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Our Latest Issues
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Scroll down page or click below for news - latest first
Tuesday
Friday 20th July
Industry reacts to EC mobile TV decision
Service innovation crucial for TV service operators
Sky Italia scores Serie A and teleports
Mobile TV choices should be driven by consumer needs
Unitymedia, Premiere revised deal
China Mobile chases Olympics rights
Hiwire and SES Americom mobile TV trial
Verizon FiOS TV customers get media guide
now TV launches High Definition
JumpTV buys XOS
BSkyB video gaming league
BigPond TV on mobile phones
Irdeto and Brand-ID pre-paid TV solution
Thomson aids Hungary mobile TV
Babelgum and Off The Fence programming deal
Industry reacts to EC mobile TV decisionTwo major industry groupings have reacted unfavourably to the European Commission’s Communication on ‘Strengthening the Internal Market for Mobile TV’, which suggested the Commission would "encourage the implementation of DVB-H" for mobile TV reception in Europe and warned it could mandate DVB-H as a common standard.
The FLO Forum, a global body of more than 80 companies, applauded the Commission’s efforts to advance the high potential mobile TV opportunity in Europe, including the focus on spectrum, harmonisation, standardisation and regulation, but suggested that the Communication’s intention of favouring any one particular mobile TV technology for Europe could stall the advancement of a healthy European mobile TV eco-system.
Dr Kamil A Grajski, President, FLO Forum said that locking the European market into one technology model was potentially harmful to the growth of mobile broadcasting in Europe and would hinder the development of innovative technologies. "Technology mandation is not an appropriate regulatory tool in innovative and dynamic markets such as mobile TV, especially where the market remains undecided and where the technology continues to evolve rapidly," he concluded.
Similarly, members of WorldDMB – the international, non-governmental organisation which promotes the adoption and implementation of Eureka 147 based technologies – said they were "mystified" by the Commission’s unilateral support of DVB-H for mobile television in Europe, apparently to the exclusion of all other mobile TV standards, including those developed by European industry such as T-DMB.
Quentin Howard, President of WorldDMB, said that WorldDMB, like most of the industry, had always advocated a multi-standard approach including DMB and DVB-H. "Europe’s citizens and economy will not benefit from EC intervention that restricts technology and innovation’" he stated.
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Service innovation crucial for TV service operators
A report by independent market analyst Datamonitor expects digital TV services to reach around 165 million homes in Western Europe and the US by 2012. Further, with consumers able to access broadcast video content via a variety of methods including cable, satellite, Internet protocol TV (IPTV), Digital Terrestrial TV (DTT), online video aggregators and mobile broadcast TV, service operators are up against massive competition.
The new report, ‘European and US digital TV, 2006 – 2012’, says innovation through digital service provision will be a crucial factor for survival. The likes of Apple TV, Joost and YouTube are shifting the competitive dynamics of the sector and providing consumers with multiple service offerings to create a unified entertainment and communications experience will prove a key differentiator.
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Sky Italia scores Serie A and teleports
From Branislav Pekic in RomeDTH platform Sky Italia has signed an agreement with all Serie A squads for the satellite TV rights for next season’s Italian football league which starts on August 25. This is the first time in several years that the entire package of league matches has been available on satellite from the very start of the competition. The return of Juventus, Napoli and Genoa to the Serie A has increased the value of the rights package, forcing Sky Italia to make an additional effort to secure all of the matches.
Meanwhile, Italian satellite solution and services provider Telespazio has signed an agreement with Sky Italia for the creation and management of two new teleports.
The new teleports will be located near Sky’s Rome and Milan Santa Giulia headquarters, enabling the transmission of more than 160 digital satellite TV channels.
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Mobile TV choices should be driven by consumer needsInvestment decisions for mobile TV need to be made in light of expected market dynamics, substitute technologies and the competitive landscape, according to recent work undertaken by Analysys, the global advisers on telecoms, IT and media.
Analysys's study suggests that, whilst most observers expect mobile TV to become a multi-billion Euro industry by 2010, and will be well on the way to being accepted as a mass-market product by then, the supply-side industry dynamics are not yet clear. Many operators are actively considering broadcast technologies as a solution for mobile TV, but research suggests that a decision to invest in a broadcast mobile TV network should follow a review of the underlying demand and analysis of the contribution that alternative technologies can make.
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Unitymedia, Premiere revised dealUnitymedia, Germany’s second largest cable-based services provider, and its subsidiary arena have closed a revised set of agreements with pay-TV platform Premiere AG which, following the decision of the German anti-trust office, Bundeskartellamt, becomes effective immediately. This concludes the watchdog’s review of the distribution agreement between the parties. Unitymedia has secured enhanced economics and a profitable satellite platform under the revised agreement. This will clear the way for Unitymedia to focus on the growth of its core triple play cable business.
The revised agreement will see Unitymedia sublicensing arena sports content, including its Bundesliga broadcasting rights, until their expiry at the end of the 2008/09 season to Premiere on an exclusive basis. Premiere assumes responsibility for all production. In return, Unitymedia will benefit from greater consideration than envisaged under the original agreement. arena will receive a significant sublicensing fee and through a third party financial institution, Unitymedia will retain the 16,400,000 ordinary shares in Premiere issued in February 2007, representing 16.7 per cent of Premiere’s enlarged equity, to be sold down by the end of arena’s rights period.
