|
|
|||||||||
 |
|||||||||
 |
|||||||||
 |
|||||||||
 |
|||||||||
 |
|||||||||
 |
|||||||||
 |
|||||||||
 |
|||||||||
|
|||||||||
|
|||||||||
 |
|||||||||
|
Our Latest Issues
Visit our archive to access more than 200 features! |
Scroll down page or click below for news - latest first
Tuesday
Friday 26th February
Virgin Media up and 100Mb on
Sky Deutschland narrows loss after relaunch
Five content deal with CBS’ TV.com
Liberty Global posts Q4 profit
Studios appeal iiNet verdict
Orange TV up 45%
TiVo STB to combine web fare and TV listings?
Cablevision personal TV
FTTH Council reports European penetration
Over 40% watch broadband/mobile TV monthly
ART IPTV service
C4 and ITN leavers
Pace MultiDweller first UK residential deployment
NDS extends relationship with Telekom Austria
Virgin Media up and 100Mb onVirgin Media has reported that revenues rose by 3.3 per cent to £980 million (E1.11bn) in the fourth quarter, adding 63,600 broadband subscribers – as superfast Internet connections prove popular. Overall the provider added 28,600 net new households in the three months to the end of December, bringing the total signed up to 4.77 million.
Virgin Media said that the increase in sign-ups was due to demand for higher speed Internet connections, with 45 per cent more customers on 20Mb or faster connections than the same period in 2008 – 560,300 households. The company said that it had 41,400 subscribers to its 50Mb service at the end of December, an 81 per cent increase on the previous quarter. Virgin Media also said today that it intended to extend the pilot of its 200Mb service, which launched in Kent last year, to Coventry.
The company added 34,200 TV subscribers, taking customer numbers to 3.74 million. It said that 112,700 more households were using its enhanced V+ HD digital video recorder. VOD services are used by 58 per cent of Virgin Media's digital TV subscriber base each month.
Virgin Media said that it had actually added 56,900 new digital TV subscribers, but this number was pegged back to 34,200 net new TV subscribers because 22,700 analogue TV customers were disconnected.
The company's chief executive, Neil Berkett, said he expected the numbers of net new TV subscribers to significantly increase after the second quarter this year following the complete shutdown of its analogue TV operation.
Sky Deutschland narrows loss after relaunchIn the first six months since the launch of its new TV entertainment service in July 2009, Sky Deutschland attracted 369,000 new customers to its service, up 26 per cent compared to the second half of 2008. Net subscriber growth was 105,000 taking the total number of direct subscribers to 2.47 million on 31st December 2009. Awareness of the Sky brand exceeded 70 per cent at the end of 2009.
For full year 2009, Sky achieved approximately 597,000 gross additions – an increase of 37 per cent compared to full year 2008. Total revenues decreased to E902.1 million (2008: E941.1 million). The absence of one-time licence revenues included in 2008, and declining advertising revenues due to the overall weak economic climate, were mainly responsible for the lower level of revenues in 2009. Operating expenses totalled E1.164.8 billion (2008: E998.1 million) and went up mainly due to increases in programming costs.
EBITDA for full year 2009 was negative E262.7 million. Result for the period was negative E676.5 million. Following the decision to launch the new service under the Sky brand, the Premiere trademark was written off in Q2 2009 which had a negative net effect of E253.9 million.
Five content deal with CBS’ TV.com
Channel Five has signed a deal with CBS to make programmes available on the US network's on-demand video website TV.com.
The partnership is establishes TV.com as a player in the UK market ahead of rival Hulu.com service. TV.com users will be able to watch programmes from Five's catch-up TV service, Demand Five, shortly after they are broadcast, as well as around 250 hours of the UK broadcaster's archive content. The programmes will be free of charge, with ads screened before and during the video, and available only in the UK.
Liberty Global posts Q4 profitLiberty Global reported fourth-quarter revenues up 19 per cent from a year earlier to $3 billion, helped by solid growth in its digital TV and broadband customer bases.
