Foxtel Upgrades Pay-TV Video Platform Based on Thomson Video Networks' Industry-Leading ViBE EM4000 HD/SD Encoder

RENNES, France -- Oct. 2, 2014 -- Thomson Video Networks today announced that leading Australian pay-TV provider Foxtel is upgrading its direct-to-home (DTH) video platform with the latest generation of the ViBE(TM) EM4000 premium HD/SD encoder. In addition, Foxtel has installed updates of Thomson Video Networks' NetProcessor 9040 multiplexer and video processor, Amethyst redundancy switch, and XMS network management system.

Foxtel operates one of the largest Thomson Video Networks-based platforms in the Asia-Pacific region, incorporating several generations of ViBE encoders, multiplexers, and video servers. With the latest release of the EM4000 earlier this year, Foxtel took the opportunity to upgrade its platform to take advantage of the encoder's superior HD video quality and Thomson's advanced feature sets for multiplexing and network management. Foxtel chose the EM4000 not only for its video quality, but also for its ability to integrate smoothly with the company's existing ecosystem and its world-class density, supporting up to eight HD MPEG-4 AVC channels in a single rack unit.

"The latest ViBE EM4000 includes compression innovations specifically designed to give pay-TV operators even more bandwidth savings and higher video quality, so we knew it would be ideal for our DTH upgrade. It's one more example of Thomson Video Networks' ongoing innovation and technology leadership, resulting in an unrivaled portfolio of solutions," said Darren Windus, transmission technology manager, Foxtel. "We evaluated the encoder thoroughly to ensure smooth system integration and set-top box interoperability, and the EM4000 passed with flying colours. With the EM4000, we'll be able to offer the best possible quality of experience to our audience, and the system offers an exciting and aggressive roadmap for density, feature set, and video quality to help us plan for the future."

"Not only is Foxtel one of Australia's highest profile media brands, but the company has been a loyal Thomson Video Networks customer for more than 12 years," said Tony Berthaud, director of sales and services, Thomson Video Networks APAC. "Over that period, Foxtel has leveraged our solutions in several highly strategic applications, such as in an IP video acquisition link between Sydney and London for the 2012 London Games. Thomson Video Networks looks forward to the ongoing partnership with Foxtel as the company continues to extend its DTH operation with our industry-leading video quality and encoder density."

Further information about the ViBE EM4000 and other Thomson Video Networks products is available at www.thomson-networks.com.

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About Thomson Video Networks
A global leader in advanced video compression solutions, Thomson Video Networks empowers media companies, video service providers, and broadcasters to deliver superior video quality at the highest density and lowest bandwidth for contribution, terrestrial, satellite, cable, IPTV, and OTT services. Through its innovative Behind Every Screen(TM) approach, Thomson Video Networks combines both on-premises and cloud-based resources to create an all-encompassing video infrastructure for its advanced ingest, branding, ad insertion, encoding/transcoding, and packaging technologies. Media enterprises now have every key capability they need to raise video quality and reduce cost of ownership not just for broadcast, but for multi-screen services on every device and platform. Behind Every Screen you'll find Thomson Video Networks. Visit www.thomson-networks.com.

Photo Caption: ViBE(TM) EM4000 Premium HD/SD Encoder
Photo Link: www.wallstcom.com/ThomsonVN/ThomsonVN-ViBEEM4000PremiumHDSDEncoder.jpg