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Our Latest Issues
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Tuesday
Friday 16th January
Telco TV tops pay-TV platform growth
OFT: ITV's CRR should be relaxed
Digital Plus sale on hold
Catch-up TV to reign supreme in 2009
TeliaSonera signs 4G commercial contracts
Number of DMB users rises in 2008
Republicans protest DTV delay
M6 Replay arrives on Orange TV
Microsoft sues DareGlobal
Zcom plans to launch satellite broadcasting
Canal Plus purchase of TPS to be investigated?
Dave+1 on Freeview
Apple boss takes sick leave
Endemol nabs Johnson
CyberLink partners with JVC for network solution
Intec for Mexican triple play
Viasat launching eighth TV1000 channel
BigBand enhances BMR
Telco TV tops pay-TV platform growthTrends are showing that interactive bi-directional television is increasing at the expense of legacy formats. According to pay-TV market data from ABI Research, IPTV will grow by an estimated 32 per cent annually over the next six years to nearly 79 million subscribers globally by the end of 2014.
Satellite and cable TV are among the oldest and most important pay-TV platforms in many countries, and they are likely to retain their footholds in those markets for some time. However, their growth rates will slow as IPTV gets up to speed.
ABI Research industry analyst Serene Fong observes that, "Some telecom operators which are faced with thinning margins are deploying high-speed access networking technologies to challenge incumbent satellite and cable operators." They do so by offering compelling alternatives via existing broadband infrastructure, thereby making service subscription easier and more convenient compared to the traditionally more cumbersome and costlier legacy television alternatives.
IPTV usage will be robust as prices of high speed broadband fall and more users start adopting multimedia services. According to Fong, "Usage will initially be concentrated in countries with established high speed Internet technologies such as France, the Netherlands, South Korea and Hong Kong. But as technology progresses and matures, developing countries such as China will rapidly catch up in subscription numbers."
Operators will continue rolling out IPTV as part of their multi-play strategies, and the right set of technology deployment and consumer-friendly price plans will become increasingly vital. However, Fong cautions that, "While we expect to see greater momentum in the telco TV segment in the years to come, this new television alternative is unlikely to completely replace legacy pay television services immediately."
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OFT: ITV's CRR should be relaxedThe Office of Fair Trading has recommended that CRR (contracts rights renewal), the mechanism that protects advertisers from ITV1 abusing its dominant position in the UK TV ad market, be relaxed.
OFT has published a consultation with a preliminary view that it is recommending to the Competition Commission that CRR be eased in some way. CRR was introduced in 2003 during the merger of Carlton and Granada to create ITV plc as a mechanism to compensate advertisers when ITV1's audience share dips.
"Since the remedy was introduced in 2003, ITV's position has changed and so has the wider market," said the OFT chief executive, John Fingleton. "This means it is now the right time to ask whether the remedy remains proportionate, or could be eased or removed. Our provisional view is that we should recommend to the Competition Commission relaxation of the CRR undertakings, whilst retaining safeguards for advertisers and media buyers."
The move will please senior executives at the broadcaster, who have lobbied heavily for the abolition of the system.
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Digital Plus sale on hold
From David del Valle in MadridSpanish media group Prisa has put the sale of the Digital DTH platform Digital Plus on hold following failure to reach an agreement on a price with the potential buyers, Telefónica and French company Vivendi.
Prisa is seeking E2.5 billion, but Telefónica and Vivendi are only willing to offer up to E2 billion. Prisa hoped to conclude the deal before the end of 2008, but significant discrepancies on price are delaying the, despite the company’s insistence that negotiations are still under way.
Meanwhile, Digital Plus, with more than 2 million subscribers, is adding new channels and services in an attempt to raise the value of the company.
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Catch-up TV to reign supreme in 2009Catch-up TV services may offer the key to successful multi-channel convergence in 2009, according to the 2009 Screen Reality Report from Webcredible. The report predicts that services like iPlayer and 4oD have the potential to become some of the first truly successful multi-channel services, converged across the PC, TV and the mobile.
The concept of multi-channel converged services is nothing new, but many have tried and failed in the past. However, the opportunities for convergence are increasing by the day with new mobile operating systems and platforms emerging and increasing Internet and mobile Internet speeds, and the report predicts that multi-channel catch-up TV services could prove to be one of the first big converged success stories in 2009.
The 2009 Screen Reality Report looks at previous technology-driven attempts at converged services including bringing Internet to the living room TV, mobile video calling and mobile video streaming. It urges companies looking to offer converged services to think first about the context of use and human factors before looking to design such products.
Abid Warsi, Senior User Experience Consultant at Webcredible and author of the report comments, "In the increasingly On-demand‚ world we live in it seems that catch-up TV services offer the key to truly successful multi-channel convergence. Already very popular through the PC, many consumers would jump at the chance to be able to use these services through the TV as well, and with larger screen mobile devices like the iPhone now becoming more widespread, the potential is there for mobile too."
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TeliaSonera signs 4G commercial contractsTeliaSonera’s goal to be one of the first operators in the world to launch 4G is underway. The 4G roll-out in Stockholm and Oslo has started, with commercial launch scheduled for 2010. The evaluation of suppliers for TeliaSonera’s 4G networks in the Nordic and Baltic countries is in progress.
