driverTV Joins ICTV ActiveVideo Distribution Network; Gains Enhanced Viewing Features and Advertising Opportunities

driverTV Joins ICTV ActiveVideo Distribution Network; Gains Enhanced Viewing Features and Advertising Opportunities

LOS GATOS, Calif. and NEW YORK, April 10 /PRNewswire/ -- ICTV(R), creator of network-based solutions that seamlessly blend the choice and control of broadband video with the quality and responsiveness of television, and driverTV, an on-demand channel dedicated to showcasing automobiles before prospective buyers, announced today an agreement that will bring driverTV to the ICTV ActiveVideo(TM) Distribution Network.

The agreement will utilize the targeting capabilities and Internet-type functionality of the ActiveVideo Distribution Network (AVDN(TM)) to enable an enhanced set of features and advertising opportunities for the driverTV channel. The AVDN will allow driverTV and participating network operators to provide greater subscriber control of videos, increased search capability, greater manipulation of viewing angles and the delivery of Internet-style advertising.

The ICTV "ActiveVideo Distribution Network" (AVDN(TM)) enables operators, programmers and advertisers for the first time to successfully bring broadband video programming and advertising models from the Internet to the television, including high-CPM ads that are targeted, auditable and interactive. The ActiveVideo Distribution Network is a usage-based content distribution service which requires no capital investment of programmers or operators. AVDN delivers Web-driven programming and live and VOD streams - all with superior TV quality -- over the existing VOD infrastructure to any digital set-top box.

"The ActiveVideo Distribution Network is an optimal complement to our existing Video on Demand carriage," said Jan Renner, founder and CEO of driverTV. "On the AVDN, shoppers will be able to more closely examine and gather information on those cars that interest them, yet still be able to enjoy the 'big-screen' television experience that is so important to automobile marketing."

"The automotive industry has been among the leaders in seeking alternatives to the traditional television advertising model," said Michael Taylor, senior vice president of business development for ICTV. "The 'Active' nature of driverTV will enable the network and operators to offer advertisers -- manufacturers, dealers, retailers, insurers and other automotive-related firms -- the one-to-one relationships that they desire with viewers."

driverTV, an on-demand channel that functions as a video automotive catalog, launched in November 2005 and is now available nationwide to more than 16 million Time Warner Cable, Comcast and Cox digital cable subscribers in 43 of the top 50 markets. Created by Time Warner Cable veteran Jan Renner and global production company @Radical Media, driverTV features short "video showroom experiences" that provide viewers with complete 360 degree overviews of the most popular cars.

Capitalizing on the ability of HeadendWare(R) to deliver Web programming as MPEG video to any digital set-top box, the ICTV ActiveVideo Distribution Network is entirely standards-based, requiring no custom integration or proprietary development. Live and VOD programming can be blended seamlessly with content that is created and modified quickly using standard Web tools and talent, and distributed to the headend via standard Web infrastructure. The AVDN runs within the existing VOD infrastructure, delivering all programming from the headend as MPEG video, and integrates with and extends existing set- top based interactive approaches.

Using the ActiveVideo Distribution Network, network operators and programmers can enhance the value of existing channels by allowing viewers to take active control of what they see and when they see it. As an example, through simple clicks on their remote controls, television viewers can select an ActiveVideo channel from the standard program guide and enter a broadband experience that includes video, navigational elements, channel branding, banner advertisements, and links to different video segments. Screens can be manipulated to reflect personal viewing interests and purchasing preferences. Clicking on advertisements within the ActiveVideo experience enables interaction with sponsor messages, including a "telescoping" to let consumers request more information, watch a demonstration or make a purchase.

About driverTV

driverTV is a new, on-demand media network that provides consumers a powerful new tool to make a more informed automotive purchasing decision. Capitalizing on the cable industry's rapid deployment of video-on-demand technology, consumer's desire for objective, third-party automotive information, and automotive manufacturer's need to create more targeted, longer-form marketing messages, driverTV has quickly emerged as an important new media brand with distribution to the entire digital footprint of Time Warner Cable, Comcast and Cox.

About ICTV ICTV(R) offers network-based television solutions that combine broadband video choice and control, Internet-style advertising models and TV quality and responsiveness. The company's ActiveVideo(TM) Distribution Network (AVDN(TM)) uses standards-based content creation, distribution and delivery technologies to seamlessly deliver Web-driven programming and elements, live video and VOD to the television. The company's HeadendWare(R) platform enables the highest quality interactive experience - including animation, high-fidelity audio, and live and Web video. Using ICTV technology, programmers and advertisers can deliver a limitless array of personalized content and advertising, all developed and managed with open Web tools, technology, and talent. The company is based in the heart of California's Silicon Valley, with offices in Baltimore and the United Kingdom. Strategic investors include Liberty Media, Motorola, OpenTV and Lauder Partners. For more information, visit http://www.ictv.com/.

ICTV and HeadendWare are registered trademarks and ActiveVideo and ADVN are trademarks of ICTV, Inc.

Source: ICTV

CONTACT: Paul Schneider of PSPR, Inc. for ICTV, +1-215-702-9784, or
pspr@att.net

Web Site: http://www.ictv.com/

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