TANDBERG Television Enables Digital Simulcast for Sunflower Broadband

TANDBERG Television Enables Digital Simulcast for Sunflower Broadband

MPEG-2 encoders powering new service set to expand cable operator's regional penetration

ATLANTA, June 15 /PRNewswire/ -- TANDBERG Television today announced that Sunflower Broadband, an independent cable operator offering video, voice and high-speed Internet services to multiple communities in and around Lawrence, Kansas, has launched a new digital simulcast headend featuring multiple TANDBERG Television E5710 MPEG-2 encoders. With the new headend, Sunflower Broadband offers digital cable television packages with advanced video services alongside its analog tier. With current penetration rates near 80 percent in Lawrence, Eudora, and Douglas County, Kansas; Sunflower Broadband will bring high-quality digital channels, HDTV and video-on-demand (VoD) to loyal customers in these regions through its digital cable lineup. In smaller communities where the company's penetration is less, Sunflower Broadband will use the power of digital simulcast to combat regional satellite competition by offering attractive triple play packages.

"Sunflower Broadband tested six encoding vendors during its evaluation period, and TANDBERG Television far exceeded the competition in video quality," said Patrick Knorr, General Manager, Sunflower Broadband. "Image quality was the driving force in our choice of encoders, and the E5710 was superior to the others tested. We needed to launch a superior digital cable service to take advantage of the enormous opportunity in our communities. By deploying a digital simulcast service with vastly improved video quality, we can improve our digital penetration while still servicing our analog customers. And the ability to reclaim bandwidth for digital services coupled with a clear ROI thanks to a cost-effective set-top box plan creates an extremely attractive business model."

Launched in early May, Sunflower Broadband is deploying cost-effective digital set-top boxes instead of more expensive hybrid analog/digital set-tops in an effort to hasten its return on investment. With the E5710 encoder, Sunflower Broadband is taking advantage of TANDBERG Television's MPEG-2 innovation and market leadership to reclaim bandwidth previously held within the analog programming tier. As configured in the new digital simulcast headend, the E5710 encoders allow Sunflower Broadband to add seven digital channels for every one analog channel removed from the system. Alternatively, Sunflower Broadband can add two HD channels for each analog channel that is eliminated.

Sunflower Broadband expects to convert 45 percent of its traditional analog expanded basic lineup customer base to digital cable by the end of 2005, with an ultimate goal of up to 80 percent. The company anticipates that a portion of its audience will continue with analog-only service, while a portion of digital cable customers will continue receiving the analog lineup on lesser-used sets in the home.

TANDBERG Television's digital simulcast solution includes all the features required by U.S. cable operators, including SCTE 35 support. TANDBERG Television can enable up to 16 channels of high quality video over a single 256QAM modulation channel when its encoders are used in conjunction with its highly optimized closed loop Reflex(TM) statistical multiplexing solution.

"Sunflower Broadband is a shining example of an aggressive, independent cable operator working hard to provide the best possible digital service package to its customer base," said Reggie Bradford, President, TANDBERG Television Inc. "The choice of TANDBERG Television for its digital simulcast headend will help them reclaim the bandwidth they need to bring improved digital and HD channel lineups and video-on-demand services. They can achieve this on top of voice and high-speed data without alienating their analog customers. We're pleased that Sunflower Broadband has selected TANDBERG Television to help them increase their digital penetration with such an attractive business model."

About Sunflower Broadband

Sunflower Broadband (formerly known as Sunflower Cablevision) first entered the cable television business in 1970. Since that time, Sunflower has become a leader among independent cable operators in the telecommunications industry. Sunflower Broadband is locally owned and operated, and provides cable television, high-speed internet and telephone services to residential and business customers in Lawrence, Eudora, Tonganoxie, Basehor and parts of Leavenworth County. Sunflower is part of the World Company, a privately owned Lawrence-based media company that also operates eight area newspapers. A converged news partnership between the Lawrence Journal-World, 6NEWS and World Online provides local communities with an unparalleled local news and information resource for a community of this size. For more information on Sunflower Broadband, visit www.sunflowerbroadband.com .

About TANDBERG Television

TANDBERG Television (Oslo: TAT.OL) designs and develops professional systems that enable new business models in the media and entertainment market through the delivery of high quality live digital video and on-demand content. The company provides open standards-based technology solutions, systems integration, support and monitoring through its sales and 24-hour support operations in the Americas, Asia, Australia and Europe. TANDBERG Television's customers include many of the major broadcasters, network operators, telephone companies, cable operators and content owners around the world. For more information visit: http://www.tandbergtv.com/

On February 4th 2005 TANDBERG Television completed its acquisition of N2 Broadband Inc., a provider of scalable, open-platform solutions for on-demand entertainment. These award winning on-demand products are now available from TANDBERG Television under the brand of N2 On-Demand Solutions.

Source: TANDBERG Television

CONTACT: Brian Galante of Pipeline Comm., +1-215-659-8111, or
briang@pipecomm.com ; or Lisa Hobbs of TANDBERG Television Inc.,
+1-678-689-6511, or lhobbs@tandbergtv.com ; or Gay Bell of Platform,
+44 208 964 9149, or gay@platformpr.com

Web site: http://www.tandbergtv.com/
http://www.sunflowerbroadband.com/

-------
Profile: intent