"We have chosen Ericsson to deliver the initial 4G city network in Stockholm and Huawei for the initial 4G city network in Oslo. Now, TeliaSonera continues the evaluation of suppliers to deliver 4G networks in the Nordic and Baltic countries, commented Lars Klasson, Senior Vice President and CTO, Mobility Services, TeliaSonera.
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Number of DMB users rises in 2008The number of subscribers to digital multimedia broadcasting (DMB) services in China surged about 60 per cent on-year in 2008 on aggressive marketing and the Beijing Olympics according to the Terrestrial-DMB Special Committee
Users of DMB, which allows people to view TV programmes, movies and other entertainment content via mobile devices, totalled 17.25 million as of end-2008, up 59.9 per cent from a year earlier.
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A group of House Republicans is frustrated at President-elect Obama's effort to delay the conversion to all-digital broadcasting, claiming the incoming administration is panicking based on false information about the readiness of the nation.
Obama's transition team wants Congress to enact a delay based partly on problems with the Commerce Department's $1.34 billion programme to provide $40 coupons for consumer purchase of digital-to-to-analogue converter boxes.
Fifteen House Republicans have sent Obama a letter calling on him to let the transition happen as planned under a law signed by President Bush in 2006. "We believe that panicky talk of a delay is breeding stultifying uncertainty, and that an actual delay would be a monumental error in judgment that would damage the program and the public," the lawmakers said. The House Republicans said that talk about delaying the transition has started to create problems. "Industry groups are nervously withdrawing from what had been vigorous consumer education efforts," they said.
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M6 Replay arrives on Orange TVOrange customers will soon be able to watch the programmes from M6 again for seven days after they have been shown on the channel at no cost
The M6 Replay service will be available on the three screens – TV, mobile and PC – with Orange customers able to access it from January 20th.All M6 Replay will be represented including television series (Desperate Housewives, NCIS, Kaamelott, etc.), flagship shows (Nouvelle Star, D&co, Capital, Zone Interdite, etc.), cartoons from M6Kid (Spirou et Fantasio, The Magic Roundabout, etc.), news programmes (6 minutes, 1250), and more.
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Microsoft sues DareGlobalMicrosoft has filed legal proceedings against Chinese digital television set-top box OEM and ODM Shanghai DareGlobal on charges of software piracy concerning the installation and use of multiple pirated versions of Microsoft software.
According to Microsoft, an official at the Shanghai Copyright Bureau had previously inspected computers and servers at DareGlobal's operating premises and found that the company was using pirated versions of Microsft software including illegal copies of Windows XP and Office 2000. DareGlobal admitted in court to the use of pirated software, but stated that it has purchased genuine copies and will gradually update its systems, and seeing as it has corrected its previous mistake, there is no need for Microsoft to seek damages.
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Zcom plans to launch satellite broadcastingZcom Networks has revealed that in order to link its IPTV Broadcasting with Satellite Broadcasting, it has commenced negotiations with some domestic and international satellite providers to launch a satellite broadcasting station in the Los Angeles area which will likely result in significant programming growth for Zcom Networks.
"Our goal is to capitalise on integrating IPTV and Satellite Broadcasting while moving to the next level, incorporating some of the key shopping networks, marketing, distribution and advertising know-how that Zcom has developed in the past years," said Dr. Alex Parsinia, CEO.
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Canal Plus purchase of TPS to be investigated?An article in weekly magazine Challenges suggests that the French antitrust regulator will examine Canal Plus SA’s 2006 purchase of rival pay-TV company TPS. The article said that the finance ministry requested the probe after Canal Plus failed to meet 59 of the commitments made at the time of the purchase. According to the magazine, Canal Plus indicated in May that it wanted to pull out of some of those commitments.
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Dave+1 on FreeviewUKTV will use Freeview channel 25 to further extend the reach of its multi-award winning brand, Dave by launching Dave+1. This time shift channel is already available on both Sky and Virgin Cable and it will go live on Freeview from 22nd January. The channel opening has become available as a result of improvements in compression technology and will be in addition to existing services currently on the two Freeview multiplexes licensed by Arqiva.
Since re-launching as ‘The home of witty banter’ in October 2007, Dave has grown exponentially to become the 10th biggest channel in multi-channel homes, bringing 8 million new viewers to the UKTV network.
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Apple boss takes sick leaveThe future leadership of the Apple empire is unclear after its chief executive, Steve Jobs, took six months' medical leave to tackle deteriorating health.
Just days after reassuring staff and investors that he had nothing more than a hormonal imbalance, Jobs stunned the community by disclosing that his medical issues were "more complex" than he initially thought. In an email to staff, Jobs said Apple's chief operating officer, Tim Cook, was taking day-to-day charge of the business until the end of June. But Jobs said he would remain involved in "major strategic decisions" throughout his time out.
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Endemol nabs Johnson
Global entertainment provider Endemol has announced the appointment of former Reed MIDEM TV Division Director Paul Johnson to the new role of Global Head of Marketing and Brand Partnerships. Johnson will oversee all of the company’s marketing activities, including marketing operations, branding, communications, event management, brand affiliations and branded content.
