Pro 2023

FOREWORD

Welcome to the 2023 edition of the

launch of Firdaus Studio by A.R. Rahman

PRO book. Every year, when it’s

and the huge uptake of podcasts in the

time to release this book, we reflect

region all point towards the content boom

on some of the most compelling

here – whether it’s audio or audio-visual,

trends in the Middle East Media &

and we have barely scratched the surface.

Entertainment market and pin one

Innovation in storytelling is not restricted

down. This year, what stands out is

to just drama series and movies. Even the

the soaring success of Arabic content

news channels and sports broadcasters

that, in some cases, has smashed all

have leveraged the power of AR, VR and

regional records and made a big name

mixed realities to immerse viewers in the

for itself in international markets.

experience. Where does the PRO2023 fit

Saudi Arabia is particularly making up for

into all of this? We bring you some of the

many years of lost time by pumping a lot

major players in this chain – some who

of capital into good regional productions.

provide the tech to create the content,

In fact, since the opening of cinemas in

others who produce them, or still others

2018, 31 Saudi films have been produced

who distribute them efficiently. Behind

and screened in the Kingdom, according

the scenes of the glass-to-glass experience

to recent figures from the General

is an enticing and exciting workflow,

Commission for Audiovisual Media (GCAM).

where different stakeholders step in and

Add to that the huge grants from the

add magic to the chain with their tech

Red Sea Film Festival each year, the entry

innovations and their fabulous productions.

of companies like Rise Studios that are

The PRO2023 is the tapestry that brings

anchoring regional producers with good

you the complete picture. Enjoy the show!

stories to tell, and, innovative initiatives from Arab producers who are investing heavily in good productions. The roaring success of Dubai Bling on Netflix across different markets, despite sceptical comments about the shallowness of its participants, is not to be forgotten.

But it’s not just visual production that

Vijaya Cherian

is seeing huge success in the market. The

Editorial Director

3

4

CONTENTS

Contents INTRODUCTION

MANUFACTURERS 30

Ateme Middle East

32

Broadpeak

34

Cobalt Digital Inc.

36

FOR-A Company Limited

38

Fujifilm

40

Guntermann & Drunck GmbH (G&D)

42

Lawo

44

Pebble

46

RCS MENA

48

Ross Video

DISTRIBUTORS

50

Shure MEA

20

Advanced Media Trading LLC

52

VITEC

22

NMK Electronics Trading LLC

54

Zero Density

06

Is Arabic content ready to compete at the Content Olympics?

CONSULTANTS 16

Master Media

IPTV

OTT

26

58

Viaccess.Orca

60

White Peaks Solutions

TAG Video Systems

CONTENTS

5

PRODUCTION

BROADCASTPRO AWARDS

64

Action Filmz Productions LLC

98

Excellence in Arabic-language Productions

66

Eagle Films Middle East LLC

100

Best Studio of the Year

68

Firdaus Studio by A.R. Rahman

102

Systems Integrator of the Year

104

Streaming Service of the Year, Best Sports Strategy of the Year, CTO of the Year

106

MENA Trendsetter of the Year

107

Best Content Strategy of the Year

108

Best Kids’ Initiative of the Year

109

Best TV Production of the Year - Unscripted

110

Best TV Production of the Year - Scripted

111

Best OTT Production of the Year

112

Best Radio Initiative of the Year

113

Innovative Project of the Year

114

Best Tech Implementation of the Year in OTT

SERVICE PROVIDERS

115

OTT Executive of the Year

84

Amagi

116

Broadcast Executive of the Year

86

Al Aan Television

117

Excellence in Visual Storytelling

88

Edgio

118

Best Foreign-language OTT Production

119

Outstanding Integration in Radio

120

Special Recognition - Up & Coming Streaming Platform

121

Satellite Solutions Provider of the Year

122

Outstanding Leadership in Building the UAE Media Ecosystem

SATELLITE 72

ARABSAT

74

Es’hailSat, Qatar Satellite Company

76

Kratos

78

ST Engineering iDirect

80

STN

SYSTEMS INTEGRATORS 92

Assendive Communications

94

Qvest Media FZ LLC

6

INTRODUCTION

Is Arabic content ready to compete at the Content Olympics?

Over the past decade, the scripted

internationally and locally to secure

content industry has marched into the

travel of original content and sustain

fiercest global race ever, creating an

its position with its competitors.

international competition comparable

Studios have rushed to support

to the Olympics. In the global games,

talent, acquire the latest technology,

each country puts everything behind

and secure global distribution

its best players to win gold. The aim

deals to sustain longevity for their

for each country is to maximise their

businesses. However, one question

wins and to come out victorious in

remains – is the Arab world ready to

various games. Each team brings its

compete in the Content Olympics?

own tools and approach for winning,

In the past decade, the dominance

however, there is a basic strategy that

of western content, mainly Hollywood,

all teams adopt based on three tactics:

has faced challenges due to market

nurturing local talent by enhancing their

saturation and strong competition

abilities and endurance to compete,

that has come from new players from

securing means and facilities for talent

different territories. Inflated and

to master the rules and technics of the

skyrocketing prices of production in the

game that enable them to compete

western world have forced executives

at an international scale, and finally

to look for alternative markets, offering

maximising the number of participated

lower prices and cost-efficient areas for

athletes at various sports to higher

execution just like any other industry

the ceiling of win possibilities.

has done. Yet studios in emerging

The current situation with the

markets – the newcomers along

serial scripted content industry

with local producers, have long been

is no different than that of the

plotting and implementing strategies

Olympics. Each country is competing

to launch their content internationally.

INTRODUCTION

7

8

INTRODUCTION

Rise of New Content Producers

year terms at lower prices versus

were distributed at around $600 per

New content producers from Korea,

quality content that has created loyal

episode and are reaching $100K these

Japan, Latin America, Nordic and

viewers in international territories,

days. Additionally, these markets

Turkey have steadily but firmly secured

becoming fixed slots on many TV

develop creative inputs (stories,

their spots on the international stage

channels. For example, OSN who

treatments, characters and visuals)

recently. They have shifted their

designated two main slots across

that a global audience indulges in,

position from a consumption market

the year for Turkish content.

satisfying their need for an alternative

for international content to exporting

Local markets are the main source

experience. They have carefully

both ready-made and formats to be

for securing ROI with minor profit

worked on three main pillars – new

produced such as Stiletto – Turkish

margins while international markets

appealing talent, updated technology

and The Killing – Nordic to many

are the source for revenue. This

and facilities to meet international

territories. These markets were able

business model has allowed the cost

standards and enhanced supply and

to bring new offerings such as volume

weighting to be diversified across

demand of content volume by securing

deals committed for two-to-three-

different territories. Turkish episodes

long-term distribution deals across various geographical territories.

Talent When it comes to content creation, talent is at the core and is required in many creative areas at the same level of importance, from story to script development, and acting to filming, lighting, and music. The high standards of these creative areas are the main pillars to achieve a satisfying watching experience for any piece of content.

All the creative elements must work harmoniously, and firmly link together to convey a coherent and authentic feeling or message for films, television series, or even live shows. But it all starts with the story. The story is the atom of any piece of content and the main carrier of the entire product.

Story Every story should answer five questions – what, why, who, and when, along with how the story is being told.

Turkish content for example has dug into its own heritage and turned it into an international sensation, with series such as Hareem Al Sultan and Sultana

Kosem telling stories of hidden secrets of sultans and the role of the women around them. This was the first major international success and a turning

INTRODUCTION

9

point for the entire cast and crew,

scriptwriters and developers who

Korea also witnessed a rise in

transforming them into internationally

have merged their knowledge with

production and distribution of

recognised stars. This type of content

international expertise, such as with

content and is now considered the

has given Turkey a strong position as

Korea, have positively impacted

new hot player in the international

an international content provider.

their skills and knowledge in Turkish

market. Korean content has nailed

original content development.

success globally in scripted content,

Later Turkey introduced an

an example of this was Squid

enhanced line-up of globally successful contemporary content with seasonal

Volume

Games on Netflix that became a

series such as Cuckur on Shahid VIP

Once the first two pillars are

global sensation. While it might not

which had a total of 131 commercial

accomplished, volume is the third key

have had the highest production

episodes, and Forbidden Fruit currently

pillar that helps maintain consistency

budget, the billion-dollar concept

on its sixth season with OSN airing five

and enhances possibilities of success.

combined a high level of suspense,

seasons. Though all the contemporary

Hit-and-runs would never secure a

alongside relatable and emotional

content from Turkey have not been

healthy growth. A vivid example of this

storylines that made the show

Turkish Original stories such as Mother

is the increase in number of titles in

popular. Penthouse on OSN is also

and Women which are remakes of

the Turkish industry after it received

currently being commissioned to be

Korean formats, they were still able

an international appetite. Out of the

adapted to different regions. Other

to produce and re-adapt these titles,

60 titles produced annually, only 50

Korean content such as the film

making them their own stories and

percent got renewed following their

Parasite has won hearts globally and

securing higher global success than

first seasons, and only 40 percent

been recognised through several

the original format. Efforts of local

got to travel internationally.

awards including the Oscars.

10

INTRODUCTION

What About the Middle East?

Nadine Labaki was also one of the

in Iraq and Lebanon, while the 13

Given the successful breakthrough

main actors in Perfect Strangers on

other Arab countries that followed

of Turkish and Korean content

Netflix, the Arabic remake of the

during the 1960s had different

globally, does the Arab world have

Italian dramedy film which scored

challenges. Due to limited reach

the talent for an international

high viewership rankings worldwide.

in the early days, channels did not

Another breakthrough was

worry about regional competition.

Dubai Bling which competed in a

Content (scripted and non-scripted)

with an array of backgrounds,

highly competitive and saturated

selected and created by TV stations

ethnicities and cultures that makes

area of non-scripted reality shows

– before it became TV networks,

it a goldmine for stories waiting

and still was able to secure high

were informative, entertaining, and

to be showcased. Arab talent has

viewership across the globe.

focused to serve the needs of only

breakthrough? Absolutely!

The Arab world has a rich history

contributed to the international

But is this enough to say that

the local markets. During that period,

entertainment scene for decades

Arabic content is now a major player

TV stations were the only carriers

– such as Egyptian Nobel prize

in the Content Olympics yet?

of content that were curated and

winner Najeeb Mahfouz in literature,

Looking back at content from the

programed by the stations. Though

Egyptian actors Omar Al Sharif

Arab world, it has gone through

it was a one-way flow, TV content

and Rami Malek in Hollywood,

many shifts in its purpose, reach,

was decided by TV producers and

and Lebanese actress Nadine

goals, and competitive landscape

executives, and it had to satisfy the

Labaki whose film Capernaum was

since its early start. Local television

audience taste, making the quality of

nominated for an Oscar in 2019

broadcasting in the Arab world

the content (topics, storytelling, cast

for Best Foreign Language Film.

launched during the late 1950s

and even production) the main focus.

INTRODUCTION

11

Scripted Arabic Series Primary Genres Distribution, 2022 Q3 vs Q4 Q3 2022

Q4 2022

Drama Comedy Romance Thriller Action Cooking Historical Crime Biography Horror

Source: Vynd

Mystery Documentary 50

100

150

200

250

300

Shift in the TV Landscape

facing several new challenges in terms

content carrier or platforms to acquire.

The Golden Age of cinema in countries

of technology, telecommunications

Although development may not need

such as Egypt, which was considered

and equipment innovation.

hefty investment for production,

the third biggest supplier of film

While content availability broke

producers still prefer to de-risk and

worldwide in the 1950s and 60s,

free from the full control of networks,

invest in what they have, to secure

leveraged its mega stars that shifted

platforms have become major drivers

sales. This process makes it difficult to

to TV, establishing a stronger base for

of content development. Limitations

have a breakthrough for newcomers

the TV industry in Egypt, that travelled

on the number and subjects of

and limits the chance for innovative

swiftly into the region. Fast forward

stories and scripts commissioned

ideas to be tested. This has perhaps

to 2023, challenges of the TV station’s

that needed to be developed are

resulted in a more monochrome

landscape have changed. They have

the result of the regional business

content portfolio (see chart with

gone through major convergence

cycle. The few distribution channels

overwhelming dominance of drama

from free-to-air networks, then to

in the region have chosen to focus

and comedy). The short period granted

pay TV hubs and then the biggest

content on certain genres such as

for development does not allow room

shift – moving completely into video

drama, comedy, romance, which

for the healthy development process,

on demand (VOD). This had a direct

are either commissioned or greenlit

which is vital for coming up with a solid

impact on content consumption but

by channels or platforms.

storyline, treatment, and to develop

did not affect the DNA of the content.

Producers are not willing to take

authentic characters focusing mainly

The broadcast industry was forced to

major risk in developing stories that

on the content requirements of local

pivot, dropping many restrictions, and

might have no interest from any local

players which are the primary market.

12

INTRODUCTION

MBC/Shahid might be a good

billion-dollar projects like Al Ula and

to enhance craftsmanship of the

example of platforms that took

NEOM to provide the facilities to

industry and become regional and

a major risk in diversifying their

accommodate mega-productions.

global media hubs with mega projects

available content, and the success

The Arab region is ready to emerge

launched and those in the pipeline. As

was seen with originals such as

as a major player in the Content

per recent research conducted by Rise

the dramedy series Mawdou Aaeli,

Olympics. Arabic content has gone

Studios, over 70 series were produced

periodic/suspense series Rashash or

through several stages of evolution

in the region in 2022, reflecting the

format adaptations such as thriller

over the past couple of years. To be

high volume of content demand and giving reason to be optimistic.

series The Killing and drama series

accurate, Arabic content has been

Stiletto. The wide footprint and

lining up efforts (increased volume of

reach of the MBC conglomerate

content produced and multi-billion

between regional producers and

has opened the door for a broader

projects launched) to a stage that can

platforms to push their available

selection of genres and content.

be called ‘pre-launch’ – waiting for

content by creating slates of carefully

Shahid has been the main driver of

the right time for the breakthrough.

selected line-up of content from

original content creation in the region,

In line with the Olympics strategy,

different providers to be distributed

with the highest volume of content

Arab content industry has a rich pool

internationally by international

commissioned and produced annually.

of talent due its wide geographical

content carriers will help launch Arabic

spread, and the talent does not only

content globally. MBC, OSN and Jawwy

Taking on the Challenges

hold local know-how, since most

hold the biggest line-up of original

All the challenges surrounding content

Arab countries have been exposed

Arabic content that have been only

and idea development in the region

to different foreign cultures such

exploited in the region. These content

can be solved. A lot of good and

French, British, American, and so

distributors have a rich library from

innovative ideas are being pitched

on. Technology has also been widely

which they can work together and

by creatives and directors every day

adopted not only in the regional

easily share a selection of content

to platforms and producers. It is not

industry through the massive efforts

to secure volume and consistency

the lack of talent that is to be solved,

of countries such KSA, Egypt, UAE and

supported by premium Arabic content

but more of the new techniques

others which have been competing

to be positioned on a global stage.

Strategic partnerships or alliances

of development that should be

Working at an individual level would

strengthened. Writers’ workshops

make it challenging to have a strong

have started to merge and become

launch and breakthrough; hence an

more common such as Sard, run by

Arabic content creator alliance with

scriptwriter Mariam Naoum, who has

the support of platforms can enhance

adapted a scientific and academic

chances of content to travel globally.

approach to development, while

However, one main question remains

keeping the commercial aspect to

– is the world ready to accept the

secure mass success. Funds have

Arab region as a global player, break

become more available to support

the stereotypes that limit the image

new creatives with streaming

of the Arab world to cliché stories

networks like Netflix partnering

and characters such as Aladdin, and

with the Arab Fund for Arts and

accept that the region has become

Culture (AFAC) for an initiative which

a global influencer in many fields?

will support female filmmakers by

We are not too far from achieving

awarding five Arab women filmmakers

this!

and producers a grant through Netflix’s Fund for Creative Equity to help bring their projects to life.

Saudi Arabia has launched multi-

Ziad Srouji.

Ziad Srouji is SVP Business and Content Development, Rise Studios.

INTRODUCTION

13

CABSAT 2023: Innovation and Collaboration With a focus on innovation and collaboration, CABSAT returns as the ultimate platform for industry professionals to exchange ideas, showcase latest products and services, and stay ahead of the curve in the broadcast, media, satellite, and entertainment industries.

Exciting features at the threeday show at the Dubai World Trade Centre include NextUp and NextGen Content, offering the opportunity to engage with some of the most innovative start-ups and content creators in the industry.

NextUp is the perfect platform for start-up innovators to showcase their talents and connect with like-minded

and global satellite and space

channel distributors, content

professionals. Attendees can discover

technology industry influencers –

publishers and more, to share

trends, engage with thought-provoking

from pioneers and innovators to

and discover technologies that

panels and keynotes and explore

established executives, engineers,

have the potential to boost the

the latest innovations in the field.

government officials and diverse

entertainment market in the MENA.

Back for the show’s 29th edition,

solution providers. This year, the

The show also welcomes a host

CABSAT teams up with HConsult

Summit addresses ways to minimise

of first-time international exhibitors

to host the second annual MENA

the digital inclusion gap, onboard

including Turkey-based solutions

region Co-Production Salon at

co-ordination, digital transformation,

provider, Zero Density, as well as

the show’s upcoming edition.

and continue the ongoing drive to

AVECO, bringing post-production

secure sustainability in space business

knowledge from the Czech Republic,

through ‘good practice’ principles.

Gilat Satellite Networks from Israel,

CABSAT 2023’s Content Congress celebrates the compelling and engaging creator economy. The events

CABSAT 2023 comes at a time of

and Australian digital cinema

of the last few years have sparked

growth in the industry, with the Middle

company, Blackmagic Design.

an irreversible global change across

East’s media and entertainment

major industries, including media,

market projected to grow by 7.4

event can connect with like-

creating new forms of cross-border,

percent CAGR between 2021 and

minded professionals, discover

regional collaboration. Focusing on

2026 to reach USD 47 billion. To foster

new trends and technologies, and

the present while keeping an eye

enterprises with a high potential

explore the latest innovations in

on the future, Content Congress

for economic expansion and job

the field. With over 14,000 visitors,

will delve into key topics impacting

creation, governments in the MENA

340 exhibitors and 120 speakers,

the content creation community,

region have shown significant support

CABSAT 2023 is the must-attend

including preparing for the

for the entertainment industry.

event of the year for the broadcast,

metaverse, decoding film tourism, and how to stand out as a blogger.

The three-day exhibition provides an ideal platform for experts from

Visitors to this super-connector

media, satellite, entertainment,

The Satexpo Summit is the most

the community of producers,

and pro-AV industries.

For more information, visit:

comprehensive gathering of regional

directors, broadcast technology,

www.cabsat.com.

14

Consultants Master Media

15

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CONSULTANT

master media

Quality support for the broadcast media industry Master Media was founded in 2012 by

Business and Commercial Planning

Hasan R. Sayed Hasan, an award-winning

For new projects or expansions to

broadcast media executive with three

existing operations, Master Media offers:

Systems Design and Documentation Projects Management and Delivery

decades of extensive experience in

Feasibility Studies and Business

Master Media supplies a

the broadcast media industry. Master

Plan Development

complete and comprehensive

Media’s team has been on the forefront of

Capex and Opex Budgeting

range of programme and project

setting up and managing leading regional

Commercial Modelling and

management services supporting

TV networks and media production

Revenue Forecasting

clients in their project lifecycle.

and broadcasting facilities, and the implementation of the latest and upcoming

Procurement Strategies,

technologies, workflows, and designs.

Recommendations and Management

Human Capital Services Provision of Specialist Skillset

Requirements and

Recruitment Services

Wide Range of Services

Specifications Development

Training

Master Media delivers a varied portfolio

RFP/ Tender Process Management

of consultancy and professional services

Contract Review and

Business Development Support

to the media and broadcasting industry,

Supplier Management

With a deep understanding and rich network within the Middle

from feasibility studies and business planning for setting up a broadcasting

Design and Consulting

East’s media industry, Master

network, media production or

Media Facilities Design and Consulting

Media provides strategic advice

broadcasting facility, through technology

Technology Solutions

and business development support

design and management, training, and

Design and Consulting

to media technology and services

operational assistance, to recruitment

Technology and Operations

companies interested in entering

and business development support.

Auditing and Analysis

the Middle East market.

Master Media is member of various international industry associations such as the IABM, IEEE, SMPTE, AES, DPP and the Arab HDTV & Beyond group.

