite HyperMax gives operators the ability to build more intelligent, context-aware automation into their production workflows. Instead of creating separate Custom Controls for every possible show condition, teams can use IF, ELSE, ELSE IF logic to drive different outcomes based on the needs of the moment — such as triggering different MediaWipes depending on the replay channel you put in preview, or changing which XPression channel + graphic is recalled depending on which keyers are active on an ME.

User Variables elevate custom control logic by integrating external data directly into your switcher behavior. For instance, the same sports data driving your graphics could simultaneously dictate the media or transitions in your switcher.

Combining CC Logic and User Variables results in cleaner show programming, fewer duplicated macros, faster setup, and more reliable execution when the pressure is on.

Custom Control Attachments

Custom control attachments let you directly map custom controls to any button on your TouchDrive panel. For example, you can link a graphic recall directly to a camera cut or prepare a media wipe when selecting a replay channel. The attachment mapping interface is intuitive, making it effortless to assign custom controls exactly where you need them.

Map Any Function to Any Panel Button

With HyperMax V120, every button on the TouchDrive panel is now fully reassignable. If you don’t need the memory keypad for recall, for example, you can reprogram those keys to instantly cut cameras or trigger other functions. Through the interface, you assign any button a new function—be it source selection, a custom macro, or even a workflow shortcut. Essentially, you have the power to tailor the panel layout to however is most comfortable for live operation.

Extend Switcher Control with the Sideshot-NG Shotbox

Carbonite HyperMax now supports direct assignment of switcher functions to the SideShot-NG shotbox module, giving teams a flexible way to extend dedicated, tactile switcher control beyond the main production panel. With a compact bank of user-configurable buttons, operators can trigger custom controls, memory recalls, device actions, and key production functions from additional positions across the control room, venue, truck, or remote workflow.

Error-Proof Shows with Panel Lock

With panel button locking, Carbonite HyperMax helps operators avoid accidental actions during mission-critical live productions. Teams can lock specific controls that should not be triggered during a show, protecting program/preview, keyers, transitions, memories, and custom functions from unintended operation.

It’s a simple feature with a big operational impact: fewer mistakes, cleaner workflows, and greater confidence for productions where every button press matters. Whether it’s locking out functions that aren’t on-brand with your show, or volunteer-proofing your panel for church production – button locking helps keep switcher control focused, intentional, and show-safe.

Greater Control in MOS Workflows

In busy newsroom environments, editorial changes can sometimes affect on-air graphics. XPression 12.6 introduces frame buffer protection in MOS workflows, ensuring that graphics placed on outputs remain there until the control room operator removes them.

This means:

• On-air graphics stay protected from newsroom edits or deletions
• Control room operators maintain full authority over graphics layout and outputs
• The risk of accidental graphics drops during live broadcasts is significantly reduced

The result is greater operational confidence in high-pressure production scenarios.

Update projects without interrupting production

Updating an XPression project has traditionally required unloading frame buffers and swapping projects during scheduled breaks. XPression 12.6 introduces side-loading in MOS workflows using XPression Project Server, allowing updated projects to load in the background while the current project continues running on air.

Once frame buffers are no longer using content from the original project, the engine automatically switches to a new version. With this approach, you can:

• Maintain continuous graphics layout during live productions
• Implement template and material updates without blanking outputs
• Combine the reliability of project-based workflows with the agility often associated with filebased
  system

This functionality also applies to XPression Tessera workflows using XPression Project Server, ensuring LED screens remain populated with content even as new scenes and templates get updated in the middle of an event.

Built-in framebuffer monitoring from a web browser

Confidence monitoring is now more accessible. XPression 12.6 enables users on the same network to view framebuffer outputs directly in a web browser.

Teams can:

• View the outputs or up next preview of your frame buffers in a multiviewer layout
• Select a single framebuffer as a full screen view or a multiviewer of all your framebuffer outputs
• Preview up next content in fast-paced production environment

This provides a simple, flexible way to verify outputs without dedicated monitoring hardware.

XPression 12.6 strengthens the platform’s core advantages in MOS-driven newsrooms, live sports, and event production environments. By protecting on-air graphics, enabling seamless project updates, and simplifying monitoring, this release helps teams deliver reliable real-time visuals without workflow disruption. 

Visit the XPression product page to explore the full XPression product family and see how each solution fits your workflow. For a complete list of new features and software updates, .

Unleash your creative team with XPression.