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PRESS INFORMATION FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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Contact: |
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Melanie
Pankhurst ANT
Limited +44
(0)1223 716411 melanie.pankhurst@antlimited.com |
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John
Sheppard InterActual
Technologies, Inc. +1
408 392 7123 jsheppard@interactual.com |
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ANT Limited and InterActual® in Strategic Partnership
to Develop Technology for Next-Generation Enhanced DVD Players
Digital Hollywood, Los Angeles, 25th
September 2002 -- ANT
Limited, a leading provider of browser-based
content rendering solutions for TV, DVD and other consumer electronic devices,
and InterActual Technologies, Inc., the leading provider of products and
services for combining DVD with the Internet, today announced their partnership
to deliver the underlying software that will power the playback of Enhanced DVDs
in next-generation consumer electronics DVD players. The two companies will develop an enhanced DVD solution that
offers a cost-effective implementation to OEM and brand manufacturers, and is
compatible with future DVD Forum standards.
Already
a leading player in the STB market with technology deployments worldwide, ANT
has been working with InterActual for over a year on research and development
projects to pursue new levels of interactivity and Internet connectivity within
DVD players. ANT has licensed
InterActual’s proprietary Media Services software technology, and has developed
an integration component that gives the ANT Fresco browser access to new
enhanced DVD content, using InterActual’s technology.
ANT’s proven browser and software architecture
technology enables the rendering of enhanced HTML content and gives the
consumer easy, intuitive access to the extended range of DVD features made
available by the InterActual software. InterActual Media Services enables
innovative features such as enhanced menus, searchable video, and online
features such as multi-player challenges, group events, consumer polling, and
updated commentaries, and links to related online web sites. This marriage of
technologies will enable Enhanced DVDs to be played from the comfort of the
living room, viewed on the television set.
“We
are thrilled to be working with InterActual in developing this ground breaking
new product category, the Enhanced DVD player," said Simon Woodward, CEO and
President of ANT Limited. “By
integrating the InterActual DVD technology with ANT Fresco, we have extended
the browser functionality but still kept memory and processor requirements to a
minimum. This means we will be able to
offer OEMs and brand manufacturers a cost-effective implementation, able to
deliver a compelling experience to the consumer.”
“We are delighted to have ANT as
one of our technology partners,” said Todd Collart, President and CEO of
InterActual. “ANT’s experience in the
television and consumer electronics markets, combined with the highly reliable, platform-independent
ANT Fresco browser makes ANT an ideal partner for InterActual. Our mutual goal
is to develop an enhanced DVD solution that not only offers compatibility with future DVD Forum standards, but also with new,
innovative, online features that are constantly emerging from InterActual’s
customer base of movie studios and music labels,” said Collart.
A demonstration of ANT Fresco’s
newly advanced capabilities can be viewed in the InterActual suite, on the LSI
Logic and ANT booths, at the Digital Hollywood conference (www.digitalhollywood.com), Beverly
Hills Hilton Hotel, Rodeo Room, September 24-25.
About
Enhanced DVD
Enhanced DVDs feature additional on-disc
and online DVD content that has traditionally only been accessible using
personal computers but the new product category of enhanced DVD players will
make this content accessible through the television. Enhanced DVD technology
enriches the consumer entertainment experience by blending the complementary
features of DVD-Video with dynamic Internet content provided either on disc or
online. Earlier today, Buena Vista Home
Entertainment, New Line Home Entertainment, and Warner Home Video announced
their support for developing Enhanced DVD content in an announcement from
InterActual.
About ANT Limited
ANT (www.antlimited.com) is a leading provider of content
rendering solutions for TV, DVD and other CE devices. ANT’s solution includes a
browser, software architecture and user interface components that enable OEMs,
service providers and network operators to provide highly compelling
interactive content and services to the consumer. ANT’s software can be
integrated quickly into any platform and operating system, and has been
implemented into a wide range of interactive TV and digital entertainment
devices around the world. Current customers include Thomson Multimedia,
OpenGlobe, Pace Micro Technology, Philips Semiconductor and Sagem.
ANT Limited, Cambridge Business Park, Cowley Road, Cambridge CB4 0WZ. UK
Tel +44 (0)1223 716400 Fax
+44 (0)1223 716401 email:
marketing@antlimited.com
About InterActual
InterActual Technologies, Inc. (http://www.interactual.com)
is the leading provider of software and services that enhance DVD movie viewing
on computers and next-generation DVD players, especially with exclusive
features that integrate DVD content with the Internet. InterActual Player, and it's predecessor
InterActual PCFriendly(R), have enabled millions of connected viewers to access
and enjoy a new dimension of entertainment and information. InterActual also
maintains an online community (http://inventor.interactual.com) for professional developers
interested in more fully exploiting the features of the InterActual platform
for entertainment and marketing content.
InterActual is a voting Principal Member of the DVD Forum and chair
company of AH1-12, actively working with the DVD industry to migrate enhanced
DVD capabilities to future consumer electronic and other convergent set-top
platforms. InterActual is headquartered in San Jose, California.
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Copyright 2002 ANT Limited. All rights reserved. Fresco and SimplEmail are trademarks of ANT Limited. All other brand and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.