News

Grass Valley Gets All the Action with HD Wireless Camera (10/2/2006)

New Approach to Wireless Camera Connectivity Guarantees Robust Reception and Excellent Signal Quality

Sports fans can now analyze the action in high definition (HD), with the launch of the Grass Valley(tm) HD Wireless Camera System from Thomson (Euronext Paris: 18453; NYSE: TMS). The new wireless link gives freedom without compromise to Grass Valley's HD cameras, the industry standard for major outside broadcast operators: there are over 1,000 LDK 6000 series cameras already in use. The new system, which uses an innovative approach both to compression and to delivery, will be available in time for this year's major sporting events.

The HD Wireless Camera System features the JPEG 2000 compression scheme. This wavelet-based system delivers excellent compression efficiency together with the elimination of blocking artifacts when in difficult reception environments. Given a bandwidth of 55-75 Mb/s, high-quality HD images can be transferred using pure JPEG 2000 with a latency of just one frame, making it perfect for intercutting them with cabled cameras in studio situations. A lower bit-rate, highly robust transmission mode and booster for long-distance outdoor applications are also included.

The system's wireless link is provided by technology based on the 802.16 standard, a subset of the commonly known WiMax format. The use of this IT standard has enabled the system's rapid development as well as robust its reception across the sort of spaces required for typical sports and event coverage-up to 1 km (3,280 feet) with an optional roaming kit. Future developments could allow the wireless camera to become a true WiMax device, bringing the possibility of a roaming HD camera anywhere in a city, for example, for rapid-response ENG. The Grass Valley HD Wireless Camera System is dockable with the existing LDK 6000 series of HD cameras.

"Our customers have made it clear to us that they need all of the production values they are used to, in perfect HD quality," said Marc Valentin, president of the Grass Valley business within Thomson. "The LDK 6200 HD Super Slo-Mo camera was one example of our response to that demand: the new HD wireless camera system is another. By combining our unrivalled experience in broadcast cameras with the latest in IT technology we have given the camera complete freedom to roam without compromising the sparkling HD image quality in any way."

This announcement supports Thomson's Two Year Plan, which includes an overall strategy to help its global media and entertainment customer base acquire, create, edit and manipulate, aggregate, repurpose and package their high-value content.

Pricing/Availability

Pricing for a complete Grass Valley HD Wireless Camera System (excluding camera head, viewfinder, and control panel), starts at $142,000 (€116,000). It is scheduled to be available in the third quarter of 2006.

www.thomsongrassvalley.com

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