Harris Corporation’s new end-to-end, broadcast channel playout solution for the Rotana TV network will allow the broadcaster to upgrade its central master control room.
The Harris installation – which all told, covers automation, servers, master control switchers, branding systems, routers, multiviewers and processing equipment – was intended to support the expansion of Rotana TV in the Middle East. Local systems integrator and Harris dealer Systems Design was contracted to handle the complete set-up of the master control room at the headquarters of Egyptian telecommunications company Nilesat in Cairo.
“Our previous infrastructure could only support four channels,” explained Dr. Naser Refaat, technical advisor at Rotana TV. “As our presence throughout the Middle East expands, we need an advanced infrastructure to support us and ensure we are future-proofed. The Rotana technical and commercial committee selected Harris for its comprehensive broadcast transmission solution, as well as the strong regional presence and local support team.”
At the core of the infrastructure is the Harris ADC automation system, with three device controllers, two redundant database servers, five air clients and four media clients. The automation system manages playout, with six Harris Nexio servers and two legacy servers, four IconMaster master control switchers and 13 Inscriber RTX systems for on-air graphics. The install also includes a 128×128 Platinum router with an integrated Centrio multiviewer and four X75 all-in-one processors for incoming feeds. The upgraded control room enables Rotana to support 14 TV channels, and to upgrade to HD in the future. It also integrates with Rotana’s channel management system and central archive library system.
“With Harris, broadcasters can streamline workflows, centralise media management and lower per-channel costs in multichannel applications,” said Richard Scott, vice president of Europe, the Middle East and Africa operations, Harris Broadcast Communications.
