Italy's TELE+ Delivers Television Services With

SeaChange Broadcast MediaCluster Maynard, Mass. (ots-PRNewswire) - Italy's first digital video broadcaster, TELE+, has implemented SeaChange International's video server system to provide its viewers with a selection of movie services. Using the Broadcast MediaCluster, TELE+ is leveraging the advantages of this advanced digital system to further improve its operations and the quality of its television service. TELE+ is the Italian subsidiary of Europe's leading pay television company, Canal+. "TELE+ has established its leadership in the DVB (Europe's Digital Video Broadcast standard) market and provides its viewers throughout Italy with the highest quality television services," said Mauro Cassanmagnago, product center manager, TELE+. "SeaChange's Broadcast MediaCluster enables us to capture new quality and reliability advantages, and increase our competitive position." Since January, TELE+ has used the Broadcast MediaCluster system to deliver thirteen channels of pay-per-view services, including movies, sports and cultural programming. Italy's top satellite television service provider, at the beginning of this year with 1.5 million viewers, TELE+ sought a video server system to store its programming selections, which are played successively in a near video-on-demand application. With tightly coupled software management from Louth Automation's ADC 200, the entire digital play- to-air system enables TELE+ to streamline its operations and gain new efficiencies compared to its former analog tape environment. "We knew a digital server was the solution for us and the Broadcast MediaCluster proved to be ideal for its reliability, quality video output and digital precision," said TELE+'s Cassanmagnago. "SeaChange's cluster technology ensures that our programming plays consistently. We've transcended our tape systems in several ways and I expect our operations staff will help further elevate TELE+'s reputation and the satisfaction of our viewers." TELE+'s Broadcast MediaCluster configuration includes five interconnected nodes, which act as a single fault-resilient server. It is designed to scale easily, providing dozens of I/Os, terabytes of storage and interfaces to digital tape archives, automation systems and other critical broadcast equipment. It provides MPEG-2 4:2:2/4:2:0 output at variable rates up to 24 Mb/sec. "With TELE+, SeaChange has added another world-class television customer that is using our digital video systems to transform television services," said Marcello Dellepiane, vice president of sales, SeaChange Europe/Middle East and Africa. "TELE+ stands out for its leadership in digital technology and we are proud to contribute to their innovation and success." Based in Milan, Italy, TELE+, Italy's leading pay television service, was originally launched as a movie channel in 1991. A second, all-sports channel was added in 1992. Today, the TELE+ Premium offering is available via the Tele+ Bianco and Tele+ Nero analog terrestrial channels. The offering consists mainly of previews or exclusive showings of major international and Italian movies, as well as exclusive live broadcast of major sports events. The two channels also show some of the world's best documentaries, popular mini-series, unconventional youth-oriented shows, and magazine-style programs on sports films and Italian design and culture. In September 1996, TELE+ first in Europe launched the Italian first digital pay-TV satellite DVB service package under the D+ name. At the same time it extended the Premium offering via satellite, which now comprises Tele+ White, Tele+ Black, Tele+ Gray, and Tele+ 16:9. Tele+ Gray's programming highlights movies and Italian and international sports events while Tele+ 16:9 broadcast movies in panoramic format, creating a thrilling blend of pictures, colors and sound. D+ has a Basic offer with several options and an important sports offer with the seasonal product, +CALCIO and F1. The offer quality of TELE+ D+ has confirmed Italy at third place in Europe, after Spain and France, on the TV digital satellite market. SeaChange's systems fully support international standards. In Europe, SeaChange sells its products through its office in Genoa, Italy (Tel: +39010 5530177). Installation, service and support are provided through its Customer Service Operation in Sophia Antipolis of Valbonne, France. Serving hundreds of geographic markets and approximately 20,000 television channels worldwide, SeaChange International, Inc. (www.schange.com) is the leading provider of MPEG-2 digital video systems for television. SeaChange's products, incorporating the Company's patented MediaCluster technology, automate the management and distribution of video streams including advertisements, movies, news, features and other broadcast- quality programming requiring precise execution. Founded in 1993, SeaChange is headquartered in Maynard, Massachusetts. MediaCluster is a registered trademark of SeaChange International, Inc. ots Original Text Service: SeaChange International, Inc. Internet: http://www.newsaktuell.de Contact: John Coulbourn of SeaChange International 1-978-897- 0100, ext. 3098, johnc@schange.com Web site: http://www.schange.com Upozorňujeme odběratele, že materiály označené značkou PROTEXT nejsou součástí zpravodajského servisu ČTK a nelze je publikovat pod její značkou. Jde o komerční sdělení zadavatele, který je ve zprávě označen a který za něj nese plnou odpovědnost.