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China Mobile chases Olympics rightsChina mobile services provider, China Mobile, is planning to bid for the mobile TV rights of the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The group that already provided services to many companies, is currently deliberating how best to make their bid. "We are not sure currently whether to bid for the Olympics solely, or to co-operate with other companies," said Zhou Yi, China Mobiles general manager.
China Media has gained permission to show advertisements on its wireless application protocol (WAP) network from the State Administration for Industry and Commerce.
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Hiwire and SES Americom mobile TV trialSES Americom, an SES company, and Hiwire a subsidiary of Aloha Partners, the largest owner of 700 MHz spectrum in the US, have unveiled an initial group of TV content companies and channels that will be part of its channel line-up for the parties' upcoming consumer trials in Las Vegas. Consumer test participants will use the Hiwire Digital Video Broadcast-Handheld (DVB-H) system operating on their standard cell phones throughout the city.
The Hiwire Las Vegas trial claims to feature the largest channel line-up of multicast mobile television ever tested with consumers anywhere around the globe. The trial intends to deliver up to three times as many channels as any similar mobile TV network in the US.
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Verizon FiOS TV customers get media guideCommunications specialist Verizon is introducing Verizon FiOS TV's interactive media guide that helps customers quickly locate content from TV listings, video-on-demand catalogues and digital video recorders as well as personal music and photos from the home network. Future versions of the guide will add Internet radio, videos, podcasts and games to the FiOS TV multimedia platform. FiOS TV's interactive media guide is currently deployed to customers in Indiana, Rhode Island and parts of New Jersey, and Verizon now is rolling out the new guide to other markets.
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now TV launches High DefinitionHong Kong telco PCCW has confirmed the launch of High Definition (HD) programming on its now TV service. Starting in August 2007, users can pre-register for now TV’s HD service and receive Barclays Premier League matches in the HD format. now TV will also broadcast other major sports events in HD, including 38 Italian Serie A matches, 31 UEFA EURO 2008 clashes and the Stanley Cup Playoffs, All Star and Regular Season Games and the Stanley Cup from the National Hockey League’s 2007/08 season.
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JumpTV buys XOSJumpTV the Canadian online video/TV aggregator which recently raised $100 million in an AIM IPO, has bought a US college sports broadband network for $60.25 million to expand beyond its portfolio of ethnic channels,. It will buy the broadband network business division of Orlando, FL-based XOL Technologies in a deal that also includes the payment of 3 million retention warrants to employees.
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BSkyB video gaming leagueBSkyB is to extend its video gaming activities as the Championship Gaming Series (CGS), the first worldwide professional video gaming league, reaches the UK. CGS, a joint venture between BSkyB, Star TV and Direct TV, offers gamers the chance to become paid professionals and earn money through a series of online competitions, live qualifying events, a UK Championship, and an international World Championship final in California in November, 2007.
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BigPond TV on mobile phonesAustralian mobile broadcaster BigPond has unveiled its line-up of TV shows, made-for-mobile programmes and sports and music videos available on mobile phones in Australia, with the launch of BigPond TV on Telstra's Next GTM network.
BigPond TV, available only Telstra's Next and 3G mobiles, kicks off with on-demand access to more than 25 TV programs, including the new Australian made for mobile programmes Big 5 and Girl Friday. It will also provide one-stop access to BigPond's line up of AFL, NRL and V8 Supercars shows and videos.
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Irdeto and Brand-ID pre-paid TV solutionIrdeto, specialist in content security for digital TV, IPTV and mobile; and Brand-ID Europe have teamed to integrate Irdeto content security solutions with the CHKVIEW payment service, which supports a full range of pre-paid business models for digital TV, IPTV and mobile environments. The agreement gives operators an integrated solution for offering a wide variety of pre-paid service packages of channels or events of any time duration from minutes to months and comprising single or multiple-use activations, as well as points-based or multi-play offerings.
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Thomson aids Hungary mobile TVDigital technology company Thomson has contributed to the success of the DVB-H pilot launch completed by broadcast service provider Antenna and T-Mobile Hungary, Hungary’s largest mobile operator. T-Mobile Hungary and Antenna Hungária used Thomson’s Mobile TV head-end and SmartVision interactive service platform. During the pilot launch, four live national TV channels with secure conditional access from Irdeto were broadcast to mobile phones, delivering video experience to Hungarian customers. The DVB-H trial used Thomson Argos Mobile TV encoders, Opal DVB-H IP encapsulator and SmartVision service platform for the management of advanced Electronic Service Guide and convergent services.
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Babelgum and Off The Fence programming dealIndependent production and distribution company Off the Fence and Babelgum, the new generation global Internet TV network, have agreed on a distribution deal for around 200 hours of non-fiction programming. The content licensing deal includes a diverse range of programming including travel, natural history, science and health
Thursday 19th July
EU seeks to harmonise mobile video standards
Middleware "to make or break IPTV"
CompleteTV, Simply Global TV deliver hybrid DTT/IPTV
TV phone-ins – "systemic failures"
EC requests Italian electronic comms compliance
Online video chaos
GDB partners with Endavo
KPN cuts TV subs fees
Orca enters US IPTV market
Selfcast puts users in controller’s chair
NonStop inks VOOM DTO deal
EU seeks to harmonise mobile video standardsAs widely anticipated, the European Commission has adopted a strategy favouring the take-up of mobile TV across the 27 EU Member States. The Commission urges Member States and industry to facilitate and accelerate the deployment of mobile TV across Europe and to encourage the use of DVB-H as the single European standard for mobile TV.
