LONDON, June 3 /PRNewswire/ --

- Film and Broadcast Industries Must Capitalise on Opportunities for Archived Media Content

Newly-formed digital media expert AmberFin, home of the Emmy award-winning iCR software that digitises new and archived content, today predicts that the film and broadcast industry could be losing out on valuable new revenue streams through failing to make the best use of existing archived content.

The boom in consumer demand for high-quality content on multiple platforms means that content owners now need to be prepared to repurpose content for devices ranging from internet to VoD, TV and small screen devices. By not doing so they are missing out on new opportunities for increasing revenues.

Scott Allen, Vice President, Marketing at AmberFin says: "There is an enormous amount of potential in the content that already exists in the film and broadcast industries thanks to the growing consumer demand to access that content whenever they want, on whatever device they are using at the time. Content owners are missing out on large revenue opportunities if they fail to capitalise on making their archived content available to customers."

The key factor in delivering archived content successfully on new platforms is being able to provide the optimum picture quality both at speed and cost effectively. Broadcasters must be able to repurpose their content quickly to meet consumer demand, but at the same time the process must be cost-efficient in order to generate the right returns.

Allen continues: "There are millions of media assets archived today that could be repurposed for online, on-demand or mobile channels to generate new revenue streams through subscription, pay-per-view and advertising-based downloads. The broadcast industry needs to learn to work with their existing assets to make the most of these new platforms and the opportunities they bring."

AmberFin's iCR end-to-end software platform incorporates parent company Snell & Wilcox's Emmy award winning technology. It is an open standard, future proof platform that digitises new and archived content, from capture through to distribution, and delivers the best quality pictures at smaller file sizes.

With hundreds of systems in the field, iCR is trusted by prestigious content owners such as Sony, NBA, Turner, Channel 4 and Warner Brothers to manage the digitisation and repurposing of their content. Its five core applications are designed to address the industry's pain points at every stage of the digitisation process.

Mastering

Flawlessly moves video into IT workflows by creating error-free files that can be converted into revenue-generating content and distributed across multiple devices. Mastering offers high quality masters with an integrated Quality Control that can be operated under automation control.

Production Encoding

Replaces tape with HD files, solves interoperability issues in new digital HD/SD production systems and optimises use of equipment and staff. Production Encoding converts between HD and SD formats, bridging the gap between incompatible acquisition and production systems.

Review

Traces and checks faults in a failsafe way. It reviews material on broadcast-quality equipment and automatically creates a Quality Control report which detects things the human eye cannot. Review can halve the time taken by traditional manual review processes.

Virtual VTR

A self-contained VTR-like recording, storage and playback system incorporating the necessary tools to work seamlessly in a traditional VTR environment, bridging video and IT infrastructures. Virtual VTR converts between any SD and HD file and video formats.

Repurposing Content

Creates new revenue opportunities by effortlessly publishing content to new distribution channels such as the Web, VoD, and portable devices. Repurposing creates smaller files and better quality video while saving on costs.

AmberFin:

AmberFin enriches the entire lifecycle of digital media - from content capture to distribution. The company builds upon 30 years of Snell & Wilcox (S&W) experience and an unrivalled reputation for highly reliable image processing technology, enabling the digital media community to optimise the quality of video content while addressing incompatibility barriers throughout the value chain.

AmberFin already serves big-name customers including movie studios, sports franchises, broadcasters, TV producers, facility houses, archives and libraries.

Privately held by Advent Venture Partners, AmberFin is part of the S&W Group, headquartered in the UK. More information is available at: http://www.amberfin.com

Contact: Hotwire amberfin@hotwirepr.com +44-207-608-2500

Contact: Hotwire, amberfin@hotwirepr.com, +44-207-608-2500