Telestream rides digital media wave

When Telestream was founded nearly eight years ago, Dan Castles' goal was to catch an unknown swell at sea and follow the wave to shore.

Of course, this can be a risky venture, but Castles, the company's chief executive officer, wanted to be ahead of the newest trend rather than play catch up once the waves began crashing.

Telestream began cruising the fledgling swell of digital media - an industry that is just now breaking ground.

And with Telestream's most recent technology - a video player called Flip4Mac that has recently begun being distributed by computer giant Microsoft Corp. - the Nevada City company looks perfectly poised to continue surfing that trend for a long time to come.

The word of the Microsoft release was made public Jan. 10. One day later, Telestream recorded 48,000 visitors to its Web site - or 45,000 more than a typical day, said Janet Swift, marketing representative. This number that does not even include those who may have downloaded both the free and priced versions of the player from the Microsoft site, which is in the "multiple tens of thousands," Castles said.

"It exceeded our expectations," he said.

So, what is Flip4Mac?

Flip4Mac is a relatively simple concept that helps bridge the divide between the PC and the Mac - two worlds that most computer users know are riddled with troublesome compatibility problems, not to mention cultural differences.

Essentially, it allows Macintosh users to conveniently play videos sent to them from PC users on their very own Mac application, QuickTime. Or, as Castles - a man who learned early on that metaphors were helpful in getting others to understand inherently complex computer terminology - puts it, "it's like a universal wood chipper, put in any kind of wood, stick us in the middle, and it comes in and goes out in any form you want."

This could mean minor irritations solved - such as viewing that 15-second video joke your PC-using uncle sent you; or, it could be an important tool for both amateur and professional video editors. The player also is seen favorably by both Microsoft and Apple, Castle says.

The player also actually upgrades QuickTime's editing capabilities, which is good news for Mac users who might have been frustrated with Microsoft's relaxed approach to updating their own player for Apple users, Windows Media.

A surprising twist, however, was that the day the announcement was made about Microsoft distributing Flip4Mac, Microsoft also announced it would not be pouring any more research into Windows Media technology.

This gives third-party Telestream an even more promising future by filling that void.



Preparations for distribution

Just days prior to the news release about Microsoft's distribution of Flip4Mac, Telestream's office on Gold Country Drive was a hub of anxiety and anticipation.

No one knew what would happen or how much traffic they might receive. Four and a half employees readied themselves to field phone calls from new users - not enough if even 5 percent of potential new Flip4Mac customers had trouble and decided to call, Castles said. To fend off many repeat questions, an online forum was established. Several contractors were on call throughout California, ready to respond in case an emergency was declared.

Just one week later - and three days following the news release - the nervous energy had subsided into clear excitement.

Things were going better than planned - in large part because of Microsoft's unanticipated announcement.

Without providing exact numbers, Castles estimated the downloads of the player - both the free and paid versions - in the tens of thousands in just days. The company is also bracing for an onslaught of customers who once went to Microsoft with questions and complaints, some of whom might harbor emotional ties to their beloved Mac.

For Telestream, it is reassuring to have a major company backing them for future development in technology, said Barbara Dehart, vice president.

"It is a real testament of Microsoft that they would be willing to stand behind us, a small company in the Sierra Nevada foothills," she said.

The company plans to invest its returns in innovations of its now-popular player.

"We've got the eyeballs now," Dehart said, "now we are on a pretty aggressive road map (and are planning) an aggressive introduction of products."

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To contact staff writer Brittany Retherford, e-mail brittanyr@theunion.com or call 477-4247.



Flip4Mac in brief

• Flip4Mac allows Macintosh users to download and view Windows Media video files in their own QuickTime player.

• To learn more or to download a free version of Flip4Mac, visit www.Flip4Mac.com on the Web.

• Information is also available on the Web site about available upgrades, which are priced from between $29 and $179.