Comstream/Panasonic boxes in Holland..................................
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BW1141 NOV 17,1997 5:13 PACIFIC 08:13 EASTERN
( BW)(COMSTREAM) Panasonic's Digital TV IRD/Set-Top Box Introduced To Dutch Market; ComStream Design is One of Panasonic's First DVB Satellite TV Receiver in Europe
ÿÿÿÿBusiness Editors
ÿÿÿÿSAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 17, 1997--Matsushita Electric (UK) Ltd. (MELUK) and ComStream announced today that ComStream's digital satellite TV IRD (integrated receiver decoder) design has been introduced in the Netherlands under the Panasonic brand name.
ÿÿÿÿThis DVB (digital video broadcast) satellite TV receiver, also called a set-top box, is jointly engineered and marketed by MELUK and ComStream, and manufactured at the MELUK facility in Cardiff, Wales.
ÿÿÿÿDistribution to Dutch retail outlets will begin mid-November. Sales are expected to commence soon for the soon for the 1997/1998-winter season. All digital TV IRDs, known as Panasonic model TU-DS10/nl, that will be purchased before Christmas in combination with a one year CANAL + TV subscription, will receive an additional two month CANAL + subscription for free.
ÿÿÿÿPrices start at 1,799 Dutch guilders (U.S. $945). Projected annual unit sales for all digital satellite TV IRDs in the Netherlands market is estimated at 50-80 thousand units. Panasonic expects to have a significant market presence with this new generation digital IRD/set-top.
ÿÿÿÿSince August 1996, Direct-to-Home (DTH) satellite digital TV service has been available throughout Holland. However, much of the country's cable TV distribution is still analog, even though digital services via satellite offer more TV channels while providing higher-quality video images and CD-quality audio.
ÿÿÿÿEnthusiastic about the IRD introduction into Holland, Colin Leahy, New Media Director of the manufacturing facility in Cardiff stated, "This exciting IRD introduction into Holland is the result of our long ongoing partnership with ComStream. We believe the combination of our electronic design and manufacturing skills and ComStream's resourceful engineering design solutions will open more opportunities in other regional consumer markets."
ÿÿÿÿThe digital TV IRD is compliant with international DVB standards, which allows the product to receive hundreds of compressed MPEG-2 video signals. Sold under the Panasonic brand name, the IRD is configured for the CA (conditional access) system in the Netherlands market. However, the IRD flexible hardware and open-architecture software design will facilitate various TV distribution systems and different CA and EPG (electronic program guide) modules.
ÿÿÿÿ"This is another major milestone in our long-term relationship with MELUK," said Alex Robertson, General Manager of ComStream's Broadband Products Division. "The combination of Panasonic's electronic expertise and world-wide reputation for quality consumer products and ComStream's renown IRD engineering design make us formidable contenders in the Dutch market as well as international markets. Plus it creates momentum for other markets to open."
ÿÿÿÿMatsushita Electric (UK) Ltd (Panasonic European Television Division) has been producing high-quality television sets in Cardiff, UK, since 1976. Panasonic, together with National and Technics are brand names for Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. Ltd, which is ranked 22 in the Fortune 500 and is one of the world's leading producers of electronic and electric products for consumer, business, and industrial use.
ÿÿÿÿMatsushita's shares are listed outside Japan on the Amsterdam, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, New York, Pacific, and Paris stock exchanges. In Europe, Matsushita Electric has 18 sales and 20 manufacturing companies, providing employment for nearly 11,500 people.
ÿÿÿÿComStream is an international provider of digital transmission solutions for voice, data, audio and video applications. In addition to digital TV IRDs for OEM distribution, audio set-top boxes, and the new MediaCast(TM) family of PC receiver cards, ComStream is known world-wide for its design and manufacture of full-mesh VSAT communications systems, satellite modems and earth stations, and commercial audio and data broadcast uplink and receiver products.
ÿÿÿÿWith offices in the United States, Mexico, Colombia, Indonesia, China, Russia, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, ComStream is a wholly owned subsidiary of Spar Aerospace Limited. Web site: comstream.com .
ÿÿÿÿSpar, a leading Canadian advanced-technology company, is in the communications, space, aviation and defense, and software industries. Operations are located in North America, Europe, and the Pacific Rim, and nearly 70% of revenues are derived outside Canada. It is listed on the Toronto and Montreal stock exchanges. Stock symbol: SPZ. Web site URL: spar.ca .
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CONTACT: ComSteam, San Diego
Gwen Carlson, 619/657-5780 (Corporate Communications)
Holly Bertz, 619/657-5327 (Marketing Communications)
or
Matsushita Electric (UK) Ltd.
Colin Leahy, +44/1222 542213 |
