Turkish systems integrator AKFA Technology as been appointed by EVS to provide an extensive range of its systems in the first of three development phases at the new 1.3-million-square-meter Ashgabat Olympics Complex in Turkmenistan. A wide range of EVS technology, including servers, editing, production asset management and storage systems, will be deployed across the new complex which includes two sports arenas, an indoor velodrome, three production studios, the IBC and an OB van. The installation is scheduled for completion by the end of the year, and is expected to be operational by spring 2014.
Istanbul-based Polimeks was commissioned to develop the architectural concept and to build the various premises. Policom Technology, a subsidiary of Polimeks, is responsible for the supply and installation of multimedia systems to be used at the complex and is collaborating with the systems integrator AKFA Technology to implement the live broadcast production infrastructure.
"Ashgabat Olympics Complex is a major project that will have a significant impact on the region. The venue is designed to show — with the forthcoming Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games (AIMAG) in 2017 — that it’s a key contender for hosting major international sporting events and attract sporting federations," said Burak Dagdeviren, project coordinator at Policom Technology. "It was important that the live broadcast facilities matched the same brief."
EVS XT3 and XS servers will be deployed at the arenas and velodrome as well as in the studios, IBC and in the OB van, while multiple IPDirectors will be used for content production and asset management. Xedio Dispatcher will be used to gather ENG material and Xedio CleanEdit, EVS’ NLE system, will be used for production editing with voice-over recordings. The OB van will feature an XFly portable storage platform, while EVS’ XStore SAN will be used to provide central storage.
All the production facilities at Ashgabat Olympics Complex will be connected to the central storage unit, allowing operators around the venue to browse through and access stored low-rez media files.
"EVS systems are scalable and future-proof, which was crucial to a project like Ashgabat Olympics Complex," said Dogan Sari, project and sales executive at AKFA Technology. "The city of Ashgabat is looking ahead to hosting major international sporting events in the future, so we had to ensure that any technology we installed can stand-up to multiple formats as well as to 3G and 1080p. There was zero margin for error or failure — a major factor when choosing the technology components, and EVS definitely delivers on that front."
