News is starting to leak out from others on VIDNET!
2/15/00 - NorthPoint Communications and ClearBand Announce Strategic Alliance to Bring TV-Quality Video to
Broadband Subscribers
BURLINGAME, Calif., Feb 15, 2000 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- ClearBand Brings its Content Partners to NorthPoint Bay Area
Trial with Live and On-Demand Video from AtomFilms, CinemaNow, Vidnet,
The Football Network, CelebNewsLive and Extreme Interactive.net "The Lucy Show," "Dragnet," "The Lone Ranger,"
"Beverly Hillbillies" and Others Ready for Broadband Spotlight
ClearBand, the leader in broadband video broadcasting, today announced a strategic alliance with NorthPoint
Communications (Nasdaq:NPNT) that will change the way businesses and consumers experience streaming video over
broadband networks.
A major centerpiece of NorthPoint's "Blast" initiative, which was announced today, ClearBand's broadband video
broadcast solution enables NorthPoint for the first time to offer its subscribers a true, TV-quality broadcast experience with
full-screen streaming video.
In addition, this marks the first time that several of ClearBand's content partners -- AtomFilms, CinemaNow, Vidnet
(formerly Entertainment Boulevard (OTCBB:EBLD)), The Football Network, CelebNewsLive and Extreme Interactive -- will
be featured in a fully deployed broadband trial with live and on-demand video.
"NorthPoint's subscriber trial demonstrates that streaming video over DSL is a viable broadcast option," said Joe
Hawayek, chief operating officer of ClearBand.
"This partnership underscores our commitment to enabling broadband service providers to effectively compete with
traditional broadcasters. It also highlights our unique ability to help content providers reach a broadband-enabled
consumer audience."
"During the 1980s and 1990s, cable dramatically changed the television landscape by giving consumers more choice and
control over the viewing experience and by giving broadcasters and advertisers a medium for reaching niche audiences.
Interactive broadband content is the next logical evolutionary step," said Michael Malaga, chief executive officer of
NorthPoint Communications.
"By working with ClearBand and their content partners and deploying ClearBand's video streaming solution in our
network, we're staying ahead of the curve and delivering new entertainment and educational experiences to DSL
subscribers."
"We are pleased that ClearBand brought us into the NorthPoint trial," said Mika Salmi, CEO and founder, AtomFilms.
"AtomFilms will now be accessible to the growing broadband audience, which will be able to view full-screen video
content via ClearBand's technology."
"ClearBand and NorthPoint provide technology that helps us take watching films online to the next level," said Curt Marvis,
CEO of CinemaNow, the online subsidiary of Trimark Pictures. "This is a great showcase for the value of our extensive
library of films on emerging broadband networks."
ClearBand's content partners will use ClearBand's comprehensive "plug-and-broadcast" software solution to encode and
deploy their video programming.
Designed specifically for broadband and private networks, ClearBand's technology gives broadband service providers
and content owners the ability to capture and encode video streams for live or delayed broadcast at 30
frames-per-second in full-screen mode. The solution supports video capture from any source (i.e. satellite feed, VCR,
camcorder) and is dynamically scaleable from 300 Kbps to 2.0 Mbps. This allows broadband service providers to
maintain full control over picture quality and clarity, as well as bandwidth consumption.
ClearBand's multicast solution allows a single video stream to serve a large number of viewers, thereby reducing the
bandwidth demands on the provider's network. The ClearBand player is a very thin software client that is streamed to the
customer along with the content, thus eliminating the need for and complexity of separate downloaded players. The client
software is capable of tuning into any of the channels being broadcast by the service provider, but also allows for
pay-per-view, channel blocking and password control.
ClearBand has developed strategic alliances with leading content partners, such as AtomFilms, CinemaNow (the online
subsidiary of Trimark Pictures), Vidnet, The Football Network, CelebNewsLive and Extreme Interactive, which will feed a
wide range of content directly to NorthPoint's local networks.
In addition, ClearBand has licensed classic episodes of favorite TV shows to create the Oldies TV channel which features
"The Lucy Show," "Dragnet," "Beverly Hillbillies" and "The Lone Ranger." ClearBand and its content partners will refresh
the available content and add new programs during the course of the test.
NOTE TO EDITORS:
NorthPoint is currently conducting field trials in the San Francisco Bay Area and plans to begin providing initial
commercial service by Summer 2000. NorthPoint will expand the availability of "Blast" to new trial markets later this year
and eventually intends to roll it out to all of its DSL markets. NorthPoint currently provides DSL service in 33 major markets
and expects to reach 60 markets by the end of 2000.
About NorthPoint
NorthPoint Communications, based in San Francisco, is the leading broadband competitive local exchange carrier
(CLEC), providing affordable, dedicated high-speed Internet access over existing phone lines using digital subscriber line
(DSL) technology. The company currently operates DSL-based local networks in 33 major U.S. markets, spanning 62
metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs), and expects to reach over 60 markets and 110 MSAs by the end of 2000. By that
time, NorthPoint's DSL network will pass nearly 45 percent of homes and more than half of all businesses in the United
States. NorthPoint provides DSL-based Internet access service -- at speeds up to 1.5 Mbps, more than 25 times faster
than common dial-up modems -- through national and regional Internet Service Providers, CLECs, long distance carriers,
retailers, value-added resellers and other partners. For additional information, visit www.northpointdsl.com.
About ClearBand
ClearBand is a privately held technology company focused on the development and deployment of broadband video
technology solutions and the aggregation of content for the broadband and digital television markets. The company is also
committed to bridging the gap between content providers and broadband service providers. Its broadband technology
and network partners include Cisco Systems Inc., chello broadband N.V., Gotham Interactive and NorthPoint
Communications.
With the strategic and financial backing of Brian J. Flynn and Donald F. Flynn, whose history includes successful
involvement in companies including Blockbuster Entertainment, ClearBand's broadband video streaming solution
provides an easy-to-use, cost effective way to deliver full screen, 30 frames-per-second television-quality video over
high-speed networks.
NOTE TO EDITORS:
ClearBand has developed strategic alliances with leading content partners that will be featured during the NorthPoint trial,
including:
-- AtomFilms (www.atomfilms.com) showcasing short films;
-- CinemaNow (www.cinemanow.com), an online subsidiary of Trimark Pictures, offering full-length feature films;
-- Vidnet (www.vidnet.com) providing music videos and movie trailers;
-- TFN, The Football Network (www.footballnetwork.com), an integrated multimedia company superserving football
enthusiasts 24 hours a day, seven days a week;
-- Extreme Interactive.net, the interactive division of X-Dream International (www.xdream.co.uk), supplies current
extreme-sports, technology, travel and nature and wildlife video content for use in the narrowband and broadband space
worldwide; and
-- CelebNewsLive (www.CelebNewsLive.com) is a division of Spectral Communications Inc., the largest independent,
entertainment stock footage archive on the West Coast. CelebNewsLive syndicates celebrity news with up-to-date
entertainment news, celebrity biographies, and backstage interviews from events such as the Oscars, Golden Globes and
American Music Awards.
In addition, ClearBand has licensed classic episodes of favorite TV shows to create the Oldies TV channel, featuring:
"The Lucy Show," "Dragnet," "Beverly Hillbillies" and "The Lone Ranger." |