CONSULTANT

17

management consultancy Press Trust of India: Technology consultancy and tender management to launch a competitive national video news service Leading Regional News Network: Audit and technology systems assessment and technology upgrade roadmap National Broadcaster in the GCC: Technology and operations audit Al-Ghad News Channel, Egypt: Technology design, consultancy, and tender support Al Jazeera Media Network, Qatar: Consultancy, vendor management and project management for workplace transformation project Al-Arab News Channel, Bahrain:

Select Projects and Clients

blueprint, integrated newsroom

Broadcast technology, operations

Master Media’s clients and projects

workflows and requirements

consultancy and project management

include a variety of regional and

for technology vendors

Public Authority for Radio

international media entities. Some of the

A New Media Hub in the GCC:

and TV, Oman: Training and

projects undertaken and clients served

Business planning, demand modelling,

operational assistance

over the last few years are listed below:

financial modelling, facilities

Ericsson Broadcast and Media

Yas Creative Hub, UAE: Fit-Out

design and technology roadmap

Services (now Red Bee Media):

and technology design

YAS Creative Hub, UAE: Technology

MENA Market entry strategy

A Large Corporate Entity, UAE:

design, review and tender

development and implementation

Fit-Out and Technology design for a media centre with production

Contact

and post-production facilities

Master Media FZ LLC

A New Film & TV Production City in

Yas Creative Hub (twofour54)

the GCC: Feasibility study, business

PO Box 77915, Abu Dhabi, UAE

planning, demand modelling,

Tel: +971 2 4012811

revenue modelling, facilities

Email: info@master-media.tv

design and technology roadmap

Website: www.master-media.tv

A New Digital Media Platform, MENA: Audit and technology

Hasan R. Sayed Hasan

systems assessment

Managing Director

EXPO 2020 Dubai, UAE: Media

Tel: +971 55 881 7437

and Broadcast Multi-Disciplinary

Email: hasan@master-media.tv

Strategic Consultancy: Commercial,

Social Media

technology, media operations, media guest experience, media facilities design and venue management National News Agency in the GCC: Development of future technology

master.media.tv Hasan R. Sayed Hasan, Managing Director, Master Media.

Master_MediaTV master-media

18

Distributors Advanced Media Trading LLC NMK Electronics Trading LLC

19

20

DISTRIBUTOR

Complete range of broadcast solutions In 2022, Advanced Media celebrated 20

Vision

community events that educate, inform

years of leadership in innovation and

Advanced Media is more than a simple

and familiarise consumers with new

creativity, excellence in retail, distribution

distributor, it is an added value reseller

equipment and the latest technological

and services, and commitment to the

whose highest priority is delivering the

advances. The interconnectedness and

community. Advanced Media Trading

technical necessities and demands of a

effectiveness of these factors, values and

LLC is now the largest supplier of

wide spectrum of creative consumers,

activities together form Advanced Media:

professional video, photo, broadcast and

artists, entrepreneurs and professionals.

a dynamic, influential and imaginative

cinema equipment and accessories in

Advanced Media’s main motivation lies

collective that is undoubtedly a financial

the Middle East, representing more than

in investigating, identifying and adapting

and technological pioneer in the MENA.

100 recognisable brands including Sony

to the latest technological trends

Professional Solutions, Zeiss, DJI and

and developments, and recognising

Advanced Media Showroom

RED. With its headquarters conveniently

how these can benefit stakeholders.

In May 2021, Advanced Media relocated

located in Dubai, UAE, Advanced Media

Objectives are not solely focused on

its headquarters in Dubai. The new

conducts business across the MENA,

profit but directed towards offering

showroom, unique in function and

including all aspects of the industry:

solutions that encourage and contribute

scope across the MENA provides

sales, consultancy, training, installation,

to future advancements in media.

customers and visitors the opportunity

service and maintenance. Advanced

To realise these objectives, the

to try a wide range of products, expand

Media inaugurated its new showroom

company is committed to persistently

their knowledge, engage with industry

and service centre in Riyadh, Saudi

developing, organising and hosting

experts and receive professional opinion

Arabia in 2019, and in Egypt in 2021.

training workshops, seminars and

and support from Advanced Media’s

Advanced Media showroom.

DISTRIBUTOR

Advanced Media’s Board of Directors.

multilingual and experienced team.

21

Cine2022’s Interactive Set.

The three-day event in March 2022

introducing and activating initiatives

The new premises also provide space

hosted in Advanced Media’s new

that would cement its reputation as

for Advanced Media’s regularly hosted

premises offered eight workshops

a pioneer and socially responsible

product launches, workshops and training

90 minutes each with trainers

member of the community.

programmes, as well as its biannual

from different areas of production

digital cinema community event, CINE.

covering a range of topics from how

Advanced Media’s partnership

This new office is in close vicinity to

to do an 8K project, HDR, choosing

with eFate, UAE-based electronic

the Advanced Media service centre and

the right lenses, colour grading and

waste management company and

warehouses in the Al Quoz Industrial area.

using RGB lighting for production.

SAE Institute in Dubai. Advanced

The workshops attracted an enthusiastic

Media will be offering an annual

Service Centre and Warehouses

and curious crowd from across the UAE

scholarship of Dh50,000 to three

Located on 8th Street, Al Quoz Industrial

with some attendants from Saudi Arabia,

prospective students with the

1, Dubai, UAE, Advanced Media Service

Egypt, Jordan and Qatar.

opportunity to pursue a Bachelor’s

Noteworthy amongst them is

Centre offers repair, maintenance

Some brands represented by

degree in Film at SAE, provided they

and support for all the brands it

Advanced Media such as Sony,

meet a specific admission criteria.

represents in the region. Advanced

Manfrotto, RED, Zeiss, DJI, Astera,

Media has exclusive authorisation to

Atomos, Cartoni, and Sennheiser had

provide services for DJI, Sony Creative

a prominent presence at the event,

Contact

Pro Camera, Sony Broadcast, RED,

especially at the two designated sets

Advanced Media Trading LLC

Sigma, Teradek, ATOMOS, Profoto,

specifically designed to showcase

Mezzanine Floor, Galadari

SWIT, ASTERA, Godox, Nanlite,

the variety and capability of

Manfrotto, Eartec, Cartoni and EasyRig

equipment. Most notable was the

Automobiles (Mazda) Building

in the UAE. The Service Centre is

introduction of Sony Venice 2 for

authorised to repair products that

the first time in the MENA region.

are both with and without warranty.

Cine2022

Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai, UAE PO Box 44156 Tel: +971 4 352 9977

AMT’s Social Responsibility

Fax: +971 4 352 9976

On its 20th anniversary, Advanced

Website: www.amt.tv

Advanced Media marked the occasion

Media embarked on a new chapter

of its 20th anniversary by inaugurating

to renew and acknowledge its

a new edition of its biannual digital

commitment to social, environmental

cinema community event, Cine2022.

and economic sustainability by

Social Media AdvancedMedia.ae

22

DISTRIBUTOR

Broadcast solutions under one roof Distribution and Other Activities Key differentiators of NMK among other similar players is its pro-active approach in representing brands.

NMK offers not just the products but also live demonstrations, thorough training, and certifications along with exceptional after-sales support. The NMK service centre provides local support and repairs for all brands distributed by the company. Education and delivery of up-to-date information are covered by regular training events for dealers and end-users.

Broadcast Products in Focus NMK Electronics, a Midwich Group

reputable brands, a dynamic team and

Shure – ADX5D Axient Digital Dual-

company, began operations in 1987

strong foundation it is no surprise that

Channel Portable Wireless Receiver

focusing on the audio, video and lighting

the company has achieved a market

Compatible with all AD series and ADX

industry. Today, the company has grown

leader position in its niche industry.

series transmitters, the Axient Digital

into a leading distributor of professional

With a long history in the

ADX5D dual-channel wireless receiver

AV products in the Middle East, having

business spanning over 36 years, NMK

delivers superior RF performance,

offices in Dubai, Sharjah, Doha and

is the exclusive distributor of top-tier

spectral efficiency, and transparent

Riyadh. Together with its portfolio of

AV brands.

audio quality in a portable, slot-in design.

Brands Distributed

PROFESSIONAL

DISTRIBUTOR

23

Sound and performance that the touring industry has adopted as an industry standard is now available to audio professionals in film and broadcast.

Wireless pinnacle, now portable.

Shure – TwinPlex (Premium Subminiature Omnidirectional Lavaliers & Headsets) Designed for the rigours of theatre, TwinPlex microphones are built to take on the diverse needs of toptier audio professionals in every setting, with reliable clarity for TV and film, tailored-for-speech audio for

Firdaus Studio by A.R. Rahman in Dubai relies on Avid S6M40 32 Faders.

speaking appearances and discreet durability for broadcast usage.

Avid Pro Tools | MTRX Studio Shure –VP Series

Your studio centerpiece. Bring creative

• Flexible and Future-proof • Ease of Setup and Monitoring with

VP83 | VP83F | VP82 | VP89 | VP64

efficiency to your studio with powerful

| VP88 - Durable and lightweight

I/O, monitoring and routing capabilities

• Hybrid Workflow

variety of microphones (including

in an all-in-one audio interface.

• HelixNet Integration Coming Soon

Newly Redesigned CCM Software

shotguns) in various form factors for broadcast and media production.

Neutrik-opticalCON DRAGONFLY

Education on Focus

OpticalCON DRAGONFLY is more

View and register for 2023

Allen & Heath – dLive C Class

robust, reliable and easier to maintain

training opportunities at:

The dLive C Class makes the full

than common hybrid camera signal

www.nmkelectronics.com/education

power and flexibility of dLive available

transmission systems. Its innovative

in an accessible, compact format.

fusion splice high-performance lens transmits UHD 4K and 8K signals with

Contact

very low loss, as the signal surface of

NMK Electronics Trading LLC

Avantis puts all its next-generation

the XB2 lens is 322 times larger than

Showroom 2-3, Building

technology in a 64 channel/42

physical contact surfaces, making

configurable bus console, with dual

DRAGONFLY an outstanding choice

MJ Al-Falasi

full HD touchscreens, super-flexible

for field broadcast applications

workflow with Continuity UI, extensive

looking for SMPTE connections.

Allen & Heath – Avantis

Tel: +971 4 266 5244 Mob: +971 55 843 9157

I/O options, add-on processing from its flagship dLive mixing system

Clear-Com – Arcadia

and a rugged full metal chassis.

Central Station System Arcadia Central Station is a next

Avid S1 + Avid Dock

Al Quoz 1, Dubai, UAE

generation scalable IP platform

Mob: +971 55 142 1535 Email: info@nmkelectronics.com

Social Media

Avid S1 and Avid Dock work

that integrates wired and wireless

together seamlessly to give you

partyline systems, including the full

more tactile control to handle larger

range of FreeSpeak products.

nmkelectronics

mixes, with dedicated transport

• Integration of Wired and

NMKElectronics

controls, jog wheel, focus fader and more at your fingertips.

Wireless Partyline Systems • Speaks Dante: Up to 64 Ports

nmkelectronics

nmkelectronics

24

IPTV TAG Video Systems

25

26

IPTV

Realtime media performance platform TAG Video Systems is the world leader in

Products and Services

monitoring enable true monitoring at

100 percent software based integrated

Live production Multiviewer

IP multiviewing, probing and monitoring

TAG’s platform is a unique all IP

solutions. Introducing its first IP solution

software-based solution which is

in 2008, today TAG supports over

optimised for production applications

The platform incorporates support

150,000 probing/monitoring points

and environments. It decodes, analyses

for multiple encoding formats such

across the four primary broadcasting

and displays with ultra-low latency

as SD, HD, UHD, MPEG-2, MPEG-4,

applications – live production, playout/

uncompressed SMPTE ST 2022-6/7,

HEVC, J2K, JPEG-XS, etc. to provide a

master control, distribution and OTT.

ST 2110, JPEG-XS, and CDI over IP

comprehensive monitoring solution

TAG’s Zer0 Friction philosophy allows

signals and features UHD mosaic

for compressed content, as well

broadcasters and content distributors

output for multiviewer displays.

as ST 2022-6/2110 uncompressed

scale across the entire OTT platform.

Playout Monitoring and Multiviewer

sources, all in one device. The large

to minimise complexity, manage the Traditional Delivery & OTT Monitoring

scope of TAG’s capabilities has

enabling business operations. The 100

The TAG platform supports all formats

made it the default solution for

percent software platform supports

of OTT including HLS and MPEG-DASH,

playout monitoring in the cloud.

both compressed and uncompressed

providing a complete monitoring and

formats, including MPEG TS, JPEG- XS,

multiviewing solution. It combines the

CDI, NDI, JPEG2000, SMPTE 2110, SMPTE

traditional MPEG-TS support with the

With TAG, you can migrate faster,

2022-6/7, MPEG-DASH and HLS. TAG’s

unique monitoring requirements of

launch sooner and monitor your entire

solutions run on standard Commercial

OTT (including the ability to decrypt and

linear video enterprise in the cloud

Off-The-Shelf hardware (COTS) and cloud,

decode the content in the secure zone),

realtime with unrivalled performance

providing state-of-the-art IP monitoring

and the full feature set of the platform

and efficiency. It Is why leading media

and analysis tools combined with the

to provide a comprehensive OTT

companies around the globe that

highest quality UHD multiviewer available

monitoring and multiviewing solution.

depend on TAG understand that

on standard and mobile device displays.

Unique features like TAG’s adaptive

their success depends on delivering

pace of change, while competitively

Key clients

Monitoring in the Cloud

IPTV

quality to the consumer. The TAG

Key Projects

solution powered by TAG’s Zer0

FOX Sports

27

For more details, visit: https:// tagvs.com/news/tag-video-systems-

Friction license agility and pricing

FOX Sports selected TAG’s 100 percent IP

unveils-new-platform-for-fox-

models, enabling distributed and

software platform for all of their control

sports-marquee-events-ahead/

hybrid operations, costs that align

rooms and operations multiviewers,

with consumption and the freedom to

monitoring the integrity of over 1200 sources

use TAG anywhere, with any signals

driving 150+ displays for the most widely

and workflow to meet constantly

viewed single sporting event in the world.

changing business requirements,

The TAG multiviewer and monitoring

makes TAG the most affordable,

platform enables FOX Sports operators to

Hauppauge, NY 11788

most capable, and most advanced

see everything in the ST-2110 IP workflow

USA

monitoring system available today.

as well as JPEG-XS and UHD, the formats

Tel: +13156468400

Contact TAG Video Systems 350 Motor Parkway Ste 204

FOX Sports are using for transmission

Tel: +33186269400

MCS (Media Control System)

between the IBC and studio, venues

Website: www.tagvs.com

MCS enables virtually infinite scale

and FOX Sports operations centres in

across any deployment scenario

Tempe and Los Angeles. In addition,

and puts big data into your hands,

the entire network will be managed by

Director of Sales – EMEA

enabling tight integration of your

a remote IT team located remotely.

Email: micky@tagvs.com

Micky Edwards

media monitoring with Open-Source

Using flypacks to transport live

software, DevOps tools and AI/ML to

production systems has the potential

VP Sales EMEA & APAC

achieve deep insight and knowledge

to open doors to a whole new range

about the performance of your

of capabilities and reinvent how live

Email: adi@tagvs.com

media business. The full power

production is done. The same systems

of TAG’s probing and monitoring

can be transported from venue to

tag-video-systems-ltd

are unleashed by the rich feature

venue, leading to an increase in

TAGVS

set of the MCS which brings the

familiarity and decrease in training

TAG V.S.

system to a new level of capability

time. Another advantage is the ability to

in functionality and opportunity for

add capabilities as workflows change,

tagvideosystems

rich application customisation.

enhancing and improving the system.

Adi Itzhaki

Social Media

tagvideosystems

28

Manufacturers Ateme Middle East Broadpeak Cobalt Digital Inc. FOR-A Company Limited Fujifilm Guntermann & Drunck GmbH Lawo Pebble RCS MENA Ross Video Shure MEA VITEC Zero Density

29

30

MANUFACTURER

Captivate your audience Ateme is a global leader of end-to-end

subscriber acquisition costs, and a

latency for live streaming

video compression and delivery solutions

reduced environmental impact.

A cloud DVR solution complete with

helping tier-one content providers,

Leading content and service

Ateme’s Embedded Distributed

service providers, and streaming

providers around the world use Ateme’s

Storage solution, for storage

platforms captivate their audience,

multi-codec encoding, any-format

and streaming capacity to scale

while boosting their viewership and

packaging, scalable cloud DVR, content-

up seamlessly together

subscription engagement.

aware CDN, and revenue-generating

A cloud-native, elastic, Open

DAI solutions to enhance the audience

Caching-compliant CDN solution

experience, increase the value of

that fits in a 5G multi-access

their service, and facilitate growth.

edge-computing infrastructure

Increase Value While Reducing Costs — and Going Green!

Whether you deliver content over

End-to-end solution for Dynamic Ad

satellite, cable, IP, terrestrial, OTT, or 5G,

Go Multiscreen

Insertion, enabling targeted advertising

Ateme helps you improve the audience

Ateme offers everything needed

and personalised TV channels

experience while reducing bandwidth

for multi-screen video delivery:

and infrastructure requirements and

Live and file encoders for

delivering operational cost savings, with

all major codecs

its efficient, cloud-native video-delivery

Packagers that reduce both

Find New Sources of Monetisation and Enable Personalised Experiences

software solutions. This translates to

storage requirements with

Ateme’s solutions help you find extra

a lower total cost of ownership, lower

just-in-time packaging and

sources of monetisation and create

Razik Zaghlouli, Regional Sales Director, Ateme Middle East.

Ateme Dubai team.

MANUFACTURER

31

new and personalised experiences.

With its Cloud DVR solution, you reduce churn by holding your viewers’ cherished memories — making your services sticky. The solution also comes with a unique, award-winning storage technology — Embedded Distributed Storage — which enables storage and streaming capacity to grow with each other. Scaling up becomes easy and enables new monetisation models for TV service providers.

With Ateme’s Dynamic Ad Insertion solution, you can find another source of monetisation through precisely targeted ads — by region or demographics or

Dubai Studio City.

personalised on a viewer-by-viewer basis — and use it on any channel,

management system associated

awards — Ateme provides solutions

including VOD-to-live and FAST channels.

with forensic watermarking

that transform video delivery to help

Ateme helps propel viewers to

Complete, flexible, low-latency

acquire new customers, reduce churn,

experience the future of video with

software application that can

and unleash monetisation potential.

its 5G streaming solution. Whether

run both on COTS servers and

traveling or at home, viewers can

on fully virtualised solutions

Founded in France in 1991, Ateme has over 500 employees located

enjoy flawless UHD-quality video from

The Ateme suite enables you

around the world and has been listed

their mobile connected devices. When

to build the exact solution for

on the Paris Euronext market since

attending matches in the stadium, they

your distribution use case.

2014. In 2020, Ateme acquired Anevia,

can watch live views in multiple angles.

a provider of OTT and IPTV software

Meanwhile, home viewers can also

Innovation at Its Core

solutions, and as of 2021, has served

enjoy a live TV event from the comfort

Ateme has repeatedly innovated in

close to 1,000 customers worldwide

of their sofa, regardless of which mobile

fields ranging from visual quality to

with revenues of €90 million.

network operator they subscribe to.

smart caching and analytics, blending one world first after another to deliver

Contribution and Distribution to Affiliates

ever more value to broadcasters and

Contact

TV service and content providers —

Ateme offers solutions to optimise

including Ooredoo, Nilesat, and Du

Ateme Middle East

delivery from origination to affiliates

in the Middle East. Its R&D teams

or subscribers. Based on a micro-

ensure that Ateme remains a future-

Building 3, Office 209

services architecture and orchestrated

proof partner through involvement in

PO Box 451045, Dubai, UAE

by Pilot Manager, the Ateme

forums and associations including DBV,

suite offers the perfect solution

SMPTE, ATSC, AOM, MPEG Streaming

Website: www.ateme.com

for IP turn-around, including:

Video Alliance, CMAF-IF, and 3GPP.

Dubai Studio City

Social Media

A cloud-native SDIoIP solution

The recipient of multiple Awards —

for multiple processing with

including the IABM BaM 2022 Awards

encoding, decoding, and gateway

in the Publish category, the 2020

ateme_tweets

in the same software

ASBU BroadcastPro Satellite Solutions

ateme_official

Secure transmission with

Provider of the Year award, and three

a standards-based rights-

Technology and Engineering Emmy

ATEME

ateme

32

MANUFACTURER

This is streaming at its peak Broadpeak’s mission is to empower

125 deployments in 50plus countries

video service providers so they can

200m plus end-users served by

stream the content people love

Broadpeak’s technologies

with a compelling experience.

320 plus Broadpeakers

Broadpeak designs and

Presence in 21 countries Created in 2010

manufactures video delivery components for content providers and broadband service providers

broadpeak.io

deploying IPTV, cable, satellite, OTT,

broadpeak.io is Broadpeak’s video

and mobile services. Its portfolio of

API SaaS platform that makes

solutions and technologies powers

Broadpeak’s trusted framework and

the delivery of movies, television

solutions available as a service in the cloud, resulting in unparalleled

programming and other content over managed networks and the internet

all its customers worldwide, from

simplicity, agility, and scalability!

for viewing on any type of device.

simple installations to large delivery

broadpeak.io provides applications

systems reaching capacities of

for dynamic ad insertion, content

services help operators increase

several million simultaneous streams.

replacement (including black out), fast

market share and improve subscriber

Broadpeak provides video streaming

customisation and virtual channels.

loyalty with superior quality of

software that can be deployed, but

experience. Broadpeak supports

also platforms that can be used.

The company’s systems and

Live Video Streaming Delivering the highest quality of experience (QoE) for live video streaming at scale, anywhere and on any device has become one of the most crucial challenges for video service providers.

Broadpeak provides technologies to scale video distribution across networks and provide the best QoE.

Content Anywhere, Anytime With Broadpeak solutions, video service providers can bring content anywhere, from remote places to crowded stadiums and at any time!

MANUFACTURER

33

Monetisation

advanced video delivery solutions

Multicast ABR: Solution to

Many opportunities exist today

unleash the potential of CDN to

upgrade from IPTV to ABR with

to monetise networks, streaming

deliver a superior end-user quality of

no compromise on QoE, bringing

services and content. With years

experience, optimise network costs and

scalability to live video streaming

of industry experience, Broadpeak

uncover new monetisation services.

