Bristol - November 15, 2004

Independent software specialist, Ocean Blue Software, has launched a range of software products for the digital TV and IPTV marketplace. The software products are mature and deployed in a number of digital TV devices already and include MHEG-5 and DSM-CC. These middleware/API software systems are embedded into set top boxes and integrated televisions.

The software, which includes technologies such as the Voyager MHEG-5/DSM-CC and Surfsoft PVR (Personal Video Recorder) software is the basis of the latest digital TV devices, such as Freeview receivers. The software products, which Ocean Blue claims are "years ahead of the competition", are available to third parties and consumer electronic companies for integration into exciting new TV products.

Ken Helps, Founder and CEO of Ocean Blue states: "The software has taken over 10 man years of development effort, utilising the latest software technologies, design methodologies, system engineering and verification processes."

Ocean Blue's Surfsoft, is a content management system for hard disk-based set top boxes and televisions. Surfsoft catalogues, indexes and files television programmes stored on a hard disk, it also offers time shift functions, pause and record, replay, store and retrieve.

"The next generation of Freeview and Freesat set top boxes and TVs, based on Ocean Blue's software technology, will offer consumers a simple-to-use, hard disk-based recorder, PVR technology, a full 8-day EPG (Electronic Programme Guide), multiple tuners so you can watch one programme whilst recording others and even diagnostics software to monitor the health of the hard disk, all for under £200 that is a very exciting prospect," added Helps.

Ocean Blue is an independent software company, unlike other middleware suppliers who are owned by electronics companies, where conflicts of interest could exist. Ocean Blue is offering MHEG-5 and DSM-CC software products, which are the defined UK open standard API/middleware products for digital terrestrial broadcasting (DVB-T UK standard). These software products are embedded into IPTV devices, digital TV Freeview set top boxes and televisions.

Ken Helps, Founder of Ocean Blue is a recognised industry figurehead. Ken has been involved and active in a number of broadcast standards groups, he has written articles and white papers in the course of promoting digital TV technology and industry open standards. He is also well known in consumer electronic companies, semiconductor corporations and broadcasters.