Pebble, the leading automation, content management, and integrated channel specialist, is delighted to announce that its automaton and integrated channel solutions have been selected by Al Mashhad for the launch of its 1+1+1  channel, Al Mashhad.

Based in Dubai Studio City and with systems integration by Diversified, Al Mashhad is a television channel and interactive digital platform that offers a diverse programme and slate of news. The channel aims to bringing about change and development in Arab media, engaging younger generations and helping further enable digital transformation in the MENA region. As such it needs to be agile and adaptive and has been set up from the start with a secondary playlist providing the flexibility to launch a new pop-up to respond to market opportunities.

Pebble has provided several 12G-ready key components for the channel, notably Pebble Automation and Pebble Integrated Channel devices. As a system dedicated to managing the continuous playout and broadcast of video material, Automation not only controls all the devices involved in the playout, but an additional workload of video servers, routers, and graphic devices. All key components (database servers, integrated device servers, etc.) are fully redundant, while for business continuity both main and backup lists each playout in parallel and there is seamless movement between main and DR sites built into the system.

Pebble Remote a web-based monitoring, management and control tool for the automation environment is also an important part of the channel architecture. NDI connectivity ensures that video previews can be played on the Pebble Remote interface, providing perfect visibility into channel output with minimal latency. Care has also had to be paid to ensure the required third-party integrations within the Al Mashhad workflow are seamless, including those to third-party traffic, content management, MAM, and graphic systems.

Using the latest SDI 12G cards, the channel is currently broadcast in HD but is also UHD-ready.

“When launching Al Mashhad we had to balance the demands of robust reliability with the flexibility to accommodate new demands on our broadcast workflow, both now and into the future, and Pebble’s solutions does that,” comments Srinivas Kuppa, Head of Technology, Al-Mashhad.”

“We are delighted to be providing such key components to the new Al Mashhad channel and adding it to the growing list of broadcasters basing their systems on Pebble playout and automation in the region,” comments Samir Isbaih, VP Sales for Middle East and APAC, at Pebble. “SDI remains a popular choice for many new broadcasters, and it’s brilliant that Pebble is providing a future-proof 12G system that will enable Al Mashhad to adapt and evolve its service over the years ahead.”