"Mobile broadcasting is a tremendous opportunity for Europe to maintain and expand its leadership in mobile technology and audiovisual services," said Viviane Reding, EU Commissioner for the Information Society and Media. She said that Europe could either take the lead globally – as it did for mobile telephony based on the GSM standard developed by the European industry – or allow other regions take the lion's share of the promising mobile TV market. "'Wait-and-see' is not an option. The time has come for Europe's industry and governments to switch on to mobile TV," she stated.
The EC noted that until now, the introduction and take-up of mobile TV in the EU has been slow while Europe's competitors have progressed significantly, and suggested that unless Europe takes concrete action immediately, it risks losing its competitive edge. The Commission sees the ‘Communication on Strengthening the Internal Market for Mobile TV’ as crucial to create jobs and business opportunities for content creators, service providers and hardware manufacturers, and to bring new value-added services to citizens.
Three key success factors have been identified by the Commission for mobile TV take-up: Standards/interoperability; Spectrum and a favourable regulatory environment. The Commission considers that mobile TV is a nascent service and as such should benefit from ‘light touch’ regulation.
2008 is considered by the Commission as a crucial year for mobile TV take-up in the EU with important sports events, such as the European Football Championship and the Summer Olympic Games, which will provide opportunities for raising consumers' awareness and for the adoption of new services.
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Middleware "to make or break IPTV"The continued growth of the global IPTV industry, specifically in Europe, Asia and North America, hinges upon the misunderstood ‘Middleware’ that glues together the many working parts of the IPTV end-to-end system reports Media Research Group (MRG). "Without flexible middleware that can easily and predictably increase the number of subscribers and the breadth of services, IPTV operators will not sustain long-term growth or stability," stated Steve Hawley, MRG Sr. Analyst. "Middleware can make or break the success of an IPTV service."
"Growing their IPTV services from the basic stage, through intermediate, advanced and eventually, the "converged" stage (where video, wireless and wireline services are all integrated) is what IPTV operators really need to accomplish---all within carefully defined bandwidth and financial budgets, " added Len Feldman, Director of IPTV Analysis for MRG.
Based on actual deployed subscribers, Thomson, Cascade, Alcatel-Lucent (MiViewTV), UTStarcom and Nokia Siemens Networks (Myrio) ranked in the top five globally. Microsoft Mediaroom (ex-IPTV Edition) ranked last out of fourteen IPTV companies, indicating continued scaling problems with its middleware using Microsoft-required technologies.
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CompleteTV, Simply Global TV deliver hybrid DTT/IPTV
From Colin Mann in London
IPTV technology specialist CompleteTV is teaming up with IPTV set-top box platform provider Simply Global TV to provide a hybrid IPTV and Freeview service which is independent of the customer’s ISP.
CompleteTV will supply its Set Top Media Center (STMC) to Simply Global TV for its new service, which launches imminently. The STMC integrates IPTV channels with Freeview (DVB-T) channels into a single customer experience, with support for recording and pausing live TV. The service combines mainstream IPTV content with specialist programming focussed on specific ethnic communities.
Philip Smith, Chief Marketing Officer, CompleteTV said the work the pair had carried out addressed their combined vision of a seamless TV experience, "combining IPTV over the public Internet with Freeview broadcast services. IPTV over the public Internet truly is the future, and the work we have done with Simply on advanced buffering and integrated services demonstrates the potential of such services."
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TV phone-ins – "systemic failures"
UK Media regulator Ofcom’s inquiry into premium-rate telephone services has found "systemic failures" in how broadcasters managed programmes. The report also highlighted a "lack of transparency" over who is responsible for the services. Ofcom non-executive member Richard Ayre said broadcasters "appeared to be in denial" about their responsibilities and that money was the main driver for the growth of phone-ins.
The inquiry follows scandals over phone-ins on shows including the BBC's Blue Peter and Channel 4's Richard & Judy. It recommends that broadcasters' licences be changed so they are required to have an independent audit of phone-in votes. It also suggests introducing licence changes to radio broadcasters. Ofcom said that it is "minded" to accept the recommendations.
Ayre said: "Phoning a TV show isn't like ordering pizza. When you put the phone down nothing arrives: you just have to trust that your call was counted. If broadcasters want audiences to go on spending millions calling in, they need to show they take consumer protection as seriously as programme content."
Ofcom Chief Executive Ed Richards told members of the British Broadcasting press that Ayre’s proposal of a single, unambiguous point of accountability and compliance - the broadcaster, through its licence from Ofcom, was sensible, and removed any ambiguity about who was responsible, broadcaster, producer or telecoms company or to whom they are accountable as between ICSTIS or Ofcom. "They are broadcasters; on this they account to us. They must deliver compliance systems that any viewer can know, trust and understand," he said.
BBC Director-General Mark Thompson separately announced a package of tough measures to address the discovery of further serious breaches of editorial standards across some areas of BBC programmes and content. The further emerging breaches, revealed following a BBC-wide search of around one million hours of output since January 2005, were reported by Thompson to the BBC Trust, and the Director-General announced the new measures in response to demands for action from the Trust. The measures include a total suspension of all competitions. Phone-related competitions on BBC television and radio cease at midnight Wednesday July 18, and interactive and online competitions will be taken down as soon as possible.
