News:
Wednesday January 31, 7:01 am Eastern Time
Press Release
ACTV and Aerocast to Offer Enhanced Media Programming Featuring Entertainment-Quality Video to Broadband Customers in the U.S.
SAN DIEGO & NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 31, 2001--ACTV, Inc. (Nasdaq: IATV - news), a pioneer of digital interactive TV (iTV) and enhanced media programming and services, and Aerocast Inc., a new broadband streaming media services company backed by Motorola, Inc. and Liberty Media Corporation, today announced a strategic alliance.
The alliance will leverage ACTV's patented technologies and expertise in creating iTV programming and enhanced media content, and Aerocast's innovative end-to-end platform for delivering broadband streaming video across the Internet. The companies will initially focus on delivering entertainment-quality streaming video on demand, in conjunction with ACTV's enhanced media programming technologies, to broadband customers in the U.S. during the trial deployment of the Aerocast service.
``Broadband offers networks, content providers, advertisers and operators a lucrative new vehicle for reaching customers, but until now the technical and financial parameters for streaming high quality video content to a mass audience were prohibitive,'' said Kevin Liga, ACTV's chief technology officer. ``Aerocast's ability to deliver the highest quality streaming video over the Internet with a viable financial model will be a powerful delivery mechanism for our programming technologies and services.''
``Key to our service is providing unique and interesting content,'' said Dario Santana, President of Aerocast. ``With partners like ACTV, we believe we are offering compelling content which broadband subscribers might otherwise not have access to,'' he added.
The Aerocast service will facilitate, for the first time over the Internet, the secure delivery of entertainment-quality streaming video to personal computers, on demand, at a fraction of current market pricing. Aerocast delivers its services in partnership with content providers and broadband last mile operators including cable modem, DSL and wireless providers.
ACTV's Enhanced Media Services incorporates the company's patented enhanced media technologies into HyperTV®, eSchool®, and other products and services. HyperTV enables broadcast networks, cable programmers, operators, and advertisers to automatically deliver compelling interactive Web content, Web-based advertising, e-commerce, chat and other Web-based features that can be synchronized to correspond with a live or pre-recorded video and/or audio program.
eSchool creates virtual learning communities that seamlessly integrate streamed educational video, synchronized Web content, collaborative exercises and assessment for students and educators.
About Aerocast Inc.
San Diego, Calif.-based Aerocast, Inc. is a next-generation broadband streaming media services company that enables secure, high-quality, low-cost distribution of video across the Internet. Aerocast brings together highly experienced technology and broadband industry executives; a founder with a track record of three successful Internet start-ups; excellent funding from leaders in the broadband, media, and investment communities; and innovative technology that will fundamentally change the delivery of video content across the Internet. Aerocast, which raised $15 million in first-round funding, has formed strategic partnerships with Motorola Inc., and Liberty Media Corporation.
About ACTV, Inc.
ACTV, Inc., (Nasdaq: IATV - news) is a digital media company providing proprietary software-based technologies, content and services for enhanced media and personalized, interactive television applications. The company is supported by an extensive patent portfolio covering the core methodologies of enhancing TV, radio, and other audio/visual programming and for creating interactive, addressable digital television. Based in New York City, ACTV has strategic relationships with key players in the Internet, television and digital technology fields, including Liberty Digital, Motorola Broadband Communications Sector, OpenTV and Liberty Livewire Corporation. For more information, visit actv.com.
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Contact:
For ACTV, Inc:
Bratskeir & Company
(ACTV Media Relations)
Mike Rosen, 212/679-2233, ext. 213
mrosen@bratskeir.com
or
Brainerd Communicators
(Financial Media)
Kim Holt, 212/986-6667
holt@braincomm.com
or
ACTV, Inc.
(Investor Relations)
Ted O'Donnell/Bill Roll, 212/217-1600
ir@actv.com
or
For Aerocast:
Megan Humpal, 858/404-6206
Marketing Director, Aerocast
megan@aerocast.com |
