Thomson to sell Bcom Ultra Player

Rennes-based research and technology institute B<>com and Thomson Video Networks will highlight their ongoing collaboration with the announcement of b<>com’s Ultra Player, a solution for playing the latest generation of uncompressed audio/video content. The b<>com 4K Ultra Player is being sold by Thomson Video Networks as a complement to its ViBE 4K HEVC encoder. 

Ultra Player is a solution that combines ultra high definition (UHD) images with spatial audio that makes it possible to play immersive content and all videos with very high resolution. Initially developed for b<>com researchers, the tool also completely meets the needs of professionals who want to edit audio/video content prior to compression. Ultra Player’s Web user interface incorporates any workflow, and it works in applications including broadcasting systems, testing laboratories, exhibits, museums and theme parks, universities, and surgical operating theatres, according to the pair.

Thomson Video Networks will offer Ultra Player as a bundled solution with the company’s ViBE 4K HEVC encoder for UHD broadcasting.

“We work each day to develop innovative solutions that accelerate time to market for content providers looking to offer a higher-quality experience to the end user. The business partnership with Thomson Video Networks is a win-win situation and a perfect example of our willingness to transfer technology to our partners. This new deal will allow both partners to address one of the key issues in the market for new media formats — improving the sensation of being immersed in content,” said Bertrand Guilbaud, CEO of b<>com.

“We are already working on upgrades to our Ultra Player; for instance, it will soon be able to play new formats such as UHD HDR at 120 frames per second along with 64 audio tracks. This will make it an essential tool for experimenting with UHD Phase 2, combining immersive video and spatialized audio. Our agreement with Thomson Video Networks is the concrete result of a partnership between the Institute of Research and Technology and an internationally recognised broadcast technology provider, paving the way for b<>com to develop future collaborations with other partners.”

Eric Gallier, vice president of marketing at Thomson Video Networks, said, “The experts at b<>com conceive and design technologies that allow content to be published, stored, and shared widely in a constantly changing market. Several of our engineers were involved in the original design of *Ultra Player* within b<>com, so it was only natural that we partner with them for its distribution. This agreement confirms our position at the cutting edge of technologies that are driving the broadcast industry forward, including 4K Phase 2.”

Thomson Video Networks will exhibit at IBC on stand 14.A10