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EC requests Italian electronic comms compliance
The European Commission has sent a formal request to Italy to bring its broadcasting legislation in line with the EU Regulatory Framework for Electronic Communications. The request takes the form of a ‘reasoned opinion’, the second stage of the infringement procedure under Article 226 of the EC Treaty.
The Commission considers that the Italian legislation regulating the switchover from analogue to digital terrestrial TV places unjustified restrictions on the provision of broadcasting transmission services and attributes unjustified advantages to existing analogue operators. The current situation in analogue TV, where only few operators are able to compete on the market for broadcasting transmission services, risks being reproduced in digital terrestrial TV, thus maintaining the reduced choice for Italian consumers. The Commission sent a letter of formal notice in July 2006 (see IP/06/1019). If Italy does not take the necessary measures to comply with the reasoned opinion within two months of receipt, the Commission may decide to refer Italy to the European Court of Justice.
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Online video chaos
The explosion in user generated content is creating frustration for Internet users according to the latest survey from Kelton Research in the US. With thousands of new videos up-loaded each day the online video vaults are becoming overcrowded and chaotic.Research revealed that 96 per cent of Americans do not find the video they are looking for in their initial search. Over 61 per cent of Internet users in the feel overwhelmed by the sheer volume of video content available.
46 per cent of these people choose not to watch online videos because they dread the task of trawling through the multitude of search results.
Although the hardened Internet user may persevere with the maze of search results to find the video they require, the majority of light users often give up their search out of sheer frustration.One of the major issues, aside from the sheer volume of content, is that sites hosting these videos rely upon automated computer systems to collate content and provide search results. Without a discerning human eye to provide an element of quality control there are no guarantees as to the entertainment or interest value of each video. There is also no way of ensuring that this content is labelled correctly which means search engines return many irrelevant results.
UK-based Global Digital Broadcast (GDB) has twinned with US digital media agency, Endavo Media and Communications in a joint marketing and product development agreement which will expand the GDB IPTV distribution network across north and south America.
The partnership furthers GDB’s existing IPTV services to the Americas, whilst extending Endavo Media’s offerings into the UK and across Europe. Under the agreement, GDB will market Endavo’s online delivery platforms to its own clients and also enable Endavo customers on the GDB network. In exchange, Endavo will offer the GDB IP set-top box to channel and content owners who are seeking IP distribution in addition to online strategies.
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KPN cuts TV subs feesFrom August 2007, Dutch telco KPN is cutting the price of its television services. The Digitenne package will cost subscribers E6.95 a month instead of E9.95. Interactive TV (formerly known as Mine TV) will be cheaper, too. The basic package of some 50 TV and 75 radio channels will cost E9,95. Customers will also be able to choose premium packages with extra channels. By offering customers more choice and lower prices, KPN intends to contest the current cable TV monopoly and strengthen its position in the Dutch television market.
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Orca enters US IPTV marketOrca Interactive, a global player in providing IPTV middleware and applications, has confirmed its entry into the US market and first US customer win with W.T. Services, a wholly owned subsidiary of West Texas Rural Telephone Cooperative. The solution provides W.T.Services with integrated, carrier-grade IPTV services including live television broadcast, pay-per-view and video on demand (VOD). Marking its entrance into the US market, Orca Interactive is also opening a US office.
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Selfcast puts users in controller’s chairP2P live streaming company RawFlow has launched a beta version of Selfcast - a P2P based live broadcasting community. The initiative allows users to broadcast live to the world for free using just a webcam, a PC and an Internet connection. Budding directors, musicians, talk show hosts and others with content which previously didn't reach the masses, can now show the world what they are made of, suggests RawFlow.
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NonStop inks VOOM DTO deal
Furthering the reach of VOOM HD throughout Scandinavia, NonStop Television has signed a deal with film2home to make the channel’s high-definition programming available for sales on-demand. The Download-to-Own (DTO) service will initially be available to residents in Sweden, Norway and Finland. The deal marks both the first online distribution deal for the global VOOM HD channel and the first deal of its kind in the Scandinavian market.
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Wednesday 18th July
Google chief fights back in Viacom suit
RAI to get E33m from budget for DTT
"Complicated" mobile video market
EU action against digital piracy
Google service for mobile phones
Setanta scores Rugby World Cup deal
iPhone to alter mobile video market
TiVo Stop Watch
ROK TV rocks in Thai TV tie-up
Sony to launch slim PSP with TV
Google chief fights back in Viacom suitGoogle Inc., which is being sued by Viacom Inc. for alleged copyright infringement, is hitting back. CEO Eric Schmidt has called the media conglomerate a company "built on lawsuits." Google and its video-sharing site YouTube. are being sued for $1 billion by Viacom.
Schmidt said litigation is the foundation of Viacom, which has sued Google because the companies couldn't reach a distribution deal over content posted on YouTube.
In May Google moved for dismissal of the suit, saying it was protected by the 1998 Digital Millennium Copyright Act, which provides protection for Internet service providers from liability for the actions of their users. The safe harbour protection says that if Web site owners and operators remove material when asked by copyright holders, they are not responsible for copyright violations.Responding to Schmidt’s comments, Viacom chairman Sumner Redstone told reporters that Viacom only sues rival firms as a last resort. "The bottom line is, I hate to fight. I don’t enjoy a battle. I would rather be a lover than a fighter."