Revenues rose 7 per cent and operating profit rose to $469 million from $225 million a year earlier, and the net result improved to a profit of $100 million versus a loss of $753 million.
The cable group added a net 321,300 revenue-generating units in the quarter for a total 27.1 million at year-end, in what the company said was the strongest quarter for organic susbcriber additions in two years. The traditional TV subscriber base fell by 432,700 to 7.2 million, while digital TV subscribers increased by 382,000 to 6.7 million. Digital gains were supported by the Dutch and Belgian operations, and the European division UPC increased its digital penetration to 34 per cent of customers at the end of 2009 from 24 percent a year earlier.
Studios appeal iiNet verdictStudios have lodged an appeal against the controversial Australian Federal Court verdict that ISP iiNet was not responsible for its subscribers illegal downloading.
Australian Federation Against Copyright Theft (AFACT) representing the 34 studios said: "The court found large scale copyright infringements, that iiNet knew they were occurring, that iiNet had the contractual and technical capacity to stop them and iiNet did nothing about them....In line with previous case law, this would have amounted to authorization of copyright infringement."
But the court had ruled iiNet was not (by doing nothing) authorising copyright infringement.
Orange TV subscribers grew by 53 per cent to a 3.22 million total in 2009 and by 45 per cent in France to 2.76 million, where it is available via IPTV and satellite.
In France there were 8.5 million VOD purchases in 209, a year-on-year increase of 67 per cent.
TiVo STB to combine web fare and TV listings?TiVo, pioneer of digital video recorders, may introduce a set-top box that provides Web search results alongside TV listings. The product would let subscribers locate programmes at sites including Google’s YouTube and Amazon, and on streaming services such as Netflix, said Wible. The results would be displayed with broadcast, cable TV and pay-per-view listings.
Cablevision personal TVNew Yorkers who want to watch online videos or family photos on their TVs will soon be able to do so on their own personal TV channel if they are Cablevision subscribers. Cablevision, which serves 3 million homes in the New York area, will start a trial service in June for customers who buy both video and Internet access from the company.
Named PC to TV Media Relay, Cablevision said the technology will allow the customer to transfer anything available for display on their PC for viewing on a dedicated TV channel. The customer will need to download software to their computer to enable the service. Cablevision will pitch the service to customers as enabling online viewing with only the touch of a button.
Pricing has yet to be decided, the company said. It is still working on software for Apple users and plans to extend the service to handheld devices connected to in-home wireless networks.
FTTH Council reports European penetrationThe FTTH Council Europe has unveiled the latest figures showing which European countries are leading the way in the penetration of fibre-to-the-home at year-end 2009.
Although Sweden, Norway and Slovenia have maintained their places in the top five, they have been overtaken by Lithuania, which made a dynamic jump to the number one position with 18 per cent FTTH penetration. All four countries now have penetration rates greater than 10 per cent – a significant milestone for Europe.
France and Portugal broke into the Ranking for the first time, helped by strong deployment of fibre infrastructure as well as marketing efforts to engage subscribers. FTTH uptake in both countries is expected to continue to increase rapidly as both countries also rank in the top 10 economies in terms of the availability of FTTH.
In absolute figures Europe has reached 2.5 million subscribers; 3.5 million if Russia is also included. The majority of subscribers (77 per cent) are concentrated in seven countries, in the following order: Sweden, Italy, France, Lithuania, Norway, The Netherlands and Denmark. Amongst them 5 countries now have connected more than 200,000 subscribers.
Over 40% watch broadband/mobile TV monthlyData from Horowitz Associates' annual US Broadband Content and Services (BCS) survey of 800 Internet users reveal that 44 per cent watch actual, not user generated, TV content at least once monthly, including viewing online and on handheld devices.
Portending future growth of viewing on alternative platforms, incidence of TV consumption on the computer/ handheld devices is already ubiquitous among young people, with 82 per cent of 15-17 year olds surveyed viewing at least monthly. On handheld devices alone, half (48 per cent) of online young people surveyed report watching TV content at least monthly, doubling from 24 per cent last year.
