John Callahan Named CTO of ActiveVideo Networks

John Callahan Named CTO of ActiveVideo Networks

SAN JOSE, Calif., Aug. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- John Callahan, one of the foremost innovators in the development of television-based interactivity, has joined ActiveVideo Networks(TM) as Chief Technology Officer, the company announced today.

During a 15-year career with Time Warner Cable, Callahan was a leader and member of the team that created many of digital cable's most innovative on-demand and interactive applications. With ActiveVideo Networks(TM), he will be responsible for spearheading technical development and deployment of "web-infused" interactive applications targeted at all video platforms. Web-infused interactive TV applications feature ActiveVideo Networks(TM) "intelligent video streaming" that enables TV with Web content and interactivity.

Callahan most recently served as Senior Vice President of Software Engineering for the Time Warner Cable Advanced Technology Group. He was a significant contributor to the creation of the Time Warner Cable Pegasus digital television system architecture, as well as to such interactive digital television technologies as the Interactive Services Architecture (ISA), Video On Demand (VOD), the Open Cable Application Platform (tru2way), and CableLabs' emerging EBIF ETV standard. A principal developer of Time Warner's MystroTV project, Callahan also led teams in the development of several Time Warner Cable market-leading services, including StartOver(TM), Caller ID on TV, and cable's first OCAP (tru2way) set-top navigator.

"John Callahan's vision and product leadership have consistently and dramatically improved the way consumers experience and engage with video," said Jeff Miller, president and CEO of ActiveVideo Networks. "His passion for personalized services, his understanding of industry needs and his technical expertise all will help to drive the continued development of ActiveVideo to meet the needs of a new breed of television viewer and generate new revenues for programmers, service providers and CE manufacturers."

"Having spent many years working toward a vision of consumer choice, convenience, and control for cable customers, I have developed a profound appreciation for ActiveVideo Networks' capabilities," said Callahan. "ActiveVideo complements evolving ETV and tru2way platforms and enables the integration of the latest in interactive Web video with personalized television across all operators' set-top platforms."

One of the pioneers of digital interactivity in cable, Callahan was a member of the Time Warner Cable engineering team that created and deployed the Full Service Network, a precursor to the current Time Warner Cable platform, in the mid-1990s. Prior to joining Time Warner Cable in 1993, Callahan had spent more than eight years in systems software engineering and development with AT&T Bell Labs and US West.

Callahan has received Technical Emmy Awards for his work with Time Warner's Start Over and VOD services, and is the lead or co-inventor on 13 U.S. Patent Office filings. A Phi Beta Kappa, he holds a B.A. in Computer Science from Ohio Wesleyan University and a M.S. in Computer Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

ActiveVideo allows viewers using standard remote controls to engage with Web content -- including user-generated content, social media, Web-based channels, games and other programming and applications -- in a high-quality, highly-responsive television environment, without the cost or complexity of integrating new devices into their home entertainment systems. ActiveVideo uniformly delivers programming as a single MPEG stream to Web-connected TVs, Blu-Ray players, video game consoles and other devices, as well as cable and IPTV set-top boxes.

ActiveVideo allows television viewing to be shaped by a wide range of entities, including traditional and Web-based programmers, local cable affiliates, consumer electronics companies, advertisers, social networks and even the audience itself. ActiveVideo immerses viewers in an engaging experience that combines Web video, casual gaming, Web 2.0 functionality and traditional television, including today's widescreen, 16:9, Dolby-surround HD home entertainment environment.

About ActiveVideo Networks

ActiveVideo Networks(TM) provides programming and technology that infuse television with Web content and interactivity. Based on standard Web authoring and delivery technologies, the company's ActiveVideo(R) Distribution Network simply and inexpensively enables expanded programming, navigation and advertising possibilities, allowing viewers to define and share TV experiences. ActiveVideo combines Web-based media and targeted, clickable advertisements with the high-quality video, immediate responsiveness and remote control navigation of television for uniform interactivity across all digital set-tops and Web-connected televisions. ActiveVideo Networks is based in the heart of Silicon Valley, with offices in Los Angeles, Baltimore, Beijing and the United Kingdom. For more information, visit www.avnetworks.com.

Source: ActiveVideo Networks

CONTACT: Paul Schneider, +1-215-702-9784, +1-215-817-4384, pspr@att.net

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

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