Qvest Media, a specialist in provision of IT and AV solutions for media applications, has won a contract from Qatar-based Al Jazeera network to set up the region's most hi-tech training centre in Doha.

As per the contract, Qvest Media will establish a complete multi-media technical infrastructure in a building newly-created especially for the purpose. This will enable a perfect interplay for training in creative, technical and administrative vocations.

As a general contractor, Qvest Media will be responsible for all phases of Al Jazeera Training Centre (AJTC) project, such as preparation of the technical concept, planning, technical integration and the start of operations, as well as training of the teaching staff, said a top official.

Qvest will develop a cross-functional, media-technical infrastructure for the media and TV technologies training centre, which will enable the broadcaster to conduct future-oriented training courses for its employees, stated Peter Nothen, managing director of Qvest Media.

'As a result of the rapidly progressing convergence of the media, the individual vocational fields in the media business are today increasingly growing together. For example, in areas like broadcasting cross-functional networking is taking place combining Internet and communication,' he noted.

For media producers this development presents completely new challenges and tasks. Al Jazeera is now purposefully facing up to this process of change with the construction of its training centre for tri-medial training and further training, he added.

In order to demonstrate the many facets of different TV formats, such as shows, news and talk, Qvest Media will equip a total of four studios and the associated control rooms with state-of-the-art technology. 'The studios will be supplemented by auditoriums, with a capacity for up to 200 persons,' Nothen explained.

Here, the latest presentation and communication technology will be used for interactive live training courses. The complete training complex, as well as its areas of recording, production and further processing will thereby be equipped entirely with HD-capable technology, he added.

In the interconnected control room facilities, special importance will be attached to the handling of the most varied broadcast formats. Therefore, the infrastructure will allow the training of the specialist personnel in all file-based audio and video formats and also for the HD/SD formats currently present on the market,' Nothen stated.

He pointed out that the trend in the area of IT infrastructure today was quite clearly shifting from AV to IT-based processes.

'For this reason, the concept of file-based workflows is being followed consistently. Thus, Qvest Media is implementing a fully redundant, central Media Server System, which is based on Avid Unity ISIS storage servers.

According to him, the control of ingest and playout processes will be handled by Avid Interplay platforms. Decentralised areas of the Media Server System, such as on-air graphics, LowRes browsing and craft editing will be linked via IP to the Avid storage system.

Additionally, Qvest Media will install a fully functional newsroom for editorial training purposes. On the base of Avid iNews this will be connected with all large feed and agency networks.

According to Nothen, the systems for routing, multi-viewing, signal conversion or synchronisation will be accommodated in a central equipment room.

'Based on our experience we can say that with its innovative approach to uniting all multi-media training areas under one roof, the broadcaster has its finger on the pulse of the time. Creating a training infrastructure which unites all processes and tasks of the increasingly convergent media, is certainly an important investment for the future,' he added.-TradeArabia News Service