MTV, HP Align for Global Series

NEW YORK, September 11: A
new series for MTV’s U.S. college network, mtvU, and for its global portfolio
of channels brings together digital artists for a multiplatform initiative
inspired by HP’s “The Computer is Personal Again” campaign.

The short-form series, Engine
Room, sees 16 young digital
artists taking on complex creative challenges. The artists are organized into
four teams, representing Europe, Latin America, North America and the Asia
Pacific. The team that demonstrates the most creative digital skills will win
$400,000, programming control of MTV's HD screen in Times Square for the night,
and additional technology prizes. The series will air on mtvU, MTV channels
around the world and online in nine languages via a dedicated website.

"Engine Room was born to foster creativity and enable some of
the most inventive young minds to amplify how technology brings digital art to
life," said David Roman, the VP of marketing communications at the
Personal Systems Group at HP. "MTV is the ideal partner to share this
'battle for glory' with viewers around the world."

The show chronicles the
teams using HP notebook PCs, HP workstations, HP DreamColor displays, HP iPAQ
smartphones, printer/scanner/fax machines and software from HP and its
partners. In each episode, teams compete in creative challenges that test their
digital art skills—including animation, filmmaking, sound mixing and web
and graphic design. It launches September 15.

"MTV has always been
a home for creative innovation," said Ross Martin, the senior VP of
programming at mtvU. "Engine Room taps the power of HP technology to enable the next generation of
digital artists to bring their vision to life on MTV platforms around the
world."

—By Mansha Daswani