Broadcaster beIN added a 4K UHD channel to its OTT platform to stream the FIFA World Cup Qatar to subscribers in 24 countries across the MENA region with low latency and top QoE.
Sports and entertainment broadcaster beIN Media Group (‘beIN’) added a 4K UHD channel to its OTT platform, beIN CONNECT, to stream the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 to subscribers in 24 countries across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).
With the support of Cognacq-Jay Image linear and on-demand service provider, and using Synamedia Quortex’s just-in-time processing, beIN was able to quickly launch the 4K UHD channel to live stream the World Cup matches with low latency and high image quality. beIN selected Cognacq-Jay Image and Synamedia after the two companies had demonstrated the ability to set up a HD channel in the cloud in under 90 minutes.
Synamedia began developing just-in-time features after acquiring Quortex in mid-2022. Using a pay-as-you-stream model, Quortex allocates the exact level of delivery resources required at any given time. Whenever a channel has no viewers, it makes those resources available. This approach has advantages over other cloud approaches in terms of time-to-market and cost, and at the same time makes sure that every deployed resource has a purpose. For example, for long tail content that attracts viewers relatively seldom, Synamedia says Quortex can reduce cloud costs up to 67%.
High Performance Optimisation
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. The purpose of Vivid is to make delivering to any screen – from large-format TVs to mobile phones – more efficient. Optimisation is critical to the way it works.
Al Bayt Stadium, Qatar
For instance, its compression algorithms are AI-optimised to deliver high audio and video quality per screen, using the least number of bits. Likewise, it maintains CPU efficiency to maximise density and minimise infrastructure costs, on-premises or in a cloud. Meanwhile, quality monitoring, measurement and analysis are all automated.
Cognacq-Jay Image’s team optimised the QoE of the service’s headend as well, and took responsibility for secure workflows, the transformation of content and 24/7 operations through its secure, redundant, scalable infrastructures, as well as using Quortex to distribute content on all OTT channels within a few seconds. Cognacq-Jay Image develops and operates its own playout, Content Management and OTT systems.
Following ingest, Cognacq-Jay Image handled transcoding for low-res file generation, automated QC, branding and other processing tasks before delivering the media for playout, graphics, monitoring and blackout/time delay scheduling.
Building Video Streams on-the-Fly
beIN’s 4K channel has now become a permanent addition to its OTT services, and continues to use Quortex for just-in-time streaming of several dozen entertainment and sports channels in the MENA region. Its multi-tenant SaaS approach builds video streams on-the-fly, matched to beIN viewers’ locations, devices and time zones.
Marc Baillavoine, Senior Director of Cloud Products, Video Network - Synamedia.
It dynamically adapts to fluctuations on the network infrastructure and audience demand, automatically scaling cloud resources up and down, accessing spot instances that take advantage of low-cost spare cloud capacity, while continuously watching and maintaining QoE.
With more than 20 free-to-air matches, expectations were high, but Cognacq-Jay-Image, with Synamedia, was able to meet beIN’s expectations due to its expertise in streaming high-demand sports events.
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 an excellent 4K UHD experience to its subscribers. beIN is one of the first customers to benefit from the closer integration of Quortex with the Synamedia processing and delivery portfolio." www.synamedia.com
