Zoo Digital Regulatory News (ZOO)

9 September 2010

ZOO Digital Group plc

("ZOO" or "The Group")

PRODUCTION TOOLS FOR APPLE'S ITUNES® ADOPTED BY MAJOR STUDIO

ZOO Digital, the provider of software and software-led services for the filmed entertainment market, announces the availability of its iTunes® production toolset and adoption by a major film studio. iTunes, the proprietary digital media player application from Apple, used for playing and organizing digital music and video files, is the first platform to be supported by ZOO's new suite of authoring tools for the Electronic Sell Through market. Electronic Sell Through (EST) is the offer of content, usually video or audio over the internet, allowing consumers to keep a copy of a movie or music album permanently on their computer hard drive or portable device.

ZOO's new toolset supports the automated production of iTunes ExtraSM content, which offers a unique and interactive experience with iTunes and is available for select movie purchases on the iTunes Store. These purchases include the movie and chapter selection along with special features such as movie stills, deleted scenes, exclusive interviews, and behind-the-scenes footage.

These additional features have long been associated with DVD and Blu-ray Disc productions but the costs associated with traditional production methods have proved prohibitive for sales on iTunes. ZOO's toolset provides an innovative way to automate the adaptation of menu systems and bonus features which enables the creation of iTunes Extratitles at significantly lower costs. The authoring solutions are integrated with ZOO's Translation Management System and Media Adaptation Tool, enabling efficient localisation of iTunes Extras for multiple territories.

Stuart Green, CEO of ZOO commented: "This is an important development for ZOO that takes us firmly into the growing Electronic Sell Through market and provides us with new revenue streams. Our iTunes production tools provide the only cost effective way of bringing additional features to this exciting sales platform and we are delighted that they have been adopted by a major Hollywood studio for publishing a range of catalogue titles."

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About ZOO Digital Group plc:

ZOO Digital Group plc is a provider of creative media transformation software and related services. ZOO's products form an integrated suite of desktop applications and on-demand systems that work with printed materials and audio/visual content, adapting these media to different languages, sizes, and technical formats. ZOO makes this process extremely quick and cost effective and is clearly differentiated in the market.

ZOO's services are built on its proprietary patented software and enable customers to reduce considerably the costs and time to market of regionalized filmed entertainment titles and marketing campaigns across multiple territories and across a wide range of applications and formats, including printed materials, DVD, Blu-ray Disc, video on demand, electronic sell-through and broadcast. Working closely with language translation partners, ZOO's media adaptation software transforms computer-based workflows through radical process re-engineering and provides clear differentiation for the company's production, consulting and custom development services. 

ZOO is focused on the worldwide creative media production markets and in particular video production for entertainment applications, with customers including major film studios and other producers and publishers of video-based consumer products.

DVD is a trademark of the DVD Format/Logo Licensing Corporation. Blu-ray is a trademark of the Blu-ray Disc Association. iTunes is a trademark and iTunes Extra is a service mark of Apple Inc.