BEAM.TV LAUNCH NEW SYSTEM

BEAM.TV, a global network of production partners founded by Oscar winning post production facility, The Mill, have announced a new service that will allow its users to play video straight from the internet into their television set.
BEAMBOX, developed by London-based media solution provider Root6, plugs into a television monitor downloading video that has been sent, received or archived via BEAM.TV.
BEAMBOX has a DVD style remote control that compiles MPEG, Quicktime, Real and Windows Media as one seamless reel to be played on a TV monitor at full screen size. BEAMBOX is expected to launch in November 2001.
Matt Cooper, head of BEAM.TV, said: “BEAMBOX will sit neatly in an office or boardroom next to a TV monitor. It plays video that has been sent via the Internet onto a medium that everyone is comfortable watching.
“There is just no need for tapes anymore. They are not updateable, they take up space and they are expensive to courier around the world. With BEAM.TV and BEAMBOX all these things become unnecessary.”
BEAMBOX also means that via BEAM.TV users can browse through whole back catalogues, click and play as required. Any archived material can then be laid back to tape or downloaded for new show reels if required. The process will help with advertising agency and production company internal tape flow and put an end to courier costs.
Cooper added: “Commercials and film are not only produced collaboratively via several sites world-wide, but they, or certain elements from them, are also needed again and again after the production and post production is completed. BEAMBOX will be a Godsend for global advertising agencies that currently waste a lot of time and money during and after the production process.”
BEAM.TV, backed by technology partners including WAM!NET, Telestream and
Root6 provide partners a fast and cost-effective international online delivery service for anything from small cut approval commercials to fully uncompressed broadcast quality files.
European partners that have already signed up include Windmill Lane (Dublin), Condor (Amsterdam), The Mill, Clear and Rushes (London) plus Max Alliance members; En Efecto Group (Madrid, Barcelona, and Lisbon), Blue Gold (Milan), Mikros (Paris), and Ace (Belgium). Worldwide partners include NTT (Tokyo), DES and Laser Pacific (Los Angeles, GTN (Detroit), and Nice Shoes and Broadness (New York).
BEAM.TV partners have the ability to send and receive trackable, secure files via web 'send and deliver' portals branded in any way they choose.
Partners can manage their own accounts and directories and track and manage client approvals right from the start to the finish of a project, including functionality such as sophisticated project management and real-time text-based comment.
BEAM.TV support includes backup from fully experienced London-based customer support staff used to dealing with the tight schedules associated with advertising, production and film. (SP)