Television New Zealand Captures New Operational Efficiencies in Upgrade to SeaChange Software

SeaChange Linear Broadcast Solutions Enable National Broadcaster to Provide Superior DVB-SI and EPG Service to Freeview Partners

ACTON, Mass., July 24, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SMPTE Australia stand C37 & C44 -- Television New Zealand (TVNZ), New Zealand's national television broadcaster and digital media company, has deployed linear broadcast software from SeaChange International (Nasdaq:SEAC) to streamline the creation and delivery of television content schedules for its Freeview broadcast partners across the country. Specifically, the SeaChange CASIS and STAGIS solutions are enabling TVNZ to aggregate, schedule and generate Digital Video Broadcasting-Service Information (DVB-SI) tables including event information tables for electronic programming guides (EPGs).

TVNZ and its Freeview partners operate a number of national and local channels which are broadcast on the national free-to-air terrestrial and satellite platforms. Freeview is a not-for-profit organization launched by New Zealand's leading free-to-air broadcasters to help facilitate the national transition from analog to digital TV.

"We're evolving TVNZ's technology platform in support of our broadcast partners and to serve our strategic vision for engaging all New Zealanders with the content and services they desire most from a trusted national institution," said Greg Newman, Distribution Engineering Specialist at TVNZ. "We chose SeaChange to gain the advantages of solutions that dramatically improve our DVB-SI generation capabilities that we can pass on to our partners, while lowering our operating costs in schedule workflows, back-ups and configuration changes. In the end, we found the transition to SeaChange from our prior platform to be efficient and without disruption."

"SeaChange is very pleased to have delivered the solutions and local support to ensure TVNZ's service to broadcasters nationally," said Andrei Noppe, Senior Vice President and General Manager, EMEA & APAC, SeaChange. "While we've already helped TVNZ overcome several initial challenges and improve its operation, the SeaChange CASIS and STAGIS solutions set the stage for future gains through a range of add-on capabilities."

SeaChange linear broadcast software solutions are used by service providers globally. Their flexibility and ease of use empower cable, terrestrial and satellite broadcasters to fully realize the advantages of DVB-SI, such as service discovery and selection, populating EPGs with schedules, and signaling PVRs to record shows. SeaChange software handles metadata to ensure program management and accurate EPGs; and it easily regionalizes for content tailoring to suit languages and geographies.

The SeaChange STAGIS schedule management system allows operators to seamlessly gather data from any number of content providers to maintain up-to-date EPGs, as well as merge schedules and automatically replace or insert information. STAGIS collects EPG data, parses the files, checks them for consistency and converts them into a standard format. It then distributes schedules to downstream systems such as SeaChange CASIS and middleware application servers. CASIS provides MPEG/DVB-compliant tables, access criteria generation and MUX profile scheduling.

SeaChange is demonstrating a range of software solutions at the SMPTE Australia conference (Sydney, through July 26) in stand C37 & C44 with its distribution partner Magna Systems & Engineering. In addition to STAGIS and CASIS, SeaChange is featuring its Adrenalin multi-screen video platform, with the integrated SeaChange Business Management Suite and SeaChange Nitro multi-device subscriber experience software.

About SeaChange International

Ranked among the top 250 software companies in the world, SeaChange International (Nasdaq:SEAC) enables transformative multi-screen video services through an open, cloud-based, intelligent software platform trusted by cable, IPTV and mobile operators globally. Personalized and fully monetized video experiences anytime on any device, in the home and everywhere, are the product of the Company's superior video platform, advertising and in-home offerings.
  
SeaChange's hundreds of customers are many of the world's most powerful media brands including all major cable operators in the Americas and Europe, and the largest telecom companies in the world. Headquartered in Acton, Massachusetts, SeaChange is TL 9000 certified and has product development, support and sales offices around the world.  Visit www.schange.com.

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Source: SeaChange International, Inc.