THE AUTO CHANNEL
RACES TO NETSHOW 3.0
Live Indy 500 Coverage & Hundreds of TV ON THE NET
Programs Included as Automotive Web Network Shifts Its
Content to Microsoft's Streaming Video Platform
LOUISVILLE, KY., & SACRAMENTO, CA., MAY 4, 1998 -The Auto Channel has announced that effective immediately all of its Internet television and radio programs will be available to the world via Microsoft NetShow streaming multimedia services for Window NT Server, and that henceforth, all live broadcasts will be accomplished using NetShow. This announcement coincides with Microsoft's public introduction of NetShow 3.0 beta version on May 4, 1998.
Included among The Auto Channel's live and taped programs will be its coverage of the 1998 Indianapolis 500, and all of its regularly scheduled weekly shows. The Auto Channel has been the only Internet entity to broadcast traditional syndicated television and radio shows over the Internet on a continuous basis. Programs such as RACELINE; INSIDE TRACK; FAST TRACK; AMERICA ON THE ROAD; AUTOWORLD; THE C.A.R. SHOW; THE CAR GUY; TACH MOTOR SPORTS REPORT; and CYBER RACING TODAY are presented over the Internet by The Auto Channel in a conventional broadcast manner: new episodes appear at specific days and times each week. However, unlike conventional broadcasting, the Internet then gives The Auto Channel the capability to archive all past episodes and make them available to viewers and listeners on a continuous on-demand basis. Several new TV and radio shows will be joining The Auto Channel's regular schedule in May and June, and they will also be made available exclusively via NetShow: CAR CRAZY; BOBBY LYKUS' CAR CARE CLINIC; and AUSTRALIAN INSIDE MOTOR SPORTS, which is produced and broadcast directly from Canberra, Australia.
The Auto Channel's unique Indy 500 Internet coverage will be centered around a live four hour pre-race broadcast on Sunday, May 24th. This broadcast will be presented in conjunction with the Indianapolis ABC television affiliate, WRTV-Ch 6. The show will include driver interviews, qualifications recaps, historical information, and feature stories.
At present, The Auto Channel has more than 500 streaming video TV ON THE NET programs, many of which are one hour or more in length. The programs cover all aspects of the automotive world, from documentaries to do-it-yourself instructionals, and from entertainment to competition. All programs are available without charge to any Internet user, anywhere in the world. The Auto Channel also broadcasts live from many major automotive venues and events. Earlier this year, The Auto Channel provided complete TV ON THE NET coverage of all eleven days of the Los Angeles Auto Show, and concurrently worked with WXYZ-TV, the Detroit ABC affiliate, to provide the Internet's only complete live coverage of the Detroit Auto Show. In February, The Auto Channel had its television production crew in Daytona Beach, Florida, and provided nearly three weeks of exclusive live and taped reports of Daytona Speedweeks.
Streaming video and audio is a technique that allows video and/or audio data to be transmitted in near real time to computers over the Internet. Users are then able to enjoy TV and radio-like content without having to endure the excessive wait time common to ordinary "download" files.
Microsoft NetShow 3.0 is the latest version of their streaming media services for Windows NT, first introduced in 1996. It combines video streaming technology from VXtreme, Inc., which Microsoft acquired in August 1997. NetShow 3.0 is the streaming multimedia service that enables Internet providers and organizations to deliver the highest-quality audio and video at every bandwidth across the Internet or corporate networks. It is the most complete, easy-to-use, and cost-effective streaming media solution for the creation, storage, and streaming of live and on-demand content.
Bob Gordon, President and CEO of The Auto Channel said, "Our goal, since making the decision in 1995 to build The Auto Channel on the Internet, was to create an interactive television network. The new video quality and functionality of NetShow 3.0 will take us much closer to full achievement of that objective". Gordon then added, "NetShow 3.0 is absolutely remarkable. It has advanced features found in the best and most sophisticated computerized commercial ad insertion and program management systems used by conventional television and radio stations. NetShow's improved video compression and intelligent streaming give Internet users a more credible and pleasant viewing experience. We were the hottest and biggest provider of TV ON THE NET programs before, now we'll be sizzling!".
A complete program guide to The Auto Channel Internet broadcast schedule and list of its television and radio programs can be found at "http://www.theautochannel.com". The Auto Channel's Media Library can be accessed directly at "http://www.theautochannel.com/media". To watch or listen to any of the streaming video and audio programs, Internet users will need the Microsoft Media Player, which is available free of charge through The Auto Channel or from the Microsoft NetShow Web site at "http://www.microsoft.com/netshow". For best results, modems faster than 28.8kbs should be used, but 28.8kbs modems are also acceptable. The Microsoft Media Player is compatible with both Netscape and Internet Explorer browsers.
Company Contact: Marc Rauch (502) 584-4100 (916) 852-1956 email: mjrauch@theautochannel.com