BlackArrow Provides VOD Ad Insertion Technology for Comcast On Demand Service

BlackArrow, a leading worldwide provider of advanced advertising solutions for New Television platforms, announced that its video-on-demand (VOD) ad insertion platform has gone live in Jacksonville, Florida with Comcast Corporation, the nation’s leading provider of entertainment, information and communication products and services. Comcast has chosen BlackArrow’s Advanced Advertising System to lead its ad insertion technology for its On Demand programming.

BlackArrow’s Advanced Advertising System gives programmers and cable operators a real-time, multiplatform campaign management and decision system for offering more timely and relevant ads in their On Demand sessions. Traditionally, advertising campaigns in video-on-demand content have had limited effectiveness due to the static nature of the ads being encoded directly into the VOD stream. In the Jacksonville market, Comcast is inserting standard 15- and 30-second promotional spots as well as newly introduced 20-second spots designed to drive tune-in for upcoming shows and specials on PBS KIDS Sprout and FEARnet in a dynamic environment.

Diana Kerekes, vice president of Video Content for Comcast, said, “The ability to update VOD advertising will help us offer feature parity with traditional linear and Internet-based advertising systems. We’re pleased to be working with a technology leader like BlackArrow as we look for ways to offer our programming partners expanded opportunities to monetize their content offerings.”

“Comcast has led the industry in creating new opportunities to reach consumers in the on-demand marketplace, and we’re excited to be working with them,” said Dean Denhart, chief executive officer, BlackArrow. “By combining BlackArrow’s expertise in advanced VOD advertising platforms with Comcast’s VOD leadership, we hope to expand the business model significantly for on-demand advertising.”

On2 Technologies, Inc. and Google Inc. jointly announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement under which Google will acquire On2, a leading developer of video compression technology. Under the terms of the agreement, each outstanding share of On2 common stock will be converted into $0.60 worth of Google class A common stock in a stock-for-stock transaction. The transaction is valued at approximately $106.5 million.

"Today video is an essential part of the web experience, and we believe high-quality video compression technology should be a part of the web platform," said Sundar Pichai, Vice President, Product Management, Google. "We are committed to innovation in video quality on the web, and we believe that On2's team and technology will help us further that goal."

"We're thrilled that On2 is joining one of the world's most innovative companies," said Matt Frost, interim CEO of On2. "After intensive review of On2 products, Google confirmed our long-held beliefs as to the quality of our video technologies. This transaction is a testament to the hard work of every On2 employee and the strongest possible endorsement of our products and people. On2 will continue to improve, support and sell our products throughout the transition. We believe that Google shares our ambitions and know that our products and expertise, combined with Google's globally recognized brand, ingenuity and resources, will create an incredible team."

ViewCast Announces Support for Microsoft IIS Smooth Streaming

ViewCast Corporation, a developer of industry-leading hardware and software for the transformation, delivery and management of professional quality video over IP and mobile networks, announced support for Microsoft Internet Information Services 7.0 (IIS) Smooth Streaming content delivery platform for Microsoft Silverlight. Working seamlessly with the IIS Smooth Streaming advanced, HTTP-based adaptive streaming technology, select Niagara streaming media encoders will enable media companies and consumers alike to take advantage of bandwidth-optimized, high-definition (HD) content streamed over the Internet.

IIS Smooth Streaming enables content creators and delivery networks to stream video on
demand (VOD) and live events to consumers’ PCs in the highest possible quality - including true HD (720p) - transparently adapting video stream quality to accommodate users’ available bandwidth without freezing or buffering the stream. This approach ensures that users can enjoy the highest possible quality online viewing experience, while enabling media companies to provide a consistent, seamless viewing experience that extends average viewing times and associated revenue opportunities.

“IIS Smooth Streaming technology is an exciting advance for media streaming applications, bringing media companies and consumers one step closer to realizing television-caliber programming definition and continuity via the Internet,” said Dave Stoner, ViewCast President and CEO. “By supporting IIS Smooth Streaming technology with our Niagara streaming media encoders, we’re enabling our customers to seamlessly scale their media streaming applications to meet the unique requirements of their viewers. But we’re also demonstrating to the marketplace the importance of our technology. As advancements like Microsoft IIS Smooth Streaming generate growth in Internet video programming, they also generate new interest and growth in our technology. ”

“Microsoft is committed to bringing next-generation media experiences to the Web via IIS Smooth Streaming and Silverlight in order to provide the scalability and quality of service that media companies require to grow their online video businesses,” said Steve Sklepowich, group product manager for Silverlight at Microsoft Corp. “Microsoft is enabling ViewCast to realize the full promise of true HD via Microsoft’s adaptive streaming platform, providing direct benefit to their customers.”

ViewCast Niagara streaming media encoders are designed to deliver the quality, features and ease-of-use convenience that professional broadcasters demand. They are pre-configured, plug-and-play solutions that enable users to quickly capture and broadcast premium quality audio and video in multiple formats and at multiple bit rates - all simultaneously.

