WINNIPEG, March 11 /CNW/ - Novra Technologies Inc. (NVI: TSX; Venture) today announced that The Kentucky Department for Public Health has enhanced the State's alternative communications capabilities between local public health agencies and hospitals with the addition of wireless datacasting using more than 240 of Novra's A75 receivers spread throughout the state of Kentucky.
"The A75 is built upon the very successful design of our S75 broadband satellite receiver. It is the only ATSC receiver on the market in its price range that delivers IP (Internet Protocol) to a LAN (Local Area Network). We are delighted to have been selected to provide the receiver technology and with the subsequent successful implementation of this valuable communication channel for critical public health information," stated Harris Liontas, President and CEO of Novra Technologies.
Marty Riche, President of Deco A/V stated, "We are very pleased with the performance of the A75 receiver as a central component of this important communications system. Its reliability and cost effectiveness, along with Novra's reputation for quality products and service, were paramount in our selection of the A75."
The A75 broadband receiver is compliant with the ATSC A/90 standard. Through a standard low-cost TV antenna such as a pair of "rabbit ears" or a digital television antenna, the A75 receives digital television broadcasts, extracts the Internet Protocol (IP) traffic and forwards it through an Ethernet port to a local area network. This traffic can be data files, video streams and/or audio streams. Like other members of Novra's S75 product family, the A75 provides the advantage to directly feed an entire network with IP traffic, rather than only servicing a single computer or set-top box.
The ATSC Digital Television (DTV) standard has been adopted in the US for terrestrial digital television broadcast. All analog TV stations in the US are expected to switch by early 2009 from the current analog NTSC standard to ATSC digital TV. Canada adopted the ATSC standard in 1997. Most of the Americas are evaluating or have already adopted ATSC along with South Korea and the Philippines.
Datacasting in general provides an opportunity for broadcasters to achieve additional revenue to offset the expenses associated with compulsory conversion to DTV. A 6MHz ATSC channel is capable of transmitting 19.38Mbps of data. There are approximately 1700 TV stations in the USA that could use datacasting to transmit homeland security information and other streaming and file delivery services such as distance education.
About Novra Technologies Inc.
www.novra.com
Novra Technologies offers premium products and solutions to the datacasting and digital signage markets. Novra specializes in the transmission and reception of IP traffic over satellite, cable and terrestrial communication links. Products offered include broadband receivers for DVB Satellite, DVB Cable, and ATSC systems. Novra's IPE encapsulator products can be used in both DVB and ATSC MPEG2 systems for datacasting as well as broadband access applications. The NovraLink digital signage solution integrates Novra's technologies into a comprehensive multimedia management and distribution system.
Forward Looking Statements
Statements in this release relating to matters that are not historical fact are forward-looking statements based on current expectations, forecasts and assumptions that involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual outcomes and results to differ materially. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to general economic conditions, changes in technology, reliance on third party manufacturing, managing rapid growth, global sales risks, limited intellectual property protection and other risks and uncertainties described in Novra's public filings with securities regulatory authorities.
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