ATEME, Sony partner for France Télévisions playout centre

ATEME is providing the encoding and decoding for France Televisions’ new broadcast centres in Paris as part of a major playout and distribution project in partnership with Sony Europe as the systems integrator. The new facilities, named Centre de Diffusion et d’Echange (CDE), will equip France Télévisions for TV Everywhere, delivering the ability to reach multiple screens over all distribution platforms including terrestrial, satellite, cable, IPTV and OTT (Over The Top) via adaptive streaming.

Explaining the engagement of Sony Europe and ATEME for this major project, Yves Le Bras, France Télévisions’ director of innovation and head of the CDE project, comments: “We were looking for a single platform that would meet all our playout and distribution needs now and in the future. As the national broadcaster it is essential that we provide the best experience possible for all screens, and Sony demonstrated they had the right technology in place.  ATEME is a big part of that with the vital ability to deliver high quality video across all the formats including OTT as well as traditional broadcast.”

The CDE installation is currently taking place at two different sites in Paris. ATEME has provided its Kyrion Live encoders for delivery over traditional broadcast infrastructure, and its TITAN Live for OTT.

Bertrand Caurier, project director at Sony Europe comments: “This was a major contract win for Sony. ATEME played a crucial role, firstly getting us involved as systems integrator, but most of all through the excellence of their transcoding technology. They are unique in being able to deliver consistent quality across all distribution platforms.”