beIN Media Group launches 4K UHD channel

Marc Baillavoine, Synamedia

Sports and entertainment broadcaster, beIN Media Group, has teamed up with Cognacq-Jay Image and Synamedia to launch a 4K UHD channel on its OTT platform, beIN Connect.

With the support of the digital specialist Cognacq-Jay Image and utilising Synamedia Quortex’s just-in-time processing, the 4K UHD channel was launched to subscribers in the Middle East and North Africa ahead of its coverage of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.

The broadcaster said it selected the two companies for the project as they were able to set up a HD channel in the cloud in under 90 minutes.

As Quortex becomes more deeply integrated with Synamedia’s broader Video Network portfolio, the beIN deployment also incorporates Synamedia’s Vivid Compression module for the first time. Cognacq-Jay Image’s team of experts optimised the quality of experience of the service’s head-end and had responsibility for secure workflows, the transformation of content, and 24/7 operations, as well as using Quortex to distribute content on all OTT channels in seconds.

The new feature adapts to fluctuations on network infrastructure and audiences demand, automatically scaling cloud resources up and down, leveraging spot instances that take advantage of spare cloud capacity at a fraction of the typical cost, while maintaining quality of experience.

Marc Baillavoine, senior director of Cloud Products, Video Network at Synamedia, said “As the exclusive broadcast rights holder of the FIFA World Cup 2022 across 24 countries in MENA, beIN wanted to deliver a stellar 4K UHD experience to its subscribers. beIN is one of the first customers to benefit from the closer integration of Quortex with Synamedia’s portfolio of video processing and delivery solutions.”

“We were delighted to partner with Synamedia to support beIN’s FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 TM streaming goals. We deployed an extremely responsive support and oversight team that worked with Synamedia Quortex’s flexible solution to satisfy the viewing demands of such a huge number of football fans. We look forward to continuing our collaboration to deliver more great viewing experiences for beIN in the future,” added Philippe Bonpunt, director of Cognacq-Jay Images.