SONY AND GLOWPOINT TEAM TO PROVIDE BROADCAST SERVICES FOR 2005 NBA DRAFT
Videoconferencing Delivers Live Footage Through IP-Based Technology
PARK RIDGE, N.J., and HILLSIDE, N.J., June 22, 2005 - Sony Electronics and Glowpoint, Inc., announced today that the leading cable sports entertainment network has selected Sony and GlowPoint to provide broadcasting services during the live television coverage of the 2005 National Basketball Association draft on June 28 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York.
During the live event, on-air personalities will conduct interviews with team coaches, players and other key personnel located at 17 remote locations throughout the country using broadcast-quality IP-based technology. GlowPoint's reliability, quality and ease-of-use enables it to deliver the interview footage in real-time entirely over its Video-over-IP network in conjunction with standard IP-based video communications equipment.
The IP-based broadcasting solution will utilize a combination of Sony IPELA ® videoconferencing systems and GlowPoint's IP-based video communication services to capture and air real-time interviews. NBA team representatives located at remote locations throughout the country will connect to the GlowPoint network via Sony PCS-1 and PCS-G70 video communication systems located at the cable operator's Bristol, Conn. studios. The remote team locations will use the Sony Event Server, powered by GlowPoint, which has been specially designed and configured for remote content acquisition to bring a new level of versatility, spontaneity and convenience to IP-based video broadcasting.
"Our IP-based broadcasting of interviews during the NBA draft takes videoconferencing far beyond the conference room and places it directly within a live television program," said David Trachtenberg, president and CEO of GlowPoint. "Collaborating with Sony has created a best of breed solution for broadcasters looking for innovative ways to create, capture and display content. Our successful track record and continued wins in the broadcast market demonstrate that IP-video communication has become a viable complement to satellite transmission and a long term broadcasting solution for this market."
"Sony is committed to providing top-quality, two-way communication equipment built to record and transmit high quality video and audio that meets the demanding requirements of live broadcast television," said Michael McCausland, vice president for visual communications at Sony Electronics. "By combining Sony technology with GlowPoint's services, we are leveraging our collective innovations to break new ground in live broadcasting."
The 2005 NBA draft represents the second live television event this year in which GlowPoint has joined with Sony to provide IP-based broadcasting services; the first being the recent National Football League draft in April. It also marks the sixth time in three years that GlowPoint's IP-based services have been selected to provide live, on-air interviews during the national cable broadcast of a professional sports draft.
