Central European Production Company Signs Major Deal with Vizrt for Software and Hardware Upgrades

Bergen, Norway,Vizrt Ltd. (Oslo Main List: VIZ)

Vizrt Ltd., a leading supplier of production tools to the digital media industry, announced today that a major central European production company has entered into a 600.000€ contract with Vizrt.

The deal includes upgrades, both hardware and software, which will allow the client’s production facility to produce real-time HD content using Viz Engine 3.5. Viz Content Pilot will allow producers to create content throughout the facility. Viz Trio will be used as a character generator (CG) for live events in the studio and in OB vans.

About Vizrt:
Vizrt offers a new vision for content creation and delivery with an end-to-end solution from ingest to visualization. Our solution combines Vizrt’s true 2D/3D graphics tools with Curious Software’s World Maps and Ardendo’s Asset Management. Running on non proprietary software, the combination of these unique cutting edge products ensures a seamless workflow from conception to multi-format distribution. The latest addition to the Vizrt product suite is Viz|3G for hand held devices.

Vizrt’s product suite is used by the world’s leading broadcasters including: CNN, CBS, Fox, BBC, Sky, ITN, ZDF, Star TV, TV Today, CCTV and NHK. Also, many world-class production houses and corporate institutions, including both the New York and London Stock Exchanges, utilize Vizrt solutions.

Vizrt is a public company traded on the Oslo Main List: VIZ, ISIN: IL0010838154. For further information please refer to www.vizrt.com

Press contacts:
Martin Burkhalter
CEO
+41 22 365 75 01
mbu@vizrt.com

Ofra Brown
CFO
+47 5351 8040
ofra@vizrt.com

SCHWARZ Financial Communication
Frank Schwarz
+49 611 1745 398 11
schwarz@schwarzfinancial.com

WHTM-TV COMPLETES UPGRADE TO LOCAL HD NEWS WITH JVC PROHD

WAYNE, NJ – JVC Professional Products Company, a division of JVC Americas Corp., today announced that WHTM-TV, the ABC affiliate that serves Harrisburg-Lancaster-Lebanon-York, Penn. (DMA #41), has purchased 15 GY-HM790U and six GY-HM750U ProHD cameras for its transition to local HD news production.

WHTM-TV director of photojournalism Doug Watson shows off one of the station’s new JVC ProHD camcorders, which have been used in the field since June.

Allbritton Communications Company, which is based in Arlington, Va., recently standardized on JVC ProHD cameras for studio and ENG work at WHTM-TV and five of its affiliated stations. The new cameras are part of an overall transition to local HD news production for all stations in the group.

In May, WHTM-TV began using its new JVC cameras in the studio in SD mode, but transitioned to HD in October. The studio’s three GY-HM790Us are connected via fiber optic cable, which eliminates the need for triax and additional cable bundles.

Each camera is equipped with a CopperHead ProHD KA-F790 fiber optic transceiver, a custom module built by Telecast Fiber Systems that provides a direct connection to the camcorder (no external cables). “The fiber package is compact and well integrated,” said Keith Blaisdell, WHTM-TV director of technology. “Telecast has worked very hard to deliver a robust and reliable fiber solution with the CopperHead.”

Photojournalists began using ProHD camcorders in the field in June, then transitioned from SD to HD in September. “The cameras are simply amazing in their video reproduction. The colors are rich and the resolution is really superb,” Blaisdell said. “Most of all, the total package is both operator and engineer friendly.”

WHTM-TV photojournalist Eric Heisler displays one of the station’s new JVC ProHD camcorders.

Blaisell said JVC’s native file recording on non-proprietary SDHC cards has been a “perfect match” for the station’s Adobe Premiere NLE workflow. “We made the transition from legacy Digital Betacam tape to nonlinear workflow all at once,” he added. “JVC’s native file recording has worked seamlessly with Adobe Premiere to deliver stunning HD pictures.”

The GY-HM750U delivers outstanding 1920×1080 images in a lightweight, shoulder-mount form factor. It records at selectable data rates up to 35 Mbps and can record HD footage in 720p, 1080p, and 1080i, as well as SD footage (480i). Building on the modular approach of the flagship GY-HM790U, it includes a 68-pin chassis connector that creates a clean, direct interface with various modules – no external cables needed. Plus, a new feature allows simultaneous recording to both SDHC cards for instant backup or client copy.