Consumption of TV content on alternative platforms varies by genre, with news topping the chart among adult Internet users, and music videos topping the chart among 15-17 year olds. Sports, kids' content, and movies are the genres least likely to be viewed on a platform other than traditional TV.
While incidence and sampling of alternative TV platforms has apparently reached mass market proportions, the actual percent of TV content consumed on alternative platforms remains small. According to the Horowitz study, of all the hours Internet users say they spend watching TV programmes, about 4 per cent of TV time is on a platform other than a TV set — 2 per cent on a PC/laptop and 2 per cent on a handheld — with the vast majority (96 per cent) still consumed via the traditional television platform
ART IPTV serviceAlan Constant, CTO of Arab Media, the major Arab satellite TV operator and owner of pay-tv broadcaster, Arab Radio and Television (ART), has announced plans to launch an IPTV service in 2010. Initially, ART will provide the IPTV service in the Middle East region with an on-demand service, offering users a variety of popular films. Subscribers will access the service via a HD hybrid PVR STB which is to be deployed by ART.
Joel Stark, who has been Channel 4 head of business development, is planning to leave the company. Stark has been with Channel 4 since April 2008; before that he was a business development executive at Virgin Media overseeing VOD strategy.
Nicholas Wheeler is stepping down from his position as the managing director of ITN On, the multi-platform division of news supplier ITN. He had been with the company 14 years.
Pace MultiDweller first UK residential deploymentPace Networks’ MultiDweller distribution platform has been deployed in the UK for the first time, opening up access to digital services for hard-to-reach residents in multi-dwelling apartments. Initially installed in apartment blocks in South Yorkshire as part of a joint project with not-for-profit organisation, The Advanced Digital Institute (ADI), and broadband provider, Thales UK, MultiDweller is being trialled as an extremely cost-effective technology in delivering high-quality internet connectivity and other digital services.
The project is aimed at determining how best to provide fast internet access to residents in multi-dwelling, ‘digitally disenfranchised’ areas including inner-city apartment blocks, social and sheltered housing. The findings, to be announced in March 2010, could help meet key objectives in the government’s Digital Britain strategy, signposting a way to ensure affordable high-speed broadband access to around 2.5 million households in the UK.
NDS extends relationship with Telekom AustriaNDS , the provider of technology solutions for digital pay-TV, and Telekom Austria, the fixed net subsidiary of Telekom Austria Group, have extended their relationship to secure the operator’s IPTV service. Building on their existing relationship, the agreement will see NDS integrate its VideoGuard encryption technology with the new platform to ensure that the operator’s service remains uncompromised.
Thursday 25th February
Google will appeal Italy convictions
Italy ends 2009 with 23m DTT receivers
Qwest invests in Zillion TV
Connected TVs 25% of new in US
SARFT halts Guangxi IPTV
Outdated copyright law confuses consumers
Conax niche product strategy secures 15% share
Penthouse HD on KabelKiosk
Abertis integrates Irdeto for DTT
Google will appeal Italy convictionsYouTube owner Google says an Italian court’s sentencing of three of its execs to suspended jail terms is "astonishing" and "outrageous". The three, Google’s chief legal officer, former CFO, and a senior product marketing manager, have been given suspended prison sentences.
The case concerned a video that showed a schoolchild being bullied for having Down’s syndrome. Google removed the video but a public prosecutor indicted the executives. They were acquitted on defamation charges but were convicted on charges of violating the child’s privacy, and received six-month suspended sentences.
"We will appeal this astonishing decision because the Google employees on trial had nothing to do with the video in question. It is outrageous that they have been subjected to a trial at all," said Google.
The ruling, though, is on line with Italy’s recent moves to treat all Internet video in the same way as broadcasters under the law. It does not accept You Tube or ISP arguments that they are merely platforms.
Google, though, maintains European law protects it as long as offending videos are taken down as soon as it is notified. But Italy disagrees. Last year a court made You Tube remove 5,000 clips belonging to Mediaset, the Competition Authority is investigating Google’s use of newspaper content, and there is legislation proposed to make anyone using copyright material get prior permission.
