Seeking to jumpstart the European market for broadband delivery of TV-quality video on the Internet, ClearBand LLC -- a small company headed by one of the founders of Blockbuster Entertainment -- has licensed its technology to United Pan-Europe Communications (UPC).
UPC operates one of Europe's largest broadband communications networks.
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"Unlike any other broadcasting solution on the market today, ClearBand delivers on the promise of TV-quality video directly from a PC desktop, finally bringing Internet broadcasting to the level consumers expect," said Patrick Daleiden, chief executive officer for ClearBand, in a statement. Details of the agreement weren't available Sunday, and executives couldn't immediately be reached.
The announcement marks yet another entrant into the race to popularize streaming video on the Internet. Current contenders include Broadcast.com, FasTV, AtHome, and ICTV.
Unlike most approaches -- AtHome is an exception -- ClearBand's technology is designed specifically for transmission to broadband-linked computers and digital televisions that can display video in 35-frame-per-second broadcast quality video.
ClearBand designed its technology to be as plug-and-play as possible: Broadcasters are able to plug analog video sources, such as a camcorder or VCR, directly into a Pentium III computer and translate the stream into digital format.
The involvement of Donald Flynn, one of the founding investors of Blockbuster along with Wayne Huizenga, suggests the possibility that ClearBand may also be preparing to take aim at the long-predicted market for video-on-demand.
For Amsterdam-based UPC, the technology offers a powerful draw for consumers considering its package of cable TV, telephony, high-speed Internet access, and programming services in twelve European countries and Israel.
Editor's Note: This story has been corrected. The Chello service is not showcasing on CBB and ITN, as the article had incorrectly reported. Wired News regrets the error.
