MGI helps Sharjah TV prepare for high definition future
Systems integrator Media Group International has completed a major infrastructure project for Sharjah TV by upgrading the broadcaster’s Avid storage system and redesigning its network infrastructure to enhance day to day operations. Based in the United Arab Emirates, Sharjah TV celebrates its 25th anniversary this year and has marked this milestone with a switch to high definition broadcasting.
Over coming months the broadcaster will be enhancing its audiences’ viewing experience by offering HD coverage of a wide range of cultural events, all of which tie in with Sharjah’s current status as Islamic Cultural Capital of the Arab region for 2014. At the heart of Sharjah TV’s HD switch was the Avid upgrade, which was needed to provide additional storage for current production work and to ensure that Sharjah TV was ready for the new format.
Aisha Alzareef, head of Broadcast IT at Sharjah Media Corporation, said: “MGI worked closely with us to ensure that this complex series of upgrades happened in a smooth and cohesive manner. We had to implement these changes in a very tight timeframe and were impressed that MGI managed the whole process so effortlessly, without any interruptions to our broadcast schedule. We were also grateful to MGI for ensuring that third party software from companies like Vizrt, Telestream FlipFactory and Front Porch Digital DivaArchive was upgraded in line with these changes.”
The project, which began at the start of 2014, involved upgrading Sharjah TV’s Avid Interplay Central system and increasing the broadcaster’s storage capacity from 48TB to 768TB. MGI and Avid also redefined and engineered the broadcast workflow to ensure a smooth transition to HD and to provide Sharjah TV with a fully tapeless operation.
Founded by His Highness Dr Shaikh Sultan Bin Mohammad Al Qasimi, member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, Sharjah TV comes under the umbrella of the Sharjah Media Corporation (SMC), which also includes the Sharjah Sports Channel, the youth and cultural channel Sharjah TV 2, Sharjah Radio Station and the Sharjah Media Training Centre.