Published:  14.12.2011

As part of the of its loan program to sustain innovation and growth initiatives (“Grand Emprunt”), the French government has just confirmed a grant to a consortium of 8 partners (1) led by TDF, to fund part (30%) of the development of the B2M (Broadcast Multimedia Mobile) project. The aim of this ambitious project is to offer to operators and media publishers an innovative solution to deliver digital content to mobile devices (tablets and smartphones) through a broadcast network in a verycost effective manner . It will make it possible to respond to the very fast growing public demand fordigital content on the go.

Project launch

The main innovation of this project lies in the broadcasting, in real-life conditions, of rich and varied multimedia digital content (newspapers, podcasts, catch-up TV or video on demand etc.) to mobile devices via a broadcast, non-unicast channel.

 

This project aims to respond to the growing needs of the market for distribution of mobile content; it will help to address the challenge of providing data in the best possible circumstances in terms of cost, quality and speed.

This exploratory phase, funded by the “Grand Emprunt”, is dedicated to developing a prototype that will be available during the second half of 2012, and will be followed by other stages before marketing the services developed.

 

During this initial phase, TDF will approach suppliers who provide content, distributors and telecom operators.

 

The future implementation of these innovative solutions will sustain pluralism and dynamism of media and cultural creation.

The partners

The TDF Group has brought together seven French industrial partners, all of whom are renowned for their innovation, as well as Institut Télécom, a leading academic institution. This choice was based on the indisputable status and reputation of each partner in their respective fields and in the broader world of digital media.

TDF Group

“The TDF Group is renowned for its operational excellence, broadcasting to over 100 million households in Europe every day, thousands of hours of radio and TV programmes. With a project such as B2M, the TDF Group is evidencing its commitment to innovation and forward thinking, exploring and preparing the digital solutions of the future. The TDF Group is proud to be at the heart of such a collaborative project, and is delighted with the support and confidence that we have been given thanks to the “Grand Emprunt.” Olivier Huart, Managing Director of the TDF Group.

 

Working at the very heart of the digital revolution, TDF is developing a multi-format and multisupport terrestrial platform for managing and distributing audio, video and data content to all types of receivers. As a dedicated broadcaster and designer of telecom networks, TDF is positioned at the nexus of the new digital, mobile and multimedia technologies by using all means of transmission: terrestrial, IP, satellite, etc. For years, TDF has been creating innovative solutions, to the point it is now developing tomorrow’s communications, channels such as digital cinema, 3D, connected DTT, video on-demand, catch-up television, digital radio, web broadcasting, real-time traffic display and ultra-high speed telecom networks. The singular goal here is to provide our customers and end users with media whenever, wherever, and however they wish…
www.tdf.fr

Airweb

”We are delighted to be able to make our contribution to the consortium, with our vision and experience in developing ergonomic multimedia applications for tablets and smartphones. The richness and depth of the content offered by the B2M player needs to run incredibly smoothly as well as being easy to use. This is the challenge that Airweb is keen to tackle”, explains Xavier Debbasch, COO of Airweb.

 

Since 1999, Airweb has specialised in providing mobile and iTV services and applications. A pioneer in this sector, Airweb offers its partners a unique level of expertise and skills as well as valuable resources to help them develop their digital communication strategies. Its recognised and highly sought-after expertise has helped Airweb develop successful partnerships with many operators and large companies in over fifteen countries.
www.airweb.fr

Archos

“By getting involved in this B2M project, ARCHOS offers its experience and expertise in the Android tablet and portable multimedia market. For this project, we will be providing an adapted version of our next-generation tablets, the ARCHOS G9. These tablets are incredibly advanced, thanks to the smart multi-core OMAP 4 processor and can play 1080p HD streamed video and thus offer an unrivalled video experience in terms of quality and playback. Lightweight and with a great battery life, they are particularly well suited to the multimedia mobile applications targeted the project. Last but not least, the design of these tablets is ideal for receiving broadcasts thanks to the space initially designed for 3G reception” explains Henri Crohas, CEO and Founder of ARCHOS.