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CyberLink partners with JVC for network solutionConnected media lifestyle solutions provider CyberLink has formed a partnership with JVC to introduce digital home entertainment network solution. The solution bundles CyberLink Media Server 2 with JVC’s NX-BD3, the first Blu-ray theatre system that supports DLNA and has already begun shipping in Europe.
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Intec for Mexican triple playIntec, a global provider of business and operations support systems (BSS/OSS), has unveiled a contract for its mediation solution with the largest cable operator in Mexico. The company will use Intec Mediation to modernise its network operations to support its expanding range of services including digital telephony, Pay per View, and VOD. Also covered under the terms of the agreement is one of the operator’s affiliate companies, a leading fibre network provider in Mexico.
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Viasat launching eighth TV1000 channelViasat Broadcasting will launch its eighth thematic TV1000 channel in Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland. TV1000 Drama will provide the entire spectrum of dramatic experience, with a combination of new and classic dramas. The channel will be available to Viasat's premium satellite, IPTV and cable TV subscribers as of 16thFebruary 2009
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BigBand enhances BMRDigital video networking specialist BigBand Networks has revealed enhancements to its widely deployed Broadband Multimedia-Service Router (BMR) software. New features include unified broadcast service support to significantly enhance the platform’s capabilities for international markets and resolution for a key closed-captioning challenge faced by a number of cable operators preparing for the February 2009 digital television transition.
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Thursday 15th January
Italian software to revolutionise IPTV?
Almost half Spain connected to DTT
ESPN interested in Premier League
IPTV latest subs scores
Blockbuster and Sonic online movie delivery
Telco TV and energy saving drive powerline growth
BT Vision signs up Living TV
Ericsson mobile broadband for Melita
ADB and TFN bring interactive HD TV to Taiwan
IPTV Americas on SES
Italian software to revolutionise IPTV?
From Branislav Pekic in RomeNaples-based company Eco Controllo claims it has developed a new Codec technology for High Definition digital TV with a compression which is up to four times superior to that currently available, including the latest generation H264 and MPEG-4.
Successful trials of the ‘Castelli Codec’ have been conducted by the Regional Competence Center for ICT Technologies (CERICT) of Italy’s Campania Region, the National Research Council, the Pascale Foundation and the Intercollegiate Consortium for Computer Science. According to CERICT president, Claudio Cappelli, the new lossless format permits the multiplication of digital TV and interactive TV channels, as well as the improvement of quality of video for mobile phones. The more efficient use of bandwith on which digital TV travels is achieved by the optimisation of the organisation of data. Thanks to the new system, a 20 minute video which is 3.1 GB can be contained on an old floppy disk of 1.44 MB.
Costing E5 million to develop, and 60 per cent financed by Italy’s Ministry for Economic Development, the Codec Castelli was built in one year and a half by 12 programmers.
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Almost half Spain connected to DTT
From David Del Valle in MadridDTT take-up in Spain is growing with a coverage of 90 per cent of the territory. 45.2 per cent of homes have access to DTT, representing 7 million homes or 18 million people, double one year ago, according to the latest figures from Impulsa TDT.
DTT's average audience share amounted to 21.9 per cent in December, with 10 million people regularly watching. 14.2 million DTT receivers had been sold by the end of November 2008. Impulsa estimates that a further 800,000 receivers have been sold during the month of December.
The first phase of analogue switch-off, which will affect 12 per cent of the population (more than 5 million people), is expected to be completed by 30 June 2009. The second phase, to be completed by December 2009 will affect almost 9 million people, making an accumulated total of nearly 15 million people, or 32.4 per cent.
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ESPN interested in Premier League
The ESPN TV network is interested in acquiring broadcast rights to the English Premier League, it says. However, a spokesman declined to comment further on its immediate plans, following a report by Bloomberg.
The report said that ESPN - the most watched US sports channel - was considering bids for one or two of the six packages on offer. The FA Premier League sent out invitations last month to tender for the rights for 2010 to 2013.
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While some operators achieved six to seven-figure IPTV subscriber numbers, others were not as successful. In the UK, for instance, despite having a significant number of broadband users, take-up of IPTV has been sluggish due to satellite and Freeview’s strong market hold that places the IPTV players at a disadvantage. Tiscali, in particular, has plateaued between 36,000 to 45,000 IPTV subscriptions from 2005 until the first half of 2008. In Germany, Hansenet has been struggling to add subscribers since its IPTV launch in 2006. Telecom Italia and Spain’s Jazztel were also among these providers, which, despite their early IPTVimplementation, have lagged behind in the IPTV race.
On the other hand, France Telecom attracted more than 1.5 million IPTV customers in the first half of 2008 - more than 90 per cent of which are from its domestic market and the rest, from subsidiaries in Spain and Poland. The French incumbent has also IPTV operations in Slovakia and Senegal but so far, numbers are rather negligible and do not significantly contribute to the total base. FT maintained its number one position in the IPTV ranks.
