THOMCAST Teams with Faroudja
Prominent System Integrator to Market Digital Format Translators
February 2, 2000 09:18 AM
SOUTHWICK, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 2, 2000--THOMCAST Communications, Inc., prominent supplier of broadcasting and wireless communications systems and services, announced today that it will be incorporating Digital Format Translator(TM) ("DFT") upconverters from Faroudja, Inc. FDJA into its digital television solution. In addition to signing a reseller agreement with Faroudja, Inc., THOMCAST announces the sale of Faroudja Digital Format Translators products to several prominent broadcasters, including Raycom Media.
"A crucial element of our strategy to supply complete digital solutions to our broadcast customers is to establish close partnerships with high quality component provider companies like Faroudja. Faroudja offers an excellent translator product., and we are very pleased to be working together with them. " states THOMCAST Communications President and CEO Jerry Chase.
"We believe that combining the DFT's unparalleled quality and flexibility with the excellent integration and support capabilities of the vast THOMCAST organization will make the DFT an even more popular choice as the rollout of digital TV accelerates," said Glen Sakata, General Manager of Faroudja's Broadcast Group. " We are pleased by the market's warm reception for the Faroudja DFT and want to make station and station group purchasing decisions even easier by making the DFT available through this premier broadcast systems integrator," Mr. Sakata added.
The Digital Format Translator provides HDTV-quality video in a variety of formats from today's NTSC and digital sources. The DFT utilizes Faroudja's patented technology to convert any 480i signal into the most popular of the new DTV formats specified by the ATSC: 480p, 720p or 1080i. It simultaneously converts the aspect ratio of the input image into the 16:9 ratio of the new cinema-style TV monitors. By reusing archive material and utilizing existing video processes, the DFT allows today's analog facilities to quickly and affordably migrate to tomorrow's digital television domain.
THOMCAST Communications is a prominent supplier VHF, UHF and MMDS transmitters, encoders, amplifiers, boosters, MPEG-2 stream servers and processors, and complete turnkey digital solutions to terrestrial and wireless voice, video, and data broadcasters. The Comark Division of THOMCAST Communications Inc. is an Emmy award winner and leading supplier of high power UHF and VHF television transmitters to the terrestrial broadcasting industry. THOMCAST, a two time Emmy award winner and wholly owned subsidiary of THOMSON-CSF, is a leading world-wide broadcast products and systems supplier. THOMCAST offers a wide and unique product line, such as radio, television and wireless systems, broadcast antenna systems, and MPEG digital equipment and systems. THOMCAST's worldwide presence includes operations in France, Germany, Switzerland and the United States.
Faroudja, Inc. FDJA is a world leader in high-performance video processing technologies for markets requiring superior image quality solutions. The Company provides innovative products for the HDTV broadcast, home theater, digital television and PC/TV convergence markets. Faroudja's technologies are protected by more than 60 patents. Faroudja has received numerous awards, including an Emmy award for Engineering Development and a Lifetime Achievement Emmy presented in June 1998 to its founder, Yves Faroudja.
CONTACT: Thomcast Communications, Inc. Tami Ambosie, +1 570+403+5220 tambosie@thomcastcom.com or Faroudja, Inc. Glen Sakata, (408) 735-1492 or Robinson Lerer & Montgomery Michael Bulger, (212) 484-7413
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