Monday February 21, 9:14 am Eastern Time
Company Press Release
SeaChange Rolls Out New Video Server Systems for Broadcast Television
Advanced Features and Performance Support Broadcast Operations Worldwide
MAYNARD, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 21, 2000--SeaChange International, Inc. (Nasdaq: SEAC - news), the world's top provider of digital video systems for television, today pushed the capabilities of broadcasters still higher with the introduction of new products in its Broadcast MediaCluster line of video server systems. SeaChange's new 1230 Series represents a breakthrough in bandwidth and performance capabilities with models designed for large, dynamic operations and entry-level requirements. Shipping in March, these SeaChange systems are available worldwide.
``Our new systems reflect the needs of the wide array of broadcasters around the world as they embrace digital video and its inherent networking advantages,' said John Pittas, vice president of broadcast products, SeaChange International. ``Television is evolving beyond traditional transmission channels and operating models. Broadcasters are taking different approaches, yet networked digital video stands out as the means to significant cost and performance advantages.'
Bringing new, higher performance levels to large scale television operations, SeaChange introduced the 1230 BMC (Broadcast MediaCluster), a clusterable unit with up to six channels at 30Mbits/sec per channel and 360Gbytes of RAID-5 storage using 36Gbyte disk drives. It's the most powerful video server system in the industry, with the superior fault-resilience and scalability that marks SeaChange's leadership in digital video server systems for television.
Interconnected with up to six other 1230 BMC units in the patented RAID2 (`raid squared') MediaCluster configuration, it provides up to 42 I/O channels and over 2Tbytes of fault-resilient storage. Furthermore, storage capacity can be doubled to over 320 hours at 30Mbits/sec. using a SCSI attached Disk Expansion Chassis.
New Broadcast MediaServer
To support smaller broadcasters and distributed ``hub and spoke' operations, SeaChange rolled out the new stand-alone 1230 BMS (Broadcast MediaServer), a single digital video server with up to six channels of I/O and over 360Gbytes of RAID-5 storage. Storage may be doubled using the SCSI attached Disk Expansion Chassis. Entry-level priced, the 1230 BMS provides the high-performance capabilities of SeaChange's family of play-to-air systems, without the cluster network.
``In the centralized multichannel environment increasingly common in international markets, SeaChange's Broadcast MediaCluster and inherent Network Storage Architecture has established a dominant position,' said Pittas. ``The Network Storage Architecture not only permits high-speed cluster-to-cluster or cluster-to-archive transfers, but also enables a single facility to connect multiple remote stations to a centralized hub. With the introduction of the Broadcast MediaServer, we're extending new cost-effective opportunities for de-centralized and remote transmission sites, thereby further reducing the capital investment for regional ownership groups.'
Full Featured
The 1230 BMC and BMS both include advanced features that enable broadcasters to vault far ahead of analog and competing digital systems. Each unit includes integrated MPEG-2 codecs capable of serving up to six channels at 30Mbits/sec each, including two channels of uncompressed AES audio per video channel. Like all SeaChange broadcast systems, the new 1230 Series supports all the popular automation systems and provides jog/shuttle functionality for searching video material.
New interface support includes the BVW-75 VTR protocol for integration with legacy broadcast equipment, such as linear editing systems. SeaChange's TimeDelay application is provided with all systems allowing multichannel and fault-resilient channel delays up to the maximum I/O and storage capabilities of either BMC or BMS platforms.
Existing SeaChange 1200 BMC and 800 BMC customers also now have the option to upgrade to seven node cluster configurations, increasing I/O channels and storage capacity.
The Networked Storage Architecture Advantage
A inherent capability unique to SeaChange systems, is the ability to provide high-speed IP connectivity between SeaChange BMCs and BMSs and third party platforms. This capability provides cluster-to-cluster and cluster-to-third party platform file transfers at both high-speeds and through multiple IP connections. It's the underpinning of SeaChange's Networked Storage Architecture (NSA) and an economical means to extraordinarily high levels of network performance. With its standard IP-based network fabric, video files are quickly and easily transferred at gigabit speeds between machines both within and between facilities. It is a compelling advantage for multichannel operators, broadcast groups and remotely located broadcast sites.
SeaChange will demonstrate the new 1230 Series video server systems at NAB 2000 booth L1523. Shipping in March, these new SeaChange systems are available worldwide.
About SeaChange
Serving 27,000 television channels for broadcast and cable television companies worldwide, SeaChange International, Inc. (www.schange.com) is the leading provider of MPEG-2 digital video systems. SeaChange's products, incorporating the Company's patented software and hardware technologies, automate the management and distribution of video streams including advertisements, movies, news updates and other broadcast-quality video programming requiring precise execution. Founded in 1993, SeaChange is headquartered in Maynard, Massachusetts.
MediaCluster is a registered trademark of SeaChange International, Inc. All other trademarks are properties of their respective companies. All rights reserved.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Contact:
SeaChange International
John Coulbourn, 1-978-897-0100 x3098
johnc@schange.com |
