05/28/2007 — Thomson announces collaboration with IRT in support of broad MXF interoperability

In an effort to streamline broadcast and production environments and ensure that different vendor’s systems can seamlessly work together, Thomson (Euronext Paris: 18453; NYSE: TMS) today announced that it is working with the Institut fuer Rundfunktechnik (IRT), a globally recognized research and development institute, in support of a broad initiative to ensure greater interoperability between different broadcast vendors’ products – including many of the awardwinning line of Grass Valley™ products – through on-going integration of the Material eXchange Format (MXF) family of standards.

The lack of solid MXF interoperability within the industry remains an issue for many customers that are implementing file-based workflows. The Grass Valley business within Thomson is working with the IRT to improve the interoperability of different vendors’ systems. Part of IRT’s mission is to monitor and improve the practicality and compliance of MXF implementations across the industry, as it relates to such products as the Grass Valley K2™ Media Server and Client System, Profile® XP Media Platform video servers and the Aurora™ Edit news and craft editing systems.

“Thanks to the IRT’s hard work, MXF standards are being evaluated and revised in cooperation with this independent R&D lab to improve interoperability of competing systems,” said Jeff Rosica, Senior Vice President, Marketing and Technology for the Grass Valley business within Thomson. “Grass Valley has always been a leader in developing file formats and protocols while working closely with standards-setting organizations. We’re pleased to be working with the IRT to improve the interoperability of different vendors’ systems and are doing all we can to support them.”

“We are proud to improve together with Thomson’s Grass Valley business, the interoperability of MXF-products”, said Dr. Klaus Illgner-Fehns, Managing Director of IRT. “IRT is working on the MXF-standard and is offering MXF test services, employing IRT’s MXF-SDK and MXF Analyser Professional, since several years now. The acknowledgement of our MXF-SDK and MXF testing expertise through the partnership with Thomson rewards us for our continuing effort for this state-of-the-art exchange format”.

For the past three years Grass Valley has submitted test units to the IRT on a continuing basis to measure and improve industry compliance. Grass Valley is also working with third-party vendors to improve compatibility between systems and files created on these systems.

The Grass Valley K2 Media Server team is continuing to work on and improve compliance with the wide-ranging MXF family of standards and the industries interpretation and implementation of these standards. At NAB 2007, visitors to the Grass Valley booth (#N902) will see the K2 server running the latest software (v3.2), which includes expanded MXF support to provide seamless file interchange (in both SD and HD) to a number of leading third-party solutions, including those from Avid Technology, Omneon Video Networks, and Sony.

“The flexibility inherent in the existing MXF standards has made it more challenging than expected to build systems that comply with every detail of the standards and interoperability with all vendors. – the issue is that vendors interpret the standards differently when they are not specific enough and the challenge is to identify those areas and come to an agreement on what to do added Rosica. “Grass Valley sees immense value in working the IRT and using its testing lab as a way to identify and weed out the problems and lack of clarity in the standards so that we can deliver better products to our customers.”

About Thomson – World leader in digital video technologies

Thomson (Euronext Paris: 18453; NYSE: TMS) provides technology, services, and systems to help its Media & Entertainment clients – content creators, content distributors and users of its technology – realize their business goals and optimize their performance in a rapidly changing technology environment. The Group is the preferred partner to the Media & Entertainment Industries through its Technicolor, Grass Valley, RCA, and Thomson brands.

For more information: http://www.thomson.net

Thomson's Systems division develops video and film technologies, products and services sold to all major Hollywood studios, all major television, satellite, and cable broadcasters under the Grass Valley brand-name for the delivery of analog and digital entertainment. The division also includes the Thomson Premises Systems Business Unit, which provides IP, satellite, cable and terrestrial premises systems as well as consumer networks systems, and the Network Intelligence Solutions organization, which develops software solutions for network operators.

For information about Grass Valley products from Thomson please visit www.thomsongrassvalley.com