Thomson ViBE VS7000 Encoder/Transcoder Embraces HEVC
Thomson Video Networks’s ViBE VS7000 multi-screen video encoding/transcoding system now provides support for the High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) compression standard for live and offline applications. As one of the first worldwide implementations of HEVC, the ViBE VS7000 lowers operators’ OPEX for delivery of a wide range of convergent TV services including WebTV and OTT, as well as traditional IPTV and cable applications.
At the 2013 NAB Show, Thomson Video Networks will demonstrate its new live and file-based HEVC encoding solution up to Ultra HD format working with various HEVC players. One such device is a player from Japanese mobile operator NTT DOCOMO, which has just announced that it will license video decoding software for HEVC to enable full HD video streaming on smartphones and other devices. The ViBE VS7000 will also be demonstrated with VisualOn’s OnStream MediaPlayer+ running HEVC decoding on Nexus tablets. OnStream MediaPlayer+ enables high-quality playback across multiple platforms, including iOS, Android, Mac OS, and Windows Desktop.
“With the explosion of WebTV services, video content now represents the majority of Internet traffic. By integrating the new HEVC compression standard into the ViBE VS7000, Thomson Video Networks is paving the way for HD and Ultra HD content on any kind of device and any kind of network,” says Eric Gallier, vice president of marketing at Thomson Video Networks. “Combining the bandwidth savings of HEVC with exciting new technologies such as MPEG-Dash, eMBMS and LTE, the VS7000 lowers operating expenses while easing the path to video delivery in today’s multi-platform world.”
Thomson Video Networks has extensively participated in the development and definition of the new HEVC compression standard, which aims at obtaining a bit-rate reduction of up to 50 percent compared to the current state of the art, H.264. With the bandwidth-reduction features of HEVC, operators can receive a video stream from a smaller-bandwidth connection, increasing service penetration at a higher video resolution than with other compression codecs.
“The new HEVC compression standard drastically increases the number of options available to operators for efficient encoding of video material. In order to deliver the best video quality, our customers require HEVC-compliant solutions based on industry-leading algorithm expertise,” adds Claude Perron, chief technology officer at Thomson Video Networks. “The secret lies in the way the tool set is implemented. This is exactly why we made the decision to develop our own HEVC compression technology for our ViBE VS7000 — just as we have always done when important new standards emerge.”
Powered by Thomson’s MediaFlex video operating system, the VS7000 is a breakthrough “anything in, anything out” encoding/transcoding platform that combines simplicity, reliability, scalability, and flexibility. The ViBE VS7000 receives live compressed or uncompressed TV signals or files and encodes them for convergent applications as well as WebTV and OTT. In addition to the added support for the HEVC video codec, the VS7000 supports all major industry codecs and formats including MPEG transport streams, Adobe® Flash®, Apple® HTTP Live Streaming, Microsoft® Smooth Streaming, and MPEG-Dash.
Existing deployments of the ViBE VS7000 can be easily extended for HEVC through a software upgrade and additional licenses for live and offline HEVC encoding. The latest version of the VS7000 will be available in July 2013.