Origin Packager: Package and secure video content, address

provides monetisation solutions that reduce ecosystem complexity,

Solutions

any player or device, for live

increase business efficiency and

Broadpeak develops cutting-edge

and on-demand applications

accelerate time-to-market.

solutions based on highly performing,

and reduce storage space

robust, secure technologies so that

Decreasing Streaming Video Costs

Cloud DVR: Solution for non-linear

content providers, OTT platforms

and time-shifted TV services

and pay TV operators can provide

CDN Selection: Manage growth

Delivering video is hard, delivering

best-in-class experience to their

and robustify video delivery

video cost-effectively is harder.

subscribers, avoid churn, monetise

services through a multi-CDN

Broadpeak helps operators

network and services while reducing

approach and by selecting the CDN

and OTT providers keep video

impact on the environment.

that can best address each request

streaming costs under control.

Advanced CDN: A content

Video Delivery Analytics and

delivery network solution ready

5G Streaming

Monitoring: Support marketing,

for the upcoming challenges

operations and support teams

With video streaming traffic increasingly

of video streaming

for strategic decision making

shifting to cellular networks, new

Content Personalisation:

related to capacity planning,

challenges and opportunities emerge

Targeted advertising and video

troubleshooting and video

for operators. Broadpeak 5G-ready

content personalisation

consumption analysis

Contact Broadpeak HDS Tower Office 609 Cluster F Jumeirah Lake Towers Dubai, United Arab Emirates Website: www.broadpeak.tv Samir Awada Sales Director, MEA Email: Samir.Awada@broadpeak.tv Tel: +971 50 456 8468 Ali Baig Sales Director, MEA Email: ali.baig@broadpeak.tv Tel: +971 55 769 0125

Social Media broadpeak broadpeak

34

MANUFACTURER

Engineering beyond the signal Founded in 1997, Cobalt Digital is a designer and manufacturer

Markets Served:

fast-moving and consistent pace of change in the industry causes today’s

of award-winning 12G/3G/HD/SD

Broadcast and Production

conversion, throwdown, multiviewer

Cable Networks

Cobalt keeps customers ready with new

and compression technology. Cobalt

Mobile Production Trucks

openGear cards, software, or equipment

is a founding partner in the openGear

Satellite Facilities

that quickly and easily bring existing

initiative embraced worldwide and known throughout the industry as an open architecture, modular frame system. Cobalt’s platform includes

Sports Venues Governments Corporate

challenges to quickly morph, and

systems up to date. The Company’s tag line says it all: Engineering Beyond the Signal, and that’s a philosophy that guides everything Cobalt does.

close to 100 openGear cards in

Education

addition to its many other products.

Houses of Worship

Who, What, Where

Medical Markets

Over one thousand customers worldwide

Global Reach Numerous and varied organisations rely on Cobalt for their most demanding signal-processing applications. The company’s gear is found in major broadcast and cable networks including sports broadcasters, government agencies, terrestrial and satellite facilities, houses of worship, corporate settings, production environments, mobile operations, ENG operations and TV stations. Cobalt’s channel network spans the globe with offices and representatives throughout the Americas, in the UK, Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa.

Tackling Challenges Cobalt’s ever-growing line of products is built to tackle any challenge in today’s multiscreen, multiformat world. The

have implemented Cobalt products

MANUFACTURER

35

standards and industry specifications and is a founding member of the RIST Forum which promotes the adoption of open protocols for Internet contribution.

Cobalt engineers have also made significant industry contributions in areas related to internet streaming, uncompressed video over IP, and HDR.

Accolades Cobalt Digital has been the recipient of over 43 awards and accolades for engineering innovation over the years including an Emmy in 2019 for pioneering a reliable transmission method for live contribution and distribution TV links.

Standing by Customers Cobalt’s products feature 24/7 service ranging from the company’s 9904/9905-

covering news, cinema and soap operas.

and support, most come with a five-year

UDX+ Indigo processing cards featuring

Utilising Cobalt’s 9904-UDX-4K single

warranty, and are all manufactured in

ST 2110 support and HDR conversion

pass audio and video processing, the

the USA using the latest components

solutions, Sapphire bi-directional HDMI/

card takes existing feeds from SONY

and multilayer PCB technology.

SDI converters, its compression line to

F900 cameras outputting a QUAD-3G

the new SafeLink Gateway that provides

signal, embeds AES audio channels

protection for live video and audio data

into the 9904 and converts the signal

over unsecured networks, and much

to 12G-SDI with embedded AES audios

more. The 9904-UDX-4K has proved to

for the purpose of feeding a Telestream

be the most efficient, time saving and

encoding platform. In addition to

Champaign, Illinois 61821, USA

flexible system for many customers,

providing conversion capabilities, the

Tel: +1 217.344.1243

including a notable, major production

9904-UDX-4K can further condition

Fax: +1 217.344.1245

network that has implemented the

the signal with licensable options such

card for varying programming needs

as colour correction, advanced audio

Suzana Brady

processing with the onboard DSP engine,

SVP, Worldwide Sales and Marketing

and a flexible list of IO options from SDI,

Email: Suzana.Brady@

HDMI, Fiber and IP. The 9904-UDX-4K

cobaltdigital.com

Solutions Include: 12G SDI 4K 4K HEVC Compression HDR Production IP Production Master Control

platform serves as the glue that enables

Contact Cobalt Digital Inc. 2506 Galen Drive

the production network to optimise

Berend Blokzijl

existing investments such as their SONY

Director of Sales for EMEA

F900 cameras and the Telestream

Email: Berend Blokzijl@

encoding platform, allowing the entire

cobaltdigital.com

workflow to function flawlessly.

Multi-Image Processing

Website: www.cobaltdigital.com

Quality/Confidence Monitoring

Contributing to the Industry

SMPTE ST 2110

Cobalt is an active participant in many

cobalt-digital

industry forums and associations and

cobaltdigital

Text-to-Speech / EAS Automation

supports the development of open

Social Media

36

MANUFACTURER

Cutting-edge broadcast and production technology This provides software-defined signal processing and management along with IP connectivity in an agile appliance, delivering ultralow latency and standards-based streaming to any device, over any combination of circuits.

SOAR-A (Software Optimised Appliance Revolutionised by FOR-A) is available in two hardware forms: a very compact two-channel device, and a 1RU appliance which supports up to 16 channels. Standards are at the heart of SOAR-A, including signal streams using SMPTE ST 2110 HVS-190I.

or *NDI, and connectivity using RIST and WebRTC. The first software

FOR-A is a global business, developing

principally manufactures in

applications available include SOAR-A

and manufacturing industry-

Japan but has sales and support

Edge, which provides for highly secure

leading broadcast and production

organisations worldwide, including

IP transport, SOAR-A Graphics, a

products with a focus on cutting

a significant Middle East and African

character generator and branding

edge technologies, including IP

presence in Dubai. The company

engine, SOAR-A Switch, a software-

connectivity and Ultra HD.

actively pursues collaborations

based switcher and SOAR-A Play,

with other best-of-breed vendors,

a software-based media server.

Products include video switchers

FA-1616

and routers, multi-viewers, full

both in the development of

4K high-speed super slo-mo

products and to integrate complete

Other new products introduced in

cameras, IP encoders and decoders,

solutions for its clients.

recent months include the FA-1616, a multi-channel processor supporting

multi-channel signal processors, test signal generators up to 8K resolution, colour correctors, frame

New Products SOAR-A Platform

resolutions up to 12G 4K and providing a convenient SDI/IP gateway.

HVS-190S/190I

synchronisers, character generators,

In a long line of innovative products,

video servers and much more.

the most significant recent

The HVS-190S/190I video switcher

introduction is the SOAR-A platform.

provides powerful production

Founded in 1971, the company

MANUFACTURER

37

switching in a compact form factor, making it ideal for simple productions and live

FA-1616.

events which need the highest quality keying and DVE. MFR-3100EX

shoot at up to 1000 frames a second,

These are some of the many

giving 20x slow motion while still

projects and system integrations

Ideal for live events, as well as

providing live output without the

delivered by FOR-A for users in the

corporate and house of worship

need for extra camera position.

MEA region in 2022, paving the way

installations, the MFR-3100EX all-in-

Also in Abu Dhabi, twofour54 chose

forward for further growth in 2023.

one production centre is more than

FOR-A to lead a major upgrade of

just a routing switcher. It incorporates

one of its large production studios.

Activities

a multi-viewer, downstream keyer,

The project included the HVS-2000

FOR-A develops, manufactures and

control of PTZ cameras and the ability

3 M/E production switcher and two

brings to market professional video

to stream across multiple different

LiveBoard 3D graphics systems from

equipment for various environments.

formats, making it the perfect central

FOR-A’s technology partner ClassX.

Where needed to meet customer

control for cost-effective installations.

Also delivered were multiviewers,

expectations, the MEA FOR-A office

routers and signal processing.

will also acquire and integrate third-

Recent Projects

The twofour54 studio is 4K Ultra HD

party products of suitable quality

The 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar

ready, as is a new studio FOR-A built

to build a complete solution.

saw FOR-A work with several

at Imam Abdul Rahman Bin Faisal

*NDI is a registered trademark of Vizrt Group.

companies providing facilities for

University. Using a range of FOR-A 12G

overseas broadcasters and fan zones.

SDI equipment, this is the first 12G 4K

These included Media Mania, Cubic

studio in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Media, Pro TV and Wise Concepts,

The Palestinian Broadcasting

Contact FOR-A Company Limited

and saw the installation of FOR-A

Corporation (PBC) needed to replace

DSC Tower, Office 207

production switchers, routers, multi-

the production switcher in its main

viewers and signal processing.

news studio and chose the HVS-2000

Dubai Studio City, Dubai, UAE

LiveHD, part of Abu Dhabi Media

from FOR-A for this high-pressure

Corporation, has taken two of the

role. This means that PBC now

revolutionary FT-ONE-SS4K ultra

has FOR-A switchers across all its

slow motion 4K cameras. These can

production and news studios.

Tel: +971 4 551 5830 Website: www.for-a.com Mohammed Abu Ziyadeh Regional Manager Tel: +971 50 923 9839 Email: mziyadeh@for-a.co-jp Roger Francis Pre-sales Support Engineer Tel: +971 52 3382 456 Email: rfrancis@for-a.co.jp

Social Media ForAMiddleEastAfrica for-a-middle-east-&-africa MFR3100EX.

foracorporation

38

MANUFACTURER

Helping creators create From the time Fujifilm began making films in 1934, the company has had some of the best colour scientists in the world helping create film for cinema images. Eventually, Fujifilm began making FUJINON broadcast TV lenses, becoming the established market leader. When the opportunity to create cinema lenses arose, Fujifilm was on the cutting edge of digital cinema lens technology. Today, nearly a century of experience in imagemaking later, Fujifilm is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of television and motion picture lenses.

Corporate Mission FUJINON lenses are created in

Cinema

cinematographers to effectively bring out

response to the needs of the

FUJINON cinema lenses are built with

the maximum capability of large format

industries the company serves

purpose, enabling cinematographers

sensors and facilitate high-quality video

– creators and visual storytellers

to achieve a beautiful cinematic look.

production with true cinematic flair.

across the broadcast and cinema

The promise of quality, innovation and

production spectrum.

superior customer service is matched

Broadcast

by a commitment to immerse itself

Engaged in the development and

Continuous Innovation

in the cinema market and learn what

production of broadcast lenses for

Fujifilm invests time and resources in

cinematographers, camera operators and

over 50 years. FUJINON broadcast

speaking with customers, technology

other cinema production professionals

lenses have supported image creation

providers and camera manufacturers

want and need, now and in the future.

throughout the world with unique

on every continent to learn what

Premista Series, FUJINON’s class-

technologies including optical design

they need and want. Whether it’s

leading flagship supports large-format

development, advanced manufacturing

convenience, productivity, efficiency,

sensors and delivers high resolution,

capabilities and exceptional quality.

creative or something else, customers

beautiful bokeh and rich gradation

By leveraging on its highly accurate

are the drivers of its innovation.

with high dynamic range, allowing

design, manufacturing and assembly

MANUFACTURER

39

expertise, FUJINON broadcast

and keeping images a constant size

lenses are deliberately created

One Shot Pre-set: By allowing zoom

to not just meet, but exceed the

and focus to be pre-set at selected

optical, mechanical

positions and stored in advance,

and electronic

the system allows

requirements of

operators to instantly

broadcast production

return to pre-set

professionals.

positions. A vital

Key Technologies Include:

sports broadcasts

feature for studio or 9-Blade Iris: With

HT-EBC Coating: The patented

the adoption of nine

electron-beam multi-layer

Iris blades, FUJINON

coating technology facilitates

4K lenses achieve a

high light transmission and

nearly circular aperture,

reduced flare and ghosting

class-leading phase detection system,

making it possible to render images

Aspherical Large Aperture Lens:

the AF system enables operators

with a softer, more natural bokeh

Developed with proprietary large

to concentrate on zooming without

aperture elements, FUJINON lenses

worrying about focus control

effectively suppress chromatic

OS-Tech: Featuring the ‘Optical Shift

1996: First Emmy Award for

aberration and distortion from the

System’ to optically compensate

Broadcast Lens R&D

centre to the edge of the image

for vibration, the system responds

2005: Awarded for Developing

Remote Back Focus (RBF): RBF

quickly to vibration and movement

High-Performance Lenses

enables precise remote control of

facilitating natural image capture

Adapted to Hi-Vision

back focus adjustments via robotic

Breathing Compensation Technology

2009: 4 Emmy Awards for Lens

control panels in a broadcast control

(BCT): By synchronising zoom

Technology Including Precision Focus

room, allowing back focus adjustments

movements with focus movements,

2020: Red Dot Design Award Winner

to be made during shooting with

the patented BCT system automatically

for Broadcasting and Cinema Lenses

minimal effort and down-time

corrects for changes in the angle of

2022: IDEA Award for

Advanced Focus (AF): Using FUJINON’s

view, thereby minimising breathing

Premista Cinema Lenses

Awards

Contact Fujifilm Middle East FZE JAFZA View 19, Downtown Jebel Ali Dubai, UAE Amrit Pandrangi Division Manager (MEA) – Optical Devices amrit.pandrangi@fujifilm.com Ala Siam Regional Sales Manager (MEA) – Optical Devices Ala.siam@fujifilm.com

40

MANUFACTURER

Perfect KVM technology for the broadcast world Guntermann & Drunck (G&D) are

product management, sales, marketing

or dedicated distances up to 10,000m

regarded as leading manufacturers

and production under one roof, G&D

maintaining real-time performance.

of KVM products. With their variety of

support customers from technical

The systems consist of two units –

KVM extenders, switches and matrix

initial advice through to on-site and

a computer module (transmitter)

systems for extending, switching and

after-sales support from a single source.

and a user module (receiver).

distributing keyboard, video and mouse

G&D’s KVM systems provide a

signals, G&D offer users the broadest

perfect basis for flexible, distributed

KVM portfolio available in the market.

switching of computer signals

G&D’s KVM switches allow users

With over 35 years of experience

to allow producers the simplest

to operate two to 64 computers

as German manufacturers of KVM

and most efficient operation.

from one console consisting of monitor, keyboard and mouse.

systems, G&D are trusted by a host of national and international TV stations and broadcasters. By short lines

KVM Switches

Products KVM Extenders

KVM Matrix Systems

of communication and entire core

G&D’s KVM extenders enable you to

G&D’s KVM matrix switches allow users

competencies such as development,

operate your computers over IP systems

to operate multiple computers from multiple consoles. They consist of computer modules, central modules and console modules. The systems enable flexible and decentralised control of large, distributed IT installations or those equipped with many workstations.

User Friendliness G&D’s products and systems are designed for simple and intuitive operation. For example, the CrossDisplay-Switching function is designed for multi-monitor workstations that access multiple computers at the same time. The user’s mouse acts as if it is on a ‘virtual desktop’ and can be moved seamlessly across the connected

MANUFACTURER

41

Strengthening Activities in the Middle East G&D is strengthening its activities in the Middle East by establishing a new international location in Dubai. The new location for Near Asia, Middle East and Africa is located at the Dubai World Trade Centre. Tamby Alasker, Director of Sales, who is responsible on site has been working with mission critical operations vendors in AV and KVM covering the Middle East for the past 15 years. As an expert in control room applications, he is the main local contact advising customers and partners on individual projects.

G&D - Feels Right G&D’s customers can expect comprehensive expert advice and technical support during all phases of their projects. Whatever the KVM broadcasting requirement, G&D, their employees and trained partner displays. When the cursor moves from

The matrix compatible extenders

one display to another, the keyboard/

will also be available with two display

support in finding the best possible

mouse focus automatically switches

port connectors for multi-monitor

and perfectly integrated KVM solution.

to the connected computer. This

applications. This makes it possible to

allows users to intuitively operate

operate up to two monitors at the same

multiple systems simultaneously

time while saving cabling effort and

Contact

with just one keyboard and mouse.

additional hardware by using only one

G&D Middle East

transmission port. On the user side, the

Dubai World Trade Centre

new option ensures better ergonomics

Central One, C1 Building

VisionXS – Small Housing, Great Performance Continues to Grow These matrix-compatible high-

and greater flexibility at workstations.

The VisionXS-IP portfolio continues

performance KVM extenders support

to grow, with new variants supporting

resolutions up to 4K @ 60 Hz. The

Power-over-Ethernet (PoE). The

systems are available for both KVM-over-

new feature makes it possible to

IPT and classic, direct transmission.

supply power to the device using the

network will be pleased to offer

2nd Floor, Office 250 Dubai, UAE Website: www.gdsys.com Tamby Alasker

transmission port. In this way, the

Sales Director AMEA

complemented by the new DP-HR

extender can be secured twice against

Tel: +971 4 5232649

variants for resolutions up to 2560

failures: the device is connected via both

Email: sales@gdsys.com

× 1600 @ 60 Hz. For this series,

the main power supply and the network

the manufacturer also relies on its

cable, providing redundancy in case

proven, lossless bluedec compression

one power supply fails. This guarantees

gdsysKVM

which enables authentic, pixel-

maximum operational safety and

perfect video experiences.

reliability during continuous operation.

g-&-d

The product range is now

Social Media

42

MANUFACTURER

Leading innovation in media infrastructure, cloud and workflow solutions Widely used in sport and entertainment broadcasting, theatres, houses of

and remote device configuration.

A founding member of the Alliance

AV Award for the European Parliament and Lawo, and the ‘2021 NAB Show

worship, institutions and corporate

for IP Media Solutions (AIMS), Lawo

Product of the Year Award’ in the ‘IT

settings, Lawo solutions bring cutting-

continues to champion and implement

Networking/Infrastructure and Security’

edge engineering to IP infrastructures,

interoperability based on open

category for its HOME IP management

video processing and routing as

standards like the ST2110 suite, ST2022-

platform. Lawo is equally proud of

well as audio mixing and routing.

7, AES67, RAVENNA, and Ember+.

the ‘Best Innovative Integration 2021’

With software-defined platforms,

AVard won by Zurich Opera for its bold implementation of Lawo-based IP

decentralised, multi-campus and

Award-Winning Dedication to Customer Success

flexible remote operation. Its IP-

Lawo’s accolades include an Emmy

In 2022, Lawo and Proximus received

based management platform

Engineering plaque and countless

the coveted AV Award for ‘Broadcast

called HOME simplifies IP

industry publication awards, such as

and Media Project of the Year’, and

configurations, network security

the ‘Public Sector Project of the Year’

Lawo struck gold at the Digital Media

Lawo has set a trend to enable

technology for live opera productions.

World Award 2022 in the ‘IP Broadcast Solutions’ category for .edge.

In April 2020, Lawo was the first vendor to carry out entirely remote factory acceptance tests. In the summer of that year, it introduced a novel Mix Kitchen approach for audio engineers and the possibility to mix in a decentralised scenario.

Management, Control and Monitoring Lawo’s HOME management platform for IP-based media infrastructures is natively built on a microservices

MANUFACTURER

43

MADI signal

AES3 as well as Dante audio sources

connectivity

and destinations. Modular by design,

and video/

diamond is available in configurations

audio processing;

from 2 to 60 physical faders.

virtual module apps uploaded to

Lawo’s R LAY VRX mixing software

them address all current and future

is a ‘virtual radio environment’, perfect

enables users to connect, manage

processing and gateway requirements,

for on-location assignments, ENG,

and secure networked production

and support SD, HD, 3G and 4K.

webcasting and personal studios.

architecture and

setups from the ground up. Fully

V__pro8 bridges a variety of

NMOS IS-04 and IS-05 compliant,

video and audio formats for SDI-

Middle East Installations

HOME is based on open standards,

based video processing. Dolby E

Abu Dhabi Media Company, Al Jazeera,

e.g. ST2110, NMOS, IEEE802.1x and

encoding/decoding is available.

Al Kass, Asharq News, Bahrain TV (Ministry of Information Affairs), beIN

RADIUS. In 2021, Lawo decided to open up HOME and to welcome third-party

IP Audio Production Solutions

Media Group, ERTU, Multichoice,

vendors through a single control API.

