From 1969 through 1987, Niles operated abroad in Paris, France, where, with Gilliane Le Gallic, he founded and designed his production facilities Captain Video and VOIR.
Aside from serving the European television market, Canal+, TF1, BBC, Canale 5, Antenne 2, FR3 and Télé Monte-Carlo; Niles created programming for numerous clients including CBS, NBC, ABC, HBO, NHK and ESPN.
In 1984, while still in Paris, Niles created the first HDTV production facility in the world, still under the name Captain Video, producing, editing or directing feature films variety shows, live concerts and documentaries for clients including HBO, CBS Entertainment, Twentieth Century Fox, BBC, ABC Wide World of Sports, Lucasfilm, Merv Griffin Productions, and more; featuring stars like Kathleen Turner, Sting, Isabella Rossellini, Catherine Deneuve, Tom Jones, Shirley Maclaine, Phil Collins, Cher, Joni Mitchell, Kris Kristofferson and many others.
The studio was used during the day to shoot HDTV productions with Aerosmith and Crosby, Stills & Nash,and Neil Young for MTV Unplugged, and Tony Bennett, Mick Jagger, Liza Minnelli (for which Niles received an Emmy nomination), Paul McCartney, Aretha Franklin, Itzhak Perlman and Jackie Mason.
In 1989, Niles directed the first live broadcast of an HDTV program, “Our Common Future”, (NHK Japan), a five hour special, with stars like Elton John, Stevie Wonder, Herbie Hancock, Diana Ross, Christopher Reeve, Sigourney Weaver and a host of others.
Eddie Bracken, Sonia Jones, and Steve Overland starred in the show which also features Camille Donatacci, Deirdre Imus, Bonnie Comley and Stephanie Daniels.
The audience members were videotaped upon their entrance and became part of the show’s finale thanks to the high tech, quick video editing equipment incorporated into the theater.
During this period he continued consulting for Panasonic, Sony, Disney Imagineering and many others, while also working for Radio City Music Hall on their conversion to HD.
On the stage for an extended jam session (for which the show and awards pay tribute) were: John Mayer, Trey Anastasio (Phish), Bob Weir (Grateful Dead), Mike Gordon (Phish), Gov’t Mule, Stefan Lessard (Dave Matthews Band), Andy Hess (Black Crowes), Derek Trucks, The Allman Brothers and many others.
In 2001, after the tragedy on September 11, he conceived, designed, built and operated “Tribute”, a 39,000-square-foot gallery and exhibit space that was created to celebrate NYC, featuring two 80-seat HD digital cinemas that hosted events for clients including Jaguar, Elton John AIDS Foundation, Warner Brothers, The Wall Street Journal, American Express, Sotheby’s, Cablevision, Apple, and Robert Altman.
The DTV Academy includes individuals from the broadcasting, program development, consumer electronics manufacturing and retail industries, as well as present and former government officials and members of the media.
It then transforms into a 360-degree time lapse, living landscapes and evolves into a tapestry of the land, its people and the Capitol; set to an original composition performed by a 65-piece orchestra.
Niles was commissioned as a visual artist to create a piece with musician Wynton Marsalis, for a new 26 ft LED wall in Fredrick P. Rose Hall.