The news comes as the European Commission is looking into complaints about Google's search engine behaviour. Complaints were made by UK price comparison site Foundem, French legal search engine ejustice.fr, and Microsoft's Ciao. Foundem claims that its site is demoted in Google's search results and those results favour Google’s own services but doesn’t point this out to the user.
Back to top
Italy ends 2009 with 23m DTT receivers
From Branislav Pekic in RomeAt the end of December the number of Italian households equipped with a DTT receiver in the main residence reached 15.3 million, 1.5 million more than in November, according to a survey realised by Makno and commissioned by DGTVì (the association for the development of DTT in Italy).
As a result, the total number of receivers (external or integrated) is 23.06 million, an increase of 13.5 million compared to December 2008.
Sales of DTT receivers set a new record in December 2009, with nearly 2.9 million units sold. Of these, 38 per cent are receivers integrated into other devices. Thanks to the impetus of the ASO, in the last quarter of the year sales remained above 2.6 million units per month.
As for 2010, DGTVì claims that 48.6 per cent of TV consumption in January was via digital platforms (DTT, DTH, IPTV), an increase of 4 per cent compared to December 2009. Significantly, 68 per cent of the entire digital consumer base is represented by digital terrestrial.
Qwest invests in Zillion TV
US telco Qwest Communications has invested $10 million in start-up ZillionTV in return for exclusive rights to offer the IP-delivered video-on-demand service in the telco’s footprint, according to legal documents.
Unlike fellow telcos Verizon and AT&T, Qwest is unable to cross-subsidise an over the top or IPTV build-out with wireless revenues. It is also likely that the company is more interested in cleaning up company debt in preparation for a possible sale, than investing seriously in massive IPTV upgrades.
ZillionTV is expected to launch commercially in the second half of 2010 with Qwest and other telco partners—who would deliver the content over DSL broadband connections—while the start-up also pursues a direct-to-consumer strategy to expand the reach of its advertising-supported service.
ZillionTV is aiming to deliver 15,000 movies, TV shows and other video selections by the time it launches, and has distribution agreements with several studios including Walt Disney, 20th Century Fox Television, NBC Universal, Sony and Warner Bros.
Back to top
Connected TVs 25% of new in US
More than one quarter of all TVs purchased by US consumers in January were linked to the Internet, according to a survey conducted by iSuppli.
Among US consumers that purchased new televisions in January, 27.5 per cent indicated their sets were connected to the Internet, either though the internal capabilities of their TVs, or via external devices, such as digital video boxes or game consoles.iSuppli’s survey revealed that 41.9 per cent of Internet-connected televisions in the US in January were IETVs. The next most popular means of connection, at 20.3 per cent, was through video game consoles. This was followed by Blu-ray players at 13.2 per cent, and digital video boxes and other means of connection, such as PCs, which were tied at 12.3 per cent each.
Back to top
SARFT halts Guangxi IPTVChina's State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT) has called a halt to IPTV services provided by Guangxi Telecom, a subsidiary of China Telecom.
SARFT said that the Guangxi Telecom launched IPTV operations earlier this month without permission. IPTV transmissions and operations in 14 cities in Guangxi have now been halted.
Under Chinese regulations, companies are required to obtain four licences before starting IPTV operations. The most important licence is the IPTV licence, which covers programme ‘publication’ via the Internet.
Back to top
Outdated copyright law confuses consumersThree out of four (73 per cent) of UK consumers don’t know what they are allowed to copy or record, according to research from Consumer Focus, who is calling on the Government to reform the UK’s outdated copyright law before the laws lose all credibility.
Most copyright law was written at a time when digital technologies did not exist, but the pervasiveness of these new technologies means that these laws now affect millions of UK consumers.
Eight out of ten (80 per cent) consumers thought that copyright law should be updated now that we have digital technologies, with slightly more (82 per cent) keen to see reforms striking a fair balance between the interests of consumers and artists.
