MBTV...............................................
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Metabyte Networks Demonstrates Seagate SeaStream Enabled Personal Video Recorder (PVR) with Powerful New Features
Seagate Consumer Disc Drives Featured in Metabyte Networks
PVR Demonstration at NCTA Cable 2000
NEW ORLEANS, May 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Metabyte Networks, Inc. and Seagate
Technology, Inc. (NYSE: SEG) today demonstrate powerful new Personal Video
Recorder (PVR) features by combining Metabyte's MbTV(TM) software suite with
Seagate's exclusive SeaStream(TM) A/V streaming technology in Seagate U Series
consumer disc drives. MbTV brings a new intelligence to personalized
television by automatically learning television-watching preferences and
creating personalized viewer profiles, giving TV viewers quick, easy, private
access to the increasing amount of information available to them. SeaStream,
integrated with Metabyte's MbTV software suite, controls the PVR's disc drive
recording device, optimizing the delivery of video streams and managing
acoustic and power levels. Seagate has a minority investment in Metabyte
Networks, and in July 1999 the companies announced the development of
MbTV-enabled PVR products using SeaStream technology for mass storage. The
demonstration can be viewed in Metabyte Networks booth #5675 at NCTA Cable
2000.
Metabyte's MbTV technology is unique in several ways. It is totally
automatic. It learns viewers' television-watching preferences without any
user intervention and then creates personalized profiles (MbTV
Thumbprints(TM)) that enable a variety of services. The artificial
intelligence built into MbTV recognizes individual viewers in a household
without requiring them to log in. It recommends, records, and deletes
programs based on viewers' preferences. MbTV's architecture is based on
filtering relevant content into a home from a mass broadcast. It is fully
effective on a one way broadcast stream and integrates with the existing
infrastructure. MbTV protects viewers' privacy because it does not require
any data to be transmitted from the viewers' home. MbTV does not require any
monthly subscription.
Manu Mehta, president, CEO of Metabyte said, "Seagate's leadership in the
development of disc drives and technology for consumer applications has been
tremendously valuable in promoting the broad adoption of hard discs in set-top
boxes and consumer devices. The SeaStream technology and our strategic
partnership with Seagate have enabled us to advance our objective of giving
viewers quick, easy and private access to the increasing volumes of
information available to them."
Richard Johnson, Seagate vice president, Consumer Solutions added, "Our
partnership with Metabyte Networks takes consumer electronic devices like PVRs
to a higher level of intelligence and gives consumers products and services
that are convenient and easy to use. MbTV makes personal television a source
of useful information and enjoyable entertainment for today's busy TV
viewers."
"New PVR functions based on a preference engine such as this have the
ability to fundamentally change the way viewers watch and use television, and
the potential to open up new markets for television content service providers
and consumer electronics entrepreneurs," said Larry Gerbrandt, senior analyst
and senior vice president of Paul Kagan Associates, Inc., a leading Carmel,
Calif. based media research and consulting firm. "This is a new era for
television and this kind of technology gives consumer electronics providers
the opportunity to offer consumers exciting new services."
MbTV supports Seagate's SeaStream technology, which enables optimal
delivery of video streams and enables hard drive-based home electronics to
tackle such key matters as lowered acoustics and power consumption. SeaStream
enables disc drives to deliver a compatible data transfer rate required for
audio/video programming on television sets, stereo systems, and other home
entertainment devices, while ensuring the data integrity needed to record
Internet content or other computer data. SeaStream adjusts on-the-fly for
both kinds of information streams, allowing recording devices to provide A/V
and Internet-based content from the same disc drive. With SeaStream, a family
could potentially record two television programs, watch a movie, listen to a
favorite musical, play a car racing game and browse the web simultaneously,
all from the same home entertainment storage device.
Seagate is the world leader in storage for PVRs, with shipments far
exceeding those of all other storage vendors combined. Seagate U Series disc
drives provide the critical technology that enables PVRs to pause, rewind and
play back live TV programming. PVRs let viewers personalize their TV
experience by automatically recording favorite programming to be viewed when,
where and how they want it. Seagate consumer electronics disc drives are
engineered to provide the sustained data transfer rates required of A/V
electronics, and focus on the key features that enable hard drive-based home
electronics, such as lowered acoustics, reduced power consumption and longer
life.
Seagate Technology, Inc. (NYSE: SEG) is a leading provider of technology
and products enabling people to store, access, and manage information. The
Company is committed to providing best-in-class products to help people get
information when, where and how they want it. Seagate is the world's largest
manufacturer of disc drives, magnetic discs and read-write heads, an innovator
in tape drives, and a leading developer of Enterprise Information Management
software. Seagate can be found around the globe and at
seagate.com . For automated news, stock and financial information
by phone, dial toll-free 877-SEG-NYSE. Outside the U.S. and Canada, dial
760-704-4368.
Metabyte Networks, Inc. is a Personal TV company whose mission is to
manage convergence to fit lifestyle. Its unique MbTV technology requires no
behavior modification on the part of the consumer and totally protects
consumers' privacy. MbTV integrates with the existing infrastructure and its
business model complements, not competes, with the business models of the
consumer electronics companies, cable/satellite system operators, broadcasters
and advertisers. The MbTV architecture is designed to integrate with all
leading interactive television operating systems and middleware. Investors in
Metabyte Networks are THOMSON multimedia, and Seagate Technology. Metabyte
Networks is a core member of the TV-Anytime forum. Additional information on
Metabyte Networks is available at mbtv.com .
Seagate, Seagate Technology, U Series and SeaStream are registered
trademarks of Seagate Technology, Inc. MbTV, Your thumbprint on TV, Managing
convergence to fit lifestyle, and MbTV Thumbprints are trademarks of Metabyte
Networks, Inc. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
SOURCE Seagate Technology, Inc.
Web Site: seagate.com |