MII China (comprising of China Telecom and China Netcom), in the 6-month period (end-2007 to June 2008), more than doubled its IPTV subscriber base - the highest increase among all groups. It superseded Verizon Communications in its top 2 position and at the same time, outranked PCCW and Vivendi (formerly Neuf Cegetel), at 3rd and 4th positions, respectively. The Beijing Olympics are likely to have played a significant role in the accelerated growth of IPTV subscriptions in this region.
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Blockbuster and Sonic online movie deliveryFilm rental giant Blockbuster and Sonic Solutions have formed an alliance to give consumers access to a vast library of digital entertainment across a wide assortment of home and mobile electronic devices. Under the multi-year, preferred-provider agreement, Blockbuster will supply the branded consumer interfaces and Sonic will power content delivery across PC and consumer electronic devices.
The two companies are collaborating with a host of consumer electronic manufacturers, including Sonic's existing CinemaNow providers, to expand the ecosystem of interoperable devices offering the Blockbuster service. These devices include PCs, portable media players, Blu-ray Disc players, personal video recorders, set-top boxes, mobile phones and Web-connected television sets. Additionally, the two companies will make their digital libraries of mainstream content available under the Blockbuster brand resulting in one of the most expansive VOD and EST (electronic sell-through) offerings in the marketplace.
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Telco TV and energy saving drive powerline growthService providers are increasingly driving the broadband powerline networking equipment market, helping to push growth over 50 per cent in 2008, reports In-Stat. However, governments are looking for ways to make their current power generation grid and assets suffice without building additional generation plants, which may become a significant driver for powerline technology in the near future, the high-tech market research firm says.
"While powerline retail markets will suffer with a global recession, less impact will be felt from the service provider and utility sectors, resulting in continued growth through 2012," says Joyce Putscher, In-Stat analyst.
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BT Vision signs up Living TVBT Vision has signed a deal with Virgin Media to feature a host of high profile shows from Living. From this week, Vision customers will have access to over 100 hours of viewing from Living via its own branded area on the Vision service.
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Ericsson mobile broadband for MelitaMaltese company Melita, provider of home entertainment and telecommunications, has claimed it’s the first in the world to integrate HSPA mobile broadband into its existing cable-TV network, adding mobile broadband to its TV, Internet and fixed telephony offerings. Ericsson was selected as the end-to-end integrator to make this achievement possible.
The Ericsson solution will allow Melita to deploy new services rapidly and cost-effectively, while optimizing its existing infrastructure. The new network will assist Melita to offer its consumers an enhanced end-user experience based on TV, Internet, fixed telephony and mobile broadband services.
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ADB and TFN bring interactive HD TV to TaiwanAdvanced Digital Broadcast (ADB) has signed a three-year contract with TFN Media, part of Taiwanmobile Group, one of Taiwan’s leading Multiple Systems Operators (MSO), for the delivery of an end-to-end solution for TFN Media’s deployment of advanced interactive digital cable services starting in early 2009. The scope of the contract includes full system specification and provisioning, interactive application software development, MHP middleware, digital set-top boxes and system integration.
TFN Media is the fourth largest MSO in Taiwan, providing cable services to approximately 540,000 homes in northern and southern Taiwan.
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IPTV Americas on SESSES New Skies will host IPTV Americas on its NSS-806 satellite. This will enable IPTV Americas to offer an end-to-end satellite-delivered IPTV distribution solution to all telecommunications and cable operators‚ head ends in Latin America and the Caribbean. The IPTV Americas‚ content will be distributed to the entire Americas via NSS-806, one of the most widely used video satellites in the region.
This agreement expands the IPTV Americas previously launched fiber-delivery service aimed to equip small and medium size Latin American telecommunications operators with 80 channels of basic pay TV programming, and the technological solution the operators need to implement the service.
Wednesday 14th January
Portugal to speed launch DTT pilot
Founders leave Sling
Genachowski for FCC
Supreme Court on DVRs
France split fourth 3G mobile licence into three
Babelgum in free TV deal with Vodafone
EADS buys SSTL
CBS content deal with Verizon
OMVC details initial broadcaster roll-out plans
CNN on Freeview
UAE mobile TV licence by March
Partner selects NDS for VOD
Thomson launches HD / DOCSIS STB
Animal Planet HD
Portugal to speed launch DTT pilot
From Branislav Pekic in RomeThe president of Portugal Telecom has promised that a Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) pilot will be launched on April 29th. Zeinal Bava announced that the new service will be launched in 8-12 locations throughout the country, including the islands of Madeira and Azores. He expects that 80 per cent of Portugal will be covered with the digital signal by the end of the year. Bava also proposed that the end of analogue transmissions be brought orward.
Portugal’s Minister for Public Works, Transport and Communications, Mário Lino, said that the date for the switchoff from analogue to digital will be set "sometime in 2011".
A DTT Forum, which will incorporate Portugal Telecom, as well as national broadcasters RTP, SIC and TVI, has also been set up with the goal of promoting the introduction of DTT. SIC and TVI are especially pushing for State incentives both for operators and consumers, in order to promote the transition to digital.