ABOUT JVC PROFESSIONAL PRODUCTS COMPANY
Headquartered in Wayne, New Jersey, JVC Professional Products Company is a division of JVC Americas Corp., a wholly-owned subsidiary of JVC Kenwood Corporation. JVC is a leading manufacturer and distributor of broadcast and professional video and audio equipment. For further product information, visit JVC’s Web site at http://pro.jvc.com or call (800)582-5825.

CANADIAN DPS RENT FUJINON PL MOUNT ZOOMS FROM SIM VIDEO TO SHOOT TV SERIES FOR THE SCI FI CHANNEL

Wayne, N.J.– Seeking exceptional optical quality for fast-paced episodic television productions, three Canadian Directors of Photography (DPs) recently rented a complement of FUJINON Premier PL Mount zoom lenses from Sim Video—a leading Toronto-based broadcast and film equipment rental company.

The three notable Canadian DPs—Mike McMurray, David Perrault, and Rudy Blahacek—chose FUJINON Premier PL zoom lenses to shoot sci-fi television series for broadcast on NBC/Universal’s SCI FI Channel, CTV, and Lifetime. In choosing equipment for these productions, they selected from the Sim Video PL lens inventory which includes: Premier PL 18-85 T2.0 zooms, Premier PL 24-180 T2.6 lenses; and Premier PL 75-400 T2.8-3.8’s. Designed for high-end 35mm film and digital cinematography, the FUJINON PL Mount product family offers focal lengths ranging from 14.5mm to 400mm.

DP McMurray, CSC, has been using the Premier PL lenses to shoot “Warehouse 13,” an American fantasy/drama series for the SCI FI Channel. “In shooting ‘Warehouse 13,’ equipment reliability is crucial. FUJINON lenses are workhorses in the film industry, especially for TV series work, because they produce crisp, clean images and color-match extraordinarily well with each other,” he explained. “The FUJINON Premier PL 18-85 T2.0 is an excellent wide to mid-range lens, while the Premier PL 75-400 T2.8-3.8 takes care of all my long lens needs. But my favorites are the two Premier PL 24-180 T2.6’s that I use with my A and B cameras because, with their wide focal lengths, lens changes are minimal.”

DP Perrault, CSC, has also been using Sim Video’s FUJINON PL zoom lenses to shoot “Alphas,” a new action thriller series for the SCI FI Channel featuring five ordinary people who acquire super human physical and mental capabilities.

“I’ve been using the FUJINON Premier PL 75-400 T2.8-T3.8 and Premier PL 18-85 T2.0 to shoot season one of ‘Alphas,’ and they’re both beautiful lenses,” Perrault said. “These compact lenses offer broad focal ranges, great coatings, and flare rejection qualities, nice markings for focus, and in particular, gorgeous ‘bokehs’ on the 18-85.” Considered the mark of an exceptional lens, a bokeh is the blur in the out-of-focus areas of an image. While some lenses produce bokehs that are unpleasant and distracting, FUJINON PL Mount lenses have the distinction of rendering very aesthetically pleasing blurs.

Regarding the FUJINON Premier PL 18-85 T2.0 lens, DP Blahacek said, “I will always carry this lens in my package. The resolution is amazing, and the lack of aberrations coupled with the fast T-stop put this lens in a class of its own.” Blahacek has been using this lens for almost two years to shoot several projects including: “Score: A Hockey Musical,” a film featured at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival; “Salem Falls,” a TV mini-series to air on Lifetime in 2012; and “The Listener,” a sci-fi TV series now in its second season on CTV, Canada’s leading broadcast network.

These three DPs, all with a long list of American and Canadian television credits, have long relied upon Sim Video for equipment rentals as well as responsive technical and customer support. In its more than 30 years in business, Sim Video has expanded from its Toronto headquarters, adding locations in Los Angeles, Vancouver, Atlanta, Halifax, and Beijing to better serve its customers. Sim Video’s FUJINON Premier PL mount zoom lenses, as well as its FUJINON “E” Series Zooms and HD ENG zooms are ideal companions to its high-end camera inventory, which includes the Arri Alexa, Red Epic, Phantom HD, Sony F35 and F800.

“FUJINON Premier PL zoom lenses are unique in that they provide cinematic and television productions with the same caliber of quality expected from the highest performing prime lens. Having the flexibility of a zoom means fewer lens changes on set which speeds up the overall space of production,” said Rob Sim, president of Sim Video. “Our investment in FUJINON Premier PL lenses was an easy decision given this lens maker’s legacy of providing superior product development and service to our industry.”