Significantly reducing physical footprint

Oman TV, Qatar TV/Radio, Radio

and power requirements, Lawo’s

Jeddah/Radio Riyadh, SABC, Sky

brings IP-based control and workflows

A__UHD Core is the next-generation

News Arabia and many others.

to OB, studio and MCR applications

audio engine for mc² audio production

in TV and radio. Device-agnostic, VSM

consoles. This software-defined

controls all major video/audio routers

IP DSP engine offers up to 1,024

and mixers, intercoms, UMDs and

DSP channels that can be shared

multiviewers, glue and other third-

among several mc²

party baseband and IP devices.

consoles for flexible

Lawo’s Virtual Studio Manager (VSM)

resource pooling.

Video Solutions for IP Setups

HOME is built in.

Software-defined by nature,

The current line-up of audio

the .edge Hyper-Density SDI/IP

consoles features the mc²96, the

Conversion and Routing Platform

mc²56 and the budget-friendly mc²36

Contact

can be used as a feature-laden

MkII all-in-one mixer, which is based

Lawo

replacement for traditional SDI

on Lawo’s A__UHD Core technology.

Am Oberwald 8

routers, and expanded with flexible

Lawo’s A__line Audio-to-IP

software licenses to provide the

interfaces provide WAN-capable

perfect mix of advanced features.

transport of analogue and digital

Lawo’s award-winning V__matrix

audio in compliance with ST2110-

software-defined IP platform uses

30/-31, AES67 and RAVENNA.

C100 processing blades to provide SDI/

Radio Broadcast Lawo’s radio consoles are native AES67/RAVENNA controllers designed for both stand-alone and networked operations. Powered by the Lawo Power

76437 Rastatt Germany Tel: +49 7222 1002 2930 Email: info@lawo.com Website: www.lawo.com Klaus-Jörg Jasper Sales Director, Middle East Email: klaus-joerg.jasper@lawo.com

Social Media

Core engine,

welcome.to.lawo

the IP-native

lawo

diamond console

lawo

provides expandable I/O to accommodate AES67, MADI, analogue,

welcome2lawo

44

MANUFACTURER

Experts in playout automation Automation Solutions

As a world leader in automation,

three key appointments; Ziad Sanbar was

integrated, IP and virtualised playout

promoted to Regional Solutions Manager,

systems, Pebble has the people, the

Christian Mesmar, Product Trainer

Powerful Multi-Channel Delivery

process and the technology to support

and Customer Fulfilment Engineer,

Pebble’s enterprise Automation

broadcasters as they adapt to compete

relocated from the UK and Belkacem

software platform delivers robust,

with new entrants in the video media

Hennane joined as a new member of

best-in-class functionality and can

space. Pebble is the expert partner

the team, to provide additional support

flex and adapt as needs change. It

for hybrid cloud playout, supporting

as Customer Fulfilment Engineer.

controls mission-critical operations and

broadcasters to transition from

Key Pebble customers in the MENA

Enterprise Level Automation for

is scalable from one to hundreds of

traditional broadcast infrastructure to

territory include Al Jazeera, Bahrain

channels. Its distributed architecture

more flexible IP based technologies.

Radio and Television, beIN NEO and

means resources can be utilised over

SPORTS Qatar, Bloomberg Asharq,

multiple servers, and its selection of

Pebble in the MENA Region

Dubai TV, Jordan Radio and Television,

device drivers gives broadcasters the

With a strong track record for delivering

Orbit Showtime Network, Sharjah TV –

freedom to deploy the technology that

on time and against commitments,

Kalba, CNBC Arabiya and many more.

best fits the needs of their channels,

Pebble’s systems control over 400 channels across 17 countries at around 70 sites across the Middle East, and many more at major broadcasters worldwide.

Pebble’s suite of solutions manages complex workflows and offer straightforward expansion capability as requirements change.

The option to display user interfaces in Arabic, allows dynamic graphics control with Arabic text, providing fast turnaround compliance workflows, with features helping broadcasters easily manage prayer breaks in their schedules.

In 2022, Pebble expanded its regional team in the UAE, adding further support and project implementation capacity with

MANUFACTURER

45

operate using web-based UIs. Designed to deliver immediate benefits to even the smallest IP facility, it leverages open standards to interface with NMOS-enabled devices from multiple vendors, and is easily reconfigurable for when your interconnections change, or when you add or remove devices.

Pebble Control Free was launched in April 2022, enabling broadcasters to work with entry level access of 15 concurrent input and output connections at no cost. To download visit www.pebble.tv/control-free.

Contact Pebble Unit 1, First Quarter Blenheim Road, Epsom whether legacy SDI devices or the

Tier One premium channels, regional

latest IP and hybrid cloud technologies.

commercial insertion, fast to market

Integrated Channel

or short-term channels, disaster recovery centres and content ingest.

KT19 9QN United Kingdom Tel: +44 1932 333790 Tel: +44 75 153 27779

Software-Defined Integrated

Supporting the conversion of a range

Channel with Uniquely Flexible

of compression and file formats, it can

Channel Pipeline Design

mix legacy SD content with new HD

Website: www.pebble.tv

Pebble’s scalable Integrated Channel

and UHD material in the same playlist.

Samir Isbaih

device offers audio, video and graphics functionality in a compact, cost-effective format to meet ingest,

Pebble Control IP Connectivity Made Simple

Email: sales@pebble.tv

VP Sales - Middle East & South Asia Middle East Support Office

channel branding and frame-accurate

Every broadcast engineer and content

Office 106, Building 4

multi-channel playout requirements.

producer needs to connect equipment.

It replicates in software all the

Signals need to be routed and switched

Dubai Media City PO Box 502829

functionality of a traditional broadcast

around your setting, whether that is

playout chain made up of single-purpose

a production facility, playout centre,

devices performing dedicated functions.

regional broadcast station, or an OB

It can be customised for all your

truck. In the world of SDI there are lots

channel types, from tightly scheduled

of options to help you do this. But for

‘static’ channels to highly reactive

IP environments connection and device

channels with multiple content formats,

management becomes a whole lot

complex graphics and live inserts.

more complex, and the cost of getting

pebbletv

it wrong is potentially very high.

@pebbleupdates

With SD/HD/UHD video server, master control switcher, subtitling, captioning

Pebble Control is an award-winning

Dubai, UAE Tel: +971 509669689 Ziad Sanbar Regional Solutions Manager

Social Media

@pebbleupdates

and channel branding functionality,

self-contained, scalable, IP-native,

Pebble

this solution is installed across a variety

connection management solution

of broadcast applications including

which is easy to configure, deploy and

Pebble Updates

46

MANUFACTURER

Creating revolutionary broadcast software Core Products

Zetta: The most advanced radio automation system

GSelector: The world’s most powerful multi-station scheduler

Aquira: Powerful and highly flexible traffic system

RCS is the world’s largest broadcast

radio stations wanting to have more

software company with products in

control over their song rotations,

thousands of radio and TV stations,

while maintaining consistency and

music channels, cable companies,

enhancing variety. Within the first year,

ad agencies, satellite networks

Selector had its first station: an NBC-

and streaming stations worldwide.

owned FM station in San Francisco.

With guaranteed reliability and

In the last decade, RCS has reinvented

24/7 support the most respected

the way broadcasters approach their

names in the industry choose RCS

craft with the introduction of new

as their software provider.

and updated software services.

RCS invented music scheduling

A hallmark of RCS from the

on computers, opening its doors in

beginning was the strategy to

1979 with the very first version of the

base product improvements on

legendary Selector. This revolutionary

feedback from its loyal customers

product was designed for music

and experienced power users.

RCSNews: State-of-the-art radio newsroom software

Revma: Professional grade streaming

RCS2GO: Work from any location

RCS Cloud: Cloud-based safety net

MANUFACTURER

47

Baher Al Zaher, Managing Director, RCS MENA.

This tradition continues with the

browser-based extensions to RCS

And for customers who want cloud-

company’s next generation of award-

software, designed for mobile devices

based solutions, RCS is already there.”

winning broadcast software.

such as laptops, smartphones,

RCS provides the most advanced,

The most respected names in

and tablets. Alongside GSelector,

reliable, intuitive, and flexible

the broadcast industry choose

Zetta and Aquira. Baher Al Zaher,

broadcast tools on the planet.

RCS as their software partner,

Managing Director of RCS MENA says,

Because its clients are based

including world-famous names

“our customers have access to the

worldwide, RCS’ tools are multilingual

such as Z100, KISS-FM, and many

incredible ‘from-anywhere’ flexibility

too. Additionally, customers are

of the largest and most successful

of Selector2GO, Zetta2GO and

backed by the legendary RCS

radio groups around the world.

Aquira2GO. With its mobile initiatives,

24/7 world-class support, and the

RCS is putting the power of its cutting-

company boasts more local support

‘From-Anywhere Flexibility’

edge software into the hands of every

offices than any other broadcast

Now there is a new generation of

user, no matter where they may be.

software company in the world.

Contact RCS MENA Level 19, Fortune Executive Tower Cluster T, JLT, Dubai, UAE Email: sales@rcsmena.com Website: www.rcsmena.com Baher Al Zaher, Managing Director Tel: +971 4 513 99 44 Email: balzaher@rcsmena.com

Social Media RCSSoundSoftware rcsworks RCS_Works rcsworks

48

MANUFACTURER

Powering live productions for billions of viewers daily Ross Video is a global leader in the

Ross Video’s mission is to enable

include the Carbonite series of production

broadcast industry and has been

creation of captivating content

switchers, the XPression motion graphics

providing innovative technology solutions

that engages audiences, and it has

system, the Ultrix routing and signal

to customers for over 40 years. The

achieved this by continually pushing

processing platform and the Furio

company powers live video productions

the boundaries of technology

robotic camera system. Ross also offers

for billions of global viewers daily with the

in the broadcast industry.

a range of services, including creative

industry’s most comprehensive range of

and production services, consulting,

high impact, high efficiency solutions

Products, Solutions and Services

training, and technical support. Its

and services. Ross makes it easy to

As a manufacturer, Ross Video has an

consulting services help customers

create compelling news, weather and

extensive product portfolio that includes

design and implement broadcast

sports broadcasts, captivating content for

robotic camera systems, real-time

workflows that bring to life broadcasts

stadium screens, entertainment shows

motion graphics, production switchers,

for audiences across the globe, while its

and concerts, and engaging material

virtual studios, routers, newsroom

training programmes provide hands-

for educational institutions, legislative

control systems and more. Some of

on instruction for using its products.

assemblies and houses of worship.

the company’s most popular products

Global Company Established in 1974, the Canadian company has expanded its operations globally and today has offices and partners in over 100 countries. Ross has corporate offices in North America, Europe, Asia and Australia, as well as supporting sales and service operations located strategically around the world. The company offers lifetime technical support by telephone, email and WhatsApp, and support agents are available 24/7/365. Thanks to in-house research and development, Ross can apply maximum creativity to breakthrough products and longterm evolution and support of the company’s products and technologies.

MANUFACTURER

49

Key Clients and Partnerships

convergence of these technologies is

– it is an entirely new approach to

Ross solutions have impressed the

central to meeting the needs of the

conceptualising workflows and allocating

audiences and marketing partners

industry and growing the company.

hardware. Ross Hyperconverged

of Eurosport, BBC World, Sky, Yahoo!

The main development lab in Ottawa,

Solutions are already streamlining

Finance and international esports

Canada, is home to a growing team of

workflows and improving efficiency

powerhouse ESL. Ross has a long list

highly skilled engineers who are working

for major networks, broadcasters and

of clients in the broadcast industry,

on the next generation of Ross Video

sports venues around the world.

including major networks, news

solutions, systems and technologies.

broadcasters, production companies

As a percentage, Ross reinvests

and sports leagues. Additionally, Ross

more profit into R&D and product

is no stranger to high-profile events,

verification than any of its competitors.

having worked on projects such as the Olympics, the World Cup and the

Hyperconverged Production

Academy Awards. Regardless of the size

Ross Hyperconverged Solutions take

of the customer or their project, Ross

up less space, use less power and

works closely with all clients to provide

deploy faster – they do more with less

customised solutions that meet their

without compromising functionality.

unique needs and achieve their goals.

An example of this approach can be seen in the Ultrix FR12 routing system,

Technology Leadership

which merges routing, production

Ross offers a comprehensive mix

switching, audio processing and mixing,

of hardware, software and cloud-

multiviewers and signal processing into

based solutions suitable for SDI, 12G,

a single highly configurable platform.

IP, and hybrid production models.

Ross understands that the mix and

Hyperconvergence is more than simply combining multiple products together

Contact Ross Video EMEA 33 King’s Road, Reading RG1 3AR United Kingdom Tel: +44(0)1189502446 Email: www.rossvideo.com Karim Gad Regional Sales Manager, Middle East karim.gad@rossvideo.com Deepraj Sandhar Regional Sales Manager, Middle East deepraj.sandhar@rossvideo.com

50

MANUFACTURER

High-stakes audio moments for the world engineers need to deploy many channels of wireless, while applications move from serial to networked transmission to create improved flexibility, control and reliability. This is why Shure solutions have become so valuable in the industry.

Complex setups, high channel counts and constrained spectrum are everyday hurdles for today’s major events and tours. To meet the most demanding wireless needs, Shure developed Axient Digital with input from top audio professionals. Designed to maximise stability, quality, control and scalability, it is engineered for the moments that command the Shure is a 95-year-old global company

innovate today. The company provides

highest degree of attention.

dedicated to providing customers with

high-end audio equipment for touring

No matter how tough the

the best audio solutions in the world.

sound, live events, A/V rental, film,

spectrum environment,

What started as a one-man operation

television, broadcast news, sports,

Axient Digital is tougher.

selling radio parts in Chicago, Illinois, USA,

theatre and houses of worship. It is the

It includes next gen

grew to a company with facilities in more

go-to solutions provider for professional

digital radio with

than 40 countries. Shure microphones

audio technicians and engineers,

encryption, true digital

have given voice to political leaders,

providing microphones, wireless

diversity, Quadversity

legendary musical artistes, teachers,

microphone systems, headphones, in-ear

and HighDensity

business leaders and community

monitoring, software and accessories.

modes. Transparent

standouts from the biggest world stages to local neighbourhood meetings.

Today, it’s likely that most of the

Meeting Demanding Wireless Needs

audio comes through.

With impressively low latency, flat frequency

audio heard on laptops, smartphones,

Productions are becoming increasingly

response and multiple

radios or TVs involves some type of

complex while available wireless spectrum

digital audio output

Shure innovation. Shure continues to

gets narrower around the world. Audio

options, sound fills every

MANUFACTURER

corner of the space, clean and clear.

51

level audio production is a must.

Because efficiency is the bedrock of

The new dual-diaphragm, patent-

reliability, Axient Digital provides more

pending capsule technology offers

command and control. From wide

best-in-class sound in a compact,

tuning receivers and transmitters,

easy-to-conceal package for when

Wireless Workbench and

professional vocal performance is a

ShowLink control, to networked

must. Designed to enhance product

charging and more, it improves

accessibility for the live event and

every part of the workflow.

staging market, TwinPlex supports those high-stakes audio moments.

Digital Wireless Portfolio

Shure unveiled DuraPlex in

Wireless microphones face additional

Plug-In Transmitter takes any wired

2020, the omnidirectional lavalier and

challenges in today’s increasingly

microphone and makes it wireless for

headset microphone. Designed to stand

crowded RF environment. To address

any number of reasons and purposes. It

up to the toughest conditions, DuraPlex

these needs, the SLX-D Digital Wireless

gathers and reports news, captures audio

boasts Shure’s first IP57 certification

System is the newest addition to the

for film and television and secures all

rating, keeping dirt, dust, water and

Shure digital wireless portfolio. It is

the comments from the interview, doing

perspiration from upstaging the audio.

the digital replacement of Shure’s

so with impeccable audio quality and

The minimalistic form factor offers a

popular SLX system, complete with

RF performance while taking advantage

supreme out-of-the-box experience

new mechanical designs, exceptional

of wide-tuning and encryption with an

and features the same award-winning

audio quality, more reliable RF

Axient Digital plug-on wireless transmitter.

cable durability of TwinPlex.

performance and streamlined setup.

Another innovation is TwinPlex. Seven

Another recent innovation is the Shure

Shure has also introduced the Axient

years in the making, TwinPlex, Shure’s line

UniPlex, its new 5mm subminiature

Digital ADX5D Portable Receiver—a dual-

of premium subminiature omnidirectional

cardioid lavalier microphone engineered

channel, portable wireless slot receiver

lavalier and headset microphones, was

to be the ideal, discrete solution for

that provides superior RF performance,

designed and developed for unpredictable,

speaking applications where rejection

spectral efficiency, and transparent audio

high-stakes environments where flawless

of stage noise, audience, or close-

quality. The new portable form factor

audio is essential. From robust theatre

proximity presenters is essential

proudly enhances the Axient Digital

productions and corporate presentations,

to conveying your message.

ecosystem of wireless audio solutions.

to global television broadcasts and

For any audio needs in any situation,

everything in between, professional-

Shure provides a solution that addresses it.

Theaward-winning AD3 Axient Digital

Contact Shure MEA Unit 2805 Swiss Tower Cluster Y, Jumeirah Lake Towers Dubai, United Arab Emirates Tel: +971 4 375 6650 Website: shure.com

Social Media Shuremea Shuremea Shuremea Shuremea

52

MANUFACTURER

Enhancing the viewer experience Since 1988, Vitec has been a pioneer

standard for network-efficient, real-

of innovative IPTV, video streaming

time distribution of in-house feeds,

and digital signage solutions that help

satellite, and cable TV content on

organisations harness the power of

private and public networks.

video to engage, empower and evolve.

Broadcast and Media Market Applications

This year marks Vitec’s 35th anniversary and the company continues to be led by founder and CEO, Philippe Wetzel,

decode solutions are 100 percent

Remote Production and 4K Contribution

as it grows in multiple markets around

hardware based, including PCIe cards

Vitec’s remote production and 4K

the world. Vitec is a pioneer in the

with SDK for custom design or OEM

contribution video streaming solutions

design and manufacture of hardware

for high-performance video systems.

provide optimal quality, ultra-low

Vitec is a key player within the

latency performance and an intuitive

decoding, transcoding, archiving, and

broadcast industry with a complete

TV experience across multiple sites.

streaming over IP. Its end-to-end video

line of products designed to meet

Stream live broadcast quality content

streaming solutions enable customers

the highest standards of this specific

to any device, anywhere with error-free

to capture TV and video content directly

market. Vitec’s comprehensive solution

continuous coverage. Vitec’s powerful

from any source and manage its

for management and distribution of

system administration tools and a

delivery, as channels or within digital

live and on-demand IPTV content is

sophisticated digital signage

signage screens, to any connected

used in broadcast centres, news and

device via an existing network.

media companies, and local

and software for video encoding,

From corporate, broadcast and venues, to accommodation, government and military, Vitec has global expertise in delivering complex proAV solutions. Vitec’s award-winning IPTV platform is a powerful suite of services for content management, digital signage, video archiving and video wall processing. Encode/

TV stations worldwide and has become the golden

MANUFACTURER

53

Philippe Wetzel, CEO, VITEC.

platform gives broadcasters reliable

all available video streaming feeds

staff with centrally-managed video

content control with high quality encoding

Monitor multiple feeds simultaneously

entertainment in breakout areas

compression technology. IPTV streaming

from a single desktop application,

alongside relevant information

solutions provide optimal quality, latency

enabling staff to see various

performance and intuitive TV experience.

content streams on one screen

Headquartered in Paris, France, Vitec

Vitec remote production and

Create tailored IPTV portals

has a global reach through offices

contribution solutions allow you to:

for an enhanced viewing

across the Americas, Europe, Middle

Capture and transmit live event

experience on any device

East, Africa and the Asia Pacific. Making

feeds across any network

Provide a bridge between IPTV

a difference with green initiatives, Vitec

back to your control room for

and SDI environments

is the first zero carbon MPEG company

production with IP contribution

Continuously record TV channels

and encourages customers to buy

Reduce on-site infrastructure

for viewing on-demand and

GreenPEG for continued environmental

and operating costs (no TV truck)

repurposing content

efforts to reduce greenhouse gases.

– eliminate CAPEX or OPEX

Centrally create, manage and

Vitec is positioned to provide the

control TV channels and video

highest studio quality content in

content up to 4K from one place

the industry at the lowest bit rates

Digital Signage Solutions Vitec products support remote

Seamless integration with IP video

contribution applications:

solutions enables live TV and video to

Multiple cameras, synchronous

be quickly incorporated into impactful

cameras and/or single-shot highly

signage screens that engage, inform

produced shows – the highest quality

and entertain staff and visitors

codecs, the lowest latency codecs – a

Enhance image by creating a

solution for Tier 1 Broadcasters

unique, tailored look and feel,

Studio-quality 4:2:2 10-bit, ultra-low

integrating corporate branding

latency, under one frame glass-to-

to promote your image

glass, enhanced features with talkback

Showcase show-reels and media production in reception

Contact VITEC Indigo Icon Tower Cluster F - Suite 505-506 Jumeirah Lakes Towers Dubai, UAE Tel: +971 (0)4 554 7188 Email: uae@vitec.com Website: www.vitec.com Fadi Jumaa Business Development Director, ME Walid Tabet Regional Director ME Victor Hasan, Regional

and public areas

Sales Manager, ME

Distribute live feeds from broadcast

Share relevant information –

cameras around studios and

communicate live news, video and

Social Media

production galleries for channel

tailored information simultaneously

monitoring, so that media staff can

within branded digital signage screens

track breaking news and monitor

Engage your employees – provide

IP Video Solutions

vitec-multimedia Vitec_MM vitecmm

54

MANUFACTURER

Zero Density

Welcome to the future of broadcast graphics Zero Density’s mission is to help broadcast, media production and live events professionals take the highestquality visuals for millions of viewers around the world on-air: thanks to its advanced real-time virtual studio, XR / AR and broadcast graphics products.