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Founders leave SlingA year after its sale to EchoStar the co-founders at Sling Entertainment are leaving the company. Brothers Blake and Jason Krikorian, respectively chief executive and senior vice-president of business development, and Jason Hirschhorn and Ben White, president and chief creative officer of the Sling Media Entertainment Group are all leaving immediately.
The senior executives all agreed to stay for at least a year following the $380 million acquisition. The move follows the recent string of announements at CES including Sling DVR, and iPhone app.
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Genachowski for FCCBarack Obama will name his technology policy adviser Julius Genachowski as the next chairman of the FCC, says the WSJ.
Genachowski, a former Harvard Law School classmate of Obama's, helped draft the Obama campaign's tech policy plan, which some at the time boiled down to "open government, open networks, and open markets."
Genachowski has a range of experience in the law, business, politics, communications, and new media to draw on. He is co-founder of venture capital firm Rock Creek Ventures, a former adviser to FCC Chairman Reed Hundt, and was a senior executive from 1997 to 2005 at Barry Diller's Internet company, IAC/InterActiveCorp. He is also former law clerk to Supreme Court Justice David Souter and retired Justice William Brennan. His congressional experience includes the staff of the Joint Select Committee
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Supreme Court on DVRsThe US Supreme Court has asked for the federal government's views on an appeal by film studios and television networks against a ruling that would allow a new digital video recorder service by New York cable operator Cablevision Systems. At issue is the ruling by the US Court of Appeals in New York that Cablevision's proposed service would not directly infringe the copyrights of the media companies that produce movies and television programmes.
Cablevision in 2006 announced plans to offer a network-based DVR system, called Remote Storage Digital Video Recorder - or RS-DVR - which would allow subscribers to store TV programmes on the cable operator's computer servers and then play them back at will. A number of film studios and major television networks, including Time Warner Inc, News Corp, CBS Corp and Walt Disney Co, sued, seeking to block the new service for violating copyright laws. They won before a federal judge, but lost before the appeals court. Other cable companies including Comcast Corp and Time Warner Cable Inc have said they would launch similar systems over time if Cablevision's is upheld as legal.
Industry analysts estimate cable companies could save tens of millions of dollars spent on DVR boxes and installation expenses if the remote technology is approved.
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France split fourth 3G mobile licence into three
France has decided to break a planned fourth 3G mobile telecoms licence into three lots of 5 megahertz, with one reserved for a new operator, Prime Minister Francois Fillon has ordered. The new frequencies will be allotted before the summer with the tender launched in February.
France has three 3G licences, operated by France Telecom's market-leading Orange, Vivendi's second-placed SFR and Bouygues Telecom. Shares in the owners of all three fell on Monday after the announcement they would face a new rival.
Iliad, France's number two operator of triple-play Internet services, would bid for the tranche of French UMTS spectrum reserved for a new entrant if the price was suitable, Chief Executive Maxime Lombardini said.
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Babelgum in free TV deal with VodafoneBabelgum has launched an Internet mobile TV service with Vodafone in the UK, allowing contract customers to watch movies, music videos, comedy clips, sports and animation free of charge. The Babelgum Mobile application is available to download from Vodafone live, initially for contract customers with data bundles for the Nokia N96, N95 and 6210.
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EADS buys SSTLThe purchase of UK satellite maker SSTL by Europe's biggest space company, EADS Astrium, has completed. Surrey Satellite Technology Limited started out as a spin-out from the University of Surrey in 1985.
"SSTL reached the point when we realised that if the company was going to continue to grow and to realise its full potential then it needed to have, essentially, richer parents than the university," explained Professor Sir Martin Sweeting, the executive chairman of SSTL.
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Verizon Communications and CBS have reached an expanded deal to carry CBS television shows like on Verizon's FiOS TV service as well as its wireless network. The companies said Verizon has broadened and extended the rights for retransmission consent for CBS network stations as well as its affiliates, and local video-on-demand for the FiOS TV platform as well as mobile rights for Verizon Wireless' V CAST Video service.
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OMVC details initial broadcaster roll-out plans
The Open Mobile Video Coalition (OMVC), an alliance of US broadcasters dedicated to accelerating the development of mobile digital television, have announced the first wave of broadcasters that have committed to launching mobile digital television (DTV) services in 2009.At CES broadcasters have declared their intention to launch mobile DTV across 63 stations in 22 markets, covering 35 per cent of US television households. Of the 63 stations, there will be 14 NBC affiliates, nine ABC affiliates, nine CBS affiliates, five FOX affiliates, nine ION Television affiliates, four CW affiliates and four MyNetworkTV affiliates, along with nine additional PBS stations that are in discussions with the OMVC to join the 2009 launch.
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CNN on FreeviewCNN International will launch to more than 13.8 million homes with Freeview this week, more than doubling the network’s current UK distribution. The move marks the network’s first foray into the UK DTT space.
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UAE mobile TV licence by MarchThe UAE Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) has closed the process of receiving submissions for acquiring a licence to broadcast mobile TV services in the UAE on December 31, 2008.
The process of the licensing started with the TRA holding a public consultation in June. Mohamed Al Ghanim, Director-General of TRA, said: "The TRA will evaluate the bids and announce the outcome before the end of next March."
