Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Technology Stocks : C-Cube -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Tim McCormick who wrote (26549)	12/11/1997 9:11:00 PM
From: John Rieman	Respond to of 50808

Thomcast Acquires Matra Unit................ ijumpstart.com Transmission companies are continuing to expand beyond traditional product bases in the new digital television frontier, acquiring other businesses and forming partnerships to intelligently increase their analog-to-digital offerings. France's Thomcast acquired the "Departmente Image" unit of French telecommunications manufacturer Matra Communication this month, as a strategic Christmas gift to its Alexandria, Va.-based Comark Digital Services (CDS) subsidiary. The move was seen as a way to boost the product lines and expertise of CDS, a company charged with simplifying broadcast efforts to implement Digital Television. "We're going to offer some unique MPEG products that are complementary to other encoder manufacturers' solutions," said Mark Richer, vice president and general manager of CDS. Mindful of the fact that Comark sells encoders in Europe, Richer was not willing to go into specifics about what these new products will be. "We don't want to be competitors with [other encoder makers], we want to work with them." He told VTN that CDS will begin making announcements in January, leading up to the NAB conference in April. "We've been encouraged by customers who want us to provide them with everything they need - complete turn-key solutions to help them with the transition to DTV. Analog-to-digital is the whole focus of our business," he said. Matra's former division has garnered a great deal of expertise in MPEG, particularly with hardware and software that transports streams of data. Additionally, the 90-person staff, based in Paris and Rennes, has developed trans-multiplexing products, MPEG 2 servers, and electronic program guide management tools specifically made for DTV; all of which, Richer said, will strengthen CDS's baseline offerings. Besides the acquisition of the Matra unit, CDS also has partnered with companies like Microwave Radio Communications (MRC), and prior to NAB will probably make "two or three more deals," Richer said. They have also signed a strategic agreement with PBS to help its engineering staff develop strategies for the broadcaster's transition to DTV by 2003. And, industry sources say other acquisitions by Thomcast with relation to CDS may occur within the next few months. (CDS, 703/838-5655)