Jünger Audio Delivers Loudness Control To Al Jazeera

One of the world's largest news organisations, Al Jazeera, has chosen Jünger Audio's acclaimed loudness management technology to control and regulate audio across four of its main television channels.

Based in Doha, Qatar, the broadcaster has installed 10 D*AP8 Slim Line Digital Audio Processors in a new central TX area that it has been constructed as part of the Al Jazeera Workplace Transformation Project (AJWT). The area incorporates five transmission booths – one for each channel (Al Jazeera Arabic, Al Jazeera Mubashir, Al Jazeera English and Al Jazeera Documentary) and one spare.

The D*AP8 processors are housed in a Central Apparatus Room and are managed from the TX area by a Jünger Audio X*AP RM1 remote panel, which gives operators immediate control of all 10 units.

Ali Elhusseini, Head of Network Operations Standards at Al Jazeera, said: "Redundancy is an important factor in the broadcast industry and when it comes to transmission you want to make sure you are well covered. To that end, the Jünger Audio units have been set-up as main and back-up, so each channel has main and back-up units in case of failure. Currently only Al Jazeera Arabic is broadcasting from the new TX area, but once the infrastructure for the other Channels is completed they will all broadcast from there."

Jünger Audio's D*AP8 8-channel units provide an adaptable approach to digital audio processing and deliver complete flexibility from a choice of multiple I/O formats including AES, SDI, MADI, Dante and analogue. The company offers an extensive range of license based processing options so that customers can create fully customized solutions to suit their specific needs.

"We chose Jünger Audio units for their audio quality and ease of use, but also for the features each unit delivers," adds Imad Ninaah, Head of Transmission at Al Jazeera. "If you add licences, 1RU unit can deliver a range of features that negate the need for many different units. We have installed LEVEL MAGIC, Dolby® and Loudness licences – all of which are features that work for us."

Like many broadcasters around the world, Al Jazeera respects loudness legislation and follows the global standards imposed by regulators. This is an important consideration, given that it reaches many different countries via satellite.

"Our audiences are one of our main concerns," Elhusseini says, "and we always strive to ensure that we deliver the best quality video and audio content. Technology has developed so fast that viewers can now do a great deal with their home devices. We want to ensure that what we broadcast is appealing to all our viewers, and by installing loudness control we can ease the pain of having to adjust the volume between broadcasters or channel content. The D*AP8 processors give us a regulated audio signal, not only within each channel's content but also between channels as well. With the Up mix and Down mix capability of these units we can make sure that our viewers are happy with the audio they receive, whether it is in surround sound or not."

Al Jazeera's D*AP 8 processors and X*AP RM1 remote panel are now being fine-tuned to suit the requirements of each channel, but Elhusseini says they are performing well and meeting the broadcaster's needs.

"We've also had great technical support from the Jünger Audio team," Elhusseini added. "They have always advised on what is best, which is important to us."

Peter Poers, Managing Director of Jünger Audio also said: "We are delighted that Al Jazeera has chosen Jünger Audio technology to regulate its audio content and control Loudness. Our proprietary LEVEL MAGIC II adaptive control algorithm, which is incorporated into all our processors, prevents those surprise changes in audio levels that are so annoying to television viewers. And it does this without having a detrimental effect on overall sound quality, thus ensuring that viewers receive the best possible sound."

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