Jill Johnstone, International Director, Consumer Focus said: "The credibility of UK copyright law has fallen through the floor. Millions of consumers are regularly copying CDs or DVDs and are unaware they are breaching copyright law."
Back to top
Conax niche product strategy secures 15% shareConax had continued growth in 2009 achieving a 15 per cent market share in the global DVB market and winning the most new contracts globally for the fifth year running.
Conax is one of the top three content security providers for digital TV and content distribution world-wide. A niche provider of security with a global footprint of over 350 customers in 80 countries, Conax says it is the most successful of the global security providers. Conax strengthened its position as a market leader in Central Eastern Europe, Scandinavia and India during 2009. Conax also further increased the potential of the very promising South American market through new contracts with major operators in the region.
Back to top
Penthouse HD on KabelKioskPenthouse, publisher of the Penthouse Magazine, has confirmed launch of Penthouse HD on the Eutelsat KabelKiosk digital channel platform extending its coverage in German digital cable networks. The channel-launch is in conjunction with Penthouse’s current Pan-European HDTV distribution strategy. Eutelsat KabelKiosk is a leading autonomous service and channel-platform in Germany for digital cable networks cooperating with 250 partners.
Back to top
Abertis integrates Irdeto for DTT
Irdeto has announced its full compatibility with Abertis Telecom’s TDT Premium content protection solution. Irdeto and Abertis Telecom, one of the leading telco infrastructure and services operators in Europe, have worked to validate the Irdeto Conditional Access System (CAS) integration into Abertis Telecom’s open digital terrestrial TV TDT platform. This milestone will give Spanish TV operators a choice of downloadable CA systems over the Abertis network, offering them a secure, flexible and robust content protection solution for digital terrestrial TV services.
Back to top
Wednesday 24th February
Walmart acquires VUDU
Murdoch stake in Rotana
Kabel Deutschland confirms IPO plans
TiVo complains to FCC over SDV use
Broadband tax ‘regressive’ say MPs
Content overload will increase importance of EPGs
Vivendi says it owns 80% of Canal Plus
Consumer interest growing for OTT video
Sony 3D TVs and IPTV service to hit Oz in July
Canal Plus plans to launch 3D channel in 2010
Brightcove launches in Spain
Taiwan NCC plans STB subsidy
Walmart acquires VUDUWalmart is to acquire VUDU, provider of digital technologies and services that enable the delivery of entertainment content directly to broadband HD TVs and Blu-ray players.
VUDU is built into a growing number of broadband-ready TVs and Blu-ray players, that delivers instant access to thousands of movies and TV shows directly through the television. Customers with broadband Internet access and an Internet-ready TV or Blu-ray player can rent or purchase movies without needing a connected computer or cable/satellite service.
Terms were not disclosed, but it is believed over $100 million was paid (Vudu had raised $60 million investment). Other companies including Best Buy, Amazon.com, Comcast and EchoStar, had also expressed interest in acquiring Vudu.
The acquisition adds a forceful player to what is already a crowded field of companies aiming to deliver streamed entertainment to the living room.
Back to top
Murdoch stake in RotanaRotana Media, the broadcast and music group owned by Saudi billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, is selling a $70 million stake to News Corp. Rotana said that News Corp had agreed to buy a 9.09 per cent stake with an option to take this up to 18.18 per cent. The deal creates a cross shareholding with one of the biggest stakeholders in News Corp.
The move will mark News Corp’s most significant investment so far in the Middle East. "This is a qualitative leap not just for Rotana but for the whole Arab world," Alwaleed told a press conference. "We are set to gain deep experience from News Corp ... on television, movie production and technology," he said. "They own MySpace ... We can learn from this, the new media field."
The acquisition will also ties Murdoch closer to one of their most important shareholders. Alwaleed’s Kingdom Holdings owns 7 per cent of News Corp’s class B stock and is the largest shareholder outside the Murdoch family. Alwaleed is not on News Corp’s board of directors, but last month anointed James Murdoch as his father’s eventual successor. "If he [Rupert Murdoch] doesn’t appoint him, I’ll be the first one to nominate him to be the successor."
