RGB Networks and OpenTV Demonstrate Advanced Advertising Capabilities at CableLabs® Advertising Interop

RGB Networks, the leader in network video processing, and OpenTV (Nasdaq:OPTV), a leading software and technology provider of advanced digital television solutions, collaborated with other partners to demonstrate several advanced advertising capabilities for cable television operators at the Advanced Advertising 1.0 Platform Interoperability event recently held by CableLabs®, the cable television industry’s research and development consortium.

Enabling the demonstrations were RGB’s Broadcast Network Processor (BNP) and OpenTV’s campaign management solution, which integrated seamlessly to show how operators can generate new ad revenues through localized, audience-focused, overlay-based advertisements that can be inserted into either linear programming or video-on-demand (VOD) content. The demonstrations were based on several existing and developing standards, including the new Enhanced TV Binary Interchange Format (EBIF), which enhances ads by enabling viewers to interact with them, such as requesting additional information or participating in voting or polling. The companies showed two types of EBIF demonstrations:

• “Pre-bound” in which EBIF data was embedded into traditional video ads which were then inserted into programming by the BNP during local ad availability spots
• “Late-binding” in which EBIF data was dynamically inserted by the BNP into network programs, network ads and during local ad insertion events, allowing for addressability

Also demonstrated was network-based, late-binding overlay insertion utilizing the BNP’s SCTE 130 Ad Management Service (ADM) and the OpenTV Ad Decision Service (ADS), which allows for broader coverage of graphic overlays to set-top boxes and any other downstream MPEG subscriber device.

“Advertising has long been an excellent revenue source for operators, and working with OpenTV and our other partners we’re showing operators how they can leverage advanced advertising capabilities to expand this revenue opportunity,” said Jeff Tyre, Director, Product Marketing for RGB Networks. “Combining seamless ad splicing, multiple EBIF transport options, digital overlay insertion and exceptional stream processing density, our Broadcast Network Processor gives cable operators unprecedented abilities to deliver more advanced ads that are increasingly localized and personalized to the viewer, which translates into greater ad revenues for operators.”

“This was a great opportunity for us to demonstrate how the new standards have matured over the past year making these comprehensive systems possible,” said Bruce Dilger, Vice President of R&D for OpenTV’s Advanced Advertising Division. “We’re very pleased to work with RGB to show how our tools can help operators visualize and simplify the otherwise complex task of coordinating audience-addressed copy variations and new media types like graphic overlays and interactive content that create a rich viewer experience.”

Local advertising is a significant business for U.S operators, earning them more than $4.3 billion in 2008. However, with EBIF and other advanced advertising capabilities, operators have the potential to greatly expand their current advertising models and generate substantially more revenue. RGB’s BNP has been developed specifically for this task, enabling operators to easily localize ads in real time by overlaying text, graphics and even video directly onto ads to provide locally relevant or time-sensitive information. Working as an integrated solution with the BNP, OpenTV’s campaign management solution greatly simplifies the coordination of addressable copy and media variations and provides the real-time ad decision rules based on selected ad type against the appropriate audience addressing criteria.

About OpenTV

OpenTV is one of the world’s leading providers of advanced digital television solutions dedicated to creating and delivering compelling viewing experiences to consumers of digital content worldwide. The company’s software has been integrated in more than 138 million devices around the world and enables advanced program guides, video-on-demand, personal video recording, interactive and addressable advertising and a variety of enhanced television applications. OpenTV’s campaign management solutions currently provide advertising services to more than 34 million cable subscribers across the United States representing more than 55 percent of the subscriber base of the top ten MSOs. For more information, please visit www.opentv.com.

About RGB Networks

RGB Networks is revolutionizing video, delivering leading-edge video processing solutions that address the complexities of the changing video delivery model. With advanced solutions for bandwidth optimization, content repurposing and addressable advertising, RGB’s products enable operators to deliver the next generation of highly personalized video services, which are relevant to individual subscribers and delivered anytime to any device. The company’s products are based on its unique Video Intelligence Architecture™ (VIA), enabling them to process an unprecedented number of video streams with the highest video quality. RGB’s scalable solutions dramatically reduce the cost to deliver both broadcast and unicast services, and help operators maximize their existing network infrastructure. More than 7,000 RGB products are deployed in the field by over 170 service providers in 25 countries worldwide. Learn more at www.rgbnetworks.com.

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Conducting a demonstration at a CableLabs event is not indicative of CableLabs endorsement of that product or service.