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Partner selects NDS for VODNDS has confirmed that leading Israeli mobile operator Partner Communications, part of Hutchison Telecom International, has chosen NDS PC Show to deliver Video On Demand securely over the Internet for its newly launched content portal. By implementing NDS PC Show, together with NDS Unified Headend, Partner is able to provide Israeli consumers who register on the website with a wealth of video content that can be viewed on their PCs. The distribution of the content over the Internet is being facilitated by a Content Distribution Network provided by CastUP, an NDS Group company.
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Thomson launches HD / DOCSIS STBEnabling cable operators to speed up the process of migrating to high definition programming and offer an even richer portfolio of services, Thomson announced the launch of a new HD digital set-top-box (STB) with integrated cable modem.
The latest introduction to its 700 Series of cable STBs, the DCI704 will allow Thomson’s cable operator customers to deploy HD digital television services in tandem with high-speed Internet access across their networks. Featuring in a single box an integrated DOCSIS/EuroDOCSIS cable modem, the DCI704 gives operators the opportunity to extend their subscriber base by offering next-generation services such as video-on-demand.
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Animal Planet HDDiscovery Communications is expanding its international portfolio of HD networks with the launch of Animal Planet HD. The new standalone high-definition service will roll out on the Canal Digital platform in Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland on February 3rd.
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Tuesday 13th January
Orange IPTV probe
VC raises funds
FCC: Don’t delay DTV
BBC chief supports C4, Five merge
100 HD movies per chip
TV browsing demand to rise
CBS revamps web portal
AT&T CruiseCast
NeuLion IPTV HD TV Box
DS2 showcases multi-room connectivity
SecureMedia protects Daewoo STB
Orange IPTV probeFrance’s antitrust body is set to investigate exclusive content deals made by ISPs for their IPTV services - a move that could force Orange to open up its IPTV channel offering. The body will review whether deals between ISPs and content producers are anti-competitive, according to France’s Ministry of Economy, Industry and Employment.
France has 3.6 million French households receiving television via ADSL, and while no company has been singled out, France Telecom’s Orange TV has signed a number of exclusive content deals, including those with France Television, HBO, Warner Bros and MGM.
France’s competition watchdog in December outlawed Orange’s exclusive iPhone carriage arrangement, allowing other operators to sell the handset.
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Balderton Capital, the UK venture capital group that backed the Betfair gambling website and Setanta, the pay-TV broadcaster, has defied the gloom in financial markets saying it has raised £282 million (E358m) for technology and media investments.
Founded in 2000 as the London-based arm of Benchmark Capital, the Silicon Valley venture capital group, Balderton has become one of Europe’s top start-up investors with $2 billion of funds. The company spun off from its US parent in 2007. Barry Maloney, general partner of Balderton, said there were "significant difficulties" in the fundraising market for private equity. But he said his firm had raised the lion’s share of its $500 million target in just two months thanks to a strong record.
Maloney told the Financial Times there were unlikely to be any venture capital-backed initial public offerings for 18-24 months and the climate could cause "some casualties" in Balderton’s portfolio of about 80 investments. But he said the downturn was also a better time to invest. "We are about to enter a very interesting time for new investments, if not for exits.
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FCC: Don’t delay DTVPostponing the February 17th date for broadcasters to turn off their analogue signals will create more problems than it solves, said FCC Chairman Kevin Martin at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Martin said the shortage in funding for digital converter boxes was a problem that needed to be fixed quickly, and said he agreed with ongoing efforts to free up federal funds to distribute more vouchers to consumers under the NTIA's digital converter box programme.
"There are a variety of things that Congress can do to make coupons flow to consumers," said Martin, noting that options including freeing up more money by removing the Anti-Deficiency Act restriction or waiving the 90-day expiration date on coupons. But after a multi-pronged effort to alert consumers to the February 17th date, postponing it now will create consumer confusion and make it hard for the government to sound credible when it selects a new date in the future.
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BBC chief supports C4, Five mergeThe BBC director-general BBC has called on the UK government to help his commercial rivals survive the economic slowdown, so that "their content might help inspire the population to adopt high-speed broadband technologies."
Writing for the FT, Mark Thompson has supported a merger of Channel 4 and Five, a course thought to be favoured by Lord Carter, the new communications minister.The BBC is keen to avoid any solution involving the sharing of its licence fee income.
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Consumers will be able to store as many as 100 high-definition movies on a stamp-sized memory card and retrieve them with devices such as mobile phones and digital cameras, according to the promoters of the next-generation SD card technology, a trade group that brings together more than 1,100 technology companies from SanDisk Corp to Hewlett-Packard Co and sets interoperable memory card standards.
The first of a new series of "extended capacity" cards, dubbed "SDXC," will be available towards the end of this year en route to an eventual 2 terabytes of onboard storage capacity in less than five years, James Taylor, president of the SD Association, said at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
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TV browsing demand to riseA consumer study into HD TV purchase drivers carried out by Oregan Networks, an Internet TV software company and Micronas supplier of TV application-specific IC system solutions, has revealed that the ability to access the Internet from the the living room in parallel or in addition to watching regular TV is making its way into the purchasing criteria of tech-savvy consumers.
