NDS Americas Ships ATSC Encoders for Fox Television; Network and Affiliates Will Use ATSC Encoding Systems to Distribute and Broadcast Digital Programming.

PASADENA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 29, 1998--NDS Americas Inc., a leading provider of end-to-end digital broadcasting solutions, today announced it has shipped and installed four ATSC encoder systems for Fox.

Both Fox Broadcasting Company and Fox Television Stations Inc. have chosen NDS as their preferred vendor to provide the compression equipment required for Fox's transition to digital television. The initial orders for the NDS E5810 series encoding systems will enable the Fox Network Center, based in Los Angeles, and four of its affiliate stations to begin broadcasting digital signals starting in November.

The first Fox O&O affiliates to begin broadcasting in digital format are WJBK-Detroit, KDFW-Dallas, and WTXF-Philadelphia. The fourth station, KTVU-Oakland, is a Fox affiliate owned by Cox Broadcasting and was the first Fox affiliate station to sign a contract with NDS. KTVU will also begin receiving network digital feeds for re-broadcast starting in November.

"Fox Television is ready to be on air beginning in November," said Andrew G. Setos, executive vice president, News Technology Group. "We chose NDS for its ATSC-compliant encoders due to the system's video quality and proven flexibility to meet both our current and future business needs.

"Initially, we will be distributing our network feeds to Fox affiliates via DS3 fiber optic links due to cost efficiencies. As the market matures and as more affiliates begin digital broadcasting, better distribution economies will result from the use of satellites and we are assured that the same system used for our early distribution strategy will remain viable when we transition to satellites."

"In addition to the video quality demonstrated by the NDS equipment, Fox Television Stations made their decision based on the flexibility and reconfigurability characteristics inherent with the NDS encoders," said Dov Rubin, vice president and general manager of NDS Americas Inc. "This helps to protect each station's investment for future changes the industry is certain to experience as the market matures and as viewership increases."

Better Price/Performance With the NDS Series 5810 Encoder

The Series 5000 encoding system meets all of the profiles required by Table 3 of the ATSC specification, including 480p, 720p and 1080i, with the highest-quality encoding. The design incorporates a bank of six main level encoders, which compress and multiplex the digital feed into one chosen ATSC/high level format signal for broadcast to a network affiliate, or in the case of the affiliate, into the viewer's home.

The system offers the added benefit of enabling broadcasters to use the same equipment for single or multicast main level transmissions during program hours they prefer not to broadcast in high level.

Additionally, the Series 5000 encoders provide a number of different options to suit specific broadcast applications, such as statistical multiplexing, data streams, multiple audio channels, locally inserted bugs and support for 4:2:2 distribution and contribution feeds.

The dual main-level/high-level approach is preferable to other product offerings that are only capable of broadcasting in a defined high-level format. A single design approach requires broadcasters with a two-tier main-level and high-level business strategy to significantly increase their capital expenditures for new compression equipment to meet both requirements.

The NDS solution cost effectively meets both needs and provides the added benefit of full redundancy.

The associated StreamServer PCpro management and control system configured with all ATSC encoding systems provides one centralized location for controlling all aspects of an ATSC transmission. In addition to providing PSIP compilation, the StreamServer PCpro facilitates interfaces to external scheduling, automation and traffic systems already in use by the broadcast affiliate.

About NDS

NDS, headquartered in the UK, with operations worldwide, provides end-to-end solutions for digital broadcasting through the company's research, development and manufacturing activities. NDS is a recognized leader in digital video compression and conditional access, and has proven systems integration and global support capabilities.

NDS is providing its advanced technologies, products and services to many of the current and planned satellite and terrestrial broadcasting systems around the world. In addition, over ten million subscribers around the globe use NDS conditional access systems to receive Pay-TV satellite and cable services.

NDS plays a major part in developing open systems and the international standards for the digital broadcasting arena, providing the technology and market know-how to implement standards such as MPEG-2, DVB, ATSC, SMPTE and DTTV.

The company continues to make a major commitment to R&D, with over 700 of its 1,350 plus employees dedicated to its pioneering development work at research centers in Israel, the U.S. and the UK.

NDS is a subsidiary of News Corp. (NWS), a leading global media company. NDS has won many awards for technology including an Emmy from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and three Queen's Awards, one for Technology and two for Export. NDS is on the World Wide Web at: http://www.ndsworld.com.