 

ARCHOS, a groundbreaker in the audio/video player market and now specialising in Android^TM tablets, has been committed to revolutionising the mass-market electronics sector since 1988. Today, ARCHOS offers AndroidTM tablets and MP3/MP4 players. In 2000, ARCHOS launched the Jukebox 6000, the first MP3 player with a hard disk. In 2003 it introduced the first multimedia player that could record TV. 2006 saw the introduction of Wi-Fi 3/4 devices, while touchscreens arrived in 2007. In 2008, ARCHOS launched the first generation of 5” and 7” Internet-enabled tablets. Finally, in 2009, ARCHOS was the first to unveil an Android tablet. In June 2011, ARCHOS launched its Android 3.2 “Honeycomb”’ tablets with a multi-core OMAP 4 smart processor. ARCHOS has offices in the United States, Europe and Asia and is listed in compartment C of Eurolist, Euronext Paris, ISIN Code FR0000182479. www.archos.com

 

DiBcom

“For the B2M project, DiBcom is adapting its Multistandard Octopus platform for DVB-T/T2 so that it can be integrated into an Archos Android PC Tablet. It will also oversee the development of a Broadcast/WiFi conversion module to cope with other smartphones, including iPhones.” Yannick Levy, CEO of DiBcom

 

DiBcom, a subsidiary of the Parrot group, designs and markets incredibly advanced integrated circuits facilitating TV and radio reception with low power consumption for mobile and portable devices, at a speed that can exceed 200 km/h. Its solutions are used to receive TV and radio in cars, decoders, on PCs and mobile phones as well as all other portable multimedia devices.
www.dibcom.com

Expway

“Video traffic currently exceeds 50% of total mobile data use, and is set to hit 66% in 2015. The FastCast™ solution from Expway helps to reduce this video traffic through broadcast streaming and so sending large catalogues of VOD and OTT content via DVB-T2. The strength of the FastCast™ solution, which is currently being rolled out in Japan, lies in the fact that it saves 50% of bandwidth compared to any other “Push VOD” solution, and that content can be sent to every kind of decoder, television and tablet, whether fixed or mobile,” elaborates Claude Seyrat, co-founder and VP Marketing & Strategy at Expway.

Expway provides efficient solutions that have been tried and tested from a technical point of view and marketed commercially, to broadcast content and EPGs via Broadcast and Multicast networks, on digital set-top boxes, TVs, tablets, integrated devices and mobile phones.
www.expway.com

IMMANENS

“We are thrilled to be able to make our contribution to this particularly innovative project, for which Immanens will adapt its solutions to offer users a new approach to electronic newspapers.” Philippe Belin, COO of Immanens

 

Immanens is a company that focuses on electronic information solutions for the following markets: press, books, education and communication. We develop products and services for producers of content and their readers: editorial information systems, editorial creation software packages for tablets, online/offline delivery services for all formats (computers, tablets and smartphones). Based in Palaiseau (France), Immanens has 30 employees and 500 publisher clients.
www.immanens.com

Institut Télécom

“For the B2M (Broadcast Mobile Multimedia) project, Institut Télécom will carry out usage tests and measure the quality of the user experience and distribution.” Yves Poilane, Telecom Director at ParisTech.

 

Institut Télécom is an organisation focusing on higher education and research in science and information and communication technologies. It encompasses Télécom ParisTech, Télécom Bretagne, Télécom SudParis and Télécom Ecole de Management as well as two subsidiaries, Télécom Lille1 and Eurecom, representing 5,400 students, 650 professors and PhD, post-doctoral and sabbatical students. A key player in its field in Europe, since 2008 Institut Télécom has had its own network of associated colleges, including Télécom Saint-Etienne, ENSPS (Strasbourg), ENSEIRB-MATMECA (Bordeaux), INP-ENSEEIHT (Toulouse), ENSIIE (Evry), ESIAL(Nancy) and Sup’Com Tunis (Tunisia). Committed to innovation, Institut Télécom has been granted Carnot 2 status with its partners for the quality of its collaborative research, and creates more than 50 startups every year in its business incubators.
www.institut-telecom.fr

 

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Airweb, Archos, Cognacq-Jay Image, DiBcom, Expway, Immanens and Institut Telecom