Bahakel Communications Chooses Thomson Video Networks' ViBE EM4000 Premium Encoding Solution for Upgrade of Stations' TV Platform

RENNES, France -- March 31, 2015 -- Thomson Video Networks today announced that Bahakel Communications, a major TV and radio station group based in Charlotte, North Carolina, has chosen the ViBE(TM) EM4000 HD/SD premium encoder to upgrade its digital broadcast television platform.

As a replacement for aging broadcast emission encoding systems in many of its markets, Bahakel evaluated the various encoding technologies available and concluded that the ViBE EM4000 offered the best state-of-the-art performance and flexibility to meet its needs. To date, Bahakel has upgraded three of its stations -- WOLO in Columbia, South Carolina; WFXB in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina; and Bahakel's flagship station, WCCB in Charlotte, North Carolina. The upgrades also include Thomson Video Networks' RD1100 interface converter.

"As a Southeast-based operator of several full-power broadcast TV stations, we place a high priority on maintaining quality for all types of programming whether it's live news, entertainment, or sports," said Bob Davis, director of engineering and operations for Bahakel. "The EM4000 is a flexible and user-friendly system that offers high video quality, unmatched platform density, efficient statistical multiplexing, and easy upgradability for additional services -- all critical elements in delivering outstanding programming to our viewers. As a longtime customer, we knew we could count on Thomson Video Networks for top-level technology as well as outstanding customer support."

Thomson Video Networks' award-winning ViBE EM4000 is the first premium encoder to offer a density of eight HD MPEG-2 or H.264 channels in a 1-RU chassis, making it suitable for a wide range of broadcast operations including satellite, terrestrial, cable, and IP television. The system's density is ideal for operations such as Bahakel Communications that must be able to deliver multiple revenue-generating channels without compromising on video quality.

"As an established regional broadcaster, Bahakel understands the importance of providing the highest-quality programming to its customers," said Mark Renfroe, vice president and managing director, Americas, Thomson Video Networks. "We appreciate the ongoing support that Bahakel has given us and the trust they have placed in our encoding technology and customer service. We're confident that the EM4000's outstanding video quality, flexibility, and industry-leading density will meet Bahakel's needs now and into the future."

Further information about the ViBE EM4000 and other Thomson Video Networks products is available at www.thomson-networks.com.

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About Thomson Video Networks

A global leader in advanced video compression solutions, Thomson Video Networks empowers media companies, video service providers, and broadcasters to deliver superior video quality at the highest density and lowest bandwidth for contribution, terrestrial, satellite, cable, IPTV, and OTT services. Through its innovative Behind Every Screen(R) approach, Thomson Video Networks combines both on-premises and cloud-based resources to create an all-encompassing video infrastructure for its advanced ingest/playout, branding, ad insertion, encoding/transcoding, and packaging technologies. Media enterprises now have every key capability they need to raise video quality and reduce cost of ownership not just for broadcast, but also for multi-screen services on every device and platform. Behind Every Screen you'll find Thomson Video Networks. Visit www.thomson-networks.com.

Photo Caption: ViBE(TM) EM4000 Premium HD/SD Encoder

Photo Link: www.wallstcom.com/ThomsonVN/ThomsonVN-ViBEEM4000PremiumHDSDEncoder.jpg