The research measured the importance of Internet and home media browsing, placing emphasis on key features and the difference between the incumbent PC based Internet usage and the emerging TV-based usage scenarios. In addition, the study addressed the social and behavioural aspects of interacting with network-connected TVs.
Seventy-one per cent of all respondents would prefer a default media browser to be installed, although they would like the option to be able to change it. Additionally, if their next TV did not come with a pre-installed media browser, 29 per cent of respondents said that they "definitely would" download one, while a further 45 per cent would be likely to download one. 69 per cent of respondents would pay something to download a digital media browser to their next television, if this was supported. 87 per cent of respondents would select a TV with a media browser because it would offer them more entertainment choices.
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CBS revamps web portalUS broadcaster CBS has raised the stakes in the online video market with a revamp of its video site. CBS has added content from partners including Sony, Endemol, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayor and PBS, to TV.com, the site it acquired in the $1.8 billion takeover last year of CNET Networks, the technology web site operator. The partners will supplement programming from CBS and Showtime, its pay-TV arm, which broadcasts popular shows including Dexter and Californication.
Internet video has boomed as broadcasters look to build audiences online. Media groups have been encouraged by the eagerness of viewers while advertisers have used web video to reach younger demographics.
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AT&T CruiseCastAT&T and RaySat Broadcasting have debuted to consumers AT&T CruiseCast, the Total In-Car Entertainment service that enables users to watch a lineup of 22 satellite video channels anywhere in America.
AT&T CruiseCast utilises a compact, low-profile antenna for use on cars, trucks and SUVs, and a breakthrough technology that overcomes line-of-sight obstacles such as overpasses, buildings, trees or tunnels. CruiseCast initially boasts a 22 channel line-up that includes a variety of kids and family, documentary, music, comedy, news, and sports programming. Twenty satellite radio music channels will also be available at the launch in Spring 2009.
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NeuLion IPTV HD TV BoxNeuLion, provider of live and on-demand programming over the Internet, has unveiled the IPTV HD TV Box delivering high definition programming in 720p and 1080i to the television.
NeuLion's existing IPTV HD PC browser service provides HD quality programming of live channels, sports, entertainment events and video on demand in up to a 1080i format to its Network Partners across the globe. The launch of the HD TV Box provides adaptive streaming in high definition without buffering. NeuLion now offers HD streaming services of live TV channels, live events and video on demand over the Internet directly to the television. NeuLion lets the consumer choose viewing of content on either the TV, PC or both -- all in high definition and allows the consumer to pick the device, place, time and programming.
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DS2 showcases multi-room connectivityDS2, global supplier of high-speed powerline communications technology, is featuring its fully interoperable 100Mbps, 200Mbps and future 400Mbps powerline communication technologies for multi-room IPTV, audio, gaming and broadband home networking and entertainment applications at CES 2009 this week. Demos at the DS2 booth will showcase the full interoperability between different powerline communications home networking products, a key technical feature built into all of DS2 products.
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SecureMedia protects Daewoo STBSecureMedia, provider of open content protection, and Daewoo Electronics, a global player in the home electronics market, have announced that SecureMedia's Encryptonite ONE System CA/DRM software solution is now integrated with Daewoo's latest IP Set-Top Box, the DIS-E100. The ONE System provides an enhanced television experience with better video quality and TV browsing in a new, contemporary and cost-effective form factor.
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Monday 12th January
US DTT delay
Freesat in 200,000 homes, iPlayer coming soon
Virgin joins ban call for Kangaroo
Open IPTV Forum publishes specs
Dell USB digital TV tuner
Social Network forecast cut
MySpace TV Widget
SecureMedia and Coship enable secure IPTV
XM + Sirius radio
Broadcom integrated MoCA
US DTT delayPresident-elect Barack Obama has asked Congress to consider delaying the deadline for the nation’s television stations to switch to digital signals.
The incoming administration fears millions of Americans will lose access to television services if a February 17 deadline is not moved because of a spike in requests for free coupons to acquire new equipment. Despite a massive public marketing and education campaign that saw logos and advertisements plastered across television, billboards and racecars, about 7.8 million US households, of 6.8 per cent, are not ready for conversion and the cap for providing subsidised STBs has been hit – applicants are now put on a wait list for unredeemed coupons.
Consumer groups are also in favour of a delay: "This economic climate is not the right time to ask consumers to dig deeper into their own pockets to pay for the miscalculation by the federal government," Consumers Union, a non-profit group said.
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Freesat in 200,000 homes, iPlayer coming soonFreesat, the free digital satellite joint venture between the BBC and ITV, was in more than 200,000 households by the end of 2008. In the final three months of last year around 100,000 Freesat set-top boxes and TV sets were sold, doubling the service's user base compared to the first five months after its launch last May.
Emma Scott, MD of Freesat said: "As we approach Freesat's first anniversary in May 2009, we're in an extremely strong position to build on our early successes. Key goals in 2009 include increasing our product range and distribution by the quality and choice of channels and services available, and the anticipated launch of IPTV services, like BBC iPlayer onto Freesat later this year".
