Company launches “Software-Defined TV” at NAB Show

Thomson Broadcast, one of the television industry’s most familiar names, is planning a high-profile return to the American market with the introduction of Software Defined Television as a key ingredient of next-generation ATSC 3.0 broadcasting. With new, international ownership, fresh investments, and a cadre of supporting technology companies, Thomson Broadcast will introduce a new way of managing television broadcasting utilizing the latest in energy-efficient transmission and cloud-based technologies that will save time and money for broadcasters making the transition to IP-based broadcasting.

Expanding USA Operations

Thomson Broadcast is opening a New York office and distribution center to meet the growing demand from private and public broadcasters for Low-Power to High-Power transmission solutions during the ATSC 3.0 repack.

“We want to reassure our current and future clients that Thomson Broadcast is back and that we are here to stay. Our U.S. operational headquarters in New York City will allow us to reach new clients and provide strong support and services. And that’s just the first of several announcements that we are planning,” said Aby Alexander, the newly-named President of Thomson Broadcast USA.

Key Partnerships Drive Vision for Software Defined TV Broadcasting

“The 2019 NAB Show is the perfect opportunity to demonstrate our Low-Power and High-Power TV Transmitters that are ideal for the Spectrum Repack and for ATSC 3.0 deployment. We’re also proposing new solutions for the delivery and monetization of ATSC 3.0 content with an all-software suite of encoding, packaging, signaling, metadata management, service quality assurance, content distribution, security monitoring, media migration, media asset management, playout automation and master control,” said Dr. Jay Yagoshwar, chief strategist of the revitalized Thomson Broadcast.

The company is working with partners Triveni Digital, Media Translation, exstream Security, mediathand, and Pace Media Development to offer an end-to-end solution for broadcasters interested in harnessing the most effective capabilities of the new TV broadcast standard. With more than 100,000 television industry professionals expected to converge on Las Vegas for the annual NAB Show this week, Thomson Broadcast (North Hall 4206) will be showing the end-to-end capabilities of the Software Defined Television solution, along with key partners:

• Triveni Digital will provide metadata management and content distribution systems for broadcasters, cable operators, content providers and telco and IPTV providers.
• Media Translation offers non-disruptive media migration to the cloud, media asset management in the cloud, and federated Search and Discovery across all content repositories.
• eXstream Security has cybersecurity products and services for broadcast and enterprise customers to protect against cyber threats. The company’s Sentinel Cyber 360 predicts, detects, prevents, protects, remediates and responds to any internal and external threats to a broadcaster’s mission critical infrastructure.
• mediathand provides a real-time cloud-based encoder, multiplexers and packagers for Over- the-Air and Over-the-Top content, media players, and ATSC 3.0 receivers with convergence and personalization options.
• Pace Media Development specializes in playout automation with integrated playout either “on premise” or “in the cloud” using the same software. All software is provided as a service with remote monitoring options.

New Ownership, Fresh Investments

Last summer, Thomson Broadcast was purchased by the international business firm Groupe Sipromad of Madagascar – a conglomerate that operates in industrial, technology, finance, real estate, tourism, aviation and broadcasting markets.

Headquartered in Antananarivo, the capital city of Madagascar, Groupe Sipromad has additional locations in Mauritius, Seychelles, Morocco, Mali and Paris. Groupe Sipromad owns information technology and telecom operator Broadcasting Media Solutions Indian Ocean (which primarily serves the Indian Ocean region).

“The acquisition of Thomson Broadcast is just one part of a larger developmental plan that goes beyond TV transmitters and into the areas of cloud-based solutions, cybersecurity and digital solutions to support private and public TV broadcasters. We want to create greater value for Thomson Broadcast and offer cutting-edge solutions for the evolving television and global digital market from Africa to the United States,” said Ylias Akbaraly, CEO of Groupe Sipromad and Chairman of the board of Thomson Broadcast.

Maintaining a long-standing tradition of French technology and expertise, Groupe Sipromad created a new management company called Phenixya that allows the Thomson Broadcast brand to retain its autonomy and support from existing French partners and collaborators. A renovation of the new Colombes HQ of Thomson Broadcast, in a western suburb of Paris, is planned to begin soon.