Qvest Media’s faith in Lawo’s VSM in IP-based environment pays off
German systems integrator Qvest Media installed a Virtual Studio Manager (VSM) solution from Lawo in Jordanian broadcaster Al-Mamlaka’s new facility — and it proved its ability to provide overall control system, regardless of the hardware used
Qvest Media, which was responsible for the design, build and integration of Al-Mamlaka’s infrastructure for station operations, commissioned Lawo to design a VSM as a broadcast control system that runs on an IP backbone, and can be integrated with other broadcast equipment such as video routers and switchers, multiviewers and intercoms.
Commenting on the installation of the VSM, Ahmad Al Kayla, head of sales at Qvest Media in Dubai, said: “The major task and benefit of using the VSM system is that it creates a familiar workflow for all operators in all news studios and the master control room (MCR).
“VSM is the only control system on the market able to work in a fully IP-based environment, and with third-party equipment.
“The implementation of VSM across Al-Mamlaka channel proves its ability to provide the overall control system, regardless of the hardware used and the overall system design.
“Thanks to a virtual IP switching layer, the VSM system allows to set up a workflow in future news studios that is familiar to users by virtue of their established workflows.”
According to Lawo, Al-Mamlaka’s broadcast facility is said to provide complete redundancy, including A/V and broadcast IT equipment, and is based on virtualised systems. From the start, the new building was designed to be centrally managed, and the entire infrastructure to be expandable to meet future requirements.
The other mandate was that the produced media content needed to be made available as a live stream, and the production workflow had to be designed to support round-the-clock operation on all channels.
For news production, the broadcaster implements an all-digital production chain, from the ingest of various live sources and newsfeeds, over news content production, to playout and distribution.
The main workflows comprise the planning of news programmes and production, the ingest of live sources and recorded contributions, the news production and approval process, and an automatic transfer of approved material to transmission and archiving.
Al-Mamlaka has started delivering news and broadcast programmes on both linear and over-the-top (OTT) platforms.