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Virgin joins ban call for KangarooVirgin Media, has joined online VoD services Babelgum and Joost, in calling for the planned VoD venture Kangaroo to be banned by UK competition authorities. Submissions from the three companies to the Competition Commission’s provisional report into Kangaroo all call for the venture to be shelved.
Last month, the commission ruled that Kangaroo would restrict competition and added that it intends to bind the venture to a series of conditions, before clearing its launch. Virgin Media said: "The CC has no realistic alternative but to prohibit the proposed transaction." It argued that Kangaroo would concentrate "so much attractive content" into one entity, that it would be able to "dictate the form and structure" of the VoD market. Virgin concluded there were no alternative remedies.
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Open IPTV Forum publishes specsThe Open IPTV Forum, the pan-industry initiative that was established to take IPTV to the mass market, has published the detailed system and protocol specifications ‘Release 1 IPTV Solution Specifications’ which will enable the widespread deployment of IPTV services.
Together with the profiles that will be delivered in spring 2009, these new specifications will allow the industry to deploy IPTV networks and devices that interoperate, while at the same time offering an evolution path for the future. Such networks and devices will enable IPTV services that are easy to use as well as attractive to the end-user.
The Forum will now begin work immediately on Release 2, which is scheduled for completion by the end of 2009, and will address the issues of interoperability testing and profiling.
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Dell USB digital TV tunerDell has unveiled a USB digital TV tuner that allows individuals to watch broadcast TV on the Inspiron Mini. Dell will offer region-specific versions, designed to receive local broadcast standards. Dell expects the tuner to be available later this quarter, first in Europe, followed by North America and Asia-Pacific and China. The Dell USB Digital TV Tuner is designed to connect to the Inspiron Mini, turning it into a Digital TV. It will receive live and free over-the-air local digital and HD TV broadcasts where available.
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Social Network forecast cutSocial networks will draw 20 per cent less money than expected from UK advertising in 2009, a new eMarketer forecast says. The research aggregator cut its earlier estimate that advertisers would spend £175 million (E222m) in the UK on the sites - that’s still up on the £115 million it said advertisers would spend in 2008.
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MySpace TV WidgetUsers of social networking site MySpace will soon be able to message their friends while watching TV, following a partnership between the News Corporation-owned site and a web TV project led by Yahoo and Intel.
The Widget Channel will make selected content and functionality from some of the biggest Internet names available through an interactive bar at the bottom or side of the TV screen. Users will be able to update their profiles, message friends, browse photos and post comments.
The MySpace widget will sit alongside similar tools from the Yahoo-owned photo-sharing site Flickr, messaging service Twitter, and a host of mainstream content firms including CBS Interactive, MTV, Disney and Comcast. Additional widgets could also offer click-through advertising or web-based retail and a development platform to allow more external companies to build applications for the service.
Yahoo's president of Connected TV, Patrick Barry, said the service would "revolutionise" TV by bringing web widgets to millions of people.
Meantime, Walt Disney threw its weight behind the Intel chip that lets TV viewers interact with their favourite programmes. Anne Sweeney, president of the Disney-ABC Television group, said viewers may be able to access complementary content during the series finale of the hit TV series "Lost" next year through the chip, designed to power Internet applications on TVs.
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SecureMedia and Coship enable secure IPTVSecureMedia has announced that its award-winning Encryptonite ONE CA/DRM System is now integrated with the Anysight Series of advanced IP and IP Hybrid Set-top Boxes from Shenzhen Coship Electronics the pre-eminent STP supplier to regional cable operators as well as leading global telecommunication providers.The "state of the art" Anysight Series offer IPTV or hybrid-IP operators a range of content delivery options that address consumer demand for advanced digital entertainment services while the unobtrusive security provided by SecureMedia's Encryptonite One System ensures studios and content owners the highest levels of digital content protection.
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At CES Sirius XM introduced the first interoperable satellite radio, dubbed the MiRGE. Manufactured by Sirius' hardware partner Audiovox, the MiRGE will allow subscribers to access content from either XM or Sirius, depending on their subscription package, or both with the company's $19.99 per month "Sirius Everything plus XM Everything" package.In addition to interoperability, the MiRGE offers DVR-like pause and replay features, a customizable color screen and a real-time programming guide. It also comes with an XM/Sirius vehicle antenna, a vehicle dock and power adapter, various connection cables and a remote control. The unit can also be used inside with the option home kit or sound system dock. The MiRGE will begin shipping in early spring at $250.
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Broadcom, a global player in semiconductors for wired and wireless communications, has launched what it claims is the industry's first high definition (HD) set-top box (STB) system-on-a-chip (SoC) solutions with Multimedia over Coax Alliance (MoCA) integration. The device allows cable, satellite and IP-network service providers worldwide to cost effectively transform a subscriber's existing coax cable infrastructure into a whole-home media distribution network.
With set-top box and gateway applications enabled with Broadcom products, service providers can offer whole-home digital media distribution services that let subscribers securely access, store and share multiple types of digital media content, including HDTV programs, VOD, digital video recorder (DVR), Internet content and voice over Internet protocol (VoIP).
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