Video on Demand
VOD TV Guide deployed December 2001 - January 2002

Early October TV Guide InteractiveSM, an on-screen, digital cable Interactive Program Guide from Gemstar-TV Guide International, Inc and SeaChange International, Inc completed what they say is the first fully integrated Video-On-Demand (VOD) solution.

The solution will run with the TV Guide Interactive-developed VOD Guide for cable television operators running Motorola's digital cable platform. Having recently completed validation testing with Motorola, the integrated solution will launch in select markets this Autumn served by Comcast Cable Communications, the USA's third-largest cable company.

"This integrated solution is an important next step in our VOD rollout strategy to be in front of two million homes by year-end," said Mark Hess, Vice President of Digital Services for Comcast. "In the long-term, it will help us meet our goals as a new products leader by providing greater flexibility to introduce a variety of interactive applications on the DCT-2000 box."

TV Guide Interactive is the most widely deployed Interactive Program Guide (IPG) in North America. The new VOD Guide, integrated into the TV Guide Interactive IPG, enables subscribers to navigate, preview, select and buy video-on-demand movies through a familiar, consistent interface. The VOD Guide offers many features, including integrated parental and purchase control, flexible menu systems, and playback control features - pause, fast-forward and rewind - for
video-on-demand movies.

SeaChange's Interactive Television System leverages an open system architecture for its digital video server technology and sophisticated Command Centre software, which streamlines the practical operation of VOD services and ancillary interactive television applications. The SeaChange iTV System is deployed in North America, Europe and Asia.

"With the completion of this initial VOD Guide, we have reached a major milestone in enabling our MSO customers to deploy a fully functional video-on-demand service to subscribers," said Todd Walker, Senior Vice President and General Manager, TV Guide Interactive. "We look forward to our first customer deployments with Comcast and others in the coming weeks."

"SeaChange and TV Guide Interactive now offer a combined VOD and IPG solution, enhancing the appeal of Motorola set-tops with an on-demand revenue opportunity," adds Yvette Gordon, Vice President of interactive technologies, SeaChange International. "The synergy is immediately beneficial for the cable operators already collaborating with SeaChange and TV Guide to launch interactive television service."