Rotana owns a variety of media assets from an online music video on demand site modelled on Hulu, to a large library of music from the region. It already shows programming from News Corp’s Fox channels in Saudi Arabia through its free-to-air television network.
Back to top
Kabel Deutschland confirms IPO plansKabel Deutschland, Germany's biggest cable network provider, has confirmed plans to float its shares. The company didn't provide details on the stake it intends to float, on the size of the initial public offering nor on a time frame for the listing.
According to reports, Kabel Deutschland has decided to proceed with an initial public offering and has dropped plans to sell the company in a private deal, allowing its private-equity owners, among them Providence Equity, which has an 88 per cent interest in Kabel Deutschland, to keep a stake in the company. It has recently been approached by private equity groups for a sale.
Back to top
TiVo complains to FCC over SDV useTiVo is appealing to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) over concerns that the use of Switched Digital Video (SDV) technology by cable providers will destroy its business. While traditional cable infrastructure delivers all available channels at once to STBs, SDV will deliver only the channels currently being accessed.
The benefits of SDV are obvious; savings in bandwidth for one and the possibility of setting up systems with multiple times the channels currently being offered to subscribers. The system requires a receiver to send an upstream signal to a cable headend to request a signal be sent down the cable; a TiVo box cannot do this and relies on infrastructure that allows it to simply lock on to the available signals.
In a filing with the FCC TiVo attacks the industry pointing out that TiVo is the "only major competitive entrant left standing" in the DVR space. It attributes this position to Cable's historical reluctance to open networks to third-party hardware.
"It is reasonable to foresee that the majority of, if not all, video programming will be SDV in the not too distant future," said TiVo. "Without immediate FCC action, no market for competitive video devices can emerge." SDV has been around for a while, but TiVo has found a new urgency due to an inflating number of US households with SDV-based hook-ups.
In 2009, an estimated 35 million US homes used a cable service driven by SDV. To resolve the issue, Cable providers demand that TiVo should adopt the "tru2way" platform, but TiVo is looking for a less restrictive and simpler approach. The DVR-maker would much prefer to use broadband signalling (more or less using the Internet) to communicate with the headend and request signals.
Back to top
Broadband tax ‘regressive’ say MPsA government proposal to charge people with fixed phone lines 50p (E0.57) per month to help fund ultra-fast broadband has been condemned as "unfair" by MPs.
The cross-party Business Innovation and Skills Committee said most of those who would pay the tax would not benefit from the faster broadband service. The focus should be on providing basic broadband for all and allowing markets to deliver higher speeds, it said.
The government said the plan was the "best way to drive further investment". It maintains that faster speeds are "vital to the UK's growth".
However, the committee argued: "We believe that a 50p levy placed on fixed telecommunication lines is an ill-directed charge. It will place a disproportionate cost on a majority who will not, or are unable to, reap the benefits of that charge."
Back to top
Content overload will increase importance of EPGsThousands of TV programmes, catch-up TV VOD archives, Internet-TV services, video-sharing platforms and personal content currently compete for audiences. With such a huge range of content, the EPG is being promoted to the increasingly important role of an entertainment guide for content-overloaded digital living rooms. That’s according to the report ‘EPGs and TV Middleware Applications: Market Assessment and Forecasts to 2014’. The report, a collaboration between media analysts Screen Digest and consulting firm Goldmedia.
Fifty-nine million households in Western Europe were equipped with EPGs at the end of 2008, a penetration of 36 per cent of all TV households. This number will grow 19 per cent yearly between 2008 and 2014 so that nearly three quarters of all TV households will have access to EPGs in 2014. The report has identified about 300 EPGs on the different platforms in Western Europe. These include EPGs in set-top boxes from pay-TV and infrastructure providers, online EPGs from TV guide magazines, TV platform providers, online providers and mobile EPGs.
A large number of players operate in the EPG market, covering various areas of the value chain: content providers; TV platform operators; middleware, application and end-device vendors. A variety of companies are responsible for the development, implementation, and maintenance of EPGs, including technical service and programme data providers.
