Ericsson announces raft of product launches at NAB

Ericsson announced a raft of products and services at NAB, including a proof of concept for delivering next-generation Fox content including virtual reality (VR) and Ultra HD.

As part of its global partnership with the Fox Innovation Lab, Ericsson is collaborating on a proof of concept for delivering content – including new release and library movies, 360° audio/video, VR, augmented reality, and 4K Ultra-HD with High Dynamic Range content – over any platform, device or network.

The proof of concept uses Ericsson’s Unified Delivery Network (UDN), which connects content providers with the last-mile reach of service providers. The UDN aims to address requirements for the highest quality visuals, enabled by 4K Ultra-HD with High Dynamic Range.

“4K Ultra-HD with High Dynamic Range, as well as virtual and augmented reality and other innovative forms of content, have gathered momentum with the promise of unique, immersive user experiences. Working closely with Ericsson’s technical experts, we will offer our first proof of concept to showcase core technologies that overcome the constraints of network and bandwidth limitations,” said Hanno Basse, chief technology officer, 20th Century Fox, and managing director, Fox Innovation Lab.

At NAB, Ericsson also launched MediaFirst Video Processing – a software-defined video processing solution for ultra-high-quality encoding and video delivery.

The processing solution combines Ericsson’s compression and Envivio’s software-based encoding portfolios, and is the first offering to emerge from Ericsson’s Q4 2015 buyout of Envivio.

Ericsson also launched its global content discovery portfolio at the NAB Showin Las Vegas. The portfolio of TV and VOD content discovery services includes rich metadata, images, real-time triggering, analytics, 360 degree search and personalisation and will roll out across the US, Canada, Australia and Europe.

Finally, Ericsson also launched Piero Augmented Reality, a software system that gives broadcasters the ability to enhance sports programming and create “more immersive viewing experiences”.