PitchBlue® Announces Streamlined Second-Generation MagnuBox® Server For Syndicated Distribution

NEW YORK, April 8, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- PitchBlue^®, the content distribution platform used by Warner Bros., CBS and Deluxe, announces the release of the second-generation MagnuBox^® server. In an industry first, the new MagnuBox allows TV stations to receive live content and recorded material simultaneously. These innovations will allow for faster download speeds for TV stations, dramatically reducing clients' need for costly and inefficient dubbing and transcoding, as well as decreasing the potential for lost or inaccurate metadata.

PitchBlue's enhanced server incorporates all of the features of the current MagnuBox hardware, in addition to four new satellite inputs and two HD-SDI outputs. The new generation MagnuBox is a one-rack-unit server capable of receiving 12 hours of content per hour.

The new MagnuBox is 100% 1080i High Definition capable, and can allow stations to convert files in 720p, 480i or MPEG-2 SD formats. Recorded content can stay on the box for days or weeks depending on contracts with content owners. The new MagnuBox operating system allows stations to have direct access to view entire shows or individual segments within a show, as well as easy-to-navigate prioritization and a recording queue to provide information on pending programming.

"We at PitchBlue have been hard at work wedding innovation and efficiency with the design of our second-generation MagnuBox," said Greg Quandt, Program Manager at PitchBlue. "By allowing stations to receive live programming and store recorded content simultaneously – not to mention a download speed unmatched anywhere else in the industry – we are proud to continue our tradition of enhancing the customer experience."

The current generation of MagnuBox reaches 1,500 locations across North America. The platform today enjoys more than a 99% success rate for deliveries and makes more than 500,000 air-dates per month. The platform is monitored 24/7, with the MagnuBoxes reporting back to CBS, GDMX and Vigor Systems every two minutes. Stations with any technical or content-related issues can call the Operational Services Center or can enter a ticket directly into the tracking system. Any unresolved failures of a MagnuBox will result in a fully populated replacement shipped the same day.

PitchBlue^® and MagnuBox^® are registered trademarks of Vigor Systems^® Inc.

About CBS Corporation
CBS Corporation (NYSE: CBS.A and CBS) is a mass media company that creates and distributes industry-leading content across a variety of platforms to audiences around the world. The Company has businesses with origins that date back to the dawn of the broadcasting age as well as new ventures that operate on the leading edge of media. CBS owns the most-watched television network in the U.S. and one of the world's largest libraries of entertainment content, making its brand – "the Eye" – one of the most recognized in business. The Company's operations span virtually every field of media and entertainment, including cable, publishing, radio, local TV, film, outdoor advertising, and interactive and socially responsible media. CBS's businesses include CBS Television Network, The CW (a joint venture between CBS Corporation and Warner Bros. Entertainment), Showtime Networks, CBS Sports Network, Smithsonian Networks, Simon & Schuster, CBS Television Stations, CBS Radio, CBS Outdoor, CBS Television Studios, CBS Global Distribution Group, CBS Interactive, CBS Consumer Products, CBS Home Entertainment, CBS Films and CBS EcoMedia. For more information, go to www.cbscorporation.com.

About Warner Bros. Entertainment
Warner Bros. Entertainment is a global leader in all forms of entertainment and their related businesses across all current and emerging media and platforms. A Time Warner Company, the fully integrated, broad-based Studio is home to one of the most successful collections of brands in the world and stands at the forefront of every aspect of the entertainment industry from feature film, television and home entertainment production and worldwide distribution to Blu-ray and DVD, digital distribution, animation, comic books, video games, product and brand licensing and broadcasting.

About Global Digital Media eXchange
GDMX, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, is the world leader in digital production services. Located in Los Angeles, CA, GDMX has authored and encoded more motion pictures for DVD and Video On Demand (VOD) than any other facility in the world. GDMX delivers a vast array of digital services while continuing to set the pace in the ever-changing technological landscape. GDMX's four divisions provide world-class services for Warner Bros. and other clients in broadcast origination, syndicated television distribution, advertising distribution, Video On Demand encoding and distribution, electronic book publishing, and DVD and Blu-ray compression and authoring.

About Deluxe
Deluxe Entertainment Services Group Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of MacAndrews & Forbes Holdings Inc., is the leading provider of a broad range of entertainment industry services and technologies to the worldwide entertainment industry including the Hollywood studios, broadcast/cable/ satellite providers, digital distribution, gaming as well as content owners and creators. Services for content creation in features, television and commercials are offered in production, post production, digital distribution, marketing services and asset management. They include EFILM^® and Company 3^® digital intermediates; post production and subtitling services; titles design and digital VFX; Blu-ray and DVD compression, encoding and authoring; advertising distribution and syndication services; digital cinema services, motion picture film processing and printing; and 2D to 3D conversions. Deluxe has facilities in North America, Europe, India, Australia, and Hong Kong. For more information, please visit www.bydeluxe.com

About Vigor Systems
At Vigor Systems, our vision for the future brings answers for today's media logistical challenges. We pride ourselves on our vision as innovators in the field of ad insertion and content distribution. Our products offer a complete solution for cable operators and MSO's, providing logistical peace of mind to critical operational needs. Vigor Systems' specialized solutions allow you to easily, flexibly and effectively manage your content. Media giants CBS, Warner Bros. and Deluxe Media – as well as 1500 TV stations in the US benefit from our PITCHBLUE® solution and services. As we look ahead, we are excited to build on that strong foundation with the release of progressive products and services that will expand our clients' revenue streams. Based in Southern California, Vigor Systems has a strong client base in the U.S. and Southeast Asia. For more information, please visit www.vigorsystemsinc.com.

SOURCE CBS Corporation