Breaking the mould in the industry, Zero Density points to the future of the media with its real-time graphics products. From national elections coverage to the Olympics, Zero Density’s Unreal Engine-native platform, Reality Engine has been used by some of the biggest companies in the world.

and many other leading channels.

Epic Games, the most photorealistic

Alongside the software platform,

To learn more about Zero Density

real-time game engine, as the 3D

Zero Density also creates broadcast

products and how they can be used

renderer. With the advanced real-

graphics hardware including RE

in real-time graphics workflow, please

time visual effects capabilities, Reality

Ampere, a high-performance

download the community version

system ensures the most photorealistic

workstation for broadcasters and

or visit the free online learning

composite output possible.

TRAXIS talentS, an AI-powered

portal, Zero Density Academy.

markerless tracking system that

RealityHub

can identify people inside a 3D

Reality Engine

virtual environment without the

Create, Control and Produce

RealityHub provides a unified, HTML5

use of any wearables. Zero Density

in One System

user interface for the entire Reality

is headquartered in Turkey with a

Reality Engine is the first game

ecosystem which lets broadcasters

representative office in the USA.

engine-based and only node-based

manage everything from real-time

Clients include The Weather Channel,

compositing platform in the industry

graphics to robotic cameras — all

Fox Sports and Warner Media while

for real-time virtual studio, augmented

in one place. Users can integrate

the MEandA clients include Sky News

and extended reality productions.

most on-set equipment, automation

Arabia, Asharq News, Alkass Sports,

Reality Engine uses Unreal Engine by

systems and external data sources to

Automate, Integrate and Control

MANUFACTURER

55

RealityHub straight out of the box, or simply leverage Zero Density’s opensource SDK to develop their own custom integrations. It also supports most of the Newsroom Computer Systems (NRCS) available in the market through the MOS protocol.

Reality Keyer Explore the Power of Detail Reality Keyer provides spectacular

data visualisation. They help to tell

ordinary physical spaces into

results — when keying contact

stories with stunning visuals and offer

enormous, dynamic 3D virtual worlds.

shadows, transparent objects and

interactive ways for the audience

sub-pixel details like hair. It is also

to be included in the story. A ray-

Look to the Future

easy to set up and operate. It is

tracing renderer and a real-time

By not being weighed down by

the first and only real-time image-

3D compositor like Reality Engine

legacy practices, Zero Density

based keyer with advanced clean

enables a photorealistic augmented

introduces innovative technology

plate technology that makes the

reality production that conventional

that bridges multiple industries. The

system much more advanced than

fill and key blending methods cannot

company is primarily a research and

just a normal chroma keyer. Reality

produce. The presenter can cast his

development company, delivering

Keyer can key two million shades of

reflections automatically onto the

new products and releases based

green in HD, eight million in UHD.

AR graphics and use the AI-driven

on market needs. Customers are

markerless stereoscopic system TRAXIS

also able to take advantage of

advanced masking capabilities enable

talentS, to interact with photorealistic

continuous feature improvements

hybrid virtual studio operations,

augmented reality graphics.

and world-class support.

Together, these features and

allowing anyone to seamlessly combine virtual and real environments.

LED-based XR Production Reality Engine can extend and

Contact Zero Density

Photorealistic AR Production

composite virtual sets beyond the

Augmented reality graphics offer

LED volume. Combining physical and

Zafer SB Mh.

a myriad opportunities in terms of

virtual extended worlds seamlessly,

Nilüfer Sok.

viewer experience, storytelling and

Reality Engine can transform small,

No 29/11 Ege Serbest Bölge 35410 Izmir, Turkey Yavuz Bahadıroğlu Global Growth Manager Email: yavuz.bahadiroglu@ zerodensity.tv Website: www.zerodensity.tv

Social Media 0density zero-density 0density 0density ZerodensityTv

56

OTT Viaccess.Orca White Peaks Solutions

57

58

OTT

Giving viewers what they want Viaccess-Orca (VO) is a leading provider of data-driven, end-toend solutions that empower TV operators and service providers to deliver, secure and monetise viewing experiences on every screen.

From enabling AI-powered personalised TV and targeted advertising to offering robust security and anti-piracy services, VO is continually evolving to meet changing viewer preferences and industry needs.

Deployed by over 100 customers worldwide to power advanced video services for millions of subscribers,

or a hybrid model, VO’s services are

video piracy, including web, IPTV,

VO’s cloud-native solutions allow easy

completely flexible and available

STBs and apps, as well as the new

integration with any ecosystem and

in various models, from an added-

threat of CDN leeching and the

enable speedy time to market for new

value solution to a complete

common one of password sharing.

features and top-notch technologies.

package of E2E OTT services.

FAST, Personalised TV and Targeted

A subsidiary of the Orange Group and a trusted industry leader with

Content Security and Anti-Piracy

Advertising — Based on individual

over 20 years of proven experience,

Services — From a secure video

profiles, personal content curation,

Viaccess-Orca empowers operators

player, through CAS, DRM to Dynamic

customised catalogues and tiered

and content providers to achieve

Watermarking, VO’s content security

targeted TV advertising, VO’s advanced

scalability and growth. VO has the

solutions empower you to comply

advertising solutions feature a full-

technology, skillset and the abundant

with the strict requirements of right

stack programmatic infrastructure and

ecosystem partnerships required

holders, studios and sports leagues,

innovative TV data segmentation tools

to simplify the industry’s increasing

while protecting content service

allowing for viewer-level addressability

complexities for its customers.

and revenues. VO’s award-winning

and monetisation of services across

Anti-Piracy Centre is designed

all screens. VO’s solutions empower

Flexible Business and Deployment Models

for the swift takedown of illegally

effortless viewing through seamless

distributed content, counteracting

customer journeys with simplified

Cloud-based, on-prem, as a service

any pain point, type or source of

multi-app access, embedded

OTT

59

playback and continuous watching. In combination, these technologies allow media companies to adopt targeted TV advertising quickly and launch compelling FAST channels supported by a complete end-to-end ecosystem.

The Perfect Live Sports Experience — Everything you need to broadcast, secure and engage viewers, including low-latency, 4K viewing experiences available on all screens, Multiview and Watch-Party (co-watching) functionalities, QoX monitoring with real-time statistics and highlights, and

Engaging With the Middle East

VO’s tailored solutions are

immersive VR experiences, all protected

With Sammer Elia leading the local

designed to adapt to the ever-

by rigorous yet invisible security.

team as MENA Business Development

evolving TV and OTT landscape,

Director, VO is committed to

providing viewers with a personalised

fostering and maintaining strong

and engaging environment

— Includes CAS, DRM, anti-piracy

relationships with its growing number

where they can seamlessly watch

services and a fully hosted and

of customers across the region.

their favourite content.”

Plug and Play Managed Services

managed Cloud TV service.

“We are thrilled to be returning to this year’s Cabsat after achieving important

Contact

Opening Up New Monetisation Possibilities With AI

milestones with key customers,” says

With a strong record of innovation

our E2E data-driven suite for delivery,

in various fields, VO uses advanced

security and monetisation of video

Floors 9,11

AI technologies, including ML, DL

content. We will also be presenting a

Allée de l’Arche 92 400

and MLOps across its entire product

non-invasive framework of microservice

La Défense, Paris France

range, enabling operators and service

components that can be adopted

providers to deliver outstanding viewing

individually or together to improve the

experiences, keep their premium

operation of video platforms without

Dubai Internet City

content safe and improve monetisation.

disrupting existing workflows.

Al Thuraya Tower 1

Elia. “This year, we are showcasing

Viaccess-Orca Tour Egée, 15th-16th

Sofrecom

Office 1804 (18th floor) PO Box 500081 Dubai, UAE sammer.elia@viaccess-orca.com ali.amazouz@viaccess-orca.com Website: www.viaccess-orca.com

Social Media Viaccess-Orca ViaccessOrca Viaccess-Orca ViaccessOrca

60

OTT

Digital solutions that change and empower White Peaks Solutions (WPS), a media

Areas of Expertise

to build, manage and monetise a

and technology company, focuses

End to End OTT Platforms

complete OTT platform across multiple

on providing clients with end-to-end

New Publishing Platforms

devices and screens within a highly

OTT solutions that fit their needs.

Content Management System

secure technology environment.

White Peaks Solutions is the owner

Live Streaming, Video on

KWIKmotion Major Components:

and operator of KWIKmotion, the

Demand and OVP platforms

complete online video platform and

FAST Channels

FAULIO content management system.

Live Clipping

The company has also established

CDN and Storage Infrastructures

Manage assets, import and

itself as a reference for media

Monetisation (AVOD, SVOD & TVOD)

export media files easily

KWIKprime VOD/OVP

Create playlists, chapters, sort files

consultancy and media strategy.

into folders and add metadata

Bespoke OTT Solutions

Products KWIKmotion

to all assets (full API for easy

WPS’s OTT solution includes the

An end-to-end broadcasting suite that

integration, media grabber,

customisable and scalable content

allows publishers and broadcasters

syndication and distribution)

management system, FAULIO, a comprehensive online video platform KWIKmotion, and customdesigned user experiences for the front end, including websites, TV and mobile applications.

The secure and scalable technical infrastructure is designed for high availability with high-performance delivery, taking into consideration geographic redundancy and server failover. It incorporates different monetisation options to suit individual businesses and analysis is based on deep performance insights, real-time and historical engagement data about audiences.

OTT

61

FAULIO FAULIO is a customisable, scalable content management system that seamlessly integrates with KWIKmotion.

It allows centralised management of the whole OTT solution linking it to the front end through a comprehensive list of API endpoints. Features include: Assets organisation Monetisation and ad integration features (AVOD & Display banners) Subcription and transactional video on demand management (SVOD & TVOD) News publishing and social media integration SEO metadata management Multi-lingual content creation Instantly clip reels and highlights

KWIKanalytics

Page designer

live streaming and distribute

Visualise critical metrics in an easy-

Permission management

to all digital channels

to-read dashboard to learn how the

Security and high performance

audience is engaging with your video.

Push notifications and alerts

Add multiple live streams, record

Act on deeper insights with robust

User and subscription management

manually or automatically and

content performance, real-time and

Multi-channel support

restream back to social media

historical viewer engagement data.

Seamless connectivity with

Live Streaming

KWIKmotion and OVPs

(DVR-Live, electronic programme guide and manual recording)

KWIKplayer

Easy EPG integration

Create multiple Free Ad Supported

Powerful solution built on top of

Filters, playlists, comments and

Streaming (FAST) channels from your

Video JS that guarantees security

notes sections for a full coaching OTT

live and video on demand library

and monetisation options. Key

solution by coaches and instructors

Security and Monetisation

features include player customisation,

Dynamic informative

Protect live streams and your assets

360-degree support, pre-roll, mid-

modules and pages

and monetise them (Access Rights

roll, post-roll and overlay ad support,

Management, stream protection,

Google analytics support, multiple

watermark, DRM integration, ads

audio tracks, player hotkey, fast and

management and geo-blocking)

automatic thumbnail generation, skip Intro/Next Episode, download offline,

KWIKintelligence

closed caption, social share and external

AI Moderation tool, assists human

link share, playlist, resume watching,

moderators in detecting non-

screencast, multiple bitrate, PiP support,

compliant content by analysing

playback with no buffer and preload.

video scenes, screening content and organising flagged scenes

KWIKeditor

under their respective criteria

Quickly and reliably prepares video for

AI translation and transcription

any device or platform. Allows safe roll out

on live streaming

changes to videos, as well as trim, crop,

AI transcription of video library

join, share and easily watermark to create

for smart key word search

content unique to the brand experience.

Contact White Peaks Solutions Resellers: HDSI Prodromou 121-Flat 201, 2064 Nicosia, Cyprus Tel: +357 97 777058 ITWORKSME 8th Floor, Mirna Chalouhi Centre Sin El Fil Highway, Lebanon Tel: +961 1 489557/8 Website: www.whitepeaks.co.uk

62

Production Action Filmz Productions LLC Eagle Films Middle East LLC Firdaus Studio by A.R. Rahman

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PRODUCTION

Creating a hub for top-class productions

Crispin Dominic, owner/ CEO of Action Filmz.

Team Members of Action Filmz.

Action Filmz Productions LLC set a

provided them with all these years.

equipment within the MENA region,

concrete footprint in the heart of Dubai,

Their main scope of work lies in renting

while gradually making its way to

UAE, for over 19 years as a ‘one-stop

out state-of-the-art equipment to the

be identified globally as a one-stop

shop’ servicing the film industry, and

film and photography industry locally

equipment support destination for all

has since opened branches in Abu

and internationally, ranging from

production services and rental needs.

Dhabi and Mumbai, India, with plans to

digital cinema cameras for film and

The company aims to get there by

open new offices in Saudi Arabia. The

broadcast, lenses, film lighting, grip,

continuously updating itself on the

corporate aim was to open doors to

still photography equipment, studio

latest technology, travelling the world,

create a one-stop-shop and cultivate a

rentals, AV equipment, transport,

attending trade shows and gaining

creative-cultured hub for the film and

and generators to a professional-

maximum knowledge on products, and

photo industry which would be an arena

experienced crew, the company has it all!

implementing what would be right for

where filmmakers and photographers

the region while taking suggestions from

Corporate Vision

industry experts and ensuring they own

Action Filmz Productions LLC envisions

the very latest gears for the betterment

it has always been Action Filmz’s genuine

itself as one of the largest rental

of filming. Dubai being a hub for globally

desire to return what the industry has

one-stop shops for filming and photo

acclaimed film production houses and

come together and innovate ideas.

Born out of a passion for the industry,

PRODUCTION

65

attracting many international film productions, Action Filmz is proud to have worked with a multitude of prominent names including a few big-budget Hollywood feature films over the years. These include Mission

Impossible 7, Desert Warrior, Kandahar and Kung Fu Yoga, to name a few, alongside several notable Bollywood feature films as well as commercials for major brands and web series.

The company has actively taken up productions for prestigious clients like Dubai Tourism featuring their brand ambassador, Shah Rukh Khan, partnered with Dubai Police for

The Scorpio 45 crane and the U-crane in action!

creating their brand films, and provided technical support for the MBC series

a new wave of change in the entire

in Tunisia with high-end cameras,

industry as it aims to have both studios

Contact

lenses, lighting, and specialised grip

and rental house facilities under one

Action Filmz Productions LLC

equipment support. Action Filmz also

roof. Thereby not benefiting just the

Al Fahad Warehouse

provided specialised cranes for the

company but the entire industry with

3C, 6C, 8C & 31A

FIFA World Cup 2022, in Doha, Qatar.

the single focus on giving back to the

Street 6A

field that has kept everyone connected.

Opp. Spinneys Warehouse

New Plans in Action

Action Filmz intends to build branches

Al Quoz 1, Dubai, UAE

Action Filmz is currently looking to

across the globe starting with Saudi

complete the construction of its newest

Arabia, with the main objective of giving

premises in Al Quoz, Dubai, which

work opportunities to more and more

is an extension of the existing one.

freelancers and being a resourceful link

This new establishment will create

to anyone aspiring to create content.

Store Number 2 Sector M-13, Mussafah Abu Dhabi, UAE Film One Pictures Mumbai, India Crispin Dominic CEO Tel: +971 50 4955852 Email: crispin@actionfilmz.com Abdul Qadir Rental Manager Tel: +971 55 2963585 Email: abdul@actionfilmz.com Website: https://actionfilmz.com

Social Media actionfilmzstudiodubai actionfilmzrentals action-filmz-studio-dubai Celebratory shot at an awards night!

crispindominic

66

PRODUCTION

Delivering regional content built on market specifics

In January 2023, Eagle Films hosted the world premiere in Dubai, of

Operation Fortune. Seen here with Jason Statham is renowned director Guy Ritchie and international star Bugsy Malone. Operation Fortune was released in 222 cinemas in over 447 screens across the Middle East.

Enviable Body of Content

Eagle Films, established in the

Eagle Films is considered one of

1990s, is a preeminent motion

the major independent Hollywood

Eagle Films apply decades of experience

picture distribution and production

film distributors in the MENA, with

and expertise to bring compelling

house enterprise committed to

approximately 40% market share.

content to its audiences from various

promoting the art of entertainment.

It is the home of 2490 Hollywood

filmmakers and perspectives. It is best

Perched at an ideal position, Eagle

box office blockbuster hit movies,

known for the box office franchise hits

Films is poised to becoming an

including 16 major franchises and

The Hunger Games, The Expendables,

international distributor and innovative

about 201 Oscars and Golden Globe

SAW, the Has Fallen series (Olympus,

producer with global visibility.

awards and nominations. Over the

London, and Angel), The Hitman’s

years, the production house has

Bodyguard, Mechanic, Divergent,

solid partnerships and dedication to

expanded its annual acquisition

Twilight, and the successful reboot of

quality, Eagle Films is determined to set

to more than 150 Hollywood

the Rambo franchise. The Eagle Films

new standards in the entertainment

movies, with 20% to 30% of these

ensemble also includes blockbuster

industry by providing audiences with

movies being released theatrically

movies such as La La Land, Wolf of Wall

suitable, country-specific content.

in the USA and the Middle East.

Street, The Gentlemen, Knives Out, Wrath

Building on market-specific insights,

PRODUCTION

67

of Man, Orphan, First Born, and others.

Following success in the distribution arena, Eagle Films entered the sphere of Arabic production in 2010, to accommodate the interests and trends of MENA’s growing audience, aiming to identify and deliver stories that speak to the region’s various age groups. Eagle Films’ production arm has produced some of the highestranked Khaliji, Egyptian, and pan-Arab TV series in the past decade. Each year, it produces between 18 to 20 series with an encouraging budget reflected

Jamal Sannan on the sets of Till Death Season 3 with director Philip Asmar.

in the production quality. These series have repeatedly won the Best Ramadan

through its creative writing department

partnerships with entertainment

series awards and Best Production

specialising in format adaptations and

entities to leverage on its expertise in

Awards. Eagle Films has multiple

script localisation to ensure that formats

the region, and to act as a liaison to

in-house production hub locations

maintain their authenticity. Eagle Films

bring value added talent, services and

across the MENA, equipped with

encourages new talents to achieve

technologies to the region. The company

state-of-the-art technology that meets

their full potential by providing them

aims to also represent itself as the

international production standards.

with opportunities where feasible.

region’s entertainment ambassador

Today Eagle Films collaborates with a

worldwide to showcase the region’s

Working in Partnership

network of TV channels and platforms

rich culture, people and heritage.

The production team obtain industry

embracing the new digital entertainment

By carrying out these programmes,

know-how through regular collaboration

space by signing output deals with the

Eagle Films seeks to foster a healthier

with renowned directors and writers,

region’s key OTT streaming platforms,

ecosystem for the Arabic community.

A-List and talented stars and actors and

TOD, Shahid, Netflix, OSN, Etisalat,

various entertainment bodies. Eagle

Starzplay, mbc TV, and Disney+ channels

Films’ end-to-end in-house Arabic series

to produce and release local content.

production facilities bring a spectacular

Moving forward, Eagle Films plans

variety of market-driven content

to branch out and build international

Contact Eagle Films Middle East LLC ETA Star Al-Manara Tower, Office 3206 Al Abraj St. Business Bay PO Box 114849, Dubai, UAE Tel: +971 4 881 1688 Email: info.dxb@eaglefilmsme.com Website: www.eaglefilmsme.com Nahi Sannan Chief Content Officer nahi.sannan@eaglefilmsme.com

Social Media eagle-films-me An assortment of titles produced by Eagle Films.

EagleFilmsyoutube

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PRODUCTION

Creating a legendary musical space Firdaus Studio by A.R. Rahman, located

Pioneering Studio and Facility

hybrid desk consisting of a 40-channel

in what is now the Expo City Dubai,

The Firdaus Studio is a state-of-the-

Neve 5088 analogue console,

opened in early 2022, as a collaboration

art recording studio and the first

embedded with an Avid S6 digital

between Expo 2020 Dubai and multi-

to be certified by Dolby Atmos HE.

control surface. A dedicated production

award-winning artiste and composer A.R.

Services include recording, mixing

station allows for simultaneous, multi-

Rahman. With its facilities and offerings,

and mastering, additionally, the

user workflow to facilitate the most

the studio is one-of-its-kind in the Middle

live room can be converted into

demanding sessions with DAWs such as

East. The UAE is experiencing an arts and

an event and cinema space.The

ProTools, Logic, Nuendo, Ableton and

culture boom and the studio aspires to

studio consists of the following:

more. The room integrates seamlessly

give an environment that champions the

with the scoring stage and the multiple

next generation of talent, building on

The Main Control Room

the legacy and the spirit of Expo 2020.

Certified by Dolby as Dolby Atmos HE

iso/vocal booths throughout the facility.

The studio is also the recording home

room in Dubai comprising analogue

Scoring Stage and/or Live Room

of the award-winning, genre-defying, all-

stage, the main Control Room has the

The studio boasts best-in-class gear

female ensemble, the Firdaus Orchestra.

flexibility of digital control and a unique

including some of the world’s finest microphones (such as Neuman, Manley, Myburg, DPA, Mojave, Schoeps, Flea, etc) and extensive backline selection and in-house instruments (including a coveted Steinway Concert Grand/Spirio Model D piano). The scoring stage accommodates up to 80 musicians at once and features variable acoustics, along with a cinema screen and video wall for scoring-topicture. Over 500 channel inputs and outputs accommodate all recording requirements, from vocal dubbing sessions to full orchestral recordings.

