Thomson demos five HD channels in one DTT mux

Thomson Video Networks is conducting what it says is France’s first demonstration of the video broadcast of five HD channels in a digital-terrestrial 24.8Mbps multiplex, enabled by the company’s ViBE EM4000 premium HD/SD encoder and NetProcessor multiplexer/video processor.

The demonstration, which began on November 30 and will continue until December 5, is being managed by the HD Forum at the NRJ main broadcasting facility in Paris.

Thomson Video Networks created the demonstration to show how advanced compression technology can be used to broadcast five HD channels in a single multiplex, instead of the three currently used today in France.

With 1080ix1920 HD content provided by five French broadcasters – Arte, Canal+, France Televisions, NRJ, and TF1 – the ViBE EM4000 encodes the video in MPEG-4 at variable bit-rate. The HD content is then multiplexed by the NetProcessor, modulated in DVB-T, and displayed on five 46-inch and 55-inch televisions with built-in decoder capabilities.

“Worldwide, broadcasters on DTTV platforms are looking for the best picture quality at the lowest possible bandwidth. In this demonstration, we’re showing how dramatic advancements in compression technology are providing a migration path to HD and offering a better experience for viewers,” said Claude Perron, chief technology officer at Thomson Video Networks.

“Although we’re focusing on the French DTTV platform here, the technology can be applied to any DTTV platform using the EM4000 and NetProcessor.”