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Thailand's iTV Uses Kahuna SD/HD Multiformat Production Switcher to Enhance SD Broadcasts and Enable Shift to HD

Snell & Wilcox Kahuna Offers Sophisticated Switching Capabilities and Enables Easy Software Upgrade to HD Operation

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HAMPSHIRE, U.K. -- Jan. 9, 2007 -- Snell & Wilcox today announced that Independent TV of Thailand (iTV) is using a 4-ME Kahuna SD/HD multiformat production switcher, provided by Thai distributor PAT, to enhance its on-air look and to enable a seamless upgrade to HD operations in the future. iTV will begin using the Snell & Wilcox Kahuna in SD-only mode, taking advantage of its advanced keying capability to create compelling on-air news content. When ready to begin its transition to HD, iTV can upgrade the Kahuna to SD/HD hybrid operation through a simple software upgrade.

"The Kahuna offered more flexibility than any other switcher we evaluated, as it features extensive effects and switching capabilities, and provides a reliable platform on which we can expand our production operations to include HD content," said Khun Anek, deputy director of engineering at iTV. "We've always found Snell & Wilcox equipment to perform well and look forward to exploring the new possibilities the Kahuna production switcher offers our operations."

Each Kahuna M/E bank features four keyers able to perform luma, linear, and chroma keying; five transition-wipe generators; a still store and RAM recorder; RGB color correction; two utility buses; and DMEM capability. iTV operators can apply effects -- including warps, tiling, ripples, rolls, and peels, with Trailstore and lighting effects -- to the keyers and background transitions.

The easy-to-use yet powerful Kahuna IMPAKT suite of 3D DVEs provides effects including spheres, slabs, zooms, warps, tiling, ripples, rolls and peels, fragmentation, lighting effects, and corner pinning -- which can be applied in SD, HD, or both formats. In addition to straightforward operational logic, IMPAKT offers iTV the benefit of timesaving pre-made effects and the ability to work in source-based or bus-based modes, enabling both background and fill-and-key manipulation.

A completely software-upgradeable system, the Kahuna can be installed initially in SD-only or HD-only form and, when required, converted instantly to combined multiformat SD/HD operation with no additional installation demands. Thus, the flexible Kahuna SD/HD production switcher will allow iTV to make the transition to HD gradually, as its business needs demand, without replacing existing SD equipment with HD gear or purchasing external upconversion systems. The FormatFusion engine integrated into the Kahuna will allow the Thai broadcaster to integrate SD captions, graphics, handheld shots, and archive inputs into HD programming without concern for format compatibility.

"Our technical team and operators have a strong bond with earlier-generation Snell & Wilcox switchers, thanks to their reliability, strong feature sets, and user-friendliness," added Khun Anek. "The Kahuna offers the same intuitive operation along with exciting capabilities that will help us grow our broadcast business."

iTV (Independent TV of Thailand) is owned by ITV Public Company Limited, a unit of Shin Corporation. The station was started in 1995 when the company was granted a 30-year concession by the Office of the Permanent Secretary to the Prime Minister's Office to operate a free-to-air television station in the UHF spectrum. It is Thailand's first UHF channel. iTV is online at www.itv.co.th.

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. Further information is available at www.snellwilcox.com.

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

Snell & Wilcox, Putting Pictures to Work, Kahuna, IMPAKT, and FormatFusion are all trademarks of the Snell & Wilcox Group. All other trademarks mentioned herein are acknowledged as the property of their respective owners.