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HIRO launches the first free ad-supported video download solution

HIRO launches the first free ad-supported video download solution for Mac users

‘One file for all’: Single HIRO file, compatible with Windows Media Player
and Apple QuickTime, frees video downloads for all users.

TEL AVIV — March 04, 2008 — HIRO Media today announced the launch of the
first Mac version of its video download solution, allowing Apple Mac users
to view free, ad-supported video downloads on computers and laptops. This
HIRO service is the first of its kind available globally for Mac users.

Mac and PC users are now able to download a single video file which can
then be viewed in either Windows Media Player or Apple QuickTime formats
with dynamic, targeted advertisements integrated seamlessly into the
programming.

“Mac users have been technologically tied to a limited universe of paid and
rental-based download sites; this is the first time they will have a free,
legal video download option,” said Ariel Napchi, Co-Founder & CEO of HIRO
Media. “Content owners and distributors have repeatedly stated that a
solution was needed to provide Macs with the same video file as PCs, that
could be watched on any platform and that would support embedded, targeted
ads. Now they have it.”

The Mac version will be first launched in Israel. A leading terrestrial
broadcaster, several sports and children’s channels as well as the leading
Israeli video portal have already committed to making videos available
online using the Mac compatible version. The Mac service will roll out to
other territories in 2008, including the USA and Australia.

With the HIRO Media solution, users can download films and programs
directly from content providers’ websites, via P2P networks or from social
networking sites, straight to their PC’s and Mac’s. The file can be viewed
when the user is online or offline, delivering complete freedom and choice.

The HIRO system allows content owners to monetize free-to-download programs
through the inclusion of protected advertisements that play in-show, as
with a standard television broadcast. Advertisements are targeted to users’
preferences, so viewers will only see the advertisements they have
requested. The embedded ad-solution means that revenue is always generated,
whenever and wherever the content is viewed.

HIRO also allows the advertisers to dynamically change the mid-roll
advertisements each time a video is viewed. This flexibility offers the
ability to develop more effective, personalized, time sensitive or
serialized campaigns and promotions with the confidence that the ads will
always be seen by the target audience.

HIRO entered the market with a series of deals in Israel, was first
implemented in 2006 with Jetix and is currently operating on the VOFree TV
portal. Since then the HIRO solution has delivered free videos from NBC’s
DotComedy.com site in the US and for Israel’s leading entertainment
broadcaster, Reshet. More recently, a trial with BT Vision’s Download Store
in the UK enabled BT’s 14 million broadband customers to download movies
for free

“Mac users are now able to download movies legally, on their own terms
which they can watch whenever, and however they like,” added Ronny Golan,
Co-Founder & CEO of HIRO Media. “With the added Mac flexibility, the HIRO
system further delivers an experience that meets the demands of the
consumer while offering a viable solution for content providers and
advertisers.”

About HIRO Media Ltd.

HIRO’s innovative video downloading and intelligent ad-insertion
technologies create a truly viable business model for internet video
distribution. The HIRO system, which dynamically adds personalized,
up-to-date, unskippable, in-show commercials allows content owners and
distributors to effectively monetize video downloads while providing free
entertainment for consumers. The patent pending technology protects the
commercials as well as the content, ensuring that distributors and owners
are able to garner video revenues regardless of the download source.
Founded in 2004 in Tel Aviv, HIRO Media Ltd. is a privately held company
with commercial solutions launched in Israel and the USA. In 2006 HIRO was
named one of “the three most promising start-ups” in Israel by Microsoft.
(http://www.hiro-media.com/)

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