--Powers VOD Services in Chile, Missouri
--Subsidiary, On Demand Group, in Joint VOD Venture with Tele Muenchen
VOD technology provider, SeaChange International, says that cable operator, VTR GlobalCom, a Liberty Global subsidiary, has rolled out Chile's first VOD service, using an end-to-end SeaChange solution, consisting of VOD software, video servers, middleware and network QAM's. The service, dubbed "VTR On Demand," launched last December and features Hollywood movies, music videos, karaoke and broadcast programming. According to SeaChange, VTR is using its Axiom VOD infrastructure software to automatically manage content libraries, streaming resources and other critical operations; and is also using its Axiom Recording System software (which is directly integrated with the infrastructure software) to power a network PVR service that automatically captures scheduled shows for immediate on-demand access.
According to SeaChange, VTR plans "to take full advantage of VOD's interactive nature, using its network's two-way communication capabilities to deliver new applications to users at the click of a remote control button," and views VOD "as only the beginning of many future interactive television services." The operator built its VTR On Demand portal using development tools from SeaChange's VODlink middleware platform: the portal features SeaChange's "wall of posters" navigation schema, and allows content searches by actor, title, director and keyword. VTR is also deploying VODlink's DVD-on-Demand capability, which allows it to stream entire DVD's, complete with interactive extras, to its customers. In addition, SeaChange says that its patented VODlink Channel Overlay technology will allow VTR to provide its customers with direct links to VOD titles and channels that are relevant to the live broadcast they are watching. VTR has also deployed SeaChange's Casa C2100 series QAM edge devices throughout its national network: SeaChange claims that the devices will ensure optimal use of network bandwidth for on-demand and other digital services. In addition, the operator is deploying new SeaChange digital advertising insertion software, systems and interconnect gear.
In other SeaChange news:
The company says that St. Joseph Cablevision (note: the latter, a subsidiary of NPG Cable, offers service in St. Joseph, Missouri) is using its technologies to power a new VOD service. The service runs on SeaChange's VOD System, and incorporates the company's Axiom Core VOD infrastructure software. At launch, the service offers around 2,000 hours of Hollywood movies, subscription VOD packages, and free local and network content. St. Joseph, which has used SeaChange's Spot System to run its local advertising insertion business since 1998, is also using SeaChange technologies to expand that business to digital cable. The upgrade, which will see the operator's total "insertable" channel line-up grow from 24 analog channels to 50 analog and digital channels (thus making its digital-tier channels available to local advertisers), will integrate SeaChange's digital transport streams insertion software with existing analog systems. According to SeaChange, a "simple software upgrade" will allow St. Joseph to "capture valuable targeted advertising opportunities in on-demand streams." - The company's European content-aggregator subsidiary, the On Demand Group, has teamed with Tele Muenchen Gruppe (TMG) to launch On Demand Deutschland, a Munich-based joint venture that will be tasked with establishing VOD and PPV services on multiple platforms, and that will target Europe's large German-speaking population. According to the partners, Germany, Austria and Switzerland have over 45 million German-speaking households between them, the vast majority of which are not yet using digital pay-TV services: cable VOD is still not widely available in those markets, and IPTV has only recently been launched in Germany. The companies say that On Demand Deutschland has begun offering programming packages to German-language pay-TV operators that combine Hollywood movies and German-language content. "We have the perfect combination of content and services to jump-start this market," On Demand Group CEO, Tony Kelly, said in a prepared statement. "We have already proven we can get our clients into the on-demand television business very rapidly, manage their services inside and out, and continue to grow the revenue with new packaging, content and service innovations. TMG adds significant local punch to make our offering the obvious choice for the region's operators."
Originally Published: April 16, 2007 in [itvt] Issue 7.26 Part 2
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