About Fujifilm
FUJIFILM North America Corporation, a marketing subsidiary of FUJIFILM Holdings America Corporation consists of five operating divisions and one subsidiary company. The Imaging Division sells consumer and commercial photographic products and services including film, one-time-use cameras, online photo services and fulfillment, digital printing equipment and service. The Electronic Imaging Division markets consumer digital cameras. The Motion Picture Division provides motion picture film, and the Graphic Systems Division supplies products and services to the printing industry. The Optical Devices Division provides binoculars, and optical lenses for closed circuit television, videography, cinematography, broadcast and industrial markets. FUJIFILM Canada Inc. markets a range of Fujifilm products and services. For more information, please visit www.fujifilm.com/northamerica, or go to www.twitter.com/fujifilmus to follow Fujifilm on Twitter. To receive news and information direct from Fujifilm via RSS, subscribe at www.fujifilmusa.com/rss.
FUJIFILM Holdings Corporation, Tokyo, Japan, brings continuous innovation and leading-edge products to a broad spectrum of industries, including electronic imaging, digital printing equipment, medical systems, life sciences, graphic arts, flat panel display materials, and office products, based on a vast portfolio of digital, optical, fine chemical and thin film coating technologies. The company was among the top 16 companies around the world granted U.S. patents in 2010, and in the year ended March 31, 2011, had global revenues of $25.8 billion*. Fujifilm is committed to environmental stewardship and good corporate citizenship. For more information, please visit www.fujifilmholdings.com.

* At an exchange rate of 86 yen to the dollar.

All product and company names herein may be trademarks of their registered owners.

FUJIFILM Optical Devices Division, 10 High Point Drive, Wayne, New Jersey 07470. Phone: 973-633-5600. Fax: 973-633-5216. Web site: http://www.fujifilmusa.com/products/optical_devices/index.html.

FOR-A FORMS STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP WITH PROVIDEO SOLUTIONS

Fort Lee, N.J. – FOR-A Corporation of America, a leading manufacturer of video and audio systems for the broadcast and professional video industries, announces its collaboration with sales rep firm ProVideo Solutions. Headquartered in Austin, TX, ProVideo Solutions will provide sales and technical support for FOR-A’s product range to the manufacturer’s customers and dealers throughout Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana.

ProVideo Solutions will serve as a local contact with FOR-A dealers and customers in the region, providing product demonstrations and training, offering technical support, and increasing overall awareness of FOR-A’s technology. The sales firm plans to boost FOR-A’s presence in its core broadcast, video production and corporate communications markets, as well as expanding its base into the sports production and oil and gas industries.

“ProVideo Solutions is extremely excited to join forces with FOR-A,” said Eric Cook, President, ProVideo Solutions. “I’ve recognized FOR-A as a premier provider to the broadcast industry for as long as I can remember, and I’m particularly excited to start working with their innovative video switchers and multiviewers. We’re eager to promote the company’s dynamic product line and further their growth in this region of the country.”

Pedro Silvestre, Sales Director for FOR-A Corporation of America explained, “ProVideo Solutions’ team of professionals will actively engage our customer base and offer local support to our dealers and customers. They’re also a company with very strong relationships in the broadcast and the house of worship markets, which are two areas our technology is ideally suited for. In partnering with such a well connected and respected firm, we’re confident that we’ll expand our reach and increase FOR-A’s presence in those key states.”

FOR-A also relies on other industry sales representatives for their regional expertise. In the Midwest, FOR-A has partnered with sales firm Dan Weaver & Associates for the past two years. Dan Weaver & Associates, http://www.dwareps.com/ , represents FOR-A in the states of Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, and North and South Dakota.

About Pro Video Solutions

Pro Video Solutions supports dealers by providing rapid response to the needs of the professional broadcast and A/V communities. The company provides a complete interface between customers, integrators and the manufacturers represented. Pro Video Solutions supports the efforts of system integrators, while providing qualified technical support to its customers.

