After opening its doors in 2019, Sharjah Grand Mosque is the United Arab Emirates’ second-largest mosque and has a capacity to accommodate over 25,000 worshippers.
Broadcast Solutions ME partnered with Ross Video to deliver a broadcast system for the Sharjah Grand Mosque to cover the events within the mosque. The aim was to have a broadcast system capable of airing the prayers and events to the masses with minimal human resources.
Ross Video offered a white version of its PIVOTCam compact camera (12 of which are used around the mosque) and added the full broadcast equipment to the mosque’s impressive list of hard- and software tools.
Broadcast Solutions built a camera mount to ensure the cameras could be fixed discreetly around the prayer hall and building without standing out. The control room, located in the building’s first floor, is used to manage the cameras and to edit, store and air the content created.
Broadcast Solutions ME implemented a 36-input Ross Carbonite production switcher. Further, Ross Video equipment in the signal chain is a pair of large Carbonite multiviewers, while SHC-9642 SDI to HDMI converters from Ross feed into Blackmagic Design SmartView4Ks used for audio monitoring.
At the core of the system, a Ross ULTRIX-FR1 32×32 router handles signal management. To add further video signals to the programme Broadcast Solutions ME also deployed four Grass Valley camera control units in the control room desk to be connected to cameras using the connection panels in the hall.
Commenting on the project, Broadcast Solutions ME’s project manager Salah Ayoub, said: “But one of the major challenges we had was the time-frame. SBA would broadcast the opening ceremony from inside the prayer hall just two weeks after we began working on the project. Everything had to be completed during that time: shipping, installation and configuration.”
