Source: RealNetworks, Inc. Web Site: http://www.real.com
RealNetworks Demonstrates First Satellite Distribution Of Broadband Streaming Media To Cable Modem Users Using RealSystem G2
RealNetworksÆ, the recognized leader in media delivery for the Internet, today announced it will demonstrate, for the first time, broadband streaming media delivery over satellite infrastructure to cable MSO's using RealSystem(R) G2. This new content distribution capability builds on the broadband media production and serving solution introduced with the release of RealProducerô 7.0 and RealServerô 7.0 and the new broadband RealGuideô content directory, all announced earlier this month. Combining RealNetworks broadband media production, serving and directory service, cable MSO's can, for the first time, leverage existing satellite and cable modem infrastructure to deliver high quality multimedia content to their subscriber base. ""Satellite delivery of broadband streaming media to cable subscribers is a significant step towards the fulfillment of broadband media delivery,"" said Martin Plaehn, Senior Vice President of Media Systems, RealNetworks. ""Cable providers can now seamlessly integrate internet broadcasting services with their existing cable service, delivering cable subscribers a new class of content and service."" ""Excite@Home is pleased to see RealNetworks, the preferred broadband streaming media provider of the @Home Network, deliver dramatic improvements in video quality and broadcast scalability to RealSystem G2,"" said Adam Grosser, President, Subscriber Networks, Excite@Home. ""These improvements will substantially enhance the experience of our subscribers."" For the demonstration at the Western Show, RealNetworks has teamed with Pinnacle to provide video capture equipment, Sun Microsystems to provide servers, Skystream to provide media routing at the satellite uplink, and Loral CyberStar to provide satellite services. The demonstrated system builds on enhancements to RealSystem G2 developed specifically for cable delivery in collaboration with Excite@Home. Content, created using the new broadband ready RealProducer 7.0, is being provided by The History Channel, The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, FasTV.com, The Health Network, Comedy Central, AtomFilms, BreakTV.com, NECN, Pseudo.com, UltimateTV, MountainZone.com, and Teton Gravity Research. About RealNetworks RealNetworks, Inc., based in Seattle, is the recognized leader in streaming media delivery on the Internet. It develops and markets software products and services designed to enable users of personal computers and other consumer electronic devices to send and receive audio, video and other multimedia services using the Web. Consumers can access and experience audio/video programming and download RealNetworks consumer software on the Internet at http://www.real.com. All RealNetworks systems and corporate information is located on the Internet at http://www.realnetworks.com. RealNetworks continues to maintain a strong leadership share of the streaming media market. As of December 1999, there are more than 92 million unique users of RealPlayerÆ and more than 85 percent of all streaming media Web pages on the Internet use industry leading RealAudioÆ, RealVideoÆ, RealFlashô, RealTextô or RealPixô, and more than 350,000 hours of live RealAudio and RealVideo programming are available each week (Source: Hotbot).