Seachange has bought some IBM encoders. But this headend stuff is likely Cube..............................
Shaw Communications Selects Seachange For Digital Insertion With Satellite Netwo...
Received: July 21, 1997 12:00pm EDT From: PR Newswire
$1 Million Deal With Canadian Communications Leader
MAYNARD, Mass., July 21 /PRNewswire/ -- SeaChange International,
Inc.
(Nasdaq: SEAC), the leading provider of digital ad insertion systems, today
announced that its SeaChange SPOT System has been selected by Shaw
Communications in a deal worth $1 million (U.S.). Shaw will use the SeaChange
system, in conjunction with its satellite network, to digitize, store, manage
and distribute promotional material and other content to its cable television
headends throughout Canada.
Based in Calgary, Shaw provides cable television services to 1.5
million
customers. At the Calgary master control center, the analog video material
will be digitally encoded and transmitted to geographically dispersed
locations for playback in various regions.
"We are aggressively implementing new digital technologies to
improve our
service offerings," said Jim Shaw, Jr., president and chief operating officer,
Shaw Communications. "By leveraging the SeaChange SPOT System with our
satellite network, we will distribute MPEG-2 video content across Canada to
our customers, which will provide us significant advantages in marketing new
programs and services."
"On a global scale Shaw is a top provider of digital
communications," said
Bill Styslinger, president and CEO, SeaChange International. "Shaw is
SeaChange's first customer to implement satellite distribution and we expect
it will set a new standard in digital video distribution for television."
Through its advanced software and video server technology, the
SeaChange
SPOT System automates the complex process of advertisement insertion across
multiple channels and geographic zones for cable TV operators and
telecommunications companies. SeaChange customers can use satellite
technology to enhance the rapid distribution of their advertising to multiple,
widespread sites, where it is automatically inserted into TV networks. As a
result, multichannel TV operators and their advertising representatives can
offer advertisers greater precision and efficiency in reaching target
audiences, geographically and demographically.
In Canada, SeaChange products are distributed by Capital Networks
Ltd. of
Markham, Ontario. Capital Networks is a leading supplier of television
listings channels, photo classified advertising channels and pay-per-view
barker channels. In addition, it also has a complete MPEG-2 facility for
encoding local advertisements and long-form video on a service bureau basis.
Shaw Communications Inc. is a diversified Canadian communications
company
whose core business is providing cable television services to approximately
1.5 million customers, representing about 20% of the Canadian market. The
Company's communications portfolio includes: 11 radio stations; television
networks YTV (youth), TreeHouse (a pre-schoolers service), Country Music
Television (CMT), and interests in Teletoon (animation) and the Comedy
Channel. Shaw provides high-speed access to the Internet through WAVE(TM),
digital audio services through Digital Music Express (DMX), and business
telecommunications services through Shaw FiberLink. The Company also holds
strategic investments in @Home, a leading provider of Internet services over
cable television infrastructure, and Microcell Telecommunications Inc., a
wireless telecommunications provider. In addition, Shaw delivers an
interactive video games service through SEGA Channel, and paging services
through Shaw MobileComm.
Founded in 1993, SeaChange International, of Maynard, Mass. is the
television industry's leading supplier of digital advertisement systems with
live sites in more than 170 cities, serving nearly 8,000 television channels
worldwide. The software-based SeaChange system allows television operators to
utilize distributed computing, MPEG-2 video compression and data networking
techniques to automate the distribution and management of ads, infomercials,
local origination programming, movies and other revenue generating video.
SeaChange, can be found on the Internet at schange.com.
NOTE: WAVE(TM) is a registered trademark of WAVE Internet Inc.
and used
under license. SeaChange SPOT System is a trademark of SeaChange
International, Inc.
SOURCE SeaChange International, Inc.
-0- 07/21/97
/CONTACT: John Coulbourn of SeaChange International, 508-897-0100
x267 or
johnc@schange.com or Jim Shaw, Jr. of Shaw Communications, 403-750-4500/
(SEAC)
CO: SeaChange International, Inc.; Shaw Communications
ST: Massachusetts, Alberta
IN: TLS
SU: LIC |
