May 21, 2008
MEDIA RELEASE
Revolutionary Video on Demand system launched in NZ
New Zealanders will soon be able to enjoy DVD-quality feature length movies on demand without leaving the comfort of
their own home.
PacByte, an Australian-based software company, has today released a revolutionary Video on Demand (VOD) system together
with thepacific.net, a Nelson-based high speed broadband network company.
The new system enables a user to view virtually immediately DVD quality feature-length movies over a regular 1Mbs
broadband connection.
“With this technology movie buffs will no longer need to leave their home to get their favourite movies at high quality.
They just go to a website, select their movie, and wait less than two minutes to start an uninterrupted viewing
experience,” explains thepacific.net chairman Barrie Leay.
The PacByte VOD software allows viewing real time on a PC or laptop with a simple download, or can be configured to work
with a set top box connected to the viewer’s TV. The selected movie is deleted once it has been viewed so there’s no
need to store large files.
The system works on an Internet connection of at least 1Mbs, a speed that is considered a minimal base level broadband
and that is almost universally available across much of New Zealand and Australia. The DVD quality of video is
maintained right up to a 50-inch flat screen TV size.
“It will have a huge impact on the way the internet is used for instant viewing options for entertainment or educational
purposes,” says Leay.
PacByte has also developed a number of world-leading compression technologies that complement its VOD system. These
technologies can reduce image files to one-fifth the size of JPEG, and audio and video files to half the size of WinZip,
effectively increasing the speed of any Internet connection by up to 50 per cent.
“This has to be music to the ears of most New Zealanders who suffer from slow broadband speeds at the moment,” comments
Leay.
ENDS