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| [September 11, 2008] |
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COMSTAR-DIRECT Expands IPTV Head-end with TANDBERG Television MPEG-4 AVC Encoding and Transcoding
SOUTHAMPTON, England --(Business Wire)-- TANDBERG Television, part of the Ericsson Group (NASDAQ:ERIC), today announced that COMSTAR-Direct, Russia's leading provider of broadband Internet access services (trademark STREAM) and a member of COMSTAR-UTS Group Telesystems (LLC COMSTAR-UTS, LSE: CMST), is expanding its IPTV head-end to support MPEG-4 AVC encoding and transcoding. The Moscow-based ISP is a long-standing customer of TANDBERG Television's MPEG-2 encoders for its standard definition television service.
The upgrade means COMSTAR-Direct can benefit from the higher bandwidth efficiencies of MPEG-4 AVC encoding, which is ideally suited for video over DSL networks. The addition of TANDBERG Television's single module iPlex transcoding means the operator can ingest widely available MPEG-2 feeds and convert them to MPEG-4 AVC without the need to decode and re-encode. This one-step approach to transcoding is cost-effective, helps preserve picture quality and makes it considerably easier to re-synchronize video with subtitles. Visitors to IBC can see TANDBERG Television's iPlex transcoding in action in Hall 1.D61.
"TANDBERG Television has provided a very powerful head-end solution that supports higher quality pictures in low bit-rates, and the introduction of MPEG-4 AVC encoding extends the reach of IPTV across our broadband network," comments COMSTAR-DIRECT's Technical Director Viktor Belov. "We were early to market with IPTV in Russia and are determined to maintain our leading position through consumer service and technical innovation. The iPlex transcoding capabilities we have added mean we can enjoy the benefits of MPEG-4 AVC without a cost or quality penalty when converting program feeds from MPEG-2."
The new transcoding function introduced at COMSTAR-DIRECT is part of the multi award-winning TANDBERG iPlex(TM) UltraCompression IPTV video processing and transcoding system. In addition, TANDBERG Television's next-generation MPEG-4 AVC encoder, the EN8030, is providing COMSTAR-DIRECT with industry leading picture quality at low bit rates. The head-end upgrade followed a competitive tender and will be supported by TANDBERG Television's local business partner, ISPA.
"This is another important operator deployment for TANDBERG Television's IPTV head-end and transcoding solutions," says Pawel Sulikowski, Sales Director, TANDBERG Television. "MPEG-4 AVC compression delivers high quality pictures in much lower bandwidth than MPEG-2. However, to maximize the benefits of the new codec, it is important that IPTV operators do not lose picture quality when converting MPEG-2 inputs. As most of the world's video is still distributed in MPEG-2 today, transcoding is a very important function and we are proud to be pioneering its use."
Award-winning iPlex transcoding
IPTV providers can use TANDBERG Television's single module iPlex transcoding solution to decode MPEG-2 SD or HD feeds and encode again in MPEG-4 AVC without the need for separate decoder and encoder units. This single-step approach to transcoding is not only cost-effective - it also helps preserve picture quality. Where incoming programs contain subtitles, single module transcoding allows network operators to re-synchronize subtitles with the video they accompany - something that has been difficult in the past.
JSC Comstar-United TeleSystems is the leading fixed-line telecommunications company in Moscow, both in terms of revenues and subscribers. Comstar UTS provides voice, data, Internet, pay-TV and other value-added services to residential and corporate subscribers and operators, using its extensive backbone network and exclusive last mile access to 98% of Moscow households. In addition, the Company offers communications services in five Russian regions and also in Armenia and Ukraine. As at the end of 1Q2008, Comstar has 3.6 million residential subscribers in Moscow and 750400 Internet broadband access residential subscribers (BBA), as well as 40000 BBA residential subscribers in Russia's regions and the CIS. Group of Companies reported consolidated revenues of US$ 1562.4m and US$ 417m for the 12 months ended Y2007 and 1Q2008, respectively, with OIBDA margin of 42.5% and 40.8%. Comstar GDRs are listed under the symbol "CMST" on the London Stock Exchange and Moscow Central Stock Exchange. For more information visit web-page: http://www.comstar-uts.ru; www.comstar-direct.ru
Some of the information in this press release may contain projections or other forward-looking statements regarding future events or the future financial performance of COMSTAR - UTS. You can identify forward looking statements by terms such as "expect," "believe," "anticipate," "estimate," "intend," "will," "could," "may" or "might" the negative of such terms or other similar expressions. We wish to caution you that these statements are only predictions and that the actual events or results may differ materially. COMSTAR - UTS does not intend to update these statements to reflect events and circumstances occurring after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. Many factors could cause the actual results to differ materially from those contained in our projections or forward-looking statements, including, among others, general economic conditions, our competitive environment, risks associated with operating in Russia, rapid technological and market change in our industries, as well as many other risks specifically related to COMSTAR - UTS and its operations.
About TANDBERG Television
TANDBERG Television, part of the Ericsson Group, delivers the multimedia technology and expertise that is moving digital video forward. Whether it's advanced compression systems, on-demand or content distribution, the company's award-winning solutions are used by the world's leading broadcasters, operators and programmers to deliver new viewer experiences and advertising opportunities. With a broad suite of open, standards-based products, TANDBERG Television offers the highest quality solutions for Digital TV, HDTV, VOD, and IPTV. For more information, please visit www.tandbergtv.com
About Ericsson
Ericsson is the world's leading provider of technology and services to telecom operators. The market leader in 2G and 3G mobile technologies, Ericsson supplies communications services and manages networks that serve more than 195 million subscribers. The company's portfolio comprises mobile and fixed network infrastructure, and broadband and multimedia solutions for operators, enterprises and developers. The Sony Ericsson joint venture provides consumers with feature-rich personal mobile devices.
Ericsson is advancing its vision of 'communication for all' through innovation, technology, and sustainable business solutions. Working in 175 countries, more than 70,000 employees generated revenue of USD 27.9 billion (SEK 188 billion) in 2007. Founded in 1876 and headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, Ericsson is listed on OMX Nordic Exchange Stockholm and NASDAQ.
For more information, visit www.ericsson.com or www.ericsson.mobi.
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