Sezmi Completes Personal Television System Trial

Results Pave the Way for Nationwide Rollout of First Personal Television System

BELMONT, Calif. — Sezmi Corporation, creator of the first complete personal TV system, today announced the conclusion of technical trials for its new television service, marking a significant milestone in the company’s breakthrough efforts to dramatically improve the way consumers experience television and internet video.

Successful technical trials in Seattle, a geographically demanding broadcast environment, have substantiated the seamless operability and broad scalability of Sezmi’s advanced video distribution technology. The company demonstrated that its innovative FlexCast™ technology combines the efficiency and scale of terrestrial digital broadcast delivery with the interactivity and access of existing broadband infrastructure.

The local Seattle broadcast partners include Fisher, Tribune, and Daystar, over whose spectrum Sezmi operates in the metropolitan area.

Sezmi has redefined TV with the first personal television system in the market. It is a true alternative to the legacy TV experience with a line-up of content from traditional broadcast networks, cable and specialty networks, internet video, pay-per-view movies, and more. It not only enhances the on-demand experience, but it stands out from traditional television offerings with a highly personalized, intuitive user experience at an affordable cost.

“This is a significant milestone not only for Sezmi, but also for the broadcasting industry and for the television viewing public, whose choices today are narrowly confined by what they can watch and when,” said Buno Pati, co-founder and chief executive officer of Sezmi.

Broadcaster Benefits

Sezmi’s transformational platform opens additional revenue streams to broadcasters. Sezmi licenses broadcasters’ spectrum to distribute, or datacast, popular television and internet video content to its subscribers. Sezmi also enhances revenue with highly targeted advertising and new ad forms and extends broadcaster brands by bringing together local news and programming with online content in a single, local station content Zone™.

Sezmi’s regional broadcast partners in Seattle are:

• Fisher Communications, Inc. is a Seattle-based communications company that owns or manages 21 televisions stations and eight radio stations, including the local ABC affiliate (KOMO-TV) and Univision affiliate (KUNS-TV) in Seattle.
• Tribune Broadcasting owns and operates 23 major-market television stations and reaches more than 80 percent of U.S. television households. The group is anchored by WGN America, which can be seen in more than 70 million U.S. households via cable and satellite services. Thirteen Tribune stations are affiliates of The CW, America’s new fifth network and seven are FOX affiliates. Seattle’s KCPQ-TV is a FOX affiliate and KMYQ-TV is a MyNetwork affiliate.
• Daystar Television Network operates more than 50 television stations in major markets across the U.S. including KWDK-TV in Seattle.

Colleen Brown, President and CEO of Fisher Communications said, “With the drive among consumers for greater customization and control over their media, Sezmi strengthens our core business by improving our ability to better target advertising and engage with viewers while positioning us for future opportunities utilizing our digital spectrum.”

“Since our company launch, we have received an overwhelming response from consumers looking for a highly personal television system and requesting our service in their market,” said Phil Wiser, co-founder, president and chairman of Sezmi. “Through extensive consumer testing, it’s clear that viewers are ready for an alternative to legacy television services. They have told us they want advanced features like HD, on-demand, expansive content and personalization-all in a more affordable offering. Today marks a significant step forward in our progress to deliver such an end-to-end, transformational television experience.”

Harris Collaboration

Sezmi has collaborated with Harris Corporation (NYSE:HRS), an international communications and information technology company, to host Sezmi’s national network operations center in the world-class Harris broadcasting facilities in Melbourne, Fla. As part of the trials, Sezmi also confirmed that its end-to-end video processing platform is operational and is broadcasting content from the network operations center to the local markets.

Sezmi is now launching technical trials in additional cities and preparing consumer trials in several markets around the country.

“It’s exciting for Harris to be working with a company that is enabling broadcasters to leverage their digital investment and respond to consumer demands for an advanced and personalized means of watching television,” said Tim Thorsteinson, president of Harris Broadcast Communications. “By adopting an end-to-end Harris ONE™ solution, Sezmi has created an environment in which it can effectively accomplish its workflows and ensure reliable delivery of its product to the consumer. We look forward to continuing our relationship as Sezmi goes to market.”

“Consumers expect more from their TV experience every day. They want not only to be entertained, but also to have control over what content they view, when they view it and how they interact with it,” said Anton Denissov, a digital media analyst with Parks Associates. “To remain successful, service providers must find ways to deliver consumer experience that seamlessly blends traditional entertainment with personalization, interactivity and content discovery.”