Telefónica prepares for expansion and MPEG-4 migration with Grass Valley ViBE encoders

April 22nd, 2006 - Spanish telecom operator Telefónica has ordered MPEG-4 Part 10 SD and HDTV encoding platforms from Thomson’s Grass Valley division, plus other equipment and systems integration from Thomson, as it prepares to expand its Imagenio IPTV service across the whole of Spain.

The current Telefónica platform is based on third-generation MPEG-2 encoding but the telco wants to introduce MPEG-4 Part 10 (H.264/AVC) advanced compression and migrate services to the new codec. The new Grass Valley equipment will support this ambition.

Imagenio provides broadcast TV, radio, VOD and interactive TV services and Telefónica is said to have chosen the Grass Valley solutions “because the ViBE encoder delivered the best image and audio quality as well as the highest compression efficiency.”

Grass Valley is responsible for the complete IPTV headend system at Telefónica. As well as a ViBE MPEG-4 [Part 10] encoder for each channel, this includes satellite downlinks leveraging Grass Valley DBD 4437 IRDs (Integrated Receiver Decoders). There is also a 256 x 256 Grass Valley Trinix HD routing. The ViBE encoders support AAC, the new audio coding algorithm that is used for efficient delivery of radio services on the  Imagenio platform.

Each encoder features a dual-IP output and Grass Valley engineers have designed the delivery system to provide true redundancy through latest generation routers. “Redundancy in an IPTV installation is traditionally regarded as technically very challenging,” declares the headend specialist.

“We are delighted to receive this order from Telefónica," says Marc Valentin, president of the Grass Valley business within Thomson. "Our investment in both hardware and software means we know we can deliver better compression ratios and better quality than anyone in the industry, something that is regularly being born out by leaders and professional users, like Telefónica, who undertake careful scientific evaluation of competing products."

Telefónica stipulated a stringent service level agreement and Grass Valley is supporting the system through its local Madrid office with a 24-hour, on-site presence.