Telephonics,
Is this a partner or competition?Subj: MetaStream 3D Plug-in Selected by Sony, CBS for Online...
Date: 8/19/99 8:47:10 AM Eastern Daylight Time
From: AOL News
MetaStream 3D Plug-in Selected by Sony, CBS for Online Sweepstakes
CARPINTERIA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 19, 1999--
Sony/Late Show Ultimate Cyber-Search Sweepstakes Launches
New Model for Web Advertising via Free Next-Generation
3D Streaming Technology
MetaCreations Corporation (Nasdaq:MCRE), the Creative Web Company, and MetaStream.com, a subsidiary of MetaCreations Corporation, today announced that Sony and CBS are using the MetaStream 3D streaming technology as a key component of their online Sony/Late Show Ultimate Cyber-Search Sweepstakes.
The goal for sweepstakes participants is to find twelve 3D "sweepstakes logos" scattered throughout Sony.com and The Late Show site on CBS.com in order to win Sony products and Late Show paraphernalia. By simply clicking on these sweepstakes logos, participants will be able to view the prizes in 3D, and even be able to spin the objects around and zoom in for further inspection, thanks to MetaStream.
Viewing these objects requires the MetaStream 3D plug-in, available for free download at: metacreations.com which automatically scales to ensure an optimized 3D viewing performance for all computer users.
MetaStream is an open 3D-file format that enables the easy and affordable incorporation of 3D images into almost any Web site. The technology is an integral part of MetaCreations' Creative Web strategy, which emphasizes the development and widespread adoption of new, Web-centric visualization technologies for a variety of highly creative applications.
Jointly developed with Intel Corporation, MetaStream addresses the need for 3D files that stream efficiently over the Internet and automatically scale to the user's display and processing power for optimized viewing. MetaStream opens a new realm of true-to-life 3D on the Web, enhancing online shopping, education, entertainment and visual communication.
"With the Sony/Late Show online sweepstakes, we really wanted to create something entirely new and very compelling for participants. We decided to use 3D throughout, from advertising to sweepstakes entry, and we needed a 3D technology that guaranteed a positive experience for almost anyone," said Christian Setterlund, Manager of Development, CBS News Media.
"We've used MetaStream before, and we're using it again because it ensures optimized 3D viewing on the Web for just about any Web user. We think we've created a real first-of-its-kind sweepstakes, and launched a whole new model for advertising on the Web that may well replace banner ads one day."
"Our vision is to provide the tools and technology to revolutionize the Web experience, and, like Sony and CBS, we think MetaStream is the catalyst for bringing this new content to the masses," said Scott Krinsky, senior product manager of MetaStream Technologies, MetaStream.com.
"Because of MetaStream, the Sony/Late Show advertising and sweepstakes, geared to a mass audience, is based in 3D, a pioneering approach that heralds a new model of Web content for a new era of the Internet."
Delivering 3D to the Masses
The MetaStream 3D file format addresses the need for 3D files that stream efficiently over the Internet and scale to the user's processing power. Unlike other 3D technologies, MetaStream objects stream without a server and scale automatically. No matter what connection speed viewers have -- be it a 56K modem or a T1 -- they'll see lifelike, photo-realistic 3D images and be able to manipulate them in real time.
This, in turn, permits Web content developers to generate sites of the highest possible quality for enjoyment by power users, while still assuring the satisfaction of users with limited bandwidth and/or computing power.
MetaStream files are also small, compressed and scalable, more so than today's other 3D technologies for the Internet, resulting in faster viewing times. Further, MetaStream objects are highly versatile
-- they can easily be placed over backgrounds and images, and can be incorporated into existing Web sites using the most popular consumer HTML Web authoring software.
Sweepstakes Information
As of July 12, eligible Internet users have been able to enter The Sony/Late Show Cyber-Search Sweepstakes by filling out a registration form located on the CBS Late Show Web site, cbs.com, then submitting it at the same URL. There is one registration per person.
Participants' objective is to find the twelve 3D sweepstakes logos placed randomly on Sony's Web site, sony.com, and on CBS' own Late Show site.
Weekly drawings began July 18, with ten winners selected per week for this drawing, and one prize per person. Weekly prizes consist of Late Show paraphernalia, including free tickets to The Late Show, t-shirts, sweatshirts, baseball caps and music CDs.
All entries available for the weekly drawings (including each of the eighty winners of the weekly drawings) will be entered in the Grand Prize drawing, which will be conducted on or about Sept. 13, 1999. Grand Prizes consist of Sony products, including headphones, Web TV units, portable TVs, computers and digital cameras.
About MetaStream.com
MetaStream.com, a joint initiative between Computer Associates (NYSE:CA) and MetaCreations, was formed in July 1999 and is centered on providing complete end-to-end solutions for creating and deploying virtual products centered on MetaStream technologies for e-commerce and the Web environment.
MetaStream.com's primary initiatives include licensing MetaStream technologies for specific e-commerce visualization solutions, providing a full range of fee-based professional services for implementing these 3D solutions and forging technological alliances with leading interactive agencies and Web content providers.
MetaStream.com is currently headquartered in Princeton, N.J. and will soon open offices in New York City.
About MetaCreations
MetaCreations Corporation, the Creative Web company, is focused on developing and marketing 2D and 3D visualization software for the World Wide Web and commercial graphic artists.
MetaCreations' Creative Web strategy is centered on the company's MetaStream technology and employs an array of MetaCreations software development tools to accelerate the creation of 2D and 3D graphics for online applications, and to make fast, interactive use of photo-realistic 3D on the Web practical and pervasive.
MetaCreations offers a complete product line of award-winning professional graphics desktop software products available in more than 50 countries. The company is headquartered in Santa Barbara County, California, and has development centers in Scotts Valley, Calif., and Princeton, N.J., as well as an International Operations Center in Dublin, Ireland.
MetaCreations can be reached on the World Wide Web at metacreations.com.
Note to Editors: MetaCreations and MetaStream are either registered trademarks or trademarks of MetaCreations Corporation. Other product and company names herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.
--30--ECQ/la* SJK/la
CONTACT:
MetaCreations Corp., Carpinteria
Teresa Bridwell, 805/566-6274
teresab@metacreations.com
Maria Poveromo, 831/430-4241
mariap@metacreations.com
Regards,
Sheldon |