Giving full cinema quality playback environment featuring a 25x14ft Screen Excellence screen, 4K Christie projector

PRODUCTION

69

and Dolby Atmos immersive sound,

are located throughout the building.

and filmed his new release

complete with cinema-style seating,

Lounges are equipped with surround

Score mixed for Paramount

the scoring stage doubles as the ideal

sound and home entertainment

Pictures’ film Secret

venue for private screenings, test

systems. The studio features a broadcast

Official trailer for the movie

screenings and exclusive premieres.

suite (with the NewTek Tricaster) for

The Legend of Maula Jatt

The room can accommodate between

professional multi-cast and live stream.

Firdaus Studio hosts ‘Notes from

50-100 seated guests for uniquely

Firdaus’ every Friday, where budding

Ayrton 22-moving-head lighting

Key Artistes and Recordings The piano on Let Somebody Go

arrangement sets the stage for live

by Coldplay featuring Selena

functionality of the studio for four

performances; from private showcases

Gomez, recorded by Chris Martin

hours. Terms and conditions apply.

to ticketed events. Fully integrated

Lindsay Lohan recorded Jingle

4K NDI-PTZ video capabilities facility-

Bell Rock for her Netflix special

wide allow for multicast, video shoots

Falling For Christmas

and remote session monitoring

Le Musk: Parts of the score for the

and is also capable of complete

unique Le Musk by A.R. Rahman

Al Forsan Park

in-house technical production of an

were mixed at the studio

Expo City Dubai, UAE

intimate live music performance.

Ben&Ben live recorded and

Tel: (971) 04 8257624

intimate events and concerts.

filmed their single Dear

artistes and talents can use the full

Contact Firdaus Studio by A.R. Rahman

Tel: (971) 55 3246431

Other Features

Score mixing and recording for

The Auxiliary Control Room is ideal

Madras Talkies for films Ponniyin

for smaller recording sessions,

Selvan 1 and Ponniyin Selvan 2

podcasting, programming, or writing

Scores for movies Vendhu

sessions. A team of inhouse audio

Thanindhatu Kaadu and Pathu Thala

engineers from a variety of musical

Recorded, mixed and mastered the

backgrounds are at hand to assist

latest sonic for Aldar Properties

with projects, and an external panel

Monitor mix for the Firdaus

firdaus.studio

of creative artistes and musicians

Orchestra for the Beyonce

firdausstudio

are available for freelance hire.

concert and Atif Aslam Live

firdaus-studio

Multiple green rooms and lounges

Singer-Songwriter Hadi recorded

Email: Sales@firdausstudio.ae balasubramanian.p@ firdausstudios.ae

Social Media FirdausStudioOfficial

70

Satellite ARABSAT Es’hailSat, Qatar Satellite Company Kratos ST Engineering iDirect STN

71

72

SATELLITE

Leading the way in space telecommunications Founded in 1976 by the 21 MemberStates of the Arab League, Arabsat has been serving the growing needs of the Arab world for over 40 years, operating from its headquarters in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and two satellite control stations in Riyadh and Tunis. Today Arabsat is one of the world’s top satellite operators and by far the leading satellite services provider in the Arab world.

It transports over 650 TV channels, 200 radio stations, pay TV networks and more than 210 HD channels that reach 170 million viewers in more than 80 countries across the Middle East, Africa and Europe, at 26°E. Arabsat employs an elite workforce within the industry and believes in human capital. Working as a team, Arabsat’s management thrives to achieve one goal -- the satisfaction of its valued customers under the mission assigned by its shareholders.

The Arabsat Satellite Fleet Arabsat owns and operates seven satellites at three orbital positions,

ARABSAT 26° East, the future of video broadcasting in the MENA.

© Arabsat

namely, 20°, 26°, 30.5° East: Arabsat5C (20°E), BADR-4, BADR-5, BADR-6

SATELLITE

73

ARABSAT is the only satellite operator based in the region offering the full spectrum of broadcast, telecommunications and broadband services.

© Arabsat

and BADR-7 (26°E), Arabsat-5A

Western Africa, West Africa, South

and gas, governments and NGOs and

and Arabsat-6A (30.5°E). These

Africa, East MENA and Central Asia).

other market segments in the EMEA

state-of-the-art satellites (now the

Arabsat offers the most secure,

region. This division will leverage

youngest regional fleet over the

reliable and versatile fleet with ‘hot’

the dedicated high throughput

MENA region) make Arabsat the

in-orbit back-up and guaranteed

satellite (HTS) payload onboard

only satellite operator based in the

long-term expansion space capacity.

BADR-7. Arabsat ground segment

region offering the full spectrum

consists of four (4) Gateways which

and broadband services. These

Broadband and Managed Services

latest technology birds are equipped

As part of its ongoing growth

to provide not only the highest

strategy, Arabsat has created a

Contact

downlink power over the widest

broadband and managed services

Arabsat

coverage area than any other

division to provide many services

satellite fleet, but also services in

including broadband for small

PO Box 1038

the most recent bands including

office home office (SOHO), small

Ka-band for innovative interactive

and medium enterprises (SME), and

Riyadh 11431, Saudi Arabia

services, a purely MENA beam, or

corporates, cellular backhauling

Email: info@arabsat.com

highly sophisticatedly designed

and IP trunking for MNO and telcos,

Market-Specific Spot beams (North

private and international lines for oil

of broadcast, telecommunications

are strategically located in Europe.

Diplomatic Quarter

Website: www.arabsat.com

74

SATELLITE

High-powered satellites for the region Es’hailSat, the Qatar Satellite Company, is a communications satellite operator

Es’hail-1.

headquartered in Doha, Qatar.

Es’hailSat was established in 2010 to manage and develop Qatar’s presence in space. The company provides independent, high-quality, advanced satellite services to broadcasters, businesses and governments across the MENA region and beyond.

Satellites - Es’hail-1 / Es’hail-2 With a goal to be a truly global satellite operator and service provider, Es’hailSat started operations of its first satellite Es’hail-1 in 2013,

orbital location. Es’hail-2 is a high-

New Teleport for MENA

supporting key broadcasters in the

powered, advanced satellite with both

The Es’hailSat Teleport is a state-of-

region, beIN Sports and Al Jazeera

Ku-band and Ka-band capabilities

the-art 50,000sq.m facility providing

Media Network. Located at 25.5⁰E,

to provide for TV distribution,

satellite Telemetry, Tracking and

Es’hail-1 carries Ku-band and Ka-band

telecoms and government services.

Commanding (TT&C) operations and

payloads, and supports broadcast,

Es’hailSat delivers premium satellite

capacity management, together with

telecommunications and government

capacity in the MENA region with

a wide range of teleport services such

sectors. Es’hailSat also helps establish

the expansion of the Es’hailSat fleet.

as uplink, downlink, contribution,

secure and dedicated services

Es’hail-1 and Es’hail-2 further boost

multiplexing, encoding, playout, VSAT

including DTH, playout, broadband

broadcasting and global connectivity

hub services, hosting services, data

internet access, corporate networks,

for Qatar and the entire MENA region.

centre, cloud and a host of other

backhauling and mission critical services

Having both Ku-band and Ka-band

services for the company’s stakeholders,

using fixed or mobile antennas.

capacity at the 25.5⁰E/26⁰E hotspot

customers and business partners.

Es’hail-2, the company’s second

position enables Es’hailSat to provide

satellite was launched in 2018 and is

the region with the most advanced and

co-located with Es’hail-1 at the MENA

sophisticated services in broadcast,

Solving Challenges of Interference for MENA Broadcasters

broadcast hotspot of 25.5⁰E/26⁰E

telecommunications and broadband.

As secure transmissions continue to

SATELLITE

75

North Africa, Es’hailSat’s high-powered satellites provide key infrastructure to networks and broadcasters to distribute TV channels directly to consumers via small satellite dishes.

Customers can leverage on Es’hailSat’s satellites and teleport infrastructure to provide services such as playout, linear TV, video-on-demand, highdefinition TV and 4K TV among others.

Telecommunication Services Es’hailSat provides a range of satellite and world-class communications services for Qatar and the region that be of paramount importance in the

UHD/4K, HD and SD channels via

helps drive home-grown innovation

MENA region, Es’hailSat is working with

Es’hailSat satellites, seeking to diversify

and stimulate development of solutions

various parties to reduce and eliminate

and expand its audience with new

that support VSAT, voice, data and

satellite interference and provide secure

content including movies, entertainment

broadband business via satellite.

transmission networks for its customers.

and sport. In addition, with Al Jazeera and

Es’hailSat satellites have been designed

other premium bouquets of UHD and

Growing Demand for Ka-band

and built with anti-jamming capabilities

HD channels on Es’hail-1, the 25.5⁰E/26⁰E

Es’hailSat’s Ka-band hub provides

that help avoid any intentional or

is truly a hotspot for premium

flexibility and a range of satellite-based

unintentional interference. This is

channels from across the region.

data communications applications, ensuring customers benefit from

critical for customers operating mission critical work and for broadcasters

Broadcast Services

flexible, efficient technologies

who value uninterrupted signals.

Operating from the MENA orbital

that provide higher compression

In addition, geo-location system is

hotspot of 25.5⁰E/26⁰E, covering key

with lower latency and bandwidth

available at the teleport to accurately

consumer markets in the GCC and

optimisation for OPEX savings.

identify origins of any interference and take appropriate action with

Contact

or against the interfering party.

Es’hailSat, Qatar Satellite Company

Premium Content on Es’hail-1 and Es’hail-2

Property No. 414

Es’hail-1 and Es’hail-2 demonstrate the

Al Markhiya Street No. 380

value of Es’hailSat’s offering in terms of

Area No. 31, Umm Lakhba

technical capabilities and performance,

PO Box 10653, Doha, Qatar

and in terms of independence and

Tel: +974 4499 3535

security of the content broadcast. In

Fax: +974 4499 3504

addition to providing transmission

Email: info@eshailsat.qa

for established news, sport and

(general enquiries)

entertainment channels, a growing

Email: sales@eshailsat.qa

number of new channels from around the region are choosing Es’hailSat to broadcast their channels in the MENA. beIN Sports continues to roll out new

Ali Al Kuwari, President and CEO, Es’hailSat.

(products & services enquiries) Website: www.eshailsat.qa

76

SATELLITE

Getting customers ready for what’s next The innovations in space are driving the

(TT&C), signal processing to interference

goals and business models with its

ground segment to keep pace. Kratos

mitigation, network management and

OpenSpace family of solutions.

helps customers get ready for what’s next

security, Kratos delivers an unmatched

in the industry by providing end-to-end

breadth of capabilities across the ground.

ground segment systems and solutions.

For more than 30 years, Kratos has been developing the products and systems used across ground

The family of solutions supports the increasingly dynamic ground operations for satellite

Modernising Ground Systems Delivering digital, virtual and orchestrated ground systems

operations by more than 80 percent

communications, earth observation and remote sensing and Telemetry, Tracking and Control (TT&C). The family consists of three product lines:

of the world’s commercial satellite

To support the innovations in the

OpenSpace SpectralNet for converting

operators and in some 90 percent of

space layer including software-defined

satellite RF signals to be used in

space missions in the USA. Kratos has

payloads and multi-orbit constellations,

digital environments, OpenSpace

experience in all types of missions

Kratos is modernising ground systems

quantum products, which are virtual

and orbits including, but not limited

to become much more dynamic.

versions of traditional hardware

to communications, earth resource,

Kratos is enabling the movement of

components, and the OpenSpace

science and even deep space missions.

ground systems to digitised, virtualised

Platform, the first commercially

and orchestrated operations that

available, fully virtualised, orchestrated

support a variety of customer paths,

software-defined ground system.

From satellite command and control, antennas, Telemetry, Tracking and Control

SATELLITE

77

The OpenSpace family of solutions enables operators of satellites, Ground Station-as-a-Service (GSaaS) providers, teleports, and others in the satellite services supply chain to capitalise on dynamic ground capabilities.

Building Ground Systems From a single antenna to a complete turnkey ground system

The OpenSpace family supports the increasingly dynamic operations of customers.

With the growing demand for connectivity,

and high reliability needs of demanding

there is a need for more ground stations

satellite tracking and mission-critical

to customers according to their needs

across the globe. With a long history

uplink and downlink applications.

with a product or service delivery model.

These RF capabilities can be delivered

of turnkey ground system builds that

Kratos delivers complete

span more than 300 missions over 30

antenna systems for a range of

RF Monitoring Suite of Products

years, Kratos is addressing this need.

customer needs including:

Kratos’ RF family of products includes

All sizes – 2.4 to 18 meters in diameter

Monics, the industry-leading carrier

in the industry that can build the

All orbits – GEO, MEO and LEO

monitoring and interference detection

physical earth station as well as

All missions – fixed site, full motion,

product, satID, the highly accurate

provide all the equipment, antennas

transportable and tactical

geolocation system, SatGuard a VSAT

and necessary management

All frequencies – UHF, L, S, C, X, Ku,

monitoring product and the Channel

systems for a complete system.

K, Ka, Q and V bands and staged

Simulator which tests RF environments

In support of turnkey ground

for next-gen frequency evolution

to assure communication success.

Kratos is one of the few organisations

systems and for single sites, Kratos also delivers proven and reliable antenna systems. This includes the design and manufacturing of antenna systems that meet the high performance, accuracy

Providing a Complete Operational Picture of Space Delivering advanced satellite tracking, spectrum monitoring and geolocation solutions

sub-reflector tracking technology.

Customers can leverage RF spectral services for advanced space domain awareness by using the world’s largest commercial ground network of RF sensors owned and operated by Kratos.

Kratos’ 9.4m Ka-band dual-purpose antenna with

RF Monitoring Services

In today’s contested and congested

Strategically positioned apertures

environment, a complete operational

around the globe enable precise and

picture of space is critical. Addressing

persistent RF sensing, providing insight

this need, Kratos leverages its extensive

for missions in defence, intelligence

expertise in RF monitoring, measurement,

and commercial operations.

and analysis to support defence, intelligence and commercial customers.

Kratos’ breadth of RF monitoring

Contact

solutions can be used for a range of

Kratos

applications, including characterising

5971 Kingstowne Village Pkwy

the spectrum, addressing space domain awareness threats, identifying

Suite 200, Alexandria

and locating sources of interference,

Virginia, 22315, USA

enforcing compliance with government

Tel: (703) 254-2000

regulations, and optimising spectrum

www.kratosdefense.com/space

for maximum utilisation.

78

SATELLITE

Pushing the boundaries of satcom technology With a heritage of media and broadcast innovation spanning over 35 years, ST Engineering iDirect is a global leader in satellite communications. Its equipment and services are designed and developed to enable the broadcast industry to meet the most extensive requirements of today. ST Engineering iDirect offers an industry-leading portfolio of products that can meet the needs of any remote production scenario or application, as well as turnkey broadcasting solutions.

Distribution As a market share leader of 80 percent in DTH, ST Engineering iDirect’s large

EKT, Quadrille and ST Engineering Direct,

installed base proves that end-users and

came together to develop an ecosystem

professional users benefit from its efficient

that took the DVB-NIP standard and

usage of the standard, plus the additional

technologies and mature product range.

created a working solution that can be

features they are providing, offers an even

Its DVB-S2X transmission capabilities

implemented today. Known as SKYflow,

broader application. They have defined

result in 15-30 percent efficiency gain in

this ecosystem has appeared in live

several market applications that can

a typical distribution network. Combined

demonstrations at major tradeshows

benefit massively from the new standard.

with other advanced transmission

around the world and is now finding

These include remote education, remote

technologies, such as Equalink pre-

its way into real-life use cases.

hotspots, network offload, aeronautical,

distortion and DVB multistream operation,

The DVB-NIP standard bridges the

those used in broadband networks.

The SKYflow partners believe that the

maritime and maritime use cases.

network optimisations can result in

gap between broadband and broadcast

This illustrates how that massive

doubling the capacity at the same OPEX.

networks and paves the way for a truly

outreach can go straight to billions of

converged media distribution solution.

SKYflow Ecosystem: OTT over Satellite

connected devices in people’s hands,

It uses the efficiency of broadcast

meaning that network boundaries will

networks for large-scale content

be pushed further than ever before to

Back in 2021, a group of active DVB

distribution to modern IP devices, fully

enable new types of applications and

members Broadpeak, EasyBroadcast,

integrating broadcast technologies with

services across almost every industry.

SATELLITE

79

MCX8000 Multi Carrier Satellite Gateway The MCX8000 is a high density, high availability, fully redundant modular system that is suitable for a variety of broadcast use cases. These include DTH broadcasting, where bringing quality content to the largest possible subscriber base with high reliability is key. The MCX8000 Multi-Carrier Satellite Gateway is highly bandwidth efficient, thus maximising the throughput. It utilises the DVB-S, DVB-S2, or DVBS2X standard, assuring highly reliable transport stream delivery. In Distribution

(TCO) through its unique features − its

portfolio of products and technologies

to Towers (DTT), the MCX8000 ideally

hot-swappable design that reduces

that can meet the needs of any remote

fits as a satellite front-end, feeding

OPEX, high availability and full

production scenario or application. Its

multiple Integrated Receiver Decoders

redundancy, and easy configuration.

Mx-DMA MRC technology can offer a single

(IRDs), and one MCX8000 in a multi-

return link suitable for most use cases

carrier, multi-stream configuration can

Contribution

while reducing operational complexity

be used for hundreds of TV channels.

Today’s news crews require access to

and offering the highest bandwidth

For OTT delivery, the MCX8000’s high

many applications, including Voice-over-

efficiencies. Where other solutions

IP encapsulation rates and efficient

IP (VoIP), video clip transfer, web and

like terrestrial or cellular connectivity

multicast capabilities uniquely position

archive browsing, email and social media.

struggle, satellite is here to guarantee the

it to provide a path to support transport

ST Engineering iDirect’s Newtec Dialog

quality connectivity required is available

of today’s traditional broadcasts

platform allows the combination of live

not only with the performance but agility

and tomorrow’s OTT services.

video transmission and IP connectivity via

to suit any environment better than

satellite to enable both data and video

other existing connectivity platforms.

Built upon the trusted technology of the MDM6100 and MCX7000 software suite capabilities, the

applications for Occasional Use services.

MCX8000 offers users higher density

Cloud Media/Remote Production

and reduced total cost of ownership

ST Engineering iDirect now provides a

Broadcast Turnkey Solutions By offering broadcast turnkey solutions, ST Engineering iDirect can design, develop and deliver state-of-the-art hybrid satellite/terrestrial network infrastructures that support the contribution and distribution of news material in multiple live and file formats.

Contact ST Engineering iDirect 13861 Sunrise Valley Drive, Suite 300 Herndon, VA 20171, USA Tel: +971 4 501 801 Website: www.idirect.net

80

SATELLITE

Streamlined content distribution solutions STN is a leading innovative, forward-

cloud based systems, streaming and

bespoke approach to every client are

thinking global teleport facility. The

much more. Based in Slovenia, the heart

what make STN stand apart. Whether the

company was built on a flexible and

of Europe combined with a strategic

need is to go global or reach individual

open technical infrastructure, which

business approach and technical future-

regions of Europe, the Middle East, Asia,

allows it to encompass a full range

proofing has accelerated the company’s

Africa and the Americas, an extensive and

of services and consolidate client

evolution and established STN at the

highly protected network ensures clients

requirements with immediacy, but

forefront of the design, integration and

of complete security and continuity.

also leaving room to evolve further as

operation of complex communications

industry trends and technology dictate.

solutions to the connected world.

STN is firmly placed at the cutting

Through professionalism and vast industry knowledge, STN has earned a reputation that is punctuated

edge of connectivity offering solutions

Services

by security, reliability, high quality

for content delivery via satellite, IP,

A vast array of service solutions and

and unrivalled turnaround time.

STN Network Operations Centre, Slovenia.

SATELLITE

81

Engage Your Audience Customise the App and Make Your Own Live and On Demand Interaction and Analytics Security STN streaming offers an OTT platform for media distribution that allows clients to distribute their audio, video and other media services directly to their customers over the internet via streaming media.

Occasional Use: Sport and Events STN offers complete broadcast solutions for occasional use requirements.

For popular live sport or events large or small, the company delivers STN EQ/Data Centre, Slovenia.

high-quality, secure, end-to-end solutions, as well as combined services

Satellite and IP

for all or part of their playout and

supporting its playout channels.

Strategic location presenting easy access

transmission requirements. STN’s

Delivering your content via satellite, fibre

to all major satellite orbital positions

expertise is diverse, enabling the

and IP, uplink, streaming and monitoring.

empower clients to grow in whichever

company to facilitate single-channel

direction they chose. STN provides

start-ups as well as transmit multiple

Approach to Business

global telecommunication services

top-tier communication platforms

Building long-term relationships is

in C-, Ku-, DVB-s and Ka-band for all

while serving everything in between.

the foundation of the STN business

prime satellites to all continents around

This includes delivering content to

ethos. At STN, the client is paramount

the world. STN’s complete satellite

end users across many different

and everything begins and ends with

portfolio is available on its website with

viewing devices ranging from TV

them. The company’s skilled team

additional options available on request.

screens, laptops and mobile phones.

of dedicated professionals provide

Fully Managed or Remote

full support in every sector of the

through redundant and diverse routes

Access Systems

business, enabling STN to give the

around the globe. Secure and high-

Basic or High-end Solutions

highest level of service to every client.

quality services are priority and a team

Disaster Recovery Colocation

of skilled professionals ensures systems

Multiple-channel Graphic Options

deliver fast and reliable services.

