• E-mail
• Print
• Comment
• Font Size
• Digg
• del.icio.us
• Discuss article

Six Additional Network Groups Join Total Digital Solution From Comcast Media Center and SES AMERICOM; Combined Total Digital and HITS Platform Provides Cable Operators Over 200 High Quality Digital Video and Audio Services

Posted on: Tuesday, 15 August 2006, 12:00 CDT

Six additional television network groups representing ten East and West Coast feeds have signed up for network transport aboard the Comcast Media Center (CMC) and SES AMERICOM Total Digital Solution, the two companies announced today.

The Total Digital Solution combines the CMC's content management capabilities with SES AMERICOM's 50-state AMC-4 satellite to provide networks with greater potential for additional penetration in cable systems deploying digital simulcast or all digital service. The CMC's all-digital platform features secured authorization, optimized DPI triggers and high-quality video and audio.

The newly added channels include television networks operated by A&E Television Networks (A&E(R) Network, The History Channel(R)), Hallmark (Hallmark Channel), Jewelry Television, ION Media Networks (Pax TV), Oxygen Media (Oxygen), and WGN (Superstation WGN).

Television networks that have previously signed up for transport aboard the Total Digital Solution include Comcast's content networks and investments (AZN Television, E! Entertainment Television, G4, The Golf Channel, PBS KIDS Sprout, The Style Network, TV One), and channels operated by C-SPAN (C-SPAN, C-SPAN 2), EWTN Global Catholic Network, The Inspiration Network, Lifetime Networks (Lifetime Television, LMN), Scripps Networks (HGTV, Food Network and Great American Country "GAC"), and TBN - Trinity Broadcasting Network.

"The expansion of channels available via the Total Digital Solution provides numerous benefits to both the participating networks and their cable system affiliates," said Gary Traver, COO of Comcast Media Center. "For the industry's programming networks, Total Digital represents a cost-effective and complementary distribution method for reaching their affiliates. For cable operators, our Total Digital Solution offers a highly efficient means for launching all-digital service in their markets by shifting much of the investment, maintenance and quality assurance for digital compression to a company that's been providing this service to the industry for over 12 years."

"SES AMERICOM is proud to be working with the Comcast Media Center to deliver the innovative Total Digital Solution platform," said Bryan McGuirk, president of media solutions for SES AMERICOM. "Our joint commitment to the ongoing digital channel expansion aboard the Total Digital Solution continues to make it a very compelling solution for the programming community and cable operators."

When fully deployed, the basic and expanded basic channels aboard the CMC/SES AMERICOM Total Digital Solution will combine with more than 150 digital video and audio services offered via the CMC's HITS (Headend In The Sky) digital overlay platform to provide a choice of over 200 video and audio services encompassing the majority of programming services currently offered by cable system operators.

ABOUT COMCAST MEDIA CENTER

Denver-based Comcast Media Center (CMC), a business unit of Comcast Cable, continues a 12-year-tradition of developing and launching digital content services for the industry. CMC currently serves more than 400 MSOs operating over 3,000 regional and standalone cable headends, originates 79 TV channels and provides video transmission for 445 full-time services. The CMC's Total Content Solution includes a Total Digital Solution (TDS) that combines digital feeds of basic and expanded basic programming services with its Headend In The Sky (HITS) lineup of over 150 digital video and audio channels; a national Video On Demand (VOD) platform; an Advertising Distribution Network (ADN) for centrally managing cross channel promotions and advertising; and a rich media streaming service for delivering IP video to PC's and portable media devices. The CMC's content management capabilities include channel and live event origination services in HD and standard definition; studio and post-production; encoding; and content hosting and storage services. More information is available at http://www.comcastmediacenter.com

ABOUT COMCAST

Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq:CMCSA, CMCSK) (http://www.comcast.com) is the nation's leading provider of cable, entertainment and communications products and services. With 21.7 million cable customers, 9.3 million high-speed Internet customers, and 1.7 million voice customers, Comcast is principally involved in the development, management and operation of broadband cable systems and in the delivery of programming content.

The Company's content networks and investments include E! Entertainment Television, Style Network, The Golf Channel, OLN, G4, AZN Television, PBS KIDS Sprout, TV One and four regional Comcast SportsNets. The Company also has a majority ownership in Comcast Spectacor, whose major holdings include the Philadelphia Flyers NHL hockey team, the Philadelphia 76ers NBA basketball team and two large multipurpose arenas in Philadelphia. Comcast Class A common stock and Class A Special common stock trade on The NASDAQ Stock Market under the symbols CMCSA and CMCSK, respectively.

About SES AMERICOM

The largest supplier of satellite services in the U.S., SES AMERICOM, an SES GLOBAL company (Euronext Paris and Luxembourg stock exchanges: SESG), is recognized as a pioneer of global satellite communications services. Celebrating the 30th anniversary of the launch of its first satellite, the company today operates a fleet of 18 spacecraft in orbital positions predominantly providing service throughout the Americas. As a member of the SES GLOBAL family, SES AMERICOM is able to provide end-to-end telecommunications solutions to any region of the world via a fleet of more than 40 satellites. In addition, AMERICOM Government Services, a wholly-owned subsidiary, is dedicated to providing satellite-based communications solutions to both civilian and defense agencies of the U.S. government. With its combined operations, SES AMERICOM serves broadcasters, cable programmers, aeronautical and maritime communications integrators, Internet service providers, mobile communications networks, government agencies, educational institutions, carriers and secure global data networks with efficient communication and content distribution solutions.

Source: Business Wire

More News in this Category