Viacom says YouTube has almost 160,000 unauthorised Viacom clips on its site, and they have been viewed more than 1.5 billion times.
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RAI to get E33m from budget for DTT
From Branislav Pekic in RomeItaly’s Communications Minister, Paolo Gentiloni, has signed a ministerial decree assigning E33m to RAI for expanding digital terrestrial TV coverage throughout Italy during 2007.
According to Gentiloni, the resources will help the public broadcaster speed up the transition to digital terrestrial, as it had accumulated a certain delay over the past few years in comparison to the private TV networks. The financing will also be used for the creation of new content that will in turn stimulate DTT take-up. The total resources earmarked in the budget for the period 2007-2009 amounts to E300m. Gentiloni also expressed hope that the decree will not be the only contribution of the State for RAI’s DTT project as the "hope is that new funds may arrive".
For his part, the director general of RAI, Claudio Cappon, said that the public broadcaster will spend E145 million this year to extend digital coverage to 85 per cent of the population. He explained that the plan does not include the acquisition of frequencies, but rather aims at a better use of existing ones, "by eliminating abundances and overlapping". The interventions will regard 100 transmitters in Northeast Italy, on the Adriatic Coast and in parts of Southern Italy, "in order to immediately extend digital coverage and improve the homogeneity and the quality of service".
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"Complicated" mobile video marketThe mobile video service market is very complicated, and will take quite a few more years to completely sort itself out, reports In-Stat, high-tech market research firm.
"We’ve identified competing vectors of growth that need to be understood by service operators before they make large infrastructure investments. Each geographic region is developing differently, and all technology approaches are in play," says Gerry Kaufhold, In-Stat analyst. "The opportunities appear to be huge, but the current level of fragmentation in the industry, and in the markets, may make it difficult for anybody to reach the economies of scale required to make Mobile Video Services a truly worldwide phenomenon. We’re more likely to see geographic regions developing their own local approaches, and we will even find some country-specific versions."
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EU action against digital piracy
AEPOC, the European Association for the Protection of Encrypted Works and Services, has welcomed the European Commission’s Communication towards a general policy on the fight against cyber crime. The initiative aimed at improving co-ordination and co-operation between law enforcement authorities and private sector operators will be complemented by other actions taken at national, European and international level to fight cyber crime such as hacking and piracy of digital systems.
Vice-President Franco Frattini, EU Commissioner responsible for Justice, Freedom and Security, pointed to the need for a strong dialogue with the industry in order to make this policy effective. "Besides the overall positive development of the Internet and digital information systems giving rise to new rapid flows of information, products and services across the internal and external borders of the EU, the European Commission acknowledges the obvious difficulties of legislation and law enforcement to keep pace with the ever evolving forms and techniques of digital piracy and cyber crime in general."
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Google service for mobile phonesWeb giant Google is developing a search service for mobile phones that will enable users to find and buy mobile content as the company pushes more deeply into wireless technology.
With the new system, can search for a piece of content and receive a list of providers as well as links enabling them to purchase the material. Eventually, Google intend to charge companies for high placement in the search results.
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Setanta scores Rugby World Cup dealSetanta Sports North America has been confirmed as the exclusive live online broadcaster of the 2007 IRB Rugby World Cup, the third-largest sporting event in the world, which will be accessible to fans via Setanta's broadband service.
Users can pre-order Setanta's broadband all-access ‘Tournament Ticket’ for $119.99. Setanta's broadband service will carry live online coverage of all 48 matches from the event, including original in-country commentating, pre and post-match analysis as well as half time programming, player interviews, classic footage and other behind-the-scenes extras.
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iPhone to alter mobile video market
According to research conducted by new media research firm Interpret, the iPhone has the potential to be a catalyst for growth in mobile video usage, among both iPhone owners and owners of regular cell phones. Despite owning their new iPhones for a short period of time, 63 per cent of iPhone owners have already used the widescreen-enabled device to watch video (compared to only 28 per cent of regular cell phone owners).
Half of iPhone owners (51 per cent) have watched a YouTube video on their phone, while 46 per cent have watched a music video, 34 per cent watched the news, and 32 per cent have already watched a movie trailer.
According to Interpret, the study shows that it’s not the consumers who are different, it’s the iPhone – prior to buying the iPhone, few owners had watched video on their cell phone (only 17 per cent had seen YouTube clips, 21 per cent had watched a music video, 16 per cent had seen the news, and only 15 per cent had watched a movie trailer on a phone).
"Apple has already made a name for itself as a top destination for music and video on-the-go, and consumers expect the iPhone to deliver on that reputation," said Jason Kramer, Chief Strategy Officer, Interpret. "Consumers want to watch video on their cell phones, but they have high expectations for the experience. The iPhone shows consumers that the potential is there to meet or exceed their expectations for mobile video."
"In order to fully capitalise on the opportunity for mobile video, Apple and its competitors will need to move beyond a pay-per-download business model," said Michael Dowling, Interpret’s CEO. "Consumers are used to an ad-supported model for video, and are open to a wide range of advertising if companies like Apple can deliver on the user experience."
