Astro selects Thomson for DTH, IPTV and OTT expansion

Astro Selects Thomson Video Networks Video Processing Solutions to Drive New Multi-Screen Unified Compression Platform

RENNES, France — Southeast Asia’s largest pay-TV operator, Astro, has chosen a suite of Thomson Video Networks encoding and video processing solutions to drive its new Multi-screen Unified Compression System (MUCS), a compression platform that will enable Astro to deliver additional channels for its future business expansion. Thomson Video Networks’ solutions deployed for MUCS include the award-winning ViBE™ EM4000 premium HD/SD broadcast encoder, NetProcessor multiplexer/video processor, Amethyst III high-density redundancy switch, and XMS network management system. The Thomson Video Networks solutions enable a native multi-screen platform that provides an easy-to-manage capability for Astro to deliver content via DTH (VBR MPEG-2 and H.264), IPTV (CBR H.264), and OTT.

“We chose the Thomson Video Networks solutions after a very comprehensive and intensive tender process in which we evaluated a number of compression technology vendors. The Thomson solutions were an ideal match to our requirements, especially with regard to the ability to deliver content on multiple platforms,” said Poh Kee Seng, vice president of platform technology, Astro.

With a base of more than 4.3 million residential customers representing approximately 62 percent of Malaysian TV households, Astro offers more than 184 TV channels — including 48 HD channels — delivered via DTH satellite TV, IPTV, and OTT platforms. Over the past six years, Astro has deployed 18 DTH transponders with Thomson Video Networks solutions and now uses the NetProcessor multiplexer/video processor for all IPTV streaming services. Also, with the new solutions installed in Astro’s main DTH broadcast center in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, the MUCS platform extends an existing Thomson Video Networks deployment for the OTT service — Astro on the Go — that includes the industry-leading ViBE VS7000 multi-screen and HEVC video system.

“Through its partnership with Thomson Video Networks, Astro Malaysia is truly at the forefront of leveraging the industry’s most advanced compression technologies to deliver advanced pay-TV services through DTH, IPTV and OTT resources,” said Tony Berthaud, vice president, Asia-Pacific sales and services, Thomson Video Networks. “We look forward to working with Astro as it continues to provide leading-edge services to its customers.”