RENNES, France -- Sept. 5, 2014 -- Thomson Video Networks today announced that its award-winning ViBE(TM) VS7000 multi-screen encoding/transcoding platform has entered the next phase of interoperability testing with Broadcom Corporation, MStar Semiconductor, STMicroelectronics, and ViXS -- all leading manufacturers of digital TV decoder system-on-a-chip (SoC) solutions targeted at the High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) standard. Earlier this year, the ViBE VS7000 demonstrated interoperability with the companies' HEVC-capable SoCs for delivery of ultra high-definition (UHD) television broadcasts based on the HEVC Main (8-bit) profile. In the current round of testing, Broadcom, MStar, ST, and ViXS will confirm the VS7000's encoding capabilities for the next-generation HEVC Main 10 profile, which supports UHD TV broadcasting in 10-bit color depth.
Broadcom, MStar, ST, and ViXS all manufacture 4K SoCs that provide native HEVC decoding in either set-top boxes (STBs) or next-generation TV sets. As a software-based encoding solution, the ViBE VS7000 is Thomson Video Networks' flagship HEVC-capable product and enables rapid integration of new profiles and features of the HEVC standard, which has been shown to reduce video bandwidth usage by up to 50 percent. One of the newest HEVC profiles, Main 10 for 10-bit color representation was recently adopted by the Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB) project for its UHD1 phase 1 implementation.
"The DVB's adoption of the HEVC Main 10 profile delivers a strong message regarding the industry's growing acceptance of this up-and-coming standard," said Claude Perron, chief technology officer, Thomson Video Networks. "Therefore, we have placed a high priority on working closely with industry-leading decoding technology providers such as Broadcom, MStar, ST, and ViXS to take HEVC technologies to the next level and provide the interoperability necessary to drive seamless UHD delivery -- from the video headend to the viewer's STB or TV."
At IBC2014, Thomson Video Networks will showcase the ViBE VS7000's support of 10-bit HEVC with a demonstration of UHD content delivery at 60 fps based on Broadcom's BCM7445 Ultra HD video decoder technology.
This demonstration will highlight the CATRENE UltraHD-4U project, in which the partners are working to develop a complete 4K HEVC chain that is paving the way for HEVC-based professional and consumer UHDTV services.
Further information about the ViBE VS7000 and other Thomson Video Networks products is available at www.thomson-networks.com.
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About Broadcom
Broadcom Corporation (NASDAQ: BRCM), a FORTUNE 500(R) company, is a global leader and innovator in semiconductor solutions for wired and wireless communications. Broadcom(R) products seamlessly deliver voice, video, data, and multimedia connectivity in the home, office, and mobile environments. With the industry's broadest portfolio of state-of-the-art system-on-a-chip solutions, Broadcom is changing the world by connecting everything(R). For more information, go to www.broadcom.com.
About MStar Semiconductor
MStar Semiconductor Inc. (MStar) is a world-class leader in Application Specific ICs (ASICs) with a focus on consumer electronic products and communication applications. Since its inception in 2002, MStar has established a strong brand and leadership position in systems for LCD controllers, analog and digital TVs, and set-top boxes, by fully leveraging its core expertise of cutting-edge design capabilities, continuous innovation, and premier customer-focused services. Headquartered in Taiwan, MStar has a comprehensive global footprint with well-established R&D and customer support centers to provide a full range of total solutions for various consumer electronic applications. For more information, please visit www.mstarsemi.com or contact Investor Relations at +886 3 552 6006 Ext. 5888 or investorrelations@mstarsemi.com.
About STMicroelectronics
ST is a global leader in the semiconductor market, serving customers across the spectrum of sense and power and automotive products and embedded processing solutions. From energy management and savings to trust and data security, from healthcare and wellness to smart consumer devices, in the home, car and office, at work and at play, ST is found everywhere microelectronics make a positive and innovative contribution to people's lives. By getting more from technology to get more from life, ST stands for life augmented. In 2013, the Company's net revenues were $8.08 billion. Further information on ST can be found at www.st.com.
About UltraHD-4U
UltraHD-4U is a Eureka CATRENE research project aimed at investigating the complete UHDTV chain, from picture origination until display devices. The consortium of 14 partners, which includes Thomson Video Networks, is funded by four countries: Belgium (IWT), France (DGCIS), Spain (CDTI), and Turkey (TÜBITAK). www.ultrahd4u.eu
About ViXS Systems Inc.
ViXS is the pioneer and market leader in designing revolutionary media processing semiconductor solutions for the broadcasting and consumer electronics industries, with over 461 patents issued and pending worldwide, numerous industry awards for innovation, and over 30 million media processor shipments to date. ViXS is driving the transition to Ultra HD 4K across the entire content value chain by providing professional and consumer grade chipsets that support the new High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) standard up to Main 10 Profile, reducing bandwidth consumption by 50% while providing the depth of color and image clarity needed to take advantage of higher-resolution content. ViXS' XCodePro 300 family is ideal for Ultra HD 4K infrastructure equipment, and the XCode 6000 family of system-on-chip (SoC) products achieves unprecedented levels of integration that enable manufacturers to create cost-effective consumer entertainment devices.
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 also for multi-screen services on every device and platform. Behind Every Screen you'll find Thomson Video Networks. Visit www.thomson-networks.com.
Photo Link: www.wallstcom.com/ThomsonVN/ThomsonVN-ViBE_VS7000.jpg
Photo Caption: ViBE(TM) VS7000 Multi-Screen and HEVC Encoder
