SAN FRANCISCO, CA -- (MARKET WIRE) -- March 8, 2007 -- Simple Star, creator of award-winning PhotoShow software and services, today announced that its PhotoShow platform for turning digital photos and videos into rich multimedia slideshows received top marks in a poll conducted during a session of the CableLabs annual Winter Conference held in Denver. The session, held at the inaugural Innovation Showcase given by CableLabs, a nonprofit research and development consortium, was attended by employees of cable television companies. Simple Star's PhotoShowTV received the highest marks among 10 demonstrating companies as the best new idea or most likely to succeed company. More than 40 conference attendees voted on the Innovation Showcase.
Simple Star PhotoShows help consumers share their memories in new, entertaining ways by turning user-generated content -- digital photos and videos -- into compelling slideshows that combine broadcast quality credits, captions, transitions, special effects and animations with a great musical soundtrack. Unlike ordinary slideshows, PhotoShows are incredibly easy to create, yet have the ability to amaze any audience. Millions of people are experiencing PhotoShows through Simple Star and its wide range of partners, including Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Cablevision, Nero, Kodak, Shutterfly, Ritz Camera Centers, Walgreens, and Fisher Price.
With such broad distribution, Simple Star is the first company to deliver a scalable system that bridges two industries: Cable TV and the growing world of Digital Photography. PhotoShowTV makes it easy for consumers and industry partners to get the most common form of user-generated content, digital photos and video, broadcast to Cable Video On Demand to be enjoyed by communities all over the country.
"CableLabs Innovation Showcase provides a great opportunity for companies selling into the cable industry to communicate with the industry at large," said Chad Richard, Simple Star CEO. "Because we are positioning PhotoShow as an industry-wide personal media sharing platform that easily integrates with both high-speed data and digital cable groups, we were excited about the chance to participate at this year's event, and we were tremendously honored to be recognized as 'Best of Show.'"
Simple Star PhotoShowTV is already in operation with Time Warner Cable through its Oceanic service in Hawaii. Using a PC connected to Time Warner Cable's Road Runner service, customers can create PhotoShows and place them on the Company's Video On Demand service for public viewing.
"Simple Star's PhotoShow is a great example of a cross-platform service that leverages the unique assets of the cable network in providing high-speed data and digital cable services," said David Reed, EVP and chief strategy officer of CableLabs. "The cable industry is always looking to add more value for its customers. What makes PhotoShow a winner is that it allows anyone to easily create entertainment from personal content, and then share that content online and to cable TV."
About Simple Star
Founded in 2001, Simple Star develops software products and services that help consumers share their memories in entertaining ways through PhotoShow, the most complete and easy-to-use photo platform available. Simple Star distributes its award-winning PhotoShow software primarily through partners such as cable companies, digital media software providers, online photo services, retailers with photofinishing services and hardware manufacturers. Millions of new users are creating, sharing and viewing PhotoShows every month. Across multiple business sectors momentum is building that PhotoShow is an emerging standard. Simple Star partners include Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Cablevision, Nero, Kodak, Shutterfly, Ritz Camera Centers, Walgreens, Pentax and Fisher Price.