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GE Americom Launches New Digital Service for Cable Programmers Live Satellite Demos Planned for Cable 2K in New Orleans
May 8, 2000 - Princeton, NJ
GE American Communications (GE Americom) is launching DigitalC", a new satellite service to facilitate the distribution of rapidly multiplying compressed, digital cable programming services. Available immediately on GE-1, the customized C-band service will be demonstrated live via satellite in GE Americom's booth at the National Cable Show in New Orleans, May 8-10.
The DigitalC" offering features fully protected space segment, an end-to-end transmission solution through GE Americom's Digital Media Center in Maryland, a choice of the two most popular digital platforms for cable -- Scientific Atlanta PowerVu and the Motorola/GI DigicipherII, and customized bandwidth in an MCPC (multiple channel per carrier) format. The technical hub for the DigitalC" service is GE Americom's Digital Media Center in Woodbine, Maryland which can accept video content in any form or media including videotape, analog or digital terrestrial or satellite delivery. The DigitalC" turnkey solution includes digital encoding and compression, local transport, uplinking and protected space segment in the fastest growing cable neighborhood, Cable2, which currently reaches more than 48 million households.
Carl Capista, GE Americom's Vice President Satellite Services - North America, describes the development of DigitalC "We used an in depth voice-of-the-customer process to completely understand, and then address, the needs of the start-up programmer launching a first channel as well as the established programmer expanding a menu of digital services." He continued, "DigitalC is a powerful and economical alternative that is flexible and facilitates digital tier carriage."
The live-via-satellite demonstrations of DigitalC will run continuously throughout the National Cable Exhibition in GE Americom's Booth # 4975. The demonstration features the SA PowerVu and Motorola DigicipherII headend processing and reception equipment.
GE Americom's Cable2 neighborhood is comprised of the entire C-band payloads of GE-1 at 103? W.L. and the recently launched GE-4 satellite at 101? W.L. Reaching more than 48 million households, the Cable2 neighborhood features more than a dozen program services including Rainbow Sports, Madison Square Garden, Fox Sports Nets (New York, Bay Area, Chicago, New England and Ohio), InDemand, PaxTV, Fox Sports Net South, TVG, Telemundo, Deutsche Welle, Total Living Network and Wisdom Television.
About Motorola
Motorola, Inc. (NYSE: MOT) is a global leader in providing integrated communications solutions and embedded electronic solutions. DigiCipher? II technology is developed by Motorola's San Diego-based Satellite & Broadcast Network Systems (SBNS) business unit, which provides digital television systems sending compressed video service to cable television headends, television network affiliates, corporate locations, and consumer homes. Motorola, through its merger with General Instrument Corporation, is credited with the invention of digital television and, since the first commercial deployment in 1993, has shipped over 5,000 digital compression channels worldwide. The technology compresses and multiplexes both single definition television and high definition television signals within a single integrated transmission system. It is compatible with MPEG-2 standards for transport and video syntax. The DigiCipher II system uses the Dolby? brand AC-3? audio compression system. For more information, visit Motorola on the Web at www.motorola.com.
About Scientific-Atlanta
Scientific-Atlanta's Media Networks division specializes in expanding the delivery of entertainment and information through standards-based digital video compression and transport solutions. Currently, more than 350 Scientific-Atlanta digital video compression systems are transmitting over 1750 channels of digital programming into more than 170 countries - over 90 percent of the world. Scientific-Atlanta, Inc. (NYSE: SFA http:// www.scientificatlanta.com) is a leading supplier of broadband communications systems, satellite-based video, voice and data communications networks and worldwide customer service and support.
With over twenty years' experience, GE American Communications, Inc. is recognized as a pioneer and a leading provider of global satellite communications solutions. On consummation of the recently announced acquisition of Columbia Communications and integration of Columbia's transoceanic satellite capacity into GE Americom's global fleet, GE Americom will be able to provide end-to-end telecommunications solutions to any region in the world. GE Americom currently operates twelve satellites providing services to North America. In addition, GE-1E provides service for European and Middle Eastern markets. Through GE-4 and NahuelSAt, an Argentine satellite operator, GE Americom is committed to the delivery of satellite-based communications services throughout South and Latin America. And with the launch of GE-1A, scheduled for fourth quarter 2000, GE Americom will be able to deliver services into China, India and the large population centers of Northeast Asia. GE Americom's key customers include ABC Radio Networks, AT&T Alascom, British Telecom, Cidera, Discovery, Disney, Gannett, Gilat, ICG, Merlin, NBC, the New York Times, NHK, PBS, TELE Greenland, TV Europa, TimeWarner/Turner Broadcasting and Viacom.
GE Americom is a GE Capital business. GE Capital, with assets of over US$345 billion, is a global, diversified financial services company with 28 specialized businesses. A wholly-owned subsidiary of General Electric Company, GE Capital, based in Stamford, CT., provides equipment management, mid-market and specialized financing, specialty insurance and a variety of consumer services, such as car leasing, home mortgages and credit cards, to businesses and individuals around the world. GE is a diversified services, technology and manufacturing company with operations worldwide.
Contact: Monica Morgan
609-987-4143
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