Segment Information (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2012	Jun. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2012
Summary of segment information
Revenues	$ 120,915	$ 105,214	$ 250,652	$ 216,924
Gross profit	36,618	45,943	71,575	87,099
Gross margin	30.00%	44.00%	29.00%	40.00%
Income from operations	6,770	12,972	8,693	24,615
Interest expense, net	(2,756)	(1,364)	(3,822)	(2,882)
Equity in earnings of investments	(6,338)	3,777	(5,222)	6,245
Other income (expense)	(107,118)	895	(106,091)	209
Income before income taxes	(109,442)	16,280	(106,442)	28,187
Solutions [Member]
Summary of segment information
Revenues	88,619	71,969	177,789	138,096
Gross profit	21,890	28,904	42,087	47,889
Gross margin	25.00%	40.00%	24.00%	35.00%
Income from operations	11,021	17,434	18,378	27,040
Systems [Member]
Summary of segment information
Revenues	23,848	22,819	55,695	59,525
Gross profit	8,802	9,234	17,182	25,046
Gross margin	37.00%	40.00%	31.00%	42.00%
Income from operations	1,504	995	2,438	9,735
Software [Member]
Summary of segment information
Revenues	8,448	10,426	17,168	19,303
Gross profit	5,926	7,805	12,306	14,164
Gross margin	70.00%	75.00%	72.00%	73.00%
Income from operations	4,955	6,879	10,116	12,361
Corporate and Other [Member]
Summary of segment information
Income from operations	(10,710)	(12,336)	(22,239)	(24,521)
New Venture and Data Library [Member] | Solutions [Member]
Summary of segment information
Revenues	54,770	43,779	112,654	83,041
New Venture [Member] | Solutions [Member]
Summary of segment information
Revenues	33,249	21,544	81,685	50,538
Data Library [Member] | Solutions [Member]
Summary of segment information
Revenues	21,521	22,235	30,969	32,503
Data Processing [Member] | Solutions [Member]
Summary of segment information
Revenues	33,849	28,190	65,135	55,055
Towed Streamer [Member] | Systems [Member]
Summary of segment information
Revenues	12,570	13,727	26,119	29,531
Ocean Bottom [Member] | Systems [Member]
Summary of segment information
Revenues	383	1,616	7,148	5,135
Other [Member] | Systems [Member]
Summary of segment information
Revenues	10,895	7,476	22,428	24,859
Software Systems [Member] | Software [Member]
Summary of segment information
Revenues	7,464	9,551	15,405	17,921
Services [Member] | Software [Member]
Summary of segment information
Revenues	$ 984	$ 875	$ 1,763	$ 1,382