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TiVo has begun reporting monthly commercial ratings based on data collected from its 4.3 million digital video recorder units. Called TiVo Stop Watch, the service will provide monthly rankings of commercials based on both live broadcasts and those recorded for playback later.
TiVo CEO Tom Rogers believes the service will help advertisers identify effective campaigns. "It shows how to make commercials that more people want to see, not because they're forced to, but because they want to."
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ROK TV rocks in Thai TV tie-upROK Entertainment Group, the UK-based mobile TV specialist, successfully completed the world's first music concert to be streamed live over mass-market 2.5G via GPRS to mobile phones. The 'Be My Guest' concert at the Bangkok Hall in Thailand was streamed across a 4 hour period, live to mobile operator AIS's ROK TV service.
In order to prevent any possible GPRS bandwidth capacity problems, AIS restricted the number of viewers able to access the stream at any one time to 4,000 people. Existing subscribers to ROK TV on AIS were asked to bid, via SMS, for an access code to watch the concert for free. AIS reported a total of more than 15,000 people watched ROK TV on their mobiles on the day of the concert.
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Sony to launch slim PSP with TV
Sony Corp. has conformed that a new, slimmer version of the PlayStation Portable handheld video game console will go on sale in Japan from September 20.Sony said that the PSP-2000 would have a recommended price tag of 19,800 yen (E117) and come in six colours. The revamped PSP, which was unveiled at the E3 industry conference in California, is said to be a third lighter than its predecessor, 19 per cent slimmer.
Sony also confirmed that the rumoured TV peripheral will finally launch alongside the newly reshaped handheld. Slotting into the USB slot on top of the PSP, the TV Tuner receives digital terrestrial channels via Japan's 1seg broadcasting service.
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Tuesday 17th July
Providence and KKR in for Virgin Media
BT Premiership pricing
Telefonica-Sogecable deal under scrutiny
Mediaset launches online video service
Sony launches Crackle
Pace Micro sues YES
Agis, BNS and Toshiba mobile TV in Indonesia
Prasar Bharati seeks Mobile TV revenue
WRN signs with AirChord
NDS integrates synchroniser into Qualcomm MediaFLO
Technetix launches Technetix Americas
Packet Vision partners with Juniper Networks
Providence and KKR in for Virgin MediaThe bidding war for Virgin Media intensified as Providence, the American buyout firm, instructed advisers to prepare an offer for the $22bn (E16bn) television and broadband group.
Providence is understood to have joined with KKR, Blackstone and Cinven to enter the auction for the cable operator. Other private equity groups are understood to be considering joining the fray.
Virgin Media confirmed last week that it had received an approach from Carlyle, whose $33 to $34-a-share offer values the company at $23 billion, including its £6 billion of debt. Rivals insist that their offers will not top that price. Factors including the volatility in the debt markets would give bidders ammunition for ruling out a higher offer, they said. However, sources dismissed those claims as an attempt to talk down the price.
Virgin’s confidence about securing interest elsewhere has led it to insist on a formal auction run by its advisers, UBS and Goldman Sachs. They are seeking to increase competition by attracting interest from US cable giants such as Comcast and Time Warner Cable.
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BT Premiership pricingBT Vision has given details of its coverage of the football Premiership, charging users £4 (E5.40) a month for delayed coverage of the Saturday afternoon kick-offs, and £12 when combined with a subscription to Setanta Sports. Individual games can be purchased at £1.99.
BT’s IPTV customers will be able to select from 242 matches from the Premiership and up to 125 games from the second tier Coca-Cola league and Carling Cup games. A Setanta subscription adds another 46 Premiership games and 60 from the Scottish Premier League.
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Telefonica-Sogecable deal under scrutiny
From David Del Valle in Madrid
Spain's competition authorities and the country telco regulator have launched a probe into the recently-announced deal between the telco group Telefónica and the pay-TV company, Sogecable, to jointly launch a triple play offer in the market, from the end of November
The agreement allows Telefónica to offer Sogecable’s Digital+ DTH satellite service in areas that its broadband signal fails to reach.
Sogecable is planning a new triple play package that includes digital TV, telephony and Internet.
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Mediaset launches online video service
From Branislav Pekic in RomeItaly’s leading commercial broadcaster Mediaset has launched an online video service, which includes TV series, news and entertainment programming.
On the Mediaset portal (www.mediaset.it), users can access, free of charge, a selection of Mediaset programming which includes ‘the best of’ (a selection of programming transmitted the group’s terrestrial TV channels), specific content produced for the Web (such as the reality show ‘Fratello e Sorella’). The service will soon be upgraded to include premium VOD content such as episodes of popular Italian and US TV series, which will be available for download. From September, viewers will be able to watch three Serie A football matches a week, as well as movies and entertainment programmes. There will also be User Generated Content, linked to Mediaset’s own TV productions.
According to Yves Confalonieri, director of RTI Interactive New Media (the company’s multimedia arm), "the number of users connected to broadband Internet is continuously increasing and thus the web is becoming increasingly interesting for advertising". He added that they are also working on content deals with YouTube and other portals, which offer video content in order to make some Mediaset content available on these platforms.
Meanwhile, public broadcaster RAI has reported that, only three weeks after launch, its branded channel on YouTube has had more than 40.000 visitors which have seen a total of 500.000 videos. The public broadcaster is also planning to expand the availability of its content on the various digital platforms.
