FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
February 7, 2000
For more information, contact
Greg Hurt, Director, Sales and Marketing
Microspace Communications, 919-850-4561 Sam Matheny, Vice President and General Manager
DTV Plus, 919-850-4540.
Microspace Communications and DTV Plus Broadcast IP Over HDTV at mCast 2000
Raleigh, N.C. — Microspace Communications Corporation, provider of satellite-based video and high-speed data networks for businesses; and DTV Plus, provider of datacasting via digital television and satellite-based technologies, will be participating in the Multicast Splash project during the mCast 2000 event at the San Francisco Airport Marriott, February 7-9, 2000.
During the mCast event, Microspace Communications will demonstrate streaming IP multicast content via satellite into Cisco’s IP/TV player. In addition, for the first time in history, an IP Multicast stream will be sent over a combination of satellite and digital television signals via Microspace and DTV Plus.
DTV Plus is one of the first vendors to showcase its ability to multicast IP content, using satellite and DTV signals via the Center for Datacasting Innovation (CDI) which was formed by Intel and KICU in Silicon Valley, CA. “We are excited about being the first company to combine satellite and digital television datacasting to deliver web files and streaming video via IP multicast,” said Sam Matheny, Vice President and General Manager of DTV Plus. “This combination provides content producers with broadband reach not possible until now.”
The mCast 2000 (IP Multicast Summit) event is focused on the technologies, business and management of Multicast in IP networks. The Multicast Splash project is a demonstration of “multicast in action” by members of the IP Multicast Initiative. According to Joe Amor, Vice President and General Manager of Microspace, “IP Multicasting over satellites is ideal for broadcasting to large geographic distribution. IP Multicasting over High Definition Television is an exciting broadcasting medium for more local distribution. We are delighted to be showing how these two distribution mediums complement each other.”
IP Multicast is an open, IETF standard that enables efficient bandwidth usage for applications that distribute data to multiple recipients. Unlike traditional bandwidth-hungry “unicast,” which creates a separate, point-to-point data stream between the sender and each receiver, multicast sends a single stream of data that can be accessed by any recipient desiring the information.
DTV Plus is devoted to developing and deploying a nation-wide datacasting network using satellite and digital television technologies to deliver on its vision. Microspace provides a reliable and economical point-to-multipoint satellite broadcasting solution for delivery of digital video and high-speed data. The Microspace network is the largest of its type in the world and totals over 300,000 remote sites, internationally.
Capitol Broadcasting Company, Inc. is a diversified communications company which owns and/or operates WRAL-TV, WRAL-Digital, WRAL-FM, Microspace, the North Carolina News Network, DTV Plus, Wolfpack Sports Marketing, and Capitol Sports Management in Raleigh, NC; WJZY-TV and WFVT-TV in Charlotte, NC; WILM-TV in Wilmington, NC; WRAZ-TV and the Durham Bulls Baseball Club in Durham, NC; and the Myrtle Beach Pelicans Baseball Club in Myrtle Beach, SC; Capitol Broadcasting Company also founded Local TV on Satellite in Raleigh, NC.
