NDS first to market with MPEG-2 4:2:2 system for professional contribution and distribution; fully working product in production following extensive trials and market evaluation.

LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 7, 1997--NDS today announced that it is already in production of encoders compliant with the MPEG-2 4:2:2P@ML standard for the professional contribution and distribution sectors.

The announcement confirms NDS' leadership in the compression and encoding markets, and makes NDS the first and only manufacturer to deliver a complete, end-to-end digital broadcast solution that offers non direct-to-home (DTH) broadcasters the high picture quality and bandwidth efficiency they need.

"NDS has been closely involved in establishing MPEG-2 4:2:2P@ML as the new world standard for transporting professional quality pictures in contribution and distribution networks. Our customers, be they producers or broadcasters, want to be sure the video footage they are editing or transmitting is of the highest quality," said Dr. Abe Peled, chief executive officer of NDS.

"4:2:2 encoding maintains more detail, surpassing standard 4:2:0 encoding in both picture detail and color information. Our new 4:2:2 solution provides superior quality as far down the transmission chain as possible."

Until now the professional contribution and distribution markets have not been able to benefit from the bandwidth efficiencies and low cost of ownership of MPEG encoders because the chip sets to enable development and production of 4:2:2-based encoders have not been available.

NDS is able to deliver its 4:2:2 solution now because it builds its compression and encoding systems on its own proprietary, discreet technology, while it is envisaged that equipment manufacturers using chip based encoders will be able to deliver product by the end of 1997. NDS has developed its 4:2:2 architecture so that it can meet the needs of broadcasters around the world now.

Worldwide trials and evaluation completed

NDS has been working closely with leading broadcasting organizations to ensure that its MPEG-2 4:2:2 product offering is fully operational in real-life situations. Trials have taken place in conjunction with major broadcasters in Europe and in the U.S. and Canada. In Canada, Telesat, the provider of domestic satellite service, as well as many of its broadcast customers, have evaluated the NDS 4:2:2 system.

"Our customers want to benefit from the additional vertical chrominance resolution that MPEG-2 4:2:2 professional encoding offers. We have carried out laboratory evaluation of NDS' offering and have shown that MPEG-2 4:2:2 encoding can deliver the quality that will make a major contribution to our customers' operations and efficiency," said Fred Markhauser, broadcast specialist at Telesat Canada.

MPEG-2 4:2:2 Encoding

Existing 4:2:0 systems for the DTH market have been specifically developed to take advantage of the huge reductions in bit rate possible to carry compressed video information. However, for non direct-to-home applications, the broadcaster's needs are quite different.

Contribution and distribution can involve several stages of compression and re-encoding before final delivery to home. To be able to deliver the highest quality all the way down the line, it is essential to maintain as much as possible of the original picture information in the compression process.

The new MPEG-2 4:2:2P@ML specification provides an industry standard for 4:2:2 encoding that allows broadcasters to achieve studio quality in professional contribution and post production networks. Picture quality is far superior to 4:2:0 because the process allows for more chroma information and allows a maximum video bit rate of 50MBit/s.

MPEG-2 4:2:2P@ML offers major benefits, including: high quality pictures, an official accepted standard, future-proof upgradeability, the low cost of ownership associated with using MPEG decoders, interoperability between different manufacturers' equipment, and single channel per carrier or multiple channel per carrier flexibility.

End-to-end broadcast systems from NDS

Today, NDS offers the only end-to-end broadcast system solution that is MPEG-2 4:2:2P@ML compliant, built on the company's experience and track-record in the digital broadcasting market. NDS' 4:2:2 product is based on the company's proven System 3000 MPEG-2 DVB digital video compression system.

It enables customers to benefit from a full range of end-to-end digital broadcasting solutions, such as statistical multiplexing and video, audio and data encoding.

The system is able to combine 4:2:0 and 4:2:2 operation in the same multiplex for maximum versatility. In addition, the system operates in both MCPC and SCPC configurations, incorporates redundancy switching, and offers fully flexible bit rate and GOP (group of pictures) structure for important bandwidth efficiency.

Product Availability

NDS 4:2:2 Encoders are available now. Broadcasters should contact NDS Americas Inc. at 3501 Jamboree Road, Suite 200, Newport Beach, Calif., 714/725-2500 in the United States, or NDS' worldwide headquarters at 1 Heathrow Boulevard, 286 Bath Road, West Drayton, Middlesex UB7 0DQ, (44) 181 476 8000 in the United Kingdom.

About NDS

NDS is headquartered in the United Kingdom and has U.S. operations based in Newport Beach. The company provides end-to-end solutions for digital broadcasting through its research, development and manufacturing activities.

NDS is a recognized leader in digital video compression, conditional access, and has proven systems integration and global support capabilities. NDS is providing its advanced technologies, products and services to 18 of the 30 current and planned digital satellite and terrestrial broadcasting systems around the world.

Some of NDS' key customers in the Americas include DIRECTV, Galaxy Latin America, NetSat and Innova. In addition, over 7.5 million customers 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 and DTTV.

NDS is part of News Technology Group, responsible for News Corporation's high technology companies. In the past twelve months, NDS has won many awards for technology including an Emmy from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

CONTACT: NDS

Margot Field, 011/44/181 476-8158

[e-mail]

or

The Benjamin Group

Daniel McKean, 408/559-6090

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