Starz Encore Chairman Sie Unveils Plans For High-Definition And High-Resolution Services

10-Jun-03

John J. Sie, founder, Chairman, and CEO of Starz Encore Group LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Liberty Media Corporation (NYSE: L, LMCb), announced plans to launch a new, high-definition (HD) premium movie channel and high-definition and high-resolution versions of STARZ!. Each of the new STARZ! versions will have two time-zone feeds. Sie also announced that Starz On Demand, Starz Encore's subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) service, will make select titles available in high-definition, the first time HD titles have been offered on SVOD.The new services unveiled were:- Sharper Movies HD: Sharper Movies HD is designed to be part of the new tier of high-definition services many cable operators and DBS providers are planning to offer their customers. Sharper Movies HD will consist of commercial-free films from Starz Encore's inventory of movie programming, including many first-run titles. It will be transmitted in 16:9 at 1080i with DolbyÆ Digital 5.1 sound. Sharper Movies HD will be marketed to multichannel providers separate and distinct from other Starz Encore pay-TV movie services. The high-definition tier, as currently formulated by several MSOs and DBS operators, would be priced at about $10 and would also include high-definition versions of popular advertiser-supported channels.""By taking the innovative step of packaging a commercial-free movie channel with great first-run titles and some of the most popular ad-supported channels, cable and satellite operators will be able to create a tier of high-definition programming that will appeal strongly to the growing numbers of consumers with HDTV sets,"" Sie noted.- STARZ! HD East and West Coast feeds: These two services will be transmitted in 16:9 at 1080i and will feature Dolby Digital 5.1 sound. STARZ! HD is the high-definition version of the flagship STARZ! service with a mix of recent Hollywood hits and other popular films.- Starz On Demand HD: Select titles from STARZ! HD will also be offered on Starz On Demand, Starz Encore's SVOD service offering over 100 movies each month. Starz On Demand provides viewing of Starz Encore's movies with full ""DVD-like"" functionality (pause, rewind, fast forward) for a flat monthly charge.- STARZ! Hi-Res East and West Coast feeds: A high-resolution, DVD-quality version of STARZ! in a 480i, 16:9 format with Dolby Digital 5.1 sound. This will allow cable and DBS operators to offer viewers a picture quality substantially superior to conventional digital broadcast video, but using only one-third the digital bandwidth of high-definition. STARZ! Hi-Res is specially designed for cable systems that have limited bandwidth or for operators who choose to conserve digital spectrum while satisfying their customers with HDTV sets.""Today's announcement marks several historic firsts for the cable and satellite industry,"" Sie commented. ""For the first time, movies transmitted in hi-def will be available on demand at one monthly fee. Our Sharper Movies HD channel will be the cornerstone of a unique new tier of programming that will include a premium, commercial-free movie service alongside ad-supported networks. And our hi-res version of STARZ! will mark the first premium movie service offering a dramatically improved picture quality at much lower the bandwidth.""Sie noted that about 4 million HDTV sets have been sold in the United States. However, of those, only about 500,000 are equipped with hi-def set-top tuner/decoders. Therefore, the overwhelming majority of HDTV set owners are using them to watch DVD movies.""The primary reason many hi-def set owners purchased their TVs was to watch movies on DVDs,"" Sie added. ""Now, they will have a first-run premium movie service as part of a hi-def tier available from their cable and satellite providers. And, they will have hi-def or hi-res versions of STARZ! which carries all of our exclusive hit recently released Hollywood films. This powerful combination of new hi-def/hi-res content should drive both the sales of hi-def tiers and the purchase of HDTV sets.""The new Starz Encore services will launch by year-end. Initially, each of the HD services will include a selection of films available in 1080i format, with other films upconverted to approximate the full hi-def experience.For more information about Starz Encore Group LLC (Starz Encore), visit www.starzencore.com.

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