Products & Services…

— Thomson Video Networks is spearheading the H2B2VS project, aimed at investigating the hybrid distribution of TV programs and services over heterogeneous broadcast and broadband networks using the upcoming HEVC video-compression standard. The project addresses requirements for hybrid distribution as well as its impact on other technologies like DASH, content protection and content distribution networks. A project of the Eureka/Celtic-Plus research initiative for telecom and new media, H2B2VS also is endorsed by the French "Images & Réseaux" research cluster; the 30-month project was launched in February. As project coordinator, Thomson leads 19 partners in five European countries (France, Finland, Spain, Switzerland and Turkey) to address broadcasting challenges and to make recommendations for HEVC standardization.
 
— IEEE authorized a revision project to add advanced beaconing capabilities to IEEE 802.22.1-2010 to enable spectrum-sharing in the 2 GHz-4 GHz band and to facilitate opening up of new spectrum to support a variety of wireless apps. IEEE P802.22.1 supports the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology report promoting the sharing and more efficient use of spectrum through new cognitive radio technologies and interference-mitigation techniques, making 500 megahertz of new spectrum available for fixed and mobile wireless broadband. Initially, a database-service approach has been proposed for information about exclusion zones to protect certain U.S. military areas, with IEEE explaining such an approach could keep new wireless services from much of the U.S. population.