Canal+ Migrates to Thomson Compression Technology for Indian Ocean Services
RENNES, France — Sept. 9, 2011 — Thomson Video Networks today announced that Canal+ Overseas has begun a migration to Thomson technology for its digital headend serving Indian Ocean territories. The newly equipped platform, located in Boulogne, France, near Paris, will be rolled out by November 2011, transmitting 90 SD and HD channels, all encoded in MPEG-4 format.
Canal+ Overseas is replacing its existing infrastructure with a combination of Thomson Video Networks products, including ViBE EM2002 dual-channel SD encoders, ViBE EM3000 HD encoders, and NetProcessor 9030 multiplexers. In 2012, Canal+ will upgrade to Thomson’s new ViBE EM4000 multichannel HD encoder.
“The clear lead in MPEG-4 picture quality delivered by the Thomson compression technology, combined with the exciting potential offered by the ViBE EM4000, made this an obvious choice for us,” said Catherine Carde, technical director of distribution for Canal+. “The new platform we are creating, based on the ViBE encoder range, will be a highly efficient long-term solution for expanding our HD services over the next few years.”
Canal+ Overseas, a subsidiary of the leading French pay-TV operator Canal+ Group, is the largest French-language operator in the French Overseas Territories and Africa, and provides more than 300 channels to viewers in the Caribbean, Indian Ocean, and Pacific regions.
“Canal+ Overseas will be one of the first broadcasters to benefit from the next generation of Thomson’s industry-leading HD compression technology,” said Eric Louvet, vice president of worldwide sales and services for Thomson Video Networks. “We are particularly proud to be chosen by Canal+ to provide the compression infrastructure for its future development, because the choice reflects not only the exceptional performance and reliability of the latest Thomson products, but also the customer’s confidence in our long-term roadmap.”
About Canal+
Canal+ Group is the leading pay TV group in France. It is France’s leading operator in premium and theme-channel publishing and in bundling and distributing pay-TV offerings. A pioneer in the new uses of television, it is also a major player in film production and distribution. Canal+ Overseas, a subsidiary of Canal+ Group, is the largest French-speaking pay-TV operator in the French Overseas Territories and in Africa. Its offerings provide access to more than 300 channels, principally in French, in the Caribbean (French Antilles and Guyana), the Indian Ocean (Reunion, Mayotte, and Mauritius), and the Pacific (New Caledonia and French Polynesia). It is also present in 30 French-speaking African countries and in Madagascar.
About Thomson Video Networks
From the very onset of digital TV broadcasting, the Thomson name has been synonymous with supplying expertise, quality, and reliability to the world’s leading broadcasters. Thomson Video Networks builds on this great heritage by providing unique and innovative video delivery solutions for a premium viewing experience. Since Thomson Video Networks delivered the world’s first large-scale direct-to-home satellite system, the company has maintained the same philosophy: to provide the best possible picture quality across any network, to any device. As a worldwide leader in compression systems for satellite, terrestrial, cable, IPTV, mobile TV, and Web streaming, Thomson Video Networks is helping its customers deliver superior quality video to anything from small handheld devices to large 3D HD screens, with the lowest bandwidth to ensure a profitable business model. A trusted supplier with more than 20 percent of the active channels deployed worldwide, a global support presence, and culture of delivering quality at every stage, Thomson Video Networks boasts the experience and range of products to supply every need, from hybrid multiformat compression systems to contribution links for content exchange networks.
For information about products from Thomson Video Networks, please visit www.thomson-networks.com.
Agency Contact:
Marguerite Clark
Wall Street Communications
Tel: +33 1 45 25 36 91
Email: marguerite@wallstcom.com
Thomson Video Networks Contact:
Crystèle Trevisan
Corporate Communications Director
Tel: +33 2 99 27 38 93
Email: crystele.trevisan@thomson-networks.com