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Sony launches CrackleSony Pictures has launched an online video network, branded ‘Crackle’, that enables videos to be uploaded in high definition. Crackle represents a relaunch for the video-sharing site Grouper, bought by Sony for $65m (E47m) last August in one of the biggest Web 2.0 acquisitions of a San Francisco Bay Area company. The website will offer a slate of themed channels for users to upload material.
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Pace Micro sues YESUK digital set-top box manufacturer Pace Micro Technology has filed with the Tel Aviv District Court a NIS 42m (E7.1m) lawsuit against satellite broadcaster YES, and Eurocom Group. YES is a subsidiary of Bezeq the Israeli Telecommunication Co.
In early 2000, Pace Micro made the first set-top boxes for YES. A year ago, YES sued the company for NIS 31m, claiming that 184,000 set-top boxes were faulty and did not record broadcasts. YES said that it paid NIS 150m for the products.
Pace Micro says in its statement of defence that the damage YES claims is not the fault of Pace Micro, but was caused by YES and Eurocom. The company says that the Israeli companies set the wrong technical specifications for the set-top boxes.
Pace Micro accuses the Israeli companies of a built-in conflict of interests, because Eurocom is both a shareholder in YES and also provides laboratory services for Pace Micro’s set-top boxes.
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Agis, BNS and Toshiba mobile TV in IndonesiaIndonesian electronics company PT Agis Tbk, IPTV and mobile TV systems integrator BNS and mobile TV pioneer Toshiba have confirmed a partnership to jointly build a broadcast-based, nationwide mobile TV network in Indonesia . Operated by Agis, the service will be the first DMB based Mobile TV service outside Japan and Korea, where the technology was pioneered and successfully launched in 2004 and 2005 respectively.
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Prasar Bharati seeks Mobile TV revenueIndian public broadcaster Prasar Bharati is working on a new business model with accent on mobile TV to increase its revenue. Prasar Bharati CEO Singh Lalli said that he is upbeat about the mobile TV initiative, which Doordarshan had launched earlier this year on a pilot basis, and sees immense revenue earning potential given the first mover advantage.
The mobile TV service, to be provided in association with Nokia on DVB-H technology, would be available to subscribers within a radius of 10km to 12 km from Akashvani Bhavan on Parliament Street in New Delhi. Currently, eight channels of Doordarshan are available on the mobile TV platform, which would later be increased to 16.
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WRN signs with AirChordWRN, the UK-based television and radio transmission company, has concluded a deal with AirChord, the New Delhi-headquartered, multi-media streaming media company that converges mobile and web. WRN is making its 24/7 international news and current affairs radio channel available to Indian mobile users via AirChord and its Juice Up mobile application. Mobile subscribers will be able to access content from WRN’s international public broadcasting clients that include China Radio International, Korea’s KBS World Radio, Radio Canada International, America’s NPR, Ireland’s RTE and Radio Romania International.
NDS integrates synchroniser into Qualcomm MediaFLONDS, provider of technology solutions for digital pay-TV, has inked an agreement with Qualcomm, developer of advanced wireless technologies and data solutions, to begin integration of the NDS Simulcrypt Synchronizer (SCS) into Qualcomm’s MediaFLO multiplexer software reference platform. The planned implementation of SCS will allow more than one conditional access (CA) system to run simultaneously within the MediaFLO System. This provides Qualcomm with the option to use open CA solutions from multiple technology providers.
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Technetix launches Technetix AmericasTechnetix Group, the pan-European broadband engineering and supply chain solutions provider, is set to launch a new division Technetix Americas. The division to be headquartered in Denver, Colorado will serve the entire Americas market. Technetix intends to provide product supply, technical support and customer service throughout the region.
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Packet Vision partners with Juniper Networks
IPTV targeted advertising services specialist Packet Vision has joined high-performance networking provider Juniper Network’s J-Partner Solutions Alliance Programme to offer its targeted, addressable and interactive advertising solutions as part of a bundle of services geared to the IPTV industry.
The pair plan to enable telcos, broadcasters and advertisers to leverage targeted next generation advertising and provide a higher value service to viewers. Packet Vision and Juniper will engage in joint marketing and sales efforts targeting IPTV operators in North America, Europe and Asia Pacific.
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Monday 16th July
Tiscali acquires Pipex
Hispasat to extend DTT in Spain
Dyke suggests Five and ITV merger
Emap to sell TV operations to C4?
BBC Trust to hear open sourcers' iPlayer gripes
Warner makes peace with imeem
Canal+ warns Free over pirate content
Tiscali chooses Telsey for STB
Cyfrowy Polsat Strengthens TVN ties
ABC News and CustomFlix DVD on Demand
SGT debuts video content management solution
Tiscali acquires PipexTiscali, the Italian internet service provider, has acquired the broadband and voice assets of Pipex Communications, the UK telecoms group, for about £210m (E309m). The sale is part of a strategic review Pipex embarked on in March.
Pipex attracted interest from many of its broadband rivals, including BT, BskyB and Virgin media, before most bidders dropped out of the auction. Tiscali has about 1.4m broadband customers in the UK, but some analysts have argued it will have to increase its size if it is to survive in the competitive high-speed internet access market, which is rapidly merging with voice services.
