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Satnews Daily
March 23rd, 2010

Softel... EBIF Makes The Grade For Showtime (SatBroadcasting™)


Softel announced Showtime Networks Inc. is using the Softel MediaSphere interactive television (ITV) playout platform to become the first television network in the United States to distribute ETV Enhanced TV Binary Interchange Format (EBIF) applications nationwide with the integration and commissioning of MediaSphere TX at its network operation center in Hauppauge, N.Y. On February 26, Showtime first delivered an interactive EBIF application to all of its Verizon FiOS subscribers on its flagship Showtime HD™ channel. The application enhanced its live coverage of the Strikeforce Challengers Mixed Martial Arts fight card.

Encompassing the complete interactive application lifecycle, Softel's MediaSphere iTV platform is an integrated suite of complementary solutions that enable the delivery of rich viewer experiences. The system enables parallel playout of multiple middleware applications from a single unit, providing compatibility with all major US and international interactive standards. Showtime is using MediaSphere TX, complete with a redundant failover solution, on its satellite uplink to deliver EBIF interactive applications nationally for Showtime subscribers on Verizon FiOS. Via its comprehensive SDK, MediaSphere is fully integrated with Showtime's scheduling system as well as with Ensequence's iTV Manager.