Storage Options

The company offers fibre connectivity

Contact

Playout Channel Delivery CDN

STN STORITVE d.o.o.

in Europe and is also connected with

Cloud Solutions

Kidriceva 22a

fibre networks spanning worldwide. With

Fast Service Turnaround

Dob, 1233 Slovenia

satellite, fibre and IP connections STN

Immediate Start Possibility

provides end-to-end, managed service

Disaster Recovery

Tel: +386 1 527 2440

STN has PoPs in all major data centres

communication solutions worldwide.

Playout and Cloud Solutions STN offers TV channels, radio

Content Wherever, Whenever

Email: sales@STN.eu Website: www.stn.eu

Distribute your content to any connected

Valerie Lovsin

media device with STN solutions:

Marketing Director

broadcasters and content producers

Modern Streaming Solutions

high-quality, cost-effective outsourcing

Smart Device Applications

Email: marketing@stn.eu

82

Service Providers Amagi Al Aan Television Edgio

83

84

SERVICE PROVIDER

Leading the way in cloud adoption technologies Amagi is a next-gen media SaaS

shift of broadcast infrastructure

company providing cloud broadcast

from legacy on-premise/ hardware

pioneer in cloud-based broadcast and

Founded in 2008, Amagi is a

and streaming TV solutions to TV

to a fully cloud-native solution for

advertising technology solutions. The

networks, content owners and

broadcast networks. It facilitates

company originally started in India

connected TV platforms. Working with

efficient launch and management of

providing targeted TV advertising

700+ content brands, managing 2000+

owned and operated channels and

solutions, but quickly pivoted to lead

channel deliveries, with deployments

enable live TV playout capabilities

cloud adoption and evangelized cloud

in over 40 countries, Amagi enables

and dynamic ad-insertion for content

technologies for broadcast. Amagi

content owners to launch, distribute

distributors. It also helps digital-

successfully introduced flexible ‘pay-

and monetise live linear channels on

first streaming services and singular

as-you-go’ model for launching and

Free-Ad-Supported Streaming TV and

content platforms quickly launch,

operating 24/7 linear channels by

video services platforms. Amagi also

manage and deliver channels to

eliminating the need for traditional,

offers 24x7 cloud managed services

millions of households all via cloud.

hardware-driven, large expensive

bringing

physical

simplicity,

operations.

advanced

The company

automation and

essentially

transparency

put the entire

to the entire

broadcast

broadcast

operations on

operations.

the cloud.

Amagi’s core

Amagi’s clients

offering is a

include top-tier

seamless mesh

broadcast TV

of video and ad

networks, digital

monetisation

first networks,

tech, operating

content

at cloud-scale,

owners, Free

providing media

Ad Supported

companies

Streaming

worldwide the largest media operations

TV (FAST) and OTT platforms in the

environment outside of Netflix, Amazon

Americas, EMEA and APAC regions.

and Google. Amagi enables seamless

Profitable and growing 100 percent

SERVICE PROVIDER

85

over the last two years, the

of the percentage of

company has a presence

impressions served out

in New York, Los Angeles,

of the total number of

Toronto, London, Paris

auctions won) since

and Singapore, broadcast

the launch of this new

operations in New Delhi,

technology in April 2021.

and an innovation centre in Bangalore. It caters to

A+E Networks UK

multiple regions around

Virtualises Broadcast

the world including, North

Operations with Amagi

America, Latin America,

as Cloud Tech Partner

UK and Europe, the Middle

A+E Networks UK swiftly responded to a

East and APAC (India,

business continuity

Singapore, Hong Kong,

situation and flawlessly

Indonesia, Australia).

transitioned its Europe

Top Customers

operations to cloud. A+E

Broadcast TV Networks:

Networks UK transitioned

A+E Networks UK, beIN

its playout and service

Sports, Discovery Networks,

delivery for its entire

Fox Networks, IMG,

bouquet of 30 channels in

NBCUniversal, PBS America,

Europe to Amagi’s cloud

SBT Brazil, ShortsTV,

platform. Amagi was able

Tegna, VICE TV, Warner

to ensure easy scalability

Media, among others

by leveraging cloud tech stack across the playout

Content Owners:

chain, provide remote

Buzzr, beIN Xtra,

access to entire

CondeNast, CuriosityStream,

sporting event in UHD format, Amagi

broadcast operations in times

Cinedigm, Gusto, Magnolia,

illustrated an industry milestone.

of COVID-19, and deliver fully

PeopleTV, Tastemade, Tennis Channel, TYT Network, USA TODAY, Yahoo! Finance among others

virtualised broadcast operations Cinedigm Achieves Record Cinedigm the leading independent

Streaming TV Platforms: Samsung

with complete control and visibility.

Ad Revenue Enhancements streaming company super-serving

Contact

TV Plus, The Roku Channel, XUMO,

enthusiastic fan bases, has partnered

Amagi

Redbox, Plex, Rakuten TV, STIRR,

with Amagi for deploying its

4th floor, Raj Alkaa Park

fuboTV, Philo, PlutoTV, among others

server side ad insertion platform,

Kalena Agrahara

Amagi THUNDERSTORM 2.0. This

Major Success Stories

enhancement, which provides

Bannerghatta Road

automated ad detection and OTT

Bangalore 560 076, India

Coverage for NBC Sports Group

dynamic ad insertion capabilities for

Website: amagi.com

Amagi’s coverage of the Tokyo

channel monetisation, resulted in a

Olympics for NBC Sports Group

47% increase in ad revenue since its

Sri Hari T.

further cemented its position as a

deployment. The company also saw

SVP, Sales & Business Head - EMEA

global leader in SaaS for broadcast. By

21% impression increase and a 100%

creating and distributing a premium

increase to render rates (a calculation

Email: cloudandme@amagi.com

Powering the Tokyo Olympics

86

SERVICE PROVIDER

Innovative production experience

From its headquarters in the Dubai

A Cut Above the Rest

platform support that enables

Media City, Tower Media Middle East

Today’s broadcasting and media

production of quality content.

(TMME) has been providing world-class

environment demands versatile,

With dynamic solutions that

production and broadcast services

adaptable, forward-thinking

assist at every step of the way,

since 2005. TMME services covering

solutions. With technology

Tower Media is undeniably one

both news and entertainment fields

evolving at a rapid rate, TMME

of the most sought-after media

are distinguished by an unparalleled

integrates its expertise with

solutions providers, for world-class

degree of quality and reliability.

cutting-edge services and multi-

solutions that set the standard.

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Tower Media Middle East Services As one of the fastest growing media service providers, with a strategic location, experience and expertise to match, TMME has successfully managed to not only meet but also surpass client expectations in delivering cutting-edge transmission solutions. Catering to SNGs, OBs and production setups, TMME has indisputably established itself as a leading solutions provider to produce several programmes, including sport, entertainment and more.

Key Services

Akhbar Al Aan

influential stories in Arab media.

Satellite Uplinks

Reinventing itself to present news

Live Streaming

to the Arab youth, Akhbar Al Aan,

Akhbar Al Aan provides the more

Post-production

the region’s first independent,

informative experience and as

Live Studios

news publisher for young adults

the world changes very quickly,

Outdoor Production

launched its new positioning in

no one should be left behind, and

Space Segment Booking

April 2021 with a brand new logo

hence the belief that the story

Creative Support

and a theme that reads, ‘the story

belongs to everyone. This also

Multi-Channel Playout

belongs to everyone’, inspired by

comes with the idea that once

Wireless Camera Units to Cover 4 km

some of the most important and

young viewers read and watch

Dedicated to impartial reporting,

their stories, they become more aware of goings-on and through those stories, Akhbar Al Aan will put viewers on the ‘frontlines’ and ‘in the now’, while at the same time spread hope and enthusiasm.

Contact Al Aan Television Tower Media Middle East FZ LLC 405, Building 1, Dubai Media City PO Box 500765 Dubai, UAE Tel: +971 4 427 7888/865 Email: services@alaan.tv Website: www.alaan.tv

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SERVICE PROVIDER

Delighting viewers with great content delivered faster and securely Edgio (NASDAQ: EGIO) helps companies deliver online experiences and content

Edgio Benefits and Advantages Network

in most regions) for fast response times.

Storage

faster, safer, and with more control.

Edgio’s global edge network brings

Replicate, move and store data

Its developer-friendly, globally scaled

data closer to every user, delivering

for optimal delivery performance

edge network, combined with fully

content faster, safer and easier.

using industry-standard file transfer

integrated application and media

Global Scale

protocols and simple web services.

Control

solutions, provides a single platform

300plus Points of Presence with

for the delivery of high-performing,

250plus Tbps of capacity ensures your

Customise and deliver content based

secure web properties and streaming

streams and software are delivered

on precise specifications. Utilise

content. Through this fully integrated

quickly to users across the globe.

various interface options, including

platform and end-to-end edge services,

Peering

Terraform, APIs, UI and SDKs. Edge Control

companies can deliver content

More than 7,000 global interconnections

quicker and more securely, boosting

to last-mile networks ensures

Edge Control offers next-gen

overall revenue and business value.

customers are getting their content

configuration management, enabling

Edgio, previously known as Limelight

via the most optimised routes.

developers to combine all delivery

Networks, was rebranded as Edgio after the acquisition of Edgecast and Layer0.

Performance Ranked number one or two globally (and

features into one JSON configuration file for rapid (<two minutes) propagation to the edge. Edge Control supports versioning, offers full API support, and CLI and Terraform integration.

Rules Engine Edgio’s intuitive interface simplifies configurations, providing more control and confidence with every move. Straightforward ‘if-then’ logic helps you create custom rules for caching and delivering content.

Terraform Use this Infrastructure-as-Code (IaC) toolset to configure and manage your CDN accounts. The Edgio Terraform Provider enables you to manage

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viewing sessions, and deliver highquality streams to global audiences without having to worry about limitations or technical difficulties.

• Streamline Workflows and Vendors • Scale with Minimal Resources OTT Protection Protect all aspects of your video business with advanced security features, including multi-DRM protection and dynamic business rule enforcement like blackouts, at scale.

Secure your content and intellectual property from piracy, unauthorised distribution and cyberattacks. users, account settings and delivery

Report Builder

configurations, including edge CNAME

Create, modify, save and download

and origin, and Rules Engine policies.

custom, granular reports to extract the

Data

• Comprehensive Security • Scalable Protection Scalable Ingest and Venue Flexibility

information most important to your

Uplynk simplifies live event streaming

Explore how intelligent analytics

business. Reports can be automatically

with flexible signal acquisition and

can help you build consumer

scheduled and emailed to key personnel,

cloud-based ingest options to make

loyalty and boost revenue.

providing timely insights that enable

live event streaming easier. Its

Real-time Log Delivery

you to make better decisions faster.

Managed Slicer service streamlines

Interoperability and Extensibility

integration, freeing content owners

Get the data you need to manage web applications and infrastructure

Designed in collaboration with

from managing technology solutions.

instantly with real-time logs delivered

broadcasters to meet the needs of the

• Seamless Workflow Integration

in less than 60 seconds. Integrate

industry, Uplynk ensures seamless

• Reduce Resource Dependencies

WAF and Rate Limiting logs into SIEM

integration with existing workflows,

to power your threat intelligence.

preserving important elements such as

Control and easily distribute your live

Edge Insights

Real-time Control and Engagement

boundaries, SCTE triggers and ad markers.

events using broadcast-grade tools

Stay relevant and competitive with

• Seamless Workflow Integration

to insert breaks, manage ads, apply

real-time, interactive analytics.

• Improve Workflows and

blackout rules, and ensure DRM. Utilise

Apply multi-dimensional filtering

Streamline Processes

flexible business models, including

High Availability and Superior Quality

subscriptions, paywalls and syndication.

across CDN and security data to drill down to the critical information

Uplynk’s advanced architecture and

• Control Live Events Easier

you need in a unified dashboard.

global network optimised for media

• Flexible Business Model Support

Edge Performance Analytics

has 250plus Tbps capacity, 300plus

Leverage key data to help improve

global PoPs, 7,000plus interconnections,

delivery performance and reduce costs.

extensive caching power and Super

Contact

Track current and historical delivery

PoP architecture for superior delivery

Edgio

network traffic to detect recent and

to any device, platform or location.

long-term performance trends.

• Smooth, Reliable Experiences

1465 N Scottsdale Road

Real-time Statistics Get up-to-the-minute statistics,

• Support Viewer’s Demands Scalable Operations

Suite 400 Scottsdale AZ 85257, USA

including bandwidth, connections,

Edgio’s powerful technology and in-

Email: emea@edg.io

and hits, to understand how the

house resources can scale operations,

delivery network is performing.

manage millions of simultaneous

Website: www.edg.io

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Systems Integrators Assendive Communications Qvest Media FZ LLC

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92

SYSTEMS INTEGRATOR

Professional engineering and consultancy services With an extensive range of project executions over a decade, and activities extensively in the Middle East expanding to Africa, south Asia and southeast Asia, Assendive Communications has built its reputation around as a regional broadcast and media systems integrator. Its hallmark of professional execution and support is built around an ever-expanding team of highly skilled technical personnel and consultants. The journey over the years has expanded the company’s scope and capacity, wherein Assendive has progressed from a turnkey

of its customers, be it green field

allows the company to perform

solutions provider to an enhanced

deployment, expansion, change

‘turnkey’ executions of most of its

portfolio of specialised consultancy

management or continuous support,

projects with precision and efficiency.

and project management offerings.

places it in a unique position of

Consultancy

As an evolving organisation,

partnership and trust with customers.

Assendive has recently introduced

Assendive’s technology partners

Assendive provides a wide range of

several new products and services which

have been successful in providing value

consultancy services to customers

are of great value to customers. These

and strategic advantages both with

ranging from preparation of projects

include managed services for broadcast

the solutions and services provided.

to change management. Assendive also has access to a plethora of

transmission networks, retrofitting of aging RF systems, design to installation

Systems Integrations

consultants with deep knowledge and

of tower structures and MEP services.

Systems integration is an integral part

vast experience in varied aspects.

of the corporate value addition to

Unapparelled Engineering Services

customers. Assendive’s deep skill set in

Project Management

all areas pertaining to broadcast and

Maintaining projects within cost and

Assendive’s ability to deliver

media, along with its long-standing

time schedule is not based on the tools

services across all lifecycle stages

partnerships and in-house specialists

you use to manage the project or the

SYSTEMS INTEGRATOR

93

amount of resources you commit.

partner can supply tower and

implementation of MW, FM, DVB-T2,

The wealth of experience Assendive

metal structures for a wide variety

DAB networks, and efficient network

brings to the arena of play is extensive

of applications and industries.

planning with optimised coverage

and in certain cases unparalleled.

Extensive experience in providing

analysis for maximum coverage

design, fabrication, supply and

with minimum resources. The

Managed Services

installation services across multiple

company has implemented several

In an ever-competitive world, all

destinations has placed the company

successful transmission projects

businesses focus on their core

in a uniquely advantageous

in the UAE, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain,

competencies. In broadcast networks,

position across the globe.

Jordon, Palestine and Sri Lanka. The

transmission network is an area that

largest roll-out of all the projects,

requires cost optimisation in operating

MEP Services

was the installation of DVB-T2

and maintain transmission coverage.

Assendive has the expertise and

networks in Oman with 71 sites.

The Assendive team offers the most

experience to conduct mechanical,

cost-effective solution, including

electrical and plumbing engineering

continuous network monitoring,

services, including low voltage

preemptive testing and maintenance

engineering required for any site,

Assendive Communications LLC

which is of great value to customers.

building or built facility. Knowhow

Office 516, 5th Floor

across multiple industries and

Rasis Business Centre

Contact

Retrofitting

partnerships with several solution

As infrastructure ages over time, its

providers reinforces the expertise to

durability, efficiency and reliability

provide, install and maintain systems

deteriorate. Assendive provides a

based on locally ratified standards and

Dubai, UAE

key technical service of assessment/

internationally accepted best practices.

Tel: +971 4 220 4073

audit of systems and define optimum networks which optimises client

Technology Stack and Experience

value and provides definitive gains to

Technical proficiency has made

services offered to our customers.

Assendive a prominent solutions

change out, or swap plans across

provider to TV and radio broadcasters,

Tower and Structure Turnkey Supply

teleports and telco operators.

Today, Assendive with its fabrication

the capability to carry out detailed

Assendive technical experts have

Al Mafraq Road, Al Barsha 1 PO Box 62175

Fax: +971 4 220 4075 Email: info@assendive.com Website: www.assendive.com Assendive Communications LLC Flat 88 Bldg.40, Plot 1349 Area 45, Bosher, Muscat Sultanate of Oman Tel: +96824595415 Assendive Communications (Pvt) Ltd No 11A/1, Rathnavali Road Kalubowila, Dehiwala Sri Lanka Tel: +94112763337 Fax: +94115763937 Assendive Communications Inc 212 Smoothwater Terrace, Markham, ON L6B 0M8, Canada Tel: +1 416-840-9009

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SYSTEMS INTEGRATOR

Opening new opportunities Qvest combines methods and new technologies with skills, thinking and inspiration to develop the best possible strategy for its clients in the MENA region and worldwide. With over 30 years of experience, Qvest advises and supports companies and organisations on technology implementation in the context of digital transformation, as a world-leading systems architect, ICT integrator and developer of software products. Its range of services is aligned

The cloud playout makalu enables broadcasters to deliver their content quickly, reliably and at the highest quality on any given device.

to the opportunities emerging from an increasingly digital media value

business processes, organisational

chain such as multi-platform content

procedures and the demands placed on

cross-media networked benchmark

delivery, artificial intelligence, data and

employees are changing. This change

architectures in areas such as media,

analytics, multi-cloud management

dictates that opportunities and risks

entertainment, online, social and

and IP infrastructures. Qvest clients

are constantly evaluated, and that

broadcast to deliver what ultimately

include numerous renowned media

people are seen as the central factor to

matters: a first-class experience for

networks, telecommunication

be supported by technical solutions.

customers as well as a unique media

providers, broadcasters as well as

The Qvest approach results in

experience. With this outlook, Qvest

companies and organisations from

Inspiring Skillsets and Strategies

has identified potential infrastructure

the industrial and public sector.

As an experienced general contractor

projects in the MENA, and the

specialising in technology, Qvest

international Qvest team in the Dubai

network, an equally high standard of

delivers turnkey solutions with the best

office is well-prepared, with the backing

project, delivery and service quality is

possible technical and cost-effective

of valuable experience gained from

ensured, especially in the MENA region.

solution in a three-step approach:

projects on the global and local stage.

With almost 15 years of experience in

Solutions-orientated, technically

the MENA, Qvest has gained outstanding

mature, and future-proof

market knowledge in media technology

architecture planning

Cloud-based Technologies Open up New Opportunities

and information and communication

Tailormade and efficient

Qvest is observing a high demand for

technology. With the transformation

software solution

customers requesting cloud solutions

of traditional business models and

Technically refined systems integration

and believes that this trend will continue.

the opening of new market segments,

based on the ‘best-of-breed’ principle

Integrating with changing environments

Thanks to this worldwide Qvest

SYSTEMS INTEGRATOR

95

in a flexible, secure and cost-effective way will become an essential requirement for customers in the near future. A strong technology stack will be the key differentiator. Crucial factors will be supporting these requirements with the capability of establishing reliable hybrid integrations in both on-prem and multi-cloud environments within successfully established tech ecosystems.

At the same time, new offerings and services become available. Cloud-based technologies opens new opportunities

Ahmad Hadi Al Kayal, General

Philipp Glänzel, General

for content creation, management

Manager – CSO, Qvest Dubai.

Manager – CTO, Qvest Dubai.

and delivery, for example. As media Middle East, Australia and Europe.

companies worldwide try to create

breed’ principle. This expertise ensures

new revenue streams, Qvest offers

the greatest possible masterfulness

a software-defined cloud playout

in the consultation, selection,

trusted media infrastructure and

automation to launch linear live, pop-

implementation and organisational

technology partner for the German

up, and FAST channels, with ease.

deployment of high-tech solutions.

public broadcasters at all Olympic and

makalu makes distribution to any

Amongst others, Qvest is the

Paralympic Summer and Winter Games

device across multiple platforms very

Key Clients and Key Events

since 2008 as well as for the FIFA World

efficient. It runs on qibb, the first fully

Through its world-leading role as an

Cup and UEFA Euro tournaments.

agnostic, cloud-based integration

innovative systems architect and ICT

platform for media workflows worldwide.

integrator for technology, customers from across the media sector benefit

Contact Qvest Media FZ LLC

Global Network

from Qvest’s expertise in consulting

Digital transformation is an integral part of

and design, as well as the development,

the Qvest DNA. With a globally networked

implementation, and operational support

team, the company has implemented

of media technology infrastructures

top technological solutions for customers

with exemplary benchmarking project

Tel: +971 4 433 8109

for decades, in line with the ‘best-of-

executions for media companies in the

Email: dubai@qvest.com

Business Central Towers Office No. 3601 A PO Box 502731, Dubai, UAE

Website: www.qvest.com Ahmad Hadi Al Kayal General Manager – CSO Tel: +971 50 1526 449 Philipp Glänzel General Manager – CTO Tel: +971 50 289 9767

Social Media Qvestgmbh qvest-group qvestgroup Qvestgroup

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BroadcastPro Awards Excellence in Arabic-language Productions Best Studio of the Year Systems Integrator of the Year Streaming Service of the Year Best Sports Strategy of the Year CTO of the Year MENA Trendsetter of the Year Best Content Strategy of the Year Best Kids’ Initiative of the Year Best TV Production of the Year - Unscripted Best TV Production of the Year - Scripted Best OTT Production of the Year Best Radio Initiative of the Year Innovative Project of the Year Best Tech Implementation of the Year in OTT OTT Executive of the Year Broadcast Executive of the Year Excellence in Visual Storytelling Best Foreign-language OTT Production Outstanding Integration in Radio Up & Coming Streaming Platform Satellite Solutions Provider of the Year Outstanding Leadership in Building the UAE Media Ecosystem 97

98

AWARDS

An assortment of titles produced by Eagle Films.

