LIVE VIDEO & AUDIO INDY 500 COVERAGE BEGINS
10 May 1997
The Auto Channel to go Wall-to-Wall with Complete Daily Internet Coverage For Immediate Release INDIANAPOLIS, IN; May 9, 1997 -- On Saturday, May 10th, at 9am EDT, The Auto Channel will begin its marathon daily coverage of the 81st running of the Indianapolis 500. The featured highlight of TACH's 16 day coverage will be its use of live video to bring the greatest spectacle in motor sports to auto racing fans all over the world. The Auto Channel's live coverage will begin everyday at 9am EDT and conclude at 7pm EDT. Pole Day, traditionally the second most important day in the month long festivities leading up to the actual race, takes place May 10th. This is the day that starting positions are determined by the best lap times on the track. Qualifying continues on Sunday, May 11th; and after 5 days of practice, resumes again on Saturday, May 17th. Sunday, May 18th, also known as Bump Day, is the final day of qualifying. Success on Bump Day gives some drivers the opportunity to advance to better starting positions. The Indianapolis 500 will take place on Sunday, May 25th, at 12 noon EDT. The Auto Channel's live coverage of Race Day will begin at 9am EDT. On Race Day, The Auto Channel will offer two separate and distinct audio feeds of the race: the complete uninterrupted call from the Track Announcers, and a simulcast of the IMS Radio Network broadcast. Weekday coverage leading up to race day will be centered around team practice sessions. Each day's live cybercast will consist of interviews, news updates, coverage of press conferences, and results and timings. All press conferences and interviews will also be videotaped and posted on The Auto Channel for continuous, on-demand access by internet users. Anchoring The Auto Channel's cybercast team will be Tim Considine, TACH's Editor-at-Large and President of the Motor Press Guild. Jim Murphy, CompuServe's Indy Car Series Editor; and Tom Beeler, a Contributing Correspondent also with CompuServe's Motor Sports Forum. Included in TACH's overall presentation of the Indianapolis 500 are text summaries and stories, driver biographies, video highlights of past Indy races, and a live chat room. The Auto Channel can be accessed at "http://www.theautochannel.com". The technology used on the internet to cybercast the video reports will be VXtreme. VXtreme is a proprietary "real time video streaming" technology developed by VXtreme, Inc., of Sunnyvale, California. VXtreme allows internet users to watch live and pre-recorded video in real-time, without the frustrating wait of excessive download times. Although there are other real-time video products on the market for use on the web, VXtreme's enhanced resolution and increased frame rate, even over a 28.8 kbs modem, provides internet users with the closest "TV like" experience. Over a 28.8 modem, typical frame rates average between 8 and 10 frames per second, and with a 56 kbs ISDN or X2 connection, frame rates average 12 to 15 frames per second. VXtreme player software can be downloaded for free at "http://www.microsoft.com/netshow/vxtreme/software.htm". Installation is completed quickly and easily into both Netscape and Explorer browsers. Progressive Network's RealAudio 3.0 technology will be used to cybercast selected portions of TACH's daily coverage and the IMS Radio Network feed on Race Day. RealAudio player software is also available for free at "http://www.realaudio.com". The Auto Channel is sponsored by Pennzoil Products Company, Michelin Tires, and the United States Army. TACH is the internet's most complete and comprehensive automotive information resource. It's filled with over 100,000 screen pages of information, thousands of photos and graphics, hundreds of new vehicle reviews, dozens of real time streaming video and audio programs, and 14 searchable databases. Company Contact: Marc Rauch (502) 584-4100 (916) 852-1956 email: mjrauch@theautochannel.com