About FOR-A
FOR-A is a major manufacturer and distributor of video and audio systems to the broadcast, postproduction and professional video markets. For more information about FOR-A’s product line, call 201-944-1120 or visit our web site at www.for-a.com.
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Broadcast Pix Announces VOX

Breakthrough Voice-Automated Video Production – No Operator Needed

Billerica, Massachusetts – Broadcast Pix™ today announced VOX™, a breakthrough product for cost-effective live video production that works with any Granite™, Mica™, or Slate™ system to produce voice-activated video productions. VOX eliminates the need for an operator during live productions, as it detects which microphone is being used and uses sophisticated software to switch to an interesting camera position and add appropriate graphics. VOX is ideal for government and corporate meetings, interviews, video coverage of radio programs, and other productions with multiple microphones, and can be used for television broadcasts, Internet streaming, and in-house projection.

While VOX can simply switch cameras, it has the intelligence to do much more. VOX integrates with Broadcast Pix’s built-in Fluent™ Macros to create automatic video-follow-audio. Fluent Macros can be programmed to select camera presets, roll clips and animations, add or remove titles, and even execute powerful compositions such as up to six picture-in-pictures for interviews. Multiple macros can be assigned to each microphone – and selection criteria can be established – so automated productions can offer variety in shot selection and graphics, as if a technical director was at the controls.

“Broadcast Pix is known for integrated production systems that create compelling live video with minimal staff. Now, VOX can create great video with no operator at all,” said Ken Swanton, president of Broadcast Pix. “It’s a breakthrough in cost-effective production.”

VOX is already in use at Q-music, a radio network in Belgium and Holland. Q-music broadcasted live concerts and other events from its Q-Beach House in Ostend, Belgium, and streamed video programming on the Internet. The video productions were part of a pilot project for the network’s upcoming studio-based “Visual Radio” programming, which will be produced in three facilities with VOX and Broadcast Pix Mica systems.

The house was rigged with 12 cameras, including four in the on-site radio studio that were controlled through VOX. With the help of integrator Burst Video, Q-music created several macros for each studio microphone. As a result, while the video followed the audio, there were a variety of directing commands (selected randomly by the system) to produce more appealing production value.

“It is easy to put a camera in a studio,” said Rudi Wynants, engineer at Q-music, “but it is not so easy to make this interesting to watch. Broadcast Pix VOX makes it more dynamic by not giving the audience the feeling that everything is automated by a computer. For normal operations, the system runs completely standalone.”

Housed in a 1 RU chassis with eight microphone inputs, VOX includes camera control software for Panasonic and Sony robotic camera systems, and connects to any Broadcast Pix system via an RS-232 serial cable. Multiple VOX boxes can be cascaded to support up to 104 microphones.

Conditions can be set to prevent coughs or one-word comments from changing cameras, minimizing unnecessary camera changes. Microphone inputs can also be prioritized, so a host, for example, can be given priority over guests. Plus, a host can control VOX using a small override panel, through the included SoftPanel software on a laptop or Android device, or with an iPad or iPhone app. As a result, the host can roll an introduction or a commercial, or even override the automated VOX control to bring up a specific shot.

VOX will be available worldwide in December 2011. For more information about VOX, including a video created using VOX with no operator, please visit www.broadcastpix.com/VOX.

About Broadcast Pix Broadcast Pix is the leader in integrated live video production systems. Its systems provide the best control surface for combining cameras, clips and graphics to create compelling live video. These surfaces enable total control of the built-in multi-format switcher, clip store, graphics system with a Harris or Chyron CG, and device controls. Its Fluent™ workflow enables files and data to be easily incorporated from other parts of the studio. Broadcast Pix systems are a fraction of the cost of a conventional control room to buy, staff and operate. System range from small systems controlled by a touch-screen to sophisticated 2 M/E control panels. Customers include leading broadcast, corporate, education, religious, government, webcast, entertainment and mobile studios in more than 90 countries. Learn more at www.broadcastpix.com.

Broadcast Pix, Fluent, Granite, Mica, Slate, and VOX are trademarks of Broadcast Pix, Inc. Patented.

Imagina US Manages Traffic, Programming for Cable Networks with Broadway Systems

Grand Rapids, Mich. – Broadway Systems, the leading provider of advertising management software for cable networks, announced today that Imagina US, a leader in Hispanic entertainment programming, has selected Broadway’s end-to-end software platform to manage traffic and programming for four cable networks at its U.S. headquarters in Miami.

Imagina US began using the Broadway Traffic and Finance, Program Management, and Reporting modules for back office operations on May 30 for CentroaméricaTV, which provides programming from Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama; Pasiones Latin America and Pasiones US, two 24-hour channels dedicated to “telenovelas;” and Televisión Dominicana, which features a variety of programming from the Dominican Republic.

