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Thomson Confirms SMPTE 3Gb/s Compliance Of Its GeckoFlex Modular Platform With New Tektronix Test Equipment (7/5/2008)

Thomson (Euronext Paris: 18453; NYSE: TMS) today announced that its new Thomson Grass Valley(tm) 8943RDA 3 Gb/s HD/SD re-clocking distribution amplifier has been proven to show complete compliance to meet the strict guidelines established by the Society of Motion Picture & Television Engineers (SMPTE).

The modules has been rigorously tested with the newly upgraded Tektronix WFM7120 Waveform Monitor-the only such test equipment for the SMPTE 424M and 425M (3 Gb/s) standard currently available..

In an increasingly convergent world, Thomson supports the entire media ecosystem. Whether it's content creation, management, distribution and delivery, or consumption, our end-to-end solutions meet the business requirements of our customers-and let them launch new services to meet the expectations of increasingly sophisticated consumers.

The new GeckoFlex 3 Gb/s signal conversion modules support this strategy by enabling broadcasters and production professionals to repurpose their content in new and innovative ways that increase productivity and generate new revenue.

With the ability to cleanly process and strengthen 1080P 50/59.94/60 (3 Gb/s) HD video signals in order to distribute them further, the new 8943RDA will help broadcasters make a smooth transition from standard-definition to high-definition and to increase their HD capability to include the highest quality HD signals now available. The new 8943RDA module will be on display in the Thomson booth (SL106) on the show floor.

The 8943RDA DA provides eight reclocked outputs for its input and includes automatic format detection. It can be used to distribute SD-SDI, HD-SDI or the new HD 1080p 3Gb video format, making it ideal for mixed format applications or installations where an upgrade is planned. The new DA fits into the existing Thomson Grass Valley GeckoFlex frame, which has already been tested to be 3 Gb/s compliant.

"As broadcasters continue to embrace the highest quality HD signal types, the need for cost-effective, automatic, and reliable conversion that meets the exact SMPTE specifications has become critical," said Jeff Rosica, Senior Vice President of Thomson's Broadcast & Professional Solutions within the Systems division. "This new 3 Gb/s family of signal conversion modules is part of an on-going strategy at Thomson to innovate ahead of other suppliers and provide our customers with the most flexible tools for the specific types of infrastructures they require today."

With the 1080p standard now emerging in earnest, many customers have found that several existing 3Gb products on the market are not fully compatible with each other. With the new Tektronix WFM7120 Waveform Monitor, which adds 3Gb/s Single Link Serial-Digital-Interface (SDI) support, broadcasters can now be assured that all Thomson Grass Valley infrastructure products will meet and even exceed the SMPTE 424M and 425M standards.

In the near future, the 8943RDA DA will be joined by other new Thomson Grass Valley modules supporting the 3Gbps 1080p HD format that will address frame synchronization, standards conversion, and aspect ration conversion. This includes an HD/SD re-clocking DA that features two to eight reclocked outputs for each of its two inputs, and a dual HD/SD "fiber-ready" reclocking distribution amplifier.

With the Grass Valley GeckoFlex platform, users can include all currently shipping Gecko signal processing modules as well as future modules supporting extended functionality such as high-definition (HD), fiber optics, "Firewire" and Ethernet. The unique 2RU Gecko Flex frame is backwards compatible with all existing Gecko modules, while providing a powerful and uniquely configurable platform for a wider range of signal processing solutions for the broadcast and production industries.

Pricing and Availability

The new Thomson Grass Valley 8943RDA module will ship in Q1 2008 and will be priced at approximately $1,400.

www.thomsongrassvalley.com  

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