(Raleigh, N.C.) Inlet Technologies, the leader in advanced encoding solutions for new media, announced today that its SpinnakerTM family of award-winning streaming appliances now powers Norway’s TV 2 premium online television service. TV 2 is Norway’s largest commercial broadcaster and recently launched its premium services in high definition (HD) with both broadcast and online components. The premium HD service will support major sports events, such as the Tour de France, but also enable the delivery of blockbuster movies and shows to the web user.

Thanks to Inlet Technologies’ live streaming SpinnakerTM 7000 encoders and Microsoft® Smooth Streaming technology, web viewers will be able to enjoy the live HD streams and benefit from DVR capabilities (such as pause and rewind), with no stuttering, buffering or other interruptions to their viewing experience. Smooth Streaming uses the standard downloading of HTTP files for easy connection to video streams, even through firewalls, as if they were just another Web page.

“We are delighted with this successful launch of simulcast HD services to our Norwegian customers”, says Helge Høybråten, Manager, TV 2 SUMO. “Inlet Technologies has been an important partner for this successful launch and the straightforward use of their products was a key factor to enabling this success. Additionally, we are most impressed with the Spinnaker’s’ video quality, which are presently streaming HD content at multiple bit rates of up to 6 Mb/s.”

John Bishop, senior vice president of strategy and business development at Inlet Technologies, echoed Høybråten’s comments. “We are pleased to team with TV 2 - one of the many innovative broadcasters in Europe, so that we can provide viewers at home with a new way of experiencing their favorite entertainment or sporting events. Our products are powering the changing face of the online viewing experience, redefining traditional broadcasting to encompass a more interactive and personalized online event.”

As the first encoding solutions provider to announce Smooth Streaming support for live and on-demand applications, Inlet develops solutions for a wide variety of media companies wanting to stream a range of high quality content, including sports, news, and special events. Spinnaker supports all of the major formats, including H.264, VC-1, Silverlight and Flash VP6, and allows content creators to stream multiple formats simultaneously from one source. Spinnaker is ideal for live sports and entertainment events as it can create real-time highlights without the need for additional file preparation. Users can also switch between multiple views or camera angles during a single event. URLs or captions, such as scores and statistics, can also be inserted directly into the live stream.

Headquartered in Bergen, TV 2 is the largest commercial television station in Norway. The station has significant reach in Norway, where nearly one third of the total time Norwegians spend watching television is spent watching TV 2. The station has 65% of the market for TV commercials in Norway. TV 2 started to broadcast on 5 September 1992 and was admitted as a full active member of the European Broadcasting Union.

Inlet Technologies is the leading provider of live streaming and on-demand solutions that help companies build intelligent, robust digital media infrastructures. Our industry expertise, award-winning products and outstanding support enable content owners and distributors to expand their audience and maximize their content’s value. Inlet provides the industry’s fastest time-to-output, sets new standards for quality, and is the first to reach new screens. Industry leaders such as Major League Baseball, Microsoft, Yahoo!, M6 and Home Shopping Network rely on Inlet for easy implementation, technical prowess and enterprise scale for their mission critical operations.