Thomson Drives Live Streaming to Theaters in Japan


RENNES, FRANCE: Thomson Video Networks, through its Japanese partner Village Island, is supplying technology to Warner Mycal to enable streaming of live events to multi-screen cinema complexes. A joint venture between Time Warner Group and AEON Retail of Japan, Warner Mycal operates 60 cinema complexes and nearly 500 screens throughout the country, showing a mix of cinematic releases and additional screenings that include live sports, entertainment, and digital 3D content.

First piloted in May 2011 to distribute a concert series in Tokyo, and now being rolled out to more than 30 of the company’s complexes, Warner Mycal’s installation includes both Thomson’s NetProcessor 9030 and ViBE VS7000. Warner Mycal has chosen Thomson’s NetProcessor 9030 for multi-IP unicast streaming to multiple receivers, with FEC (forward error correction) insertion for reliable packet transmission over the IP network.

To power backup streaming of live events from one site to more than 30 complexes, Warner Mycal is deploying Thomson’s ViBE VS7000 Convergent Video System with Mustang video compression technology, which delivers optimum image quality at low bit rates. The streams are transmitted from HD-SDI input using Apple HLS.