C-Cube inside the box, in Honolulu............................
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C-Cube Powers Zenith Settop for GTE Media Ventures New Digital Video Entertainment Services
Business Wire - July 17, 1998 08:20
HONOLULU--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 17, 1998--C-Cube Microsystems (NASDAQ:CUBE) and Zenith Electronics Corporation announced today that GTE Media Ventures, a subsidiary of GTE Corp. (NYSE:GTE) has selected C-Cube's AViA-based settops from Zenith for its new "GTE americast" all digital wireless video service. Through its new service, recently launched in Honolulu, GTE Media Ventures is offering subscribers a compelling entertainment experience with more than 150 channels of content-rich programming.
The Zenith settops, based on C-Cube AViA settop decoding and advanced graphics silicon solutions, enable the delivery of sharp video images and high quality audio to provide GTE americast customers with a home theater experience. The Zenith settops are being deployed now to new GTE program subscribers, enabling them to receive digital video entertainment services including video channels, music channels and pay-per-view programming.
"Our subscribers are hungry for more channels and a more engaging viewing experience," said David Neisius, assistant vice president -- product services and development for GTE Media Ventures. "The settop plays a critical role in the overall program by supporting the applications and features that we want to deliver. The Zenith settops built using C-Cube's sophisticated graphics and audio/video performance features offer a solid platform on which we can provide superior quality digital video services to our subscribers."
"By integrating 'best of breed' technologies from C-Cube and others into our line of advanced broadband digital settop and network products, we're helping our customers usher in the digital age," said Allen Brown, division vice president of the Zenith Network Systems Digital Media Group. "Close collaboration, cooperation and teamwork over the past 12 months have been essential to support the launch of GTE's new all-digital entertainment service."
"The GTE deployment represents another significant step in the market's transition to digital networks," said David Baillie, vice president and general manager of C-Cube's CNP Division. "At C-Cube, we are dedicated to providing support for content-rich programming and high-fidelity digital video and audio. The AViA silicon solution allows us to address the needs of our technology partners in this market segment so they can help their customers create revenue generating services."
About AViA Settop Solutions
By leveraging the unique graphics features of the AViA settop silicon solutions, service providers such as GTE Media Ventures can deliver compelling content that enhances the consumer entertainment experience. This silicon-based product family enables service providers and settop manufacturers, like Zenith, to incorporate advanced audio, video and graphics capabilities. AViA provides support for future consumer applications requiring interactivity, increasing the consumer's ease-of-use and satisfying their need for entertainment value.
About the Zenith Digital Settop Model Z1 2C
Zenith has licensed C-Cube's settop design to produce a modular settop box that can cost-effectively interface with multiple networks including MMDS, HFC, DBS and FTTC. This digital settop box from Zenith, (Model Z12C) is currently in production and delivers crisp digital pictures and "Dolby Digital" (AC-3) CD-quality sound, as well as increased channel capability and interactive services. The box's flexible design uses interchangeable network interface modules for various kinds of digital video networks, including wireless and wired cable systems and satellite systems. The Honolulu launch is part of Zenith's contract to supply digital settops to americast, a partnership of BellSouth, Ameritech Corporation, GTE Corp., Southern New England Telephone (SNET) and The Walt Disney Company. Americast was created to develop and market the next generation in home entertainment.
About C-Cube Microsystems
C-Cube Microsystems Inc. is the industry leader in the development and delivery of highly integrated digital video silicon solutions that address the consumer electronics, communications and computer markets. C-Cube is headquartered in Milpitas, California with offices in North America, Europe and Asia. Its stock is traded on the Nasdaq under the symbol CUBE. C-Cube can be reached at 408/490-8000 or at c-cube.com.
About Zenith
Zenith Electronics Corporation, based in Glenview, Ill., is a leading developer, manufacturer and marketer of electronic entertainment products, including digital settop boxes and cable modems. Zenith is a pioneer in the development of patented digital television technologies, including HDTV, planned for introduction this fall. Zenith can be reached at zenith.com.
About GTE
With 1997 revenues of more than $23 billion, GTE is one of the world's largest telecommunications companies and a leading provider of integrated telecommunications services. In the United States, GTE provides local service in 28 states and wireless service in 17 states; nationwide long-distance and internetworking services ranging from dial-up Internet access for residential and small-business consumers to Web-based applications for Fortune 500 companies; as well as video service in selected markets. Additional information about GTE can be found on the Internet at gte.com.
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