TMCnet News
SeaChange Powers World's First on-Demand Television Deployment Based On OCAPMAYNARD, Mass. --(Business Wire)-- April 4, 2005 -- SeaChange's Regional VOD Application Development Expertise Provides Flexibility and Speed to Market South Korean cable operator CJ CableNet has launched the world's first OpenCable(TM) Application Platform (OCAP(TM))-based on-demand television service. Based on systems from SeaChange International, Inc. (Nasdaq: SEAC), video-on-demand movies and television programs are offered through CJ CableNet's comprehensive "Hello D" interactive service, which takes full advantage of OCAP specifications to deliver a wide range of advanced applications to settops and other consumer electronics devices. CJ CableNet's OCAP-based Hello D applications include local weather and news, games and SMS (short message service). Hello D also features breakthrough commerce applications, including reservations for local golf "tee times" and theater tickets. With video-on-demand, subscribers can select from hundreds of movies, free programs, subscription packages and CJ CableNet's innovative "series-on-demand" option, which provides episodic television programs in a range of package prices and access periods. Through its regional Asia office, SeaChange's software development team created the custom OCAP-based video-on-demand applications and a user interface client to match CJ CableNet's unique requirements. "Hello D embodies the innovation and new collaboration fueled by global standards," said Mr. Wang Yong Hoon, Director of Corporate Planning & Development, CJ CableNet. "Through its commitment to standards, SeaChange has built a solution that is the cornerstone for the comprehensive on-demand streaming services that we envisioned. SeaChange's support for OCAP has mitigated technical and economic challenges to our vision for helping our customers more readily access a wider world of entertainment and information." CJ CableNet serves 1.2 million subscribers in seven cable systems across South Korea, including Gaya S.O., Haewoondae S.O., Joongbusan S.O., Kyungnam S.O., Masan S.O., Pukincheon S.O. and Yangchon S.O. The operator's sister company, CJ Media, the country's leading broadcaster and program producer, is the main content source for Hello D on-demand. Later this year, CJ CableNet will enable smaller cable operators to bring video-on-demand services to more of South Korea's 13 million cable television subscribers.(1) Lending a boost to the cable industry's quest for greater market share, CJ CableNet will offer its local application development and content acquisition services as means for any South Korean cable operator to quickly launch a range of video-on-demand options under their own brands. By eliminating individual operator's investment in software development and customization, CJ CableNet will ensure even faster return-on-investment from video-on-demand. "With its breadth of content and applications, CJ CableNet provides a stellar example of the benefits of OCAP and it truly stands out among the world's advanced television operations," said Chris West, SeaChange's Vice President of Asia Pacific Sales. "CJ CableNet's OCAP on-demand rollout will capture the industry's attention. SeaChange is proud to be aligned with CJ CableNet in this standards breakthrough and as it propels video-on-demand television throughout South Korea." Industry standards drive advanced television rollouts Adopted in 2001 by the South Korean government to ensure the security of cable television streams, the OCAP specification is a software specification of the OpenCable project (www.opencable.com) led by Cable Television Laboratories, a non-profit research and development consortium dedicated to pursuing new cable telecommunications technologies and helping operators integrate those advancements into their business objectives. OCAP allows retail consumer electronics devices to run any OCAP application or service. With OCAP middleware, consumer electronics manufacturers can build digital cable products capable of running interactive program guides and premium services including on-demand television. CableLabs provides certification testing of OpenCable host devices, including host devices implementing the OCAP specification, for delivery and use in the North American cable market. Deployed in a wide array of network architectures, SeaChange VOD (video-on-demand) Systems and next-generation SeaChange IP Video Systems underscore the advantages of interoperability inherent in OCAP and other digital television standards. SeaChange customers integrate with an unparalleled selection of third-party software and network components, including CJ CableNet's OCAP-based middleware from Alticast and settop boxes from Humax and Samsung. In more than 100 television operations, SeaChange systems fulfill over 100 million video-on-demand stream requests each month. SeaChange's diverse customer base includes some of the world's largest broadband operators such as Cablevision, Comcast, Cox, Insight, Rogers, Time Warner Cable in the U.S. and Guandong Cable (China), HOT (Israel), ntl (U.K.), Qrix (So. Korea) and Telewest (U.K.), among many others. These customers chose SeaChange's video server systems and revenue-generating software applications for fully automated, fault-resilient streaming services to televisions, PCs and other consumer devices. This week SeaChange features its VOD systems and software at the NCTA National Show (San Francisco, April 3-5) in booth 5874. Alticast will be demonstrating the CJ CableNet OCAP application in the CableNET booth 6490. SeaChange in Asia Pacific Throughout Asia Pacific, the SeaChange deployment, sales and service organization has bases in Perth, Seoul, Shanghai, Singapore and Tokyo, each providing essential localized integration, deployment and ongoing support for the region's television operators. SeaChange provides digital video systems that are changing television. Its powerful server and software systems enable television operators to provide new on-demand services and to gain greater efficiencies in advertising and content delivery. With its Emmy-winning MediaCluster technology, thousands of SeaChange systems are helping broadband, broadcast and satellite television companies to streamline operations, expand services and increase revenues. SeaChange is headquartered in Maynard, Massachusetts and has product development, support and sales offices throughout the world. Visit www.schange.com (1) Estimated year-end 2004 total cable television subscribers in So. Korea, from Media Partners Asia Ltd.'s annual research, "Asia Pacific Cable & Satellite Markets 2005" MediaCluster is a trademark of SeaChange International, Inc. OpenCable and , OCAP and CableLabs are trademarks of Cable Television Laboratories, Inc. An equipment demonstration at a CableLabs' event does not constitute CableLabs' endorsement of that equipment. |
