Harmonic and CANALSAT have expanded its ADSL video service with MPEG-4 AVC (H.264) based digital video solutions from Harmonic. The DiviCom Electra 7000 HD and Electra 5400 SD high density encoders enable CANALSAT to provide viewers with superior quality video at ultra-low bit-rates. Using the Harmonic solution, CANALSAT can enhance its service portfolio to meet increasing demand for HD programming, expand the SD channel lineup and increase the number of households that have access to its ADSL video service.

The CANAL+ Group distributes more than 300 television channels to viewers in France via multiple platforms, including digital terrestrial television, direct-to-home satellite, ADSL and mobile phone subscription services. CANALSAT is one of the world’s largest aggregated DSL service providers, delivering programming to consumers through several major telecommunications operators’ networks.

Top tier telco operators around the world continue to prefer Harmonic’s Electra video encoding platform, which is today used to deliver thousands of IPTV channels. Leading DSL-based service providers that have selected Harmonic’s powerful compression systems include: Aliant, CANALSAT, HanseNet, Jazztel, PCCW, Portugal Telecom, SaskTel, SingTel, T-Com Germany, Telekom Austria, Tiscali UK and Yahoo!BB. Introduced in September 2006, the industry-leading Harmonic Electra 7000 HD H.264 multi-channel encoder has been selected by top tier satellite, telco and cable operators in North America, Europe and Asia to provide the highest quality, ultra-low bit-rate compression for more than 1,500 HD channels.