Finland’s Top Broadcaster Adds Channel Capacity, Lays High-Definition Groundwork With SeaChange

Longstanding SeaChange Customer Targets Next
Digital Television Opportunity with Seamless
On-Air Video Platform Upgrade

ACTON, Mass. - SeaChange International, Inc. (NASDAQ: SEAC), one of the leading suppliers to television broadcasters globally, today announced that it has delivered the foundation for MTV Media’s new standard-definition channels while also equipping the operator to easily make the transition to high-definition playout.

Based in Helsinki and owned by Bonnier Broadcasting & Entertainment, MTV Media draws Finland’s largest television audiences with its own original and other domestic productions, as well as American and European imports. Its new pay channels include MTV3 AVA, which delivers programming for women; MTV3 SciFi; and MTV3 Sarja, which airs classic series. With the new channels, MTV Media is now airing seven pay channels on cable and satellite platforms in addition to two over-the-air channels through its MTV Oy operation, while also providing origination services for Finnish Sports Channel.

MTV Media is just the latest of dozens of operators which have established foundations to move to HD, or are already on air in HD, using the SeaChange MediaLibrary/MediaClient (BML/MCL) digital video platform. The BML/MCL comprises distinct capabilities that have made it the foundation for over 100 broadcasters worldwide: BML servers, which cost-efficiently provide fault-resilient storage of any type of media file; and highly flexible SeaChange MCL codecs that easily fit with any device in a broadcast operations workflow and support any video output, from standard definition and HD play-to-air to broadband streams.

The collaboration of MTV Media and SeaChange began in earnest in 1998 when the broadcaster first deployed the breakthrough Broadcast MediaCluster play-to-air system, the solution that revolutionized digital video economics by enabling operators to eschew costly mirroring for clustering to optimize on-air reliability. MTV Media’s operations now include the BML24000ex with HD-ready MediaClient codecs, which increase its channel origination capacity and establish a foundation for moving to HD broadcasting. Its existing Broadcast MediaCluster is being repurposed to operate in conjunction with two other Broadcast MediaCluster systems to deliver additional commercial playout capabilities.

“SeaChange is much more than just a server provider to MTV Media. They have remained focused on improving broadcast operations and have been a close strategic partner during our times of heavy growth and competition,” said Antero Hoffman, Vice President, Technical Operations, MTV Media. “We believe the MediaLibrary/MediaClient platform truly reflects their years of experience in operations like ours.”

“SeaChange has a decade long record for ensuring reliability and savings at MTV Media, culminating in making us the natural choice for the push into high
definition broadcasting,” said Marcello Dellapiane, vice president of sales, SeaChange EMEA.

MTV Medias’s parent is Stockholm, Sweden based Bonnier Broadcasting & Entertainment, which includes film production, cinema operations, radio and TV, film and music clubs and music publishers. MTV3 is Finland’s favorite TV channel and is a popular provider of entertainment and information for all Finnish consumers. Starting in 1957, MTV3 is one of Europe’s first commercial TV channels. The MTV3 program offering is available 24 hours a day on the channel’s own website mtv3.fi and through its MTV3 Handy mobile service, no matter what the time or place. MTV3 Teletext quickly provides current program information. Visit MTV3.fi.

SeaChange’s range of proven content storage, streaming and management solutions, including its FML 200 Flash Memory Library, latest Broadcast MediaLibrary/Broadcast MediaClient system and SD/HD software codecs, will be on display during NAB2008 at booth SU12011, April 14-17 in Las Vegas.