News Release - For immediate release

Telestream Introduces GraphicsFactory
Workflow Automation Solution

Company automates new workflow to reduce the cost of branding and repurposing content for today’s evolving “media everywhere” distribution channels

Nevada City, Calif., April 12, 2006 – Telestream, the industry leader in solving the challenges of media exchange in today’s multi-format, multi-vendor, IT-centric video environments, today announced its newest workflow automation solution. Built on the company’s core transcoding and workflow automation expertise, GraphicsFactory™ enables content owners, aggregators and distributors to cost-effectively brand and repurpose media for the growing number of new distribution channels.

With traditional television revenues softening, broadcasters realize the need to become more versatile content providers. Post production companies face similar challenges, adapting to the broadening format demands of HD, web and mobile, while providing more hosted services for their 24/7 clients. New media companies and service providers are also rising to meet the “media everywhere” challenges. Telestream's GraphicsFactory is designed to meet these customer needs, while reducing operating costs and increasing profitability.

GraphicsFactory™ is a revolutionary new software solution that automates graphics assembly in file-based workflows. A “build once, apply to many” model offers a faster, more efficient means to personalize media, add promos, brand, and localize media for a variety of high-volume distribution requirements. Layered graphics templates can include text, images and drop shadows, along with fade-ins/fade-outs and QuickTime movies that start and stop on a timeline. Since GraphicsFactory is built on top of Telestream’s world-class transcode engine, the output can be flipped into virtually any file format to meet a range of distribution needs.

The HorseTV Channel, a 24/7 network providing content focused on equestrian sports and lifestyles, was an early GraphicsFactory beta user. According to Patrick Osterman, SVP Broadcast Operations at The HorseTV Channel, “GraphicsFactory represents a tremendous increase in efficiency for us. We uplink content for distribution to cable operators and satellite providers and have strategic plans to expand to IPTV and mobile devices this year. This requires that we tailor and customize a lot of our content for each of these markets. We use GraphicsFactory to assemble our graphical elements, including bugs, banners, snipes and QuickTime overlays. These tasks, as well as pulling, processing, and delivering digital files to various distribution points are completely automated, providing incredible workflow efficiency.”

Another beta customer, Marty Ludwin, Sr. Director of Engineering at World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. adds, “We have invested heavily in Telestream’s FlipFactory, a proven technology for automating high-volume media processing and file transcoding between systems. The need to insert or overlay graphics during the automated process was a real need, and the team at Telestream listened. Now with GraphicsFactory, production for customized markets and insertion of time-specific promotions can be moved away from traditional editing tools to enable greater operational efficiency.”

With GraphicsFactory, an editor builds a graphics template once, and then hands it off to an assistant who applies simple metadata to tailor the template for each video asset. Graphics and source video files are then submitted to GraphicsFactory for automatic processing, transcoding to required formats, and delivery to distribution servers.

This model allows editors to focus on the creative, rather than repetitive graphics assembly tasks. It also eliminates the need to convert media from original “clean” archival formats to editing formats for graphics purposes. Since GraphicsFactory supports a vast array of professional file formats, it will automatically pull original source files from most video archives, perform the graphics overlays and transcode directly to the destination formats – all without having to move media between different formats and systems. Importantly, it provides a cost-effective means for media companies to capitalize on new distribution platforms for web, mobile, cable VOD, and broadcast.

"With the introduction of GraphicsFactory, Telestream continues its tradition of providing industry-leading solutions for file-based workflows," said Craig Thomas, President of Media Technology Consulting. "Extending the power of FlipFactory, GraphicsFactory automates the labor intensive process of overlaying time-based text, still and motion graphics on video files. GraphicsFactory turns FlipFactory into an automated metadata-driven production tool."

GraphicsFactory also offers an XML interface that enables fully automated integration of metadata into the graphics assembly workflow. In these instances, an editor creates a graphics template and then drives the graphics production process using metadata supplied from external systems.  

“We’re excited to extend our current successes to this new workflow,” said David Heppe, Telestream President and COO. “Our flagship FlipFactory products are at the heart of broadcast facilities worldwide enabling seamless file exchange, repurposing and automating ingest-to-playout in news and commercial workflows. GraphicsFactory now enables the same productivity and operational efficiency gains for a greater number of users.”

GraphicsFactory is offered as a standalone product providing automated graphics assembly, transcoding and delivery, or as an upgrade to existing FlipFactory systems. GraphicsFactory is a scalable software application that runs on standard Windows 2003 or XP Pro servers. It is slated for release this June.

GraphicsFactory will be featured in Telestream’s “media everywhere” demonstration in Booth SL2781 at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Show in Las Vegas, April 24-27, 2006.

####

Trademarked company and product names are the property of their respective owners.

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. The company's core workgroup and enterprise solutions and newer Flip4Mac tools for the Macintosh streamline digital media workflows for content owners, creators, and distributors in any industry segment. Telestream and its team of video experts are located in Nevada City, the “video valley” region of Northern California. The company is privately held.   

About The HorseTV Channel (www.horsetv.com)
The HorseTV Channel is the first and only 24/7 television destination taking viewers inside the fascinating world of horses.  From silk hats to Stetsons, The HorseTV Channel features a diverse and fun-filled program lineup for the entire family. Viewers experience the full range of the horse world from world-class English and Western competitions, exotic horse travel destinations and classic movies to informational series, breed documentaries and real-life stories. For more information about The HorseTV Channel visit www.horsetv.com.

top