IMD Digital Delivery Service Takes Off

with Telestream

New digital video delivery service uses ClipMail Pro with new v5.0 software and FlipFactory to distribute music videos and

TV commercials to UK broadcasters

Nevada City , Calif. , August 24, 2004 - Telestream, the leading provider of digital media access solutions for the broadcast and entertainment industry, today announced that London-based IMD has deployed Telestream FlipFactory and ClipMail products as key elements in a digital video delivery service being offered to UK broadcasters. Building on its history as the dominant delivery service for music and advertising to UK radio stations, IMD has undertaken an extensive development program to ensure that Telestream integrates fully with broadcasters, and now provides broadcast-quality delivery of TV commercials and music videos to television stations in the UK and Ireland over its private IP network infrastructure.

The IMD video delivery service replaces the costly, manual dubbing and delivery of videotape with a more efficient digital distribution solution. Material arrives from the post production houses either on a master tape or as a file transfer direct to IMD. From this, the ingest process creates a 50-iframe digital master which is stored on an Omneon video server. Two Telestream FlipFactory servers automatically flip to the Telestream Clipmail header or the target format specific to each broadcaster's playout server. IMD then distributes the material over its VPN to dedicated servers located at the broadcaster's premises. The files are then presented to a Telestream ClipMail Pro via the remote folder option, where they are cued up and transferred to the playout server. This process can be controlled manually with an edit controller or by an automation system.

"ClipMail Pro has been instrumental in the successful deployment of our new video delivery service," said John Bolton, Technical Director at IMD. "The latest ClipMail version 5.0 software, with enhanced playback control, enables broadcasters to control the ClipMail just like a VTR, so minimal procedural changes are needed to take advantage of a digital file-based delivery service."

The new digital delivery service provides a number of advantages for IMD, its clients and the broadcasters. For music companies, videos are distributed at a lower cost, with increased security and less risk of unauthorized copying. For ad agencies, commercial distribution costs are lowered, compared to traditional videotape methods. For the broadcaster, content is received more quickly, in a format that is ready for playout - without the need to change any operational procedures.

"We are delighted that IMD has selected Telestream's automated media encoding and delivery products as key elements enabling the successful launch of their new digital video service," said David Heppe , senior vice president of sales and marketing at Telestream.

The IMD receive servers and ClipMail Pro systems have already been deployed and installed at more than 10 UK broadcast facilities, and IMD also offers a parallel service in Ireland. The technology can easily be deployed to other countries as well. Early IMD adopters include MTV, LNN, GMTV, LPC, CNBC and Inmedia.

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About Telestream (www.telestream.net)

Telestream products have set the standard with the world's leading media and entertainment companies, corporations and government institutions for the encoding, organizing and delivery of digital media. Customers rely on Telestream products for convenient, cost-effective, and robust digital media access and exchange over IP networks. ClipMail MPEG appliances enable peer-to-peer worldwide media delivery. FlipFactory® software applications provide universal transcoding and metadata exchange between professional video systems. Telestream MAPT media organizers enable workgroups to capture, find, organize, repurpose, and share video/audio files. Telestream's automation applications and smart media organization solutions streamline workflows for broadcasters and media companies, as well as content owners and creators in government, higher education and corporate markets. Telestream and its team of video experts are located in Nevada City , the "video valley" region of Northern California . The company is privately held.

IMD is an independent company providing a digital delivery service for transmission quality radio and TV commercials, music and music video to broadcasters of every type. With 8 years of digital advertising distribution experience, IMD is the premier distributor of broadcast quality radio advertising to UK and Ireland with 98% market penetration. IMD was the first company to deliver digital, broadcast quality commercials and music video to TV broadcasters in the UK and Eire .

 

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