Snell & Wilcox iCR Automated Content Repurposing Workstation Streamlines Content Mastering and Multi-Platform Content Delivery
System Automatically Repurposes Revenue-Generating Content for Multiple Distribution Platforms, Achieves Lowest Cost per Deliverable
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LAS VEGAS -- April 16, 2007 -- iCR, an automated system from Snell & Wilcox that concurrently creates high quality digital masters and repurposes content for multiple distribution platforms, makes its NAB2007 debut this year. iCR streamlines the process of repurposing content for multiple distribution platforms, enabling users to lower their costs while increasing their throughput and operational efficiency.
iCR is a complete system for content mastering and repurposing. It integrates a number of image processing, quality control (QC), and content repurposing functions as part of a single workflow. The integration of these functions in a single system enables iCR to deliver superior image quality while drastically reducing the time required to repurpose revenue-generating content for multiple media platforms. The concurrent processing capability of iCR eliminates the need for separate encoding and transcoding processing; instead, iCR performs simultaneous transcodes as part of a single workflow. Transcoding begins as soon as the master encode process is underway, so users can complete all their mastering and repurposing tasks in about the same time it would take to perform a single encode/transcode operation using a conventional system. Automated QC monitoring is integrated into each step of the iCR workflow. This streamlines manual QC by enabling operators to rapidly focus on problematic areas. Going far beyond monitoring the technical characteristics of the video, the QC functionality in iCR can also evaluate the quality and makeup of the video, audio, and metadata content within the signal. In addition to alerting the operator to an error, iCR also automatically provides an "educated opinion" as to whether each element of the program meets satisfactory viewing quality standards, as well as the legal and contractual requirements necessary to generate revenue. "iCR is an important breakthrough in content repurposing because as the number of deliverables required increases, the revenue per deliverable goes down, yet the time and cost of repurposing content does not change," said Joe Zaller, vice president of strategic marketing at Snell & Wilcox. "iCR's concurrent processing and integrated QC tools for both the stream and file domains means that users can now dramatically increase their operational efficiency and achieve the lowest possible cost per deliverable." The quality of the images produced by the iCR system is ensured by the use of multiple-award-winning technologies from Snell & Wilcox. These include Ph.C motion estimation, Prefix compression pre-processing, DEFT 3:2 cadence correction, FormatFusion up/down/crossconversion, and MOLE, which delivers high-quality, multi-generation compression performance. The combination of these technologies allows iCR to deliver visibly superior results at any given bit rate or smaller files at a given quality level. More information about iCR and other Snell & Wilcox products is available at www.snellwilcox.com. # # #
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@wallstcom.com. Snell & Wilcox, Putting Pictures to Work, iCR, Ph.C, Prefix, DEFT, FormatFusion, and MOLE are trademarks of the Snell & Wilcox Group. All other trademarks mentioned herein are acknowledged as property of their respective owners.
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