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Asian Broadcasters Embrace Kahuna Multi-format Switcher

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Kahuna, the breakthrough multiformat SD/HD production switcher from Snell & Wilcox has been enthusiastically received in Asia following its debut at InterBEE in December 2004. Multiple broadcasters in Japan, China and Korea have already placed orders for Kahuna, the first switcher ever to offer simultaneous SD and HD operations in the same mainframe with the same control panel, and the first to enable the integration of SD sources into HD production without the need for upconversion.

Mr. Mark Parlett, Managing Director, Snell & Wilcox Asia Pacific Limited, said, "Kahuna is the only switcher in the world that allows simultaneous production in SD and HD, and it is clear that it is meeting a growing need in Asia. It is a fact of life in the broadcast industry that content will continue to be provided in multiple formats, and broadcasters will continue to broadcast in multiple formats. With Korea leading the way in multi-format production, and China preparing to commence transmission in HD, the need for simultaneous production technology is increasing dramatically and we expect it to continue to grow throughout 2005. Snell & Wilcox is committed to helping broadcasters and content providers tackle these issues in the most efficient way possible."

Qing Dao Television in China is first in Asia to bring Kahuna into its production facility, where it was provided by Snell & Wilcox partner NDT. Already, more than 20 broadcasters and content providers worldwide have placed orders for the revolutionary new switcher.

Designed to be future-proof, Kahuna allows operators to work initially in SD-only or HD-only mode and then upgrade to multi-format SD/HD operation whenever they choose. In multi-format SD/HD mode, Kahuna users can mix existing SD camera feeds, graphics, handheld shots, and archive footage directly into an HD production with no need to purchase expensive HD upgrades or extra HD up-conversion equipment.

Until now, the only existing multi-format switchers were able to operate in either SD or HD modes, and generally required a reboot in order to switch between the two modes. Kahuna changes the rules of the game. Thanks to a Snell & Wilcox technology called Format Fusion, SD sources can now be seamlessly integrated into HD productions and visa versa, without the need for conversion.

With Kahuna, a single mainframe and single control surface simultaneously handles both SD and HD sources rather than switching between one mode and another. This functionality enables Kahuna operators to allocate mix/effects banks (M/Es) to output either in SD or HD and then mix any of the inputs regardless of format to produce a seamless HD or SD result. This operational flexibility extends to Kahuna's ability to network multiple control surfaces to different mainframes, to allocate one mainframe to separate control panels, or to operate in SD or HD as required, making maximum use of all available M/Es.

The ability to use SD sources within high-quality HD productions extends the useful life of existing SD hardware, potentially representing tremendous cost savings for facilities that would otherwise be forced to purchase multiple HD up-converters, new HD graphics capabilities, and new HD cameras in order to move to HD production.

Snell & Wilcox, the leader in its field, delivers technologies and products that enable television and satellite broadcasters, post production facilities, film makers, and communications professionals to move content seamlessly between analog, digital, high definition and file-based systems and to bridge the world's multiplicity of line/field and color standards. The company provides switchers and keyers, standards conversion systems, networked infrastructure components, and products for noise reduction, image enhancement and restoration. In business since 1973, Snell & Wilcox Ltd. maintains its Asia headquarters in Hong Kong and European headquarters in Hampshire, United Kingdom. Additional offices are located in New York, California, China, France, Germany, India, Japan, Lebanon, Malaysia and Russia. Visit www.snellwilcox.com for more information.

Snell & Wilcox Asia Pacific Headquarters Contact: Mark Parlett, Managing Director, Snell & Wilcox Asia Pacific Limited, Unit E, 10/F, China Overseas Building, 139 Hennessy Road, Wanchai, Hong Kong, Phone: 852-2356-1660, Fax: 852-2356-1603 or Email: mparlett@snellwilcox.com.hk
Web: www.snellwilcox.com

Asia Pacific Press Contact: Genevieve Hilton, Ketchum Newscan Public Relations, Phone: 852-3141-8112, Fax: 852-2510-8199 or E-mail: genevieve.hilton@knprhk.com

International Press Contact: Karen David, Wall Street Communications EMEA. Phone: 44-1865-512662. Email: karen@wallstreetcom.tv

Snell & Wilcox, Engineering with Vision, Alchemist, Ph.C, Format Fusion, Kudos, Magic Dave, IQ Modular, RollCall, RollTrack, Mosalina, Niagra, and Kahuna are all trademarks of the Snell & Wilcox Group.