Bahrain TV Launches Middle East’s First IP Playout System

MONTREAL— Bahrain TV, the state broadcaster for the Kingdom of Bahrain, has launched the Middle East’s first broadcast IP playout system, enabled by Grass Valley, the company announced today.

Grass Valley worked closely with its Diamond Partner in the region, systems integration leader First Gulf Company (FGC), to redesign Bahrain TV’s new highly complex live IP video production environment. As part of the modernization project, Grass Valley and FGC converted Bahrain TV’s master control suite, making it the first broadcast facility in the region to implement an IP playout system.

A prime source for news and information across Bahrain, Bahrain TV also upgraded its main live news studio with best-in-class IP-capable Grass Valley systems. The UHD news studio now features the latest Kayenne K-Frame switcher, EDIUS X Pro nonlinear editing solution and Sirius 840 576x576 router with integrated mutliviewer capability.

“Grass Valley demonstrated an unwavering commitment to delivering a cutting-edge IP broadcast infrastructure tailored to our evolving needs. In particular, we expect that our modular, scalable Grass Valley IP-based playout system will yield measurable benefits in the years to come,” said Eng. Abdullah Albalooshi, Undersecretary of Technical Affairs at Bahrain TV. “We anticipate significant cost savings by reducing hardware costs associated with traditional broadcast setups. And with our newly streamlined workflow processes and operational efficiencies, we also expect productivity gains by minimizing manual interventions and enabling faster content delivery.”

The IP playout solution features Grass Valley’s IP-capable Masterpiece IP UHD master control system, UCP 3901 video gateways, and a 2 rack-unit MV-821 IP standalone multiviewer, setup for four outputs. The suite also incorporates GV Orbit, configured for the dynamic orchestration of Bahrain TV’s IP broadcast environment.

Other tangible benefits Bahrain TV expects to accrue include the ability to scale easily without the need to make high or large capital investments, Grass said. They also anticipate advertising revenue growth resulting from an improved viewer experience and greater audience engagement.

“We’re very pleased to have actively contributed to this ground-breaking achievement by implementing and commissioning the first IP-based playout system in the region,” says Hany Bartella, Reginal Sales Director at Grass Valley. “The adoption of IP-based live broadcasting by Bahrain TV represents a leap forward in efficiency, scalability and flexibility, while positioning the network as a technological leader in the region.”