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Eyeheight has completed a major order for Al Jazeera Sport in Doha, centred on 11 systems from the 'playout' range of modular presentation control equipment. The new installation forms part of a server-based ingest, post-production and transmission facility completed in just four months by Dubai-based Qvest Media in partnership with its German sister company Wellen+Noethen.

The HD-SDI playout systems installed at Al Jazeera Sport include Eyeheight's MW-3EM A/B mixer which provides the ability to perform mix, wipe and cut transitions as well as U and V fades. The MW-3EM also has a preview output. A DK-3M linear downstream keyer handles background, key and fill inputs and supports normal keying, additive (pre-multiplied) keying, self-key and self-coloured keying. Also incorporated is an AP-10 manual intervention panel which enables engineering staff to choose the level of intervention they require for specific channels. Each of the 11 playout switchers is fitted with an AM-2E audio mixer which allows two digital audio sources to be mixed with embedded audio. The AM-2E is designed primarily for voiceover insertion into an SDI stream. All 11 playouts have an FP-10 module which provides overall system control.

Al Jazeera's engineering management team chose the system, which includes DVS and Avid servers handling both HD and SD, after seeing a similar implementation by Wellen+Noethen being used for live broadcast coverage of EUFA EURO 2008. Qvest Media has contracted to provide permanent post-installation support. Technical details were negotiated during and after CABSAT 2009 with Eyeheight's exclusive German reseller, Logic Media Solutions, based in Bickenbach.

Since its launch in November 2003, Al Jazeera Sport has become the most popular sports broadcaster in the Middle East. The network consists of AJS channels 1 to 10 plus AJS HD1, AJS HD2, AJS Global, AJS News and AJS Clubs. Al Jazeera Sports covers a wide range of major events including the UEFA European Football Championship, Summer Olympics and Winter Olympics. It also owns exclusive Middle East broadcasting rights to major football leagues such as the Spanish La Liga and Italian Serie A. See http://english.aljazeera.net/sport/

Eyeheight designs and manufactures SDI/HD-SDI equipment for programme-origination, QA, post-production, playout and associated areas. This includes hardware legalisers, logo generators, graticule generators, keyers, colour correctors, and aspect ratio converters. www.eyeheight.com

Contacts for further information:

Martin Moore, Eyeheight Limited | Tel: +44 (0)20 82 552 015 | martin@eyeheight.com

David Kirk, Stylus Media Consultants | Tel: +44 (0)1342 311 983 | stylusmedia@gmail.com