Astra Deploys Broadcast MediaCluster Digital Video Server / First Transmission of Theater Quality AC-3 Audio

International announced that ASTRA, Europe's leading direct-to-home satellite system, has deployed the SeaChange BroadcastMediaCluster video server system to streamline operations. ASTRAis using the advanced video server system to store and manage twocontinent-wide promotional channels called ASTRA-Vision,featuring 7 languages and the first-ever delivery of DolbyDigital AC-3 audio. Serving 77 million TV households in Europe,ASTRA is the leading European satellite system. It selected theBroadcast MediaCluster (BMC) for its advanced networkingcapabilities and critical fault-resiliency in support of itshighly automated operation. "SeaChange's video server system truly capitalizes on digitaltechnology's advantages and that is why it is the mostappropriate system for ASTRA," said Steve Lachard, Earth StationEngineer, ASTRA. "The Broadcast MediaCluster provides thepowerful combination of automation, network connectivity andreliability, together with high-quality MPEG-2 digital video andaudio." ASTRA's four-node Broadcast MediaCluster delivers 10channels of MPEG-2 video at data rates up to 24Mb/sec., and iscapable of storing over a terabyte of video, equal to almost 100hours. ASTRA's BMC system is integrated with a number ofproduction systems, including vision and audio mixers, charactergenerators and others, with automation provided by OmnibusSystems. MediaCluster Technology The MPEG-2 4:2:2 Broadcast MediaCluster supports multichannelplay-to-air applications including program origination,commercial insertion and time shift/delay. The system employsSeaChange's patented RAID2 ('raid squared') technology whichperforms RAID-5 striping on the disk drives on each node(computer) and also across all the nodes in the cluster. Only onecopy of any video file is required, thereby dramatically reducingstorage requirements and also providing fault resilience. Nodesare available with 9GB, 18GB or 36GB disk drives. Expansionincreases capacity to hundreds of hours of storage and 20 I/Os.The Broadcast MediaCluster will include full support for reliablestorage and delivery of MPEG-based DVB or ATSC Transport Streamsin the fourth quarter of 1999. About ASTRA Societe Europeenne des Satellites S.A. (SES) is the operatorof ASTRA, Europe's leading direct-to-home Satellite System. ASTRAcurrently transmits on 152 transponders (120 at 19.2 degrees Eastand 32 at 28.2 degrees East) in analogue and digital more than700 different television and radio channels as well asmultimedia and Internet services to an audience of 77 millionhomes in Europe. The company to date operates nine active satellites (ASTRA 1A- 1H at 19.2 degrees East; ASTRA 2A at 28.2 degrees East). ASTRA2B and ASTRA 1K are currently under construction with MatraMarconi Space and Alcatel Space respectively and are due forlaunch in 1999 and 2001. ASTRA 2C and ASTRA 2D, under finalnegotiations with Hughes Space and Communications, will be the12th and 13th spacecraft in the ASTRA fleet. SES is also a major shareholder in ASIASAT (34.13% sinceJanuary 15th, 1999), the prime Asian satellite operator providingbroadcast and telecommunications services to 53 countries in theAsian/Pacific region. The combined footprints of ASTRA andASIASAT cover three quarters of the world's population. SES islisted on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange under the form ofFiduciary Depositary Receipts (symbol: SES) and on the FrankfurtStock Exchange (symbol: SDSL). SeaChange in Europe Lines Broadcast Systems, headquartered in Belgium, has beenSeaChange's instrumental partner in ASTRA's systemimplementation. Lines is focused on the broadcast televisionindustry providing system integration and engineering. Linessupports SeaChange directly in Belgium, Luxembourg, and hasrecently been selected to represent the company in theNetherlands also. Further information on Lines Broadcast Systemscan be obtained via email at: info@linesbroadcast.be or via itswebsite at: http://www.linesbroadcast.be. SeaChange's EMEA(Europe, Middle East and Africa) sales operation, headquarteredin Genoa, Italy, is managed by Marcello Dellepiane (Tel. +39 0105530177; Fax +39 0 10 5459778). The company's EMEA customerservice and support facility is located in Valbonne, France. Serving approximately 23,000 television channels for broadcastand cable television companies worldwide, SeaChangeInternational, Inc. (http://www.schange.com) is the leadingprovider of MPEG-2 digital video systems. SeaChange's products,incorporating the Company's patented software and hardwaretechnologies, automate the management and distribution of videostreams including advertisements, movies, news updates and otherbroadcast- quality video programming requiring precise execution.Founded in 1993, SeaChange is headquartered in Maynard,Massachusetts. MediaCluster is a registered trademark of SeaChangeInternational, Inc. All other trademarks are properties of theirrespective companies. All rights reserved. ots Original TextService: SeaChange International, Inc. Internet:http://www.newsaktuell.de Contact: John Coulbourn of SeaChangeInternational Tel.: (USA) 978-897-0100 x3098 e-mail:johnc@schange.com Web site: http://www.schange.com

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