US-based Harris Corporation, a leading global communications and IT company, has won massive Saudi television contracts based on its integrated high-definition (HD) broadcast technology.

Haris won several additional contracts from the Saudi Arabia Ministry of Culture and Information (MOCI) for products spanning its HD portfolio, said a company statement.

The MOCI, owner of the official Saudi TV and Radio Network, has currently nine TV channels (operating in both terrestrial and via satellite) and four radio channels (operating in FM and AM frequency bands).

In order to cover the whole country terrestrially, the ministry has about 20 medium-wave transmission stations, as well as about 130 TV and FM transmission stations of different power levels.

The recent wins include the provision of equipment for eight new HD studios, three new portable HD studios, two new digital satellite news gathering/outside broadcast (DSNG/OB) vans and three new HD OB vans, said the Florida-based company.

These contract wins come close on the heels of successful Harris high-definition equipment installations at seven Saudi TV studio control rooms in Riyadh, Dammam, Qassim, Madinah and Makkah in 2007 and 2008, the statement added.

Harris said it was working with Riyadh-based dealer and systems integrator First Gulf Company (FGC) to install a wide range of broadcast equipment for the new Saudi TV HD studio in the Riyadh TV center (for the broadcast of a financial channel) and two new high-definition studios in the prestigious, new Dammam TV center.

Harris and FGC also are working to install three new portable HD studios that will be used across the country.

Contracts have been signed for the provision of equipment for three new HD studios located in the cities of Hail, Jizan and Tabouk, a new one for Makkah Town TV and an additional HD studio in the Riyadh TV center, said a top official.

'Harris and FGC have been working closely with the MOCI to support their countrywide HD initiative and to ensure the success of this rollout,' said Richard Scott, senior vice president, global sales and services, Harris Broadcast Communications.

'Our equipment is proving time and time again to be an ideal solution for supporting HD workflows at Saudi TV,' he noted.

The equipment provided by Harris for each of the HD studios includes Platinum routers, Inscriber G-Series graphics products, Videotek TVM test and measurement devices and Nexio servers, Predator II or Predator II-GX multiviewers, a range of core processing technology including up/down/cross converters and multiplexers/demultiplexers, and Velocity ESX news, sports and production editing systems, he added.

The Florida-based company has also installed HD equipment for two new Saudi TV DSNG/OB vans.

According to Scott, the equipment installed in the mobile units includes Videotek TVM test and measurement products, Inscriber G-Series graphics, core processing infrastructure solutions and distribution amplifiers.

'Harris has been contracted to support the build-out of three new Saudi TV HD OB vans in the coming months. The OB vans will feature an end-to-end range of high-definition technology including routers, servers, handheld test and measurement devices and multiviewers,' he added.-TradeArabia News Service