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Snell & Wilcox Highlights Groundbreaking Hyperion Automated Content Monitoring System at IBC2006

Revolutionary Solution Tracks Content At Every Stage from Ingest to Transmission

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AMSTERDAM (IBC) -- Sept. 7, 2006 -- This week at IBC, Snell & Wilcox is showcasing a groundbreaking new content monitoring system that uses the industry's most advanced video processing technology to give broadcasters a comprehensive, configurable, and fully automated way to track content integrity. Being designed into all applicable Snell & Wilcox broadcast infrastructure products, Hyperion mimics human intelligence to automate the process of video, audio, and metadata monitoring of content throughout the broadcast signal chain. From ingest to transmission, Hyperion brings a new level of sophistication to multichannel content monitoring and offers broadcasters significant new protections when airing high-value, premium television programs.

Until now, automatic content monitoring systems have mainly focused on the technical aspects of a video signal. Hyperion goes much further. For example, Hyperion can detect subtle errors such as whether the content is too dark or too still. It can also intelligently address critical elements such as multi-language soundtracks, multichannel audio types, and the ever-increasing volume of metadata that tie together today's complex broadcast operations.

"Hyperion monitors what's within the video signal rather than just the signal itself," said Joe Zaller, vice president of marketing at Snell & Wilcox. "It acts like a human being by making a subjective assessment as to whether all is right with the audio, video, and metadata content within the signal."

In contrast to monitoring systems that are focused on identifying errors at the moment they are broadcast, Hyperion is designed to be distributed throughout the signal chain and thus allow errors to be identified and corrected well before transmission. This level of preventative quality control not only ensures the integrity of the playout schedule, it also protects broadcasters from lost revenue associated with program downtime and legal issues.

Hyperion simplifies remote monitoring by providing powerful tools that utilize metadata to track and QC content in conjunction with automation and scheduling systems. The system provides automatic content tracking and verification via SMPTE UMID (Unique Material IDentifier) and program ID processing. It also provides video thumbnail images over TCP/IP to enable visual confirmation. Easy integration with the powerful Snell & Wilcox RollCall, RollMap, and RollSNMP broadcast control and monitoring systems - as well as third-party systems - simplifies operator alerts, notification, and messaging. Hyperion alarm information can also be integrated with all popular display wall processors to provide a unified and ergonomic display interface for QC operations.

"The Hyperion system's ability to work with content metadata offers unrivalled flexibility not only in tracking content throughout a facility, but also provides a future-proof solution capable of bridging stream and file technologies and formats as each continues to evolve," Zaller added. "As a result, broadcasters can make a smart investment in the powerful Hyperion solution today and be confident in their long-term monitoring capabilities."

In future, Hyperion functionality will be integrating into new Snell & Wilcox infrastructure products where applicable. More information, including a multimedia presentation and podcast, is available on the Snell & Wilcox web site at http://www.snellwilcox.com/hyperion.

Snell & Wilcox designs and builds the world's most advanced systems for video playout, mastering, repurposing, infrastructure, and live production switching. Providing solutions that deliver immediate value while enabling a controlled and cost-effective transition to HD and file-based systems, the company serves a worldwide base of customers in the broadcast, postproduction, cable, satellite, mobile TV, and IPTV markets. In business since 1973, Snell & Wilcox maintains its U.S. headquarters in Burbank, Calif., and European headquarters in Hampshire, U.K. Additional offices are located in New York, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Lebanon, Malaysia, and Russia. Visit www.snellwilcox.com for more information.

Americas Press Contact: Susan Warren, Wall Street Communications, Phone: +1 631 261 1013. Email: susan@wallstreetcom.tv.

EMEA Press Contact: Becky Smith, on behalf of Wall Street Communications, Phone: +44 1622 684 592. Email: becky@ella-beck.co.uk.

Asia Pacific Press Contact: Dave Netz, Wall Street Communications, Phone +1 303 329 0359.

Snell & Wilcox, Hyperion, RollCall, RollMap, RollSNMP are all trademarks of the Snell & Wilcox Group. All other trademarks mentioned herein are acknowledged as the property of their respective owners.