Thomson launches SmartVision QoE server for a better Quality of Experience over IPTV networks
3/26/2009
Paris (France), 26 March 2009 - Thomson (Euronext Paris:18453; NYSE: TMS), a worldwide leader of services to content creators, today extended its range of SmartVision content delivery components with the introduction of a new network server. Using advanced technologies including packet loss recovery and fast channel change, it significantly improves the quality of experience for subscribers over IPTV networks.
Quality of Experience (QoE) quantifies the user experience based on both objective and subjective quality perceptions. The two most important defects that impact the QoE are the video artifacts caused by network impairments such as packet loss and the long channel change times.
SmartVision QoE servers improve the overall user experience in these two aspects. It is capable of bringing fast channel change times while implementing a packet loss recovery mechanism that guarantees that the picture quality does not suffer from macro blocks or freeze/black frames caused by network packet loss.
“With a capture capability of up to 400 TV channels and more than 10,000 users simultaneously connected to the server, SmartVision is a scalable and cost effective solution for improving the user experience over any IPTV system” said Tiaan Schutte, General Manager of Thomson Software & Service Platforms business unit.
Based on the latest DVB and Internet standards, the SmartVision QoE server is interoperable with any set-top box that implements these recommendations, and does not require the implementation of proprietary agents running on the STB.
Using standards-based communication protocols the STB notifies the SmartVision QoE server when changing channels so that it can receive the first video frame much more quickly than what it would otherwise take. This brings the channel change delay down from a typical two seconds to less than a second when combined with STB optimizations.
When packet loss is detected by the STB, it requests a retransmission of the missing packets according to the RTP retry standards (RFC4585, RFC4588). Because of the way that the SmartVision QoE server handles this request, the missing packet is recovered before the decoding process so that there is no audio/video impairment in the signal to the viewer.
“Managed by the SmartVision CDN Manager, multiple units of the SmartVision QoE server can be distributed over the different points of presence, while service providers can simply configure how STBs can reach their closest QoE server. Additionally, by offering a consolidated view of QoE servers and live TV health status, Thomson CDN solutions help service providers quickly identify network impairments and troubleshoot them before they become customer complaints.
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Certain statements in this press release, including any discussion of management expectations for future periods, constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the "safe harbor" of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements are based on management's current expectations and beliefs and are subject to a number of factors and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the future results expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements due to changes in global economic and business conditions, ”media and entertainment” markets, and regulatory factors. More detailed information on the potential factors that could affect the financial results of Thomson is contained in Thomson's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
About Thomson:
Thomson (Euronext Paris: 18453; NYSE: TMS) is a worldwide leader of services to content creators. http://www.thomson.net
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