AWARDS

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BROADCASTPRO ME SUMMIT & AWARDS 2022 EXCELLENCE IN ARABICLANGUAGE PRODUCTIONS EAGLE FILMS MIDDLE EAST LLC Through market analysis and

demand for the limited series and the

insights, Eagle Films recognises the

miniseries option to ensure streaming

Contact

increased demand for local Arabic

platforms have good options.

Eagle Films Middle East LLC

content and is streamlining its

Eagle Films’ production arm has

production to accommodate the

produced some of the highest-ranked

cultural shifts among the young

Khaliji, Egyptian, and pan-Arab TV

generation and the transformation

series in the past decade. Each year,

Al Abraj St. Business Bay

of the entertainment industry.

it produces between 18 to 20 series

PO Box 114849, Dubai, UAE

ETA Star Al-Manara Tower, Office 3206

The entertainment industry is one

with an encouraging budget reflected

of the first business sectors to steer

in the production quality. These series

digital transformation by having

have repeatedly won the Best Ramadan

networks, platforms and production

series awards and Best Production

houses create opportunities to

Awards. Eagle Films has multiple

propose more relatable content to

in-house production hub locations

viewers in the local region. Eagle

across the MENA, equipped with

eagle-films-me

films has adapted to the new trends

state-of-the-art technology that meets

of episode reduction and increased

international production standards.

EagleFilmsyoutube

Tel: +971 4 881 1688 Email: info.dxb@eaglefilmsme.com Website: www.eaglefilmsme.com

Social Media

100

AWARDS

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BROADCASTPRO ME SUMMIT & AWARDS 2022 BEST STUDIO OF THE YEAR FIRDAUS STUDIO BY A.R. RAHMAN Trusted by the best in the business,

seen in the region, is uniquely

Firdaus Studio by AR Rahman in Expo

designed to function across multiple

Contact

City Dubai boasts a clientele including

use cases including recording,

Coldplay, Netflix, Paramount Pictures,

screenings and live events.

Firdaus Studio by A.R. Rahman

Madras Talkies and FilmMaster MEA.

The Auxiliary Control Room is

Al Forsan Park

Firdaus Studio is Dubai’s first

ideal for smaller recording sessions,

Expo City Dubai, UAE

Certified Dolby Atmos HE studio,

podcasting, programming or writing

meaning that the studio has been

sessions and features the same

Tel: (971) 04 8257624

tested and verified by Dolby as meeting

plug-in selection as the main control

their gold standard for delivering

room and Avid control surfaces.

Dolby Atmos mixes for Home

Multiple green rooms and lounges

Entertainment – including streamed

located throughout the building

audio, OTT content and gaming.

are equipped with surround sound,

The main Control Room combines

home entertainment system,

the very best analogue sound with the

Apple TV and PlayStation 5.

ease of digital, and features a unique hybrid desk of 40-channel Neve 5088

“An unparalleled production

analogue console, embedded with

ecosystem to empower artists with

Tel: (971) 55 3246431 Email: Sales@firdausstudio.ae balasubramanian.p@ firdausstudios.ae

Social Media FirdausStudioOfficial firdaus.studio

an Avid S6 digital control surface.

a level of freedom, control and

firdausstudio

The Scoring Stage/Live Room –

flexibility that most have never

the likes of which has never been

experienced.” – A.R. Rahman

firdaus-studio

102

AWARDS

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BROADCASTPRO ME SUMMIT & AWARDS 2022 SYSTEMS INTEGRATOR OF THE YEAR SALAM MEDIA CAST-MGI Part of a bigger plan to expand

from the entire CNBC team, Salam

was to integrate and migrate the

its news network, CNBC Arabia

Media Cast-MGI tackled the existing

upgraded BIT system with the new

was seeking a reliable systems

challenges with effortless ease.

broadcast infrastructure to have a

integrator to upgrade its existing

Solution was built to accept any

fully HD on-air system by July 2022.

SD infrastructure in Dubai to state-

future expansion and new technology.

Within the same budget MGI also

of-the-art HD setup. Salam Media

It was built on GVG LDX-92 cameras,

helped CNBC change all lighting

Cast-MGI had the apt solution to

Fujinon 4K lenses, Kahuna 6400

fixtures to LEDs as well as upgrade

offer within limited budget and

Vision mixer and Evertz EQX-10 Core

Studio-2 with GVG-Kula mixer, new

timeline, that would help CNBC

router with integrated Evertz VIP

Compact GVG Camera, Fujinon

Arabia with the migration from SD

Multiviewer and Evertz Magnum

lenses and ROSS robotic system.

to HD platform. With its solid vendor

control and monitoring system.

ecosystem and immaculate team

Other components were Vinten

efforts (both onsite and back-office),

Robotic 2–axis head, Autoscript,

MGI delivered the project in a time-

Sennheiser Microphones and IEM,

Media Group International

bound and cost-effective manner.

along with audio mixer from Calrec.

(Salam Media Cast)

Major challenges in the project

CNBC had already invested in

Contact

PO Box: 22119

included systems getting upgraded

BIT Media file system upgrade

while the channel was on-air, and

based on AVID Interplay MAM,

vendors were unable to meet

media server and post-production,

Tel: +974 4433 2111

delivery timelines due to post-

VIZRT CG & GFX, PB Automation

Fax: +974 4433 2198

Covid causes. However, with the

Playout system with Evertz EMC

co-operation and collaboration

Website: www.mgi.tv

MCR Control. The challenge for MGI

Doha, Qatar

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AWARDS

(Left to right) Danny Bates, CCO and Co-Founder, STARZPLAY. Maaz Sheikh, CEO and Co-Founder, STARZPLAY.

Faraz Arshad, CTO, STARZPLAY.

AWARDS

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BROADCASTPRO ME SUMMIT & AWARDS 2022 STREAMING SERVICE, BEST SPORTS STRATEGY, CTO OF THE YEAR STARZPLAY At the 2022 Broadcast Pro ME

the same great experience, no

on demand service, STARZPLAY

Awards, STARZPLAY was the

matter where they’re located.

Arabia (www.starzplay.com) streams

proud winner in three categories

What distinguishes STARZPLAY

an extensive range of premium

– Best Sports Strategy of the

from other streaming services is its

content covering Hollywood movies,

Year, Streaming Service of the

tailored yet fluid content acquisition

TV shows, documentaries, the same-

Year and CTO of the Year.

and production strategy which aims

time-as-the-US series – plus live

at offering a wide range of content

sports, dedicated kids’ entertainment

STARZPLAY’s commitment to exceeding

that resonates with all segments of

and Arabic content – to 19 countries

customer expectations by providing

society in the UAE and the region.

across MENA and Pakistan.

the best and latest entertainment, as

The award for Best Sports Strategy of

well as comforting classics from the

the Year was particularly meaningful,

past. Customer satisfaction is central

as the introduction of STARZPLAY

to all of STARZPLAY’s decision-making

Sports was a tactic to diversify the

and they constantly aim to deliver

business offering of STARZPLAY and

the highest quality entertainment

to differentiate them from other

and seamless user experience. The

players in the streaming marketplace.

company is also expanding into new

Ranked consistently among the

These awards demonstrate

markets, to offer new customers

region’s top three subscription video

Contact STARZPLAY STARZPLAY TOWER 14th Floor, Dubai Studio City Dubai, UAE

106

AWARDS

(Left to right) Ronak Shah, Head of Finance and Remya Mathew, Marketing Manager, Action Filmz Productions LLC.

BROADCASTPRO ME SUMMIT & AWARDS 2022 MENA TRENDSETTER OF THE YEAR ACTION FILMZ PRODUCTIONS LLC As an award-winning production and equipment rental house, Action Filmz Productions is a 360° support system for local and international production houses. The company has access to an extensive network of state-of-the-art, on-site equipment rental options that support the activity in the region. Their equipment ranges from digital cinema cameras for film and broadcast, lenses, film lighting, grip equipment, specialised cranes, still photography equipment, AV equipment, studio rentals, location services, filming permits, transport and generators, expendables and much more.

With an experienced crew of expert operators and technicians at hand, Action Filmz is a one-stop shop servicing the needs of the film and photography industry.

AWARDS

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BROADCASTPRO ME SUMMIT & AWARDS 2022 BEST CONTENT STRATEGY OF THE YEAR CAPTAIN BOY Captain Boy ventured into creating and producing a scripted series on social media with 160 episodes between Facebook, YouTube, TikTok and Instagram that together achieved 15 million minutes of views, enjoyed incredible organic growth and had 30% profit in its first year (2022). The Quack Family Dailies social media series helped the company work with its clients to create brand awareness, loyalty and activation through smart brand integration in the storyline and it ticked all the right boxes and some more. Walid Mahmoud Khalaf (l), co-founder, partner and owner of Captain Boy, received the award from Nesma Khalifa, Business Development Manager at SAWA Entertainment.

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AWARDS

BROADCASTPRO ME SUMMIT & AWARDS 2022 BEST KIDS’ INITIATIVE OF THE YEAR NANA ZANANA – FOLLK CREATIVE SOLUTIONS & CARTOON NETWORK MENAT Nana Zanana, written and directed by Islam Ahmed, co-founder and CCO of Follk Creative Solutions (extreme left), is an episodic show that features a young fly who considers herself a queen, and annoys everyone although she tries very hard to live at peace with all. With one of the first female characters to join Cartoon Network’s vast portfolio of male-dominated protagonists, Nana Zanana captivated the hearts of children across the region. Pictured here are the teams from Follk Creative Solutions and Cartoon Network MENAT.

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BROADCASTPRO ME SUMMIT & AWARDS 2022 BEST TV PRODUCTION OF THE YEAR - UNSCRIPTED ASTRONAUTS – DIFFERENT PRODUCTIONS A RISE STUDIOS COMPANY Pulling off a show like Astronauts, which is both imaginative and out- of-the-box for the MENA region, is no mean feat.

It is well done, it is pan arab and it is full of adventures and challenges. Kudos to Mazen Laham, MD and founder of Different Productions, who is also the force behind Dubai Bling, which was trending at #3 globally on Netflix at the time of the awards. A number of the shortlisted entries at the awards were produced from the Different Productions stable. Mazen Laham (l) received the award from Klaus Jasper, Senior Sales Director Middle East and CIS at Lawo.

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AWARDS

BROADCASTPRO ME SUMMIT & AWARDS 2022 BEST TV PRODUCTION OF THE YEAR - SCRIPTED BREAKING BONES CLACKET MEDIA A powerful tale that is both well executed and of high production value, Breaking Bones from Clacket Media, ranked first in terms of viewership in the UAE and reportedly in several European countries, including France, Finland and the UK, left a big impact on the judges. With the perfect mix of a good storyline, a fantastic cast, and additional behind-the-scenes clips and key scenes, this entry topped the list for the Best TV Production of the Year in the scripted category. Pictured with the award from left are Huda Saad, Executive Director, and Eyad Al Najjar, owner of Clacket Media, with Nabil Abou Samra, Head of Arabic Production at the Abu Dhabi Film Commission.

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BROADCASTPRO ME SUMMIT & AWARDS 2022 BEST OTT PRODUCTION OF THE YEAR THE KILLING - SHAHID MBC Group streaming platform Shahid’s entries into this category were exceptional, all heavyweights in their own right and equally deserving of an award. The Killing, however, was the jury’s choice and it stood out on several counts.

This Arabic adaptation of the Nordic Noir genre is a brave attempt at a crime series with believable plot twists, seasonlong storylines and dark overtones. Besides having a great script, this police procedural drama pushes the boundaries in terms of genre, innovative storytelling, great direction and high production values. Pictured with the award is the Shahid team.

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BROADCASTPRO ME SUMMIT & AWARDS 2022 BEST RADIO INITIATIVE OF THE YEAR 360 RADIO This young startup in Dubai, focused on education and entertainment, is keen to empower students by giving them a platform to showcase their talents and address concerns raised by them. As its audience is primarily the youth, 360 Radio has also ensured its app is available for download on both i0S and Google Play as well as several other platforms including Apple TV, Apple Watch, Android TV, Car Play and Alexa. For its attempt to make a difference and ensure availability across all digital platforms, 360 Radio emerged the winner in this category. Peter Mrkic (r), Vice President, Corporate Strategy and Governance at Intigral, presented the award to Binju Kochunny, Programme Director at 360 Radio.

AWARDS

113

BROADCASTPRO ME SUMMIT & AWARDS 2022 INNOVATIVE PROJECT OF THE YEAR ALARABY TV NETWORK Alaraby TV won on several counts for this project. Besides pulling off a full migration from its London facility to its brand-new HQ on home ground in Doha within a record eight months, the team built a full-IP facility based on the SMPTE 2110 standard. The TV network has built some ace studios, with one atop a swimming pool, which boast new technologies aimed at offering the best experience to viewers. Kudos to Alaraby’s tech chief Ali Husseini, who brought together industry-leading vendors to collaborate on this project and create a truly remarkable IP facility. Pictured is Ali Husseini with the award.

114

AWARDS

BROADCASTPRO ME SUMMIT & AWARDS 2022 BEST 2022 TECH IMPLEMENTATION IN OTT SHAHID CONTENT PREFERENCE AUDIENCE CLUSTERS Shahid has developed a machine learning clustering model in-house that groups users based on their viewing behaviour, which is calculated using ‘value play’ logic. The model was developed through productionised code that lives in the client’s ecosystem and is fine-tuned according to each region to obtain the optimal number of clusters.

Every user is assigned a cluster to understand their preferences and customise the offering. From left: Phillip Badenhorst, Head of Data and Strategic Planning and Jediael Krishnasamy, Data Science Manager received the award from Sri Hari, SVP Sales, and Business Head EMEA, Amagi.

AWARDS

115

BROADCASTPRO ME SUMMIT & AWARDS 2022 OTT EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR MARKUS GOLDER – CEO, INTIGRAL Markus Golder, who oversees the overall strategy, operations and performance at Intigral, has successfully guided the rapid expansion of Intigral’s premium OTT service Jawwy TV across eight major markets in the region. His passion, innovative approach and committed leadership style have propelled Jawwy TV’s evolution as an emerging OTT player driven by its super aggregator strategy of forming partnerships with the likes of MBC, OSN, Fox, StarzPlay, Wide Khaliji, Shahid VIP and Discovery. Markus Golder (l) received the award from Guy Spivack, Regional Commercial Director MENA at Comcast Technology Solutions.

116

AWARDS

BROADCASTPRO ME SUMMIT & AWARDS 2022 BROADCAST EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR ADIL MEMON, EXECUTIVE VP CONTENT & MARKETING AT ZEE ENTERTAINMENT ENTERPRISES LTD Adil Memon has helped take Zee Entertainment’s Arabic-language co-productions to new heights, first by leading the drama vertical in 2017 and more recently by venturing into Arabic-language movies. His co-production division is currently working on five new drama projects and a movie line-up. He intends to launch Zee’s first Ramadan drama series and first Arabic web series in 2023. Memon is a veteran player in broadcast and has led Zee through many successes in this region. He received the award from Anas Hantash (r), Sales Director, MENA & South Asia, Imagine Communications.

AWARDS

117

BROADCASTPRO ME SUMMIT & AWARDS 2022 EXCELLENCE IN VISUAL STORYTELLING AL ARABIYA NEWS CHANNEL The Hour 60 programme on Al Arabiya is truly award-winning in its impressive use of extended reality (XR) clips to present its news stories. The news broadcaster has explored the potential of multiple technologies to make its stories more visual. Its programmes have been brought to life through Al Arabiya’s studio, where every surface has been designed to potentially be used in the show. The studio includes several large video walls, unique talent positions to add AR elements to broadcasts, and a large virtual window that allows extensions from the studio into the virtual space. Pictured with the award is the Al Arabiya team.

118

AWARDS

BROADCASTPRO ME SUMMIT & AWARDS 2022 BEST FOREIGN-LANGUAGE OTT PRODUCTION THE BROKEN NEWS – ZEE5 GLOBAL ZEE5 Global’s news drama The Broken News, which showcases the story of idealistic journalism versus eyeball journalism, won the Editor’s Choice award for its gripping narrative and high production value. The series is reported to have accounted for 21% of viewership of ZEE5 Global in the month of its launch. Although this entry did not qualify for the regional awards, which are focused on Arabic productions or those filmed in the MENA, this entry was an exception given the company has operations in the Middle East and is an active player in the region. Finniey Benjamin, Associate Director Marketing at ZEE5 Global, received the award from Heba Korayem (r), Content Market Consultant at H.Consult.

AWARDS

119

BROADCASTPRO ME SUMMIT & AWARDS 2022 OUTSTANDING INTEGRATION IN RADIO RCS RCS recently delivered a turnkey solution for Bahrain’s Ministry of Information Affairs, where it designed and built six FM stations and eighteen studios for the government entity. Although the project faced several hurdles in terms of chip shortages, price hikes in hardware and production delays, RCS worked in tandem with all the suppliers to deliver the project on time. The service provider was chosen from among 12 competing companies to deliver this project. RCS used standard broadcast technologies for this project to ensure the stability of the deployment. Baher Al Zaher (l), MD of RCS MENA, received the award.

120

AWARDS

BROADCASTPRO ME SUMMIT & AWARDS 2022 SPECIAL RECOGNITION - UP & COMING STREAMING PLATFORM TOD The new kid on the block, TOD, a part of the beIN Media Group, already provides an integrated and personalised experience for viewers. With the World Cup in Qatar and beIN owning several premium sports assets, TOD has had to quickly shape up and deliver a fairly efficient and seamless experience as its streaming partner. It has an interactive design for sports buffs with OPTA integration and incorporates live stats updates during football matches. TOD is a rising star. Mayur Bhanji (l), Head of Corporate Affairs and Communications, received the award from Razik Zaghlouli, Regional Sales Director at Ateme.

AWARDS

121

BROADCASTPRO ME SUMMIT & AWARDS 2022 SATELLITE SOLUTIONS PROVIDER OF THE YEAR e& RAK Earth Station from e&, which operates four tier-4 teleport facilities that are fully interconnected and geographically diversified, was recently chosen by various international satellite operators to host their gateways because of its strategic location, which enables operators and service providers to control and monitor their satellite systems. This is a state-of-the-art teleport that offers a welcoming regulatory environment, superior connectivity, excellent support services and a wide angle coverage that covers the complete south satellite arc for GEO services.

For this award-winning facility, e& emerged the winner. Pictured with the award is Hassan Ali Salim Al Owais, Director Product Management – Voice Mobility & Satellite, e&.

122

AWARDS

BROADCASTPRO ME SUMMIT & AWARDS 2022 OUTSTANDING LEADERSHIP IN BUILDING THE UAE MEDIA ECOSYSTEM MAJED AL SUWAIDI, MANAGING DIRECTOR, DUBAI MEDIA CITY, DUBAI STUDIO CITY AND DUBAI PRODUCTION CITY As the global economy passed through one of its darkest hours during Covid-19, a few leaders stepped up their efforts to support the local business community. Majed Al Suwaidi, who has helmed Dubai’s media business districts for the last seven years and has been with TECOM for more than 16, shone with new initiatives. He helped develop existing ones further to suit the new needs of the market. in5, a dedicated platform for emerging talent that supports innovation and entrepreneurship across TECOM’s business parks, for instance, stepped up its workshops and training programmes. Likewise, the GoFreelance initiative, which Al Suwaidi led, has helped several independent creatives to pursure their dreams unhindered by huge investment constraints.

AWARDS

123

Index

124

Action Filmz Productions LLC

64

Cobalt Digital Inc.

34

Advanced Media Trading LLC

20

Eagle Films Middle East LLC

66

Al Aan Television

86

Edgio

88

Amagi

84

Es’hailSat, Qatar Satellite Company

74

Ateme Middle East

30

Firdaus Studio by A.R. Rahman

68

ARABSAT

72

FOR-A Company Limited

36

Assendive Communications

92

Fujifilm

38

Broadpeak

32

Guntermann & Drunck GmbH (G&D)

40

Kratos

76

ST Engineering iDirect

78

Lawo

42

STN

80

Master Media

16

TAG Video Systems

26

NMK Electronics Trading LLC

22

Viaccess.Orca

58

Pebble

44

VITEC

52

RCS MENA

46

White Peaks Solutions

60

Ross Video

48

Qvest Media FZ LLC

94

Shure MEA

50

Zero Density

54

125

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