Please note: the following, and the last 2 news articles have been from insiders of WGAT, all are contributing to todays' movement. Alot of multi-size blocks are trading today which is a positive. Now on to the news release:
Scientific-Atlanta Ships New Network Product for Delivering Video-On-DemandServices Plus Digital Broadcast Video and Data Using Open Standards
-- QAM intelligent modulator uses DVB ASI open standard to connect with
leading video server and digital video products --
ATLANTA, May 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Scientific-Atlanta, Inc. (NYSE: SFA) today
announced it is shipping a new network product that enables cable operators to
more effectively deliver video-on-demand services, data and broadcast digital
video to subscribers through an industry-standard interface (DVB ASI).
Known as an ASI QAM (quadrature amplitude modulation) modulator, the
device is located in the headend of a cable system and encodes a requested
movie into a "stream" to be sent to the subscriber. DVB ASI, the widely
recognized Digital Video Broadcasters standard interface, has already been
adopted by Scientific-Atlanta for PowerVu Plus(TM) real-time encoding and by
leading video server manufacturers, including Concurrent Computer Corporation
(Nasdaq: CCUR) and SeaChange International (Nasdaq: SEAC).
According to Michael P. Harney, corporate vice president and general
manager of Digital Subscriber Networks for Scientific-Atlanta, the ASI QAM
modulators are proven products that have been installed and tested by
customers now deploying Scientific-Atlanta's Explorer(R) 2000 set-tops and
digital interactive network.
"With ASI QAM devices, Scientific-Atlanta customers are in the vanguard of
where the industry is going and have the best interfaces available for video-
on-demand. Network operators will be able to select any server with a
standard ASI output and plug it into our new modulator," Harney added. "ASI
is an excellent technical solution that is achieving universal acceptance as
the standard digital video interface. It provides a single pipe that supports
high-bandwidth, high-data-rate applications and different distribution
approaches."
Technical Details
Scientific-Atlanta's ASI QAM modulator can be configured with different
interface options to support various data formats and rates. In addition to
its DVB ASI interface, the unit can receive clear MPEG-2 packets of data via
two other optional interfaces: Scientific-Atlanta's Single Wire Interface
Format (SWIF) or General Instrument's DigiCable Headend Expansion Interface
(DHEI).
The ASI QAM modulator intelligently extracts either a 27 megabit-per-
second stream (for 64-QAM) or 38 mbps stream (for 256-QAM) from an ASI-
standard 216 mbps stream.
Controlled by Scientific-Atlanta's Digital Network Control System, the
high-bandwidth ASI QAM modulator supports 216-mbps streams that can be "daisy-
chained" to as many other QAM devices as needed. Alternatively, the new
modulator can also support "star" network configurations to eliminate the
potential for a single point of failure.
The new modulator provides data encryption and conditional access
functionality compatible with Scientific-Atlanta's PowerKEY(R) system.
Encryption can also be performed using the Harmony encryption algorithm.
Scientific-Atlanta is changing the way consumers interact with their
televisions through its award-winning Explorer 2000 set-top and end-to-end
digital interactive network. As the gateway to a whole new generation of
interactive TV, e-mail, Web-browsing, e-commerce and other services, the
Explorer 2000 set-top is expected to be a powerful new revenue-generating
platform for network operators.
To date, 17 cable operators in the U.S. and Canada have committed to
deploy Scientific-Atlanta's digital interactive system. One hundred systems
have been shipped to date, seventy-nine to customer sites and an additional
21 systems to partners and developers. Sixty-four systems have been fully
installed at customer sites. Twenty-nine systems have commercially launched
to paying customers. Among those systems are some of the major sites in the
United States and Canada, including Adelphia Communications in Buffalo, New
York and Toms River, New Jersey; Charter Communications in Glendale,
California; Cox Communications in San Diego, California; Las Vegas, Nevada and
Phoenix, Arizona; Time Warner in Austin, Texas and Tampa, Florida; and
Videotron in Montreal.
Scientific-Atlanta, Inc. (http://www.sciatl.com ) is a leading supplier of
broadband communications systems, satellite-based video, voice and data
communications networks, and worldwide customer service and support.
"Forward-looking statements," as defined in the Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995, may be included in this news release. A
variety of factors could cause Scientific-Atlanta's actual results to differ
from the anticipated results expressed in such forward-looking statements.
Investors are referred to Scientific-Atlanta's Cautionary Statements (Exhibit
99 to the Company's most recent Form 10-Q), which statements are incorporated
into this news release by reference.
Explorer and PowerKEY are registered trademarks of Scientific-Atlanta,
Inc. PowerVu Plus and CreativEdge are trademarks of Scientific-Atlanta, Inc.
All other products or brand names are trademarks or registered trademarks of
their respective owners.
SOURCE Scientific-Atlanta, Inc.
CO: Scientific-Atlanta, Inc.; Concurrent Computer Corporation; SeaChange
International
ST: Georgia
IN: CPR
SU: PDT
05/12/99 14:35 EDT prnewswire.com
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