Content and Technology Merge at the 2009 International CES

Cutting-edge content developments in the broadcast and entertainment industry will merge with the latest distribution platforms at the 2009 International CES, the global event for digital entertainment. Produced by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), the 2009 International CES, the world's largest tradeshow for consumer technology, will return to Las Vegas, January 8-11, 2009.

NBC Universal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies, will debut an interactive and multi-faceted show floor exhibition at CES, highlighting the wide range of digital programming produced by its television, cable and motion picture properties. In addition, as CES' "Official Broadcast Partner," select NBC Universal broadcast and cable entities will broadcast live from the CES exhibition floor.

"The collaboration between the technology, content and broadcast industries grows stronger each year as new platforms are introduced, providing consumers with greater access to information and entertainment," said Gary Shapiro, president and CEO, CEA. "With major content exhibitors, including NBC Universal's dynamic exhibition and live broadcasts, and dozens of conference sessions featuring high level industry executives and the latest industry trends, the 2009 International CES is a must attend event for everyone in the content community."

"We are thrilled to return for a second time as the exclusive broadcast partner at the International CES," said George Kliavkoff Chief Digital Officer, NBC Universal. "Our consumers demand access to our content anytime, anyplace and on the platform of their choice -- be it a laptop, mobile phone, portable media player or yes,... a television. And it's our job to give it to them. What better way to drive that message home than having a major presence right in the heart of all the action at CES surrounded by the latest in technology and the companies that help bring that rich experience to consumers."

Almost 9,000 executives from the broadcast and entertainment industries attended the 2008 CES to meet with manufacturers and experience the latest trends in digital entertainment technology.

New at the 2009 International CES will be the Global Media Awards, a program jointly produced by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) and CEA, focusing on technology and content programming. The awards program is slated for day one of the 2009 CES, Thursday, January 8, at The Venetian.

Additionally, the Technology & Engineering Emmy Awards will take place for the third year at CES, honoring achievements in two areas: Science & Technology for Television and Advanced Media Technology. Honorees will be recognized at an awards ceremony on Wednesday, January 7.

The 2009 International CES will feature more than 200 conference sessions, focused on key industry trends and markets. A variety of sessions focused specifically on content and digital entertainment will take place on Wednesday, January 7, 2009, and will include Billboard's Digital Music Live, P2P Media Summit, CES Mobile Entertainment, CES Game Power and the CES Reinventing Advertising Conference.

The 2009 International CES will feature more than 2,700 exhibitors introducing the latest consumer technology products throughout 30 product categories including digital entertainment, high-performance audio, digital imaging, electronic gaming and more.

On2 Extends Relationship with Skype in New Strategic Agreement

On2 Technologies, a leader in video compression solutions, today announced that it has signed a new agreement with Skype, the world's leading online communications company, to extend Skype's relationship licensing On2's video codec technology.

Millions of people every day use Skype software to communicate with others through free voice and video calls. On2's technology provides encoding, scaling, pre-processing and post-processing of video on Skype. On2 supported the launch of video on Skype in 2005 with the integration of the On2 VP7 codec with Skype 2.0 for Windows. Since that time, Skype launched High Quality Video in October 2007, calling on the On2 codec, allowing users with as little as 0.5mbps available bandwidth to enjoy full screen video calls at VGA resolution. The On2 codec is also used in the recently announced Asus AiGuru SV1 Skype Certified Videophone. The new agreement is intended to pave the way for the On2 codec to migrate along with the Skype service to a diverse array of new devices such as the AiGuru SV1 videophone.

"On2 and Skype hold the same vision for video communications and through our close cooperation we have overcome the barriers keeping video calling out of reach for many," said Matt Frost, Interim CEO and Chief Operating Officer of On2 Technologies. "In the future, you can expect to see even better video quality requiring even less bandwidth, and this will help to make video calling even more commonplace."

The superior compression performance of the On2 codec makes High Quality Skype video calls possible even over data rate connections as low as 300kbps. Among the numerous quality-enhancing innovations in On2 video codecs is Golden Frames, which enables a sharp background image to be maintained with minimal data when the subject in the foreground is continually moving. This feature is also extremely beneficial for packet-loss recovery. On2 video codecs also require far less CPU power for full duplex live video than other compression formats, enabling Skype users with older and less powerful PC systems to enjoy high quality video calls, and allowing stand-alone devices like the AiGuru SV1 videophone to be produced cost effectively, using less expensive processor technology.

"Bringing a great video calling experience to the average consumer is one of Skype's key priorities, and we see On2 as a key partner in helping us deliver this," said Manrique Brenes, Skype's Director of Business Development and Product Management for Consumer Electronics. "Using On2's codecs along with extensive software development and optimization work by engineering teams at Skype, we are able to help consumers overcome bandwidth constraints and deliver best-in-class free video calling for consumers."