Press Release

Discovery.com Teams With Superscape, Inc. to Develop Interactive 3D Content For Broadband ‘INSIDE THE SPACE STATION’

By SpaceRef Editor
November 27, 2000
Filed under ,

Discovery.com has teamed up with interactive 3D content developer Superscape,
Inc. to build broadband content for INSIDE THE SPACE STATION, Discovery
Communications, Inc.’s third “Watch with the World” event premiering Sunday,
December 10 from 9:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m. ET/PT.

Through the use of Superscape’s groundbreaking 3-D technology and
extensive use of streaming video, Discovery.com will bring its PC broadband
users an online experience that gives them control over a series of 3-D
environments and animations, including docking the space shuttle, rotating
solar panels, manipulating mechanical arms and moving an astronaut over the
surface of the International Space Station.
In order to create a
photorealistic outer space experience for its users, Discovery.com producers
have worked hand-in-hand with Superscape’s Professional Services Team, to
incorporate the company’s SeV i3D technology amongst its key user interfaces.

Superscape’s SeV, currently in version 2.0, delivers photorealistic, fully
interactive 3D objects with file sizes that are typically less than the
equivalent photograph, enabling widespread application of the technology
without taxing server space.
Interactive 3-D features are prominently
featured throughout Discovery.com’s pioneering broadband site for INSIDE THE
SPACE STATION.
Other rich media features include twelve exclusive short films
shot specifically for the broadband experience, a series of high bandwidth
animations, including a complete timeline of construction, and over 25
interactive videos that let users click on graphics to obtain additional
content.

“Interactive 3D is exactly the type of forward-thinking application that
we delight in showcasing to our users,” said Jeff Craig, Chief Technology
Officer, Discovery.com.
“Through use of such technology throughout the
‘Inside the Space Station’ broadband site, we’re putting our television
viewers and Web users in the pilot’s seat for a mind-blowing interactive
content experience… possibly our most ambitious online production to date.”

“Discovery is pioneering the convergence space by taking the cool special
effects you see on air and putting them on the web in an interactive
environment,” said John Herne, Director of Convergence, Discovery.com.

Kevin Roberts, CEO of Superscape, remarked “The opportunity to work with
Discovery.com, a brand that is recognized throughout the world for innovation
and excellence, is a significant opportunity for Superscape.
The new
broadband web site is an ideal showcase for Superscape SeV, which has been
developed for exactly this type of environment.”

Roberts continued, “Our ability to integrate with other rich media
technologies, in a manner which is completely transparent to the web site
visitor, will guarantee an exciting and stimulating experience, complementing
Discovery’s more traditional broadcasting medium.”

INSIDE THE SPACE STATION will give television viewers and online users new
insight into the world beyond, so they’ll never look at space the same way
again.
Mercury is the exclusive sponsor of the INSIDE THE SPACE STATION
broadband package, with streaming video delivered by Akamai Technologies.

About Discovery.com:

Discovery.com is a an entertaining and informative real-world Internet
destination that consolidates the resources of Discovery’s flagship networks
(Discovery Channel, TLC, Animal Planet, Travel Channel and Discovery Health
Channel) into one destination dedicated to empowering audiences to discover
something new every day. Devoted to enriching people’s lives, Discovery.com
offers rich, useful content and commerce in several distinct categories:
Science & Tech, Health, Travel, Animals & Pets, Lifestyles, School and Kids.

About Superscape:

Superscape specializes in the provision of services based on the company’s
Interactive 3D software technology.
This is used in the design and
development of innovative stand-alone and Internet based applications which
necessitate the use of, or are enriched by, 3D visualization and other
complementary rich media technologies.
Involved in Interactive 3D since 1986,
Superscape’s solutions have been delivered to companies in more than thirty
countries worldwide and are used for a wide range of visualization
applications, including e-commerce, training, data and product visualization,
space planning and entertainment.
Clients include Intel, Ford, British
Airways and LEGO Media.
Superscape is quoted on the London Stock Exchange,
with headquarters in Santa Clara, California (USA) and Hook, Hampshire (UK).
For more information, visit the Web site at www.superscape.com .

SpaceRef staff editor.