Marilyn Vidal-Novo, traffic manager, Imagina US, said the transition to Broadway from the previous traffic system was very easy. “The implementation of the Broadway software was the best conversion I’ve ever done,” she explained. “Based on my previous experience transitioning many software systems, I expected a delay. There was no delay whatsoever, and the implementation exceeded my expectations.“

Imagina US has a unique business model that relies on agencies for sales orders, not its own sales team. However, as its cable networks grow and an in-house sales staff is added, Imagina US will be able to seamlessly add the Broadway Sales Planning and Proposal module to the current configuration.

“With its user-friendly interface, Broadway’s reliable, end-to-end solution simplifies the management of day-to-day activities as well as the transition from other systems,” said John Sorensen, president of Broadway Systems. “Our modular approach will also make it easy for Imagina US to accommodate the future growth of its networks and sales department.”

About Imagina US
Imagina US operates through its subsidiaries: Promofilm, dedicated to the production of content and TV formats, and Media World, a division focused on the development and distribution of thematic channels, exploitation rights, and technical services in the audiovisual field. For more information, please visit:www.imaginaus.com.

About Broadway Systems
Since 2002, Broadway Systems has collaborated with cable networks to engineer a contemporary and fully integrated programming, sales, traffic, stewardship, and billing software system. Today, this platform is used to manage some of the top brands in industry and more than $3 billion in advertising revenues for top 20 rated cable networks and startups alike. Broadway Systems offers cable networks a strategic alternative to existing vendors, one that is dedicated to their business and keeps pace with the changing needs of this dynamic industry. Find out more at www.broadwaysystems.com.

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BOB MUELLER NAMED U.S. PRESIDENT OF JVC PROFESSIONAL PRODUCTS COMPANY AND PRESIDENT OF JVC PROFESSIONAL PRODUCTS, CANADA

WAYNE, NJ – Today, JVC announced the appointment of Bob Mueller as U.S. president of JVC Professional Products Company and president of JVC Professional Products Canada, Inc., two divisions of JVC Americas Corp. The two companies comprise JVC’s entire professional business in North America, Latin America, and South America.

Joining JVC in 2000, Mueller held several positions including executive vice president and COO of JVC Professional Products Company and JVC U.S.A. In his new assignment, he oversees all operational aspects of the two companies, including professional video, visual systems, security business units in Wayne, N.J., and JVC’s Technology Center in Long Beach, Calif. Mueller succeeds Kirk Hirota, who recently took a senior position as general manager, media system operation, Business Solution Division of JVC Kenwood Corporation’s Professional Systems Group.

“JVC’s professional team in the U.S. and Japan is dedicated and truly inspired. In recent years, the team’s diligence has steadily raised JVC brand equity in professional markets, winning the trust of market-leading organizations across a broad spectrum of industries,” said Mueller. “Today, JVC Professional proudly counts Boeing, Scripps Howard, Televisa, L3 Corporation, Time Warner, CTV, Fox Studios, and Rockwell Collins among its many world-class clients. I’m proud of the team’s accomplishments, and JVC Kenwood Corporation’s newly announced professional business priority represents fortuitous timing to open new market opportunities for JVC.”

In a career spanning more than four decades, Mueller worked as a senior executive at Panasonic, including serving as president of Panasonic Broadcast and Digital Systems Company. Prior to Panasonic, he held several positions at Sony during 21 years, including vice president and general manager of Sony Video Communications Company, where he directed all aspects of Sony’s Professional Video Products business and is credited with rapid growth of the company. Working closely with Sony’s R&D centers, he later oversaw the launch of several new technology ventures.

Mueller is degreed from the University of Arizona with postgraduate work at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. He has also held various positions including board membership of industry trade organizations.

ABOUT JVC PROFESSIONAL PRODUCTS COMPANY
Headquartered in Wayne, New Jersey, JVC Professional Products Company is a division of JVC Americas Corp., a wholly-owned subsidiary of JVC Kenwood Corporation. JVC is a leading manufacturer and distributor of broadcast and professional video and audio equipment, security products including IP network cameras and recorders, premium front projection systems for home theatre use, and projection displays and optics used in aviation simulators. The JVC Technology Center provides advanced technology in support of major JVC business alliances. For further product information, visit JVC Professional’s Web site at http://pro.jvc.com or call (800)582-5825.

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