Thomson Debuts Fast(er) Channel Change

Global video networking giant Thomson (TMS) has launched updates for its ViBE encoders that it says enables 50 percent faster high-definition channel changing for TV viewers.

Thomson claims its new “fast zapping solutions” can also manage up to three HD sets per home. The vendor claims that with the fast-growing number of channels available in TV packages, its new capabilities are a performance indicator for operators and consumers.

The latest advances in Thomson’s ViBE encoders allow simultaneous compression and encoding of two streams of the same channel ─ a full resolution and a low resolution stream.

The set-top box is able to quickly decode and display the low resolution version of the channel and transition to displaying the full resolution version is seamlessly made, without disrupting viewing.

Thomson claims its advanced video compression technologies means that the transmission of the two simultaneous streams is no more bandwidth intensive than sending a regular HD or standard definition (SD) stream on its own.

“A differentiator of Thomson's fast zapping solution is that there is no need for additional investments in infrastructure to be made ─ as competing systems on the market require the installation of a large bank of servers,” said Graham Cradock, general manager of Thomson’s video headend solutions, in prepared comments.

The vendor says its fast channel change approaches “will be standardized with the relevant standards bodies during the course of 2009.”

Share this article: Email, Slashdot, Digg, Del.icio.us, Yahoo!MyWeb, Windows Live Favorites, Furl
Add this article feed to: RSS, My Yahoo, Newsgator, Bloglines