Although it has tried to reposition its Grass Valley NewsEdit NLE
system to compete with the likes of others used in the independent
filmmaking and video production markets, Thomson tabled those efforts
this month and decided to buy Canopus. Many see the move as a great fit
for both companies.
By paying approximately $109 million for the Japan-based manufacturer
of high-definition desktop video editing software, Thomson's Grass
Valley business unit now has the technology it needs to offer a proven
PC-based alternative to Avid Technology's Xpress, Adobe's Premiere,
Leitch's Velocity, and Sony's Vegas, to name a few.
"There are a number of markets that are complementary to our technology
and product range, and we plan to aggressively take the company in
those directions," said Jeff Rosica, vice president, worldwide
strategic marketing and business development at Grass Valley, pointing
out that Canopus' software-based codec is extremely important to
developing next-generation NLE systems. "This isn't a reaction to [Avid
buying Pinnacle Systems, or Harris buying Leitch] or any other company.
We set out with a goal two years ago to increase the reach of the
company and this [along with the approximately $156 million acquisition
of Thales Broadcast and Multimedia] is the fruition of that."
The purchase gives Thomson an increased presence in Japan and the
Asia-Pacific region, where Canopus enjoys a large market share, and
allows Canopus to take advantage of Thomson's worldwide marketing
muscle.
Edius Pro is Canopus' flagship NLE software product. The Edius NX
(hardware and software) package with the HD expansion kit includes
native editing support for HD (100 Mbps) and HDV (25 Mbps). This
complements Grass Valley's new Infinity camcorder, which is being
touted as a tapeless solution, but can be configured to record onto HDV
tape.
Canopus also offers MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 video encoding/decoding
technology and has a multi-channel, multi-location video delivery
system called MediaEdge2 that uses standard IP networks and display
devices in enterprise-type applications such as digital signage for
advertising and VOD applications for in-house video systems.
Roisica said the Canopus brand will be maintained on most products, and
that Hiroshi Yamada, Canopus chairman and CEO, will continue to play a
role in managing the Canopus business and in Grass Valley's expansion
plans.
Look for Thomson's extensive work in software-based MPEG-4 AVC and JPEG
2000 codec technology to have a big impact on the Canopus product line
in the future.
For more information, visit www.thomsongrassvalley.com.