The subsidiaries being sold to Tiscali are: Switch2 Telecoms Limited, Pipex Homecall Limited, Toucan Residential Limited, Pipex Internet Limited and Toucan Residential Ireland Limited.
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Hispasat to extend DTT in Spain
From David Del Valle in Madrid
Hispasat has proposed the Government a plan to extend DTT to the whole country by using its satellite system to cover those rural areas where DTT is not present, representing 10 per cent of the total coverage.
Hispasat wants to play an important role in the deployment of DTT and is in talks with "the Administration and some operators", according to the Development Director of Hispasat, Pascual Menendez.
"We propose to combine both systems. Using terrestrial wherever it is possible and satellite wherever it is difficult or expensive" (to do it via terrestrial), he said. Currently, he estimates 200 transmitters are used to distribute DTT signals, but in order to cover 98 per cent of the population in 2010, around 3,000 will be needed. "That means a (high) cost and it takes a lot of time".
His proposal comes at a time when state-owned group RTVE is leading a Freesat project, similar to Freesat in the UK or the French initiative. Both parties, RTVE and Hispasat, have been reportedly holding meetings and contacts over the last months to implement the Freesat project.
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Dyke suggests Five and ITV mergerFormer BBC director general Greg Dykes has said that UK commercial broadcasters Five and ITV have no long-term future on their own and will need to merge to survive.
Speaking to the financial communications provider Cantos, Dyke suggested that there was an opportunity to build "a big European broadcasting organisation to rival RTL" by combining separate TV companies in a number of countries. RTL owns Five, and has been rumoured to be interested in ITV.
Dyke considered that individual channels could not survive long-term. "I don't think ITV survives as a separate company long-term...I just think it's unlikely that small players - and ITV is now comparatively a small player - can survive on their own."
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Emap to sell TV operations to C4?Media group Emap is holding talks with UK broadcaster Channel 4 with regards to selling half its television operations for an estimated £30m (E40m). The deal is expected to offer the broadcaster another slot on the Freeview platform where Emap currently airs its music channel ‘The Hits’.
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BBC Trust to hear open sourcers' iPlayer gripesThe BBC Trust has asked to meet open source advocates to discuss their complaints over the Corporation's Windows-only, on-demand broadband TV service, iPlayer.
The development came less than 48 hours after a meeting between the Open Source Consortium (OSC) and regulators at Ofcom on Tuesday. Officials agreed to press the trust, the BBC's governing body, to meet the OSC. The consortium received an invitation on the Wednesday afternoon.
Ofcom is also liaising with the Office of Fair Trading, which is responsible for maintaining competitiveness in UK markets. Sources at the regulator told The Register that although its formal role in the process was completed when it delivered its market impact assessment in January, it felt the OSC's concerns that Mac and Linux users will not have access to iPlayer demanded a hearing.
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Warner makes peace with imeemWarner Music Group has dropped a lawsuit against social-networking company imeem, opting instead to provide access to Warner's entire catalogue of music and videos in exchange for a share of the start-up’s revenue. The arrangement is the latest sign of a rapprochement between record labels and the Web companies they once viewed with suspicion.
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Canal+ warns Free over pirate content
French pay-TV operator Canal+ has warned ISP Free to prevent users of the latter's new TV Perso video sharing service from posting Canal+ content. If the operator fails to respond satisfactorily, Canal+ says it will be forced to take whatever action is necessary to ensure its copyright is protected.
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Tiscali chooses Telsey for STBTelsey, a player in multimedia communication services, has been selected by broadband ISP Tiscali as the supplier of its hybrid IP Set Top Boxes FS600.
During the next 15 months, Telsey will supply Tiscali with two versions of STB in order to fulfil the need of connections both in UK and in Italy. Both versions will allow users whether to access the Tiscali IPTV service, recently launched in UK and soon to be launched in Italy, and to access digital terrestrial service via an analogue antenna. Part of the deal will involve a STB with two tuners DDT and a PVR option.
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Cyfrowy Polsat Strengthens TVN ties
Polish satellite TV platform Cyfrowy Polsat S.A. has signed a contract with TVN S.A. to add TVN Gra channel to the Platform’s offer. The channel is now available to all subscribers of Cyfrowy Polsat. TVN Gra is the eighth channel of TVN Group in addition to TVN, TVN Siedem, TVN 24, TVN Turbo, TVN Style, TVN Meteo and Telezakupy Mango to be included in the Cyfrowy Polsat package. The contract guarantees the channel’s availability on the platform for the next few years.
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ABC News and CustomFlix DVD on DemandABC News has inked an agreement with CustomFlix Labs, part of the Amazon group of companies, to make hundreds of hours of its historic and award-winning programming available for purchase on Amazon.com and ABCNews.com. Through the CustomFlix Labs DVD on Demand service, ABC News Classics, ABC News Specials and programming from ABC News broadcasts are now available for purchase.
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SGT debuts video content management solutionBroadcast and media software vendor SGT has unveiled its latest video content management solution, designed to give archivists and journalists the opportunity to catalogue, search and retrieve any clip in the blink of an eye with an unequalled degree of relevance.
This solution results from a partnership between Sinequa and SGT. Sinequa’s Intuition, a last-generation multilingual search engine, combines search technologies, such as: semantic, linguistic, statistic, phonetic and fuzzy search. SGT makes Sinequa’s Intuition technology available to rich media such as video.
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