Multiple Pebble Beach Systems Dolphin integrated channel devices are to be deployed by Sharjah Media Corporation (SMC) for playout and disaster recovery at its new Sharqiya from Kalba TV installation. Sharqiya from Kalba TV, the first channel to broadcast from this area of the Emirate, is a brand new installation, and will feature a Pebble Beach Systems Neptune automation system controlling a total of four Dolphin integrated channel devices. Two of the devices will provide main and backup systems for playout, whilst the remaining two act as disaster recovery for the main Sharjah facility. Dr. Khalid Al Midfa, director general of Sharjah Media Corporation, said, “We are pleased to collaborate with Pebble Beach Systems to deploy the Dolphin integrated channel devices at the new facility in Kalba city. The launch of Sharqiya from Kalba TV marks another important milestone for SMC. The new channel, which will broadcast from Kalba, will focus on Sharjah’s eastern zone and will air specially-produced programmes that are in tune with the expectations of Arab viewers.” Engineering director at SMC, Hamad Abdelrazaq confirmed: “We chose Dolphin because it acts as a universal media player, providing playback for multiple file formats on the same timeline, without the need for transcoding or rewrapping. We need to be able to handle a variety of formats, including Harris LXF and Avid DV100 files, and Dolphin’s ability to play these natively greatly simplifies our workflow.” The system from Pebble Beach Systems will handle content management and automation from a single database. It delivers mixer, router and graphics control, and will be supplied as a fully redundant system with mirrored playout servers and no single point of failure. www.pebble.tv
