Thomson Video Upgrades Flextream™ 2.0

Thomson Video Networks has announced a new capability for the statistical multiplexing technology Flextream™ 2.0, that enables it to integrate variable bit-rate data streams within the video pool.
Thomson Video Networks' statistical multiplexing technology automatically controls the company's ViBE™ MPEG-2/4 SD or HD encoders by allocating video bit-rates according to quality targets and service priorities.
Through this method, it can optimise bandwidth utilisation and improve the resulting video quality.
Flextream 2.0 can extend the technology to intermittent data streams, meaning that, instead of reserving a fixed amount of bandwidth within the multiplex for passing these streams, Flextream 2.0 adapts the video pool bit-rate based on the quantity of data to be transmitted.
Flextream 2.0 applies a complementary approach to Opportunistic Data Insertion (ODI). Instead of adapting the data bit-rate to the audio/video services, it adapts the video pool bit-rate to the amount of data to broadcast (up to a predefined threshold). It also comes with monitoring utilities that notify operators when the data streams exceed their maximum allowed bit-rate.
"Flextream 2.0 is the latest example of Thomson Video Networks' ongoing innovation in compression and multiplexing technology, demonstrating our commitment to offering the most cost-effective solutions and delivering the highest video quality," said Eric Gallier, vice president of marketing at Thomson Video Networks.
Flextream 2.0 is available as a software option for Thomson Video Networks' NetProcessor video processing equipment, as well as the company's ViBE EM series of broadcast encoders. Flextream 2.0 can also be deployed on existing Thomson headend platforms.
www.thomson-networks.com
(IT/JP)