INVESTMENTS IN OTHER EQUITY SECURITIES

From time to time, the Company may acquire certain equity investments for the promotion of business objectives and these investments are classified as long-term investments and included in “Other long-term assets” in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet.

On September 2, 2014, the Company acquired a 3.3% interest in Vislink plc (“Vislink”), a U.K. public company listed on the AIM exchange in London, for $3.3 million. The investment in Vislink is being accounted for as a cost method investment as the Company does not have significant influence over the operational and financial policies of Vislink. Since the Vislink investment is also an available-for-sale security, its value is marked to market for the difference in fair value at period end. The carrying value of Vislink was $0.5 million and $1.8 million at September 30, 2016 and December 31, 2015, respectively, and Vislink’s accumulated unrealized loss, net of taxes was $1.5 million at December 31, 2015.

The Company assessed this available-for-sale investment that was in a gross unrealized loss position on an individual basis to determine if the decline in fair value was other than temporary. The assessment as to the nature of a decline in fair value is based on, among other things, the length of time and the extent to which the market value has been less than the Company’s cost basis; the financial condition and near-term prospects of the investment; and the Company’s intent and ability to retain the investment for a period of time sufficient to allow for any anticipated recovery in market value. As a result of these assessments, it was determined that the decline in fair value of Vislink investment at December 31, 2015 was not other than temporary primarily due to the relatively short duration in which the fair value of the Vislink investment was less than the Company’s cost basis, and, as a result, the Company did not record any impairment charges as of December 31, 2015. Vislink’s $1.5 million accumulated unrealized loss, net of taxes, at December 31, 2015 was included in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets as a component of “Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)”.

By May 2016, Vislink’s stock price had continued to be below the Company’s cost basis for approximately seven months. The prolonged decline in Vislink’s stock price led the Company to conclude the impairment was other than temporary. Furthermore, the Company’s assessment of Vislink's near-term prospects based on Vislink’s recent financial performance suggest that Vislink's stock price may not recover to the Company’s original cost basis in 2016. As a result, the Company recorded an impairment charge in the first quarter of 2016 of $1.5 million reflecting the new reduced cost basis of the Vislink investment at April 1, 2016. As of September 30, 2016, Vislink’s stock price had declined an additional 70% from the stock price as of April 1, 2016. The Company further observed several recent adverse changes in Vislink’s financial and liquidity conditions. Based on the Company’s assessment of the positive and negative factors of Vislink’s financial and business conditions, the Company believes that more likely-than-not, Vislink’s stock price will not recover to the Company’s cost basis established at April 1, 2016. As a result, the Company recorded an additional impairment charge in the third quarter of 2016 of $1.3 million reflecting the new reduced cost basis of the Vislink investment at September 30, 2016. The Company’s remaining maximum exposure to loss from the Vislink investment at September 30, 2016 was limited to its reduced investment cost of $0.5 million.

Unconsolidated Variable Interest Entities

VJU

On September 26, 2014, the Company acquired a 19.8% interest in VJU iTV Development GmbH (“VJU”), a software company based in Austria, for $2.5 million. Since VJU’s equity is deemed not sufficient to permit it to finance its activities without additional support from its shareholders, VJU is considered a variable interest entity (“VIE”). The Company determined that it is not the primary beneficiary of VJU because its financial interest in VJU’s equity and its research and development agreement with VJU do not empower the Company to direct VJU’s activities that will most significantly impact VJU’s economic performance. VJU is accounted for as a cost method investment as the Company does not have significant influence over the operational and financial policies of VJU.

The Company attended a VJU board meeting on March 5, 2015 as an observer. At that meeting, the Company was made aware of significant decreases in VJU’s business prospects, VJU’s existing working capital and prospects for additional funding, compared to the prior information the Company had received from VJU. Based on the Company’s assessment, the Company determined that its investment in VJU was impaired on an other-than-temporary basis. Factors considered included the severity of the impairment and recent events specific to VJU. Based on the Company’s assessment of VJU’s expected cash flows, the entire investment is expected to be non-recoverable. As a result, the Company recorded an impairment charge of $2.5 million in the first quarter of 2015. The Company has no remaining loss exposure from the VJU investment at September 30, 2016.

At VJU’s shareholders meeting held on October 15, 2015, additional contributions by existing shareholders were approved. The Company did not provide additional contributions to VJU, and as a result, the Company’s equity interest in VJU decreased from to 19.8% to 9.9%.

EDC

On October 22, 2014, the Company acquired an 18.4% interest in Encoding.com, Inc. (“EDC”), a video transcoding service company headquartered in San Francisco, California, for $3.5 million by purchasing EDC’s Series B preferred stock. Since EDC’s equity is deemed not sufficient to permit it to finance its activities without additional support from its shareholders, EDC is considered a VIE. The Company determined that it is not the primary beneficiary of EDC because its financial interest in EDC’s equity does not empower the Company to direct EDC’s activities that will most significantly impact EDC’s economic performance. In addition, the Company determined that its investment in EDC’s Series B preferred stock does not have the risk and reward characteristics that are substantially similar to EDC’s common stock. Therefore, Harmonic does not hold an investment in EDC’s common stock or in-substance common stock. According to the applicable accounting guidance, the EDC investment is accounted for as a cost-method investment. The Company determined that there were no indicators existing at September 30, 2016 that would indicate that the EDC investment was impaired.

The following table presents the carrying values and maximum exposure of the unconsolidated VIEs as of September 30, 2016 (in thousands):



	Carrying Value		Maximum exposure to loss⁽¹⁾
VJU	$	—	$	—
EDC⁽²⁾	3,593		3,593
Total	$	3,593	$	3,593

(1) The Company did not provide financial support to any of its unconsolidated VIEs and as of September 30, 2016, there were no explicit arrangements or implicit variable interests that could require the Company to provide financial support to any of its unconsolidated VIEs.

(2) The Company’s maximum exposure to loss with respect to EDC as of September 30, 2016 was limited to a total investment cost of $3.6 million, including $0.1 million of transaction costs.

Each reporting period, the Company reviews all of its unconsolidated VIE investments to determine whether there are any reconsideration events that may result in the Company being a primary beneficiary of any unconsolidated VIE which would then require the Company to consolidate the VIE. The Company also reviews all of its cost-method investments in each reporting period to determine whether a significant event of change in circumstances has occurred that may have an adverse effect on the fair value of each investment.