SES launches new media service company MX1

SES has created a new media services company out of the combination of its existing SES Platform Services unit and recently acquired RR Sat . The new company, MX1, was launched at IBC.

Wilfried Umer, formerly CEO of SES Platform Services, said that SES had not traditionally been able to support certain businesses, but the acquisition of RR Media had changed that.

He said that MX1 was working with HD+ in Germany to offer OTT, multiscreen and catch-up content, in part by introducing Sat>Ip technology to deliver satellite TV services around the home.

SES is also working with HD+ on a UHD set-top provided by Humax that is ready for its market launch.

He said that the bigger challenge with UHD TV is “better pixels rather than more pixels”, meaning HDR. At IBC, SES has teamed up with LG and Samsung to show Hybrid Log Gamma HDR.

He said that delivering VOD via satellite in markets where broadband infrastructure is lacking had moved on. The solution will be launched next year. VOD movie carousels are delivered via satellite.

SES is also teaming up with Frauenhofer HHI to showcase 360-degree video.

Avi Cohen, the CEO of MX1, said that MX1 – meaning first in media experience – had a mission to deliver content to any screen. The combination of RR Media and SES Platform Services created a standalone company that had a global network, he said. The network is hybrid and the company has facilities in numerous cities worldwide and can leverage the SES backbone, he said.

MX1 distributes over 2,500 TV channels and manages playout of over 500. It syndicates content to 120 VOD platforms.

The company is using IBC to launch MX1 360, a unified delivery platform encompassing content contribution and distribution, he said. Recent wins including working with the Premier League and IMG to bring Premier League game to multiple platforms worldwide. Other wins include Vubiquity, where MX1 is providing streamlined content aggregation.