"The traditional market for EPGs is in broadcast TV and it is likely to remain that way, but we are finding increased interest from non-traditional vendors including some of the largest consumer electronics and media companies. The lines are starting to blur and where content is sourced outside of pay-TV operators new entrants such as Apple, Sony, and Microsoft have an opportunity to provide branding and control into the living rooms. As hybrid services, home networking and multiple content sources become more mainstream, the EPG will be central in gaining control of our entertainment choices." said Tom Morrod, Senior Analyst, Screen Digest.
Back to top
Vivendi says it owns 80% of Canal PlusVivendi has declared it now owns 80 per cent of Canal Plus France, after acquiring a 5.1 per cent stake in the television channel for E384.2 million from French broadcaster M6-Metropole Television. Vivendi confirmed it plans to buy out minority shareholders in Canal Plus France and that an expert evaluation is being carried out to determine whether an additional amount is due. The impact of this transaction had already been taken into account in Vivendi’s debt, the company said.
Back to top
Consumer interest growing for OTT videoNearly 37per cent of broadband households in North America are extremely or very interested in viewing Over-the-Top video content on the home TV, according to market research firm, In-Stat. The demand is growing as companies such as Amazon, Hulu, Netflix, and Apple, offer streamed or downloadable TV and movie content.
Similarly, a growing set of web-enabled TV devices are now proliferating across device categories that include digital TVs, Blu-ray Players, Digital Media Adapters (DMAs), network attached storage, and set top boxes.
"By 2013, In-Stat predicts that nearly 40per cent of all digital TV shipments will be web-enabled devices," says Norm Bogen, In-Stat analyst. "Across all categories, there will be over one-half billion web-enabled CE devices in operation worldwide by 2013. Shipments of such web-enabled devices will see a compound annual grow rate (CAGR) of nearly 64per cent between 2008 and 2013."
Back to top
Sony 3D TVs and IPTV service to hit Oz in JulySony said the company’s line-up of 3D TVs would arrive in Australia in July. The company has one model planned, the LX900, which has 3D fully integrated, and two other models, the HX800 and 900, which can display 3D with an optional accessory.
"This year represents the sunrise of 3D technology in Australia," claimed Barbour. "At the cusp of becoming a reality in homes in Australia, we will deliver our BRAVIA 3D TVs in July when the full 3D story can be realised – combining hardware and content."
Sony has also announced that it would partner with Australian organisations Yahoo7!, SBS and Billabong to stream local content directly to its new range of TVs enabled for IPTV for free. Sony sees the offering as being complementary to normal television and Blu-ray/DVD consumption, and it’ll be available without scheduling restrictions.
Billing the service as "catch-up TV", Barbour said the service would normally take about ten seconds to buffer before playing. The company has already signed content deals with another dozen global players (such as YouTube and Wired).
Back to top
Canal Plus plans to launch 3D channel in 2010
French pay TV operator Canal Plus plans to launch a 3D channel by the end of the year. Canal Plus's deputy general director for technology, Joseph Guegan, told "Ecran Total" magazine that the company expects to resolve the remaining technical problems during the first half of the year and intends to launch a dedicated 3D channel for Christmas. The channel will carry sports events and films. No pricing information was revealed.
Back to top
Brightcove launches in SpainBrightcove, the online video platform, has announced a new phase of growth and expansion in Europe with major new Spanish customers Tuenti, Grupo Vocento, Sony Music Spain, Conde Nast Digital Spain, Grupo V, GEC, GX Magazine and TQMadrid. Brightcove further confirmed strategic partnerships and technology collaborations with 24/7 Real Media, Adobe, Atos Origin, Eyeblaster, Preview Networks Spain and Smartclip.
Brightcove also unveiled a fully-localised online video platform for Spanish speaking customers which includes all back-end services for video content management, automatic ingestion and multi-format transcoding, advanced monetisation, customised players and publishing, multi-platform delivery, product documentation, customer support and a flexible framework for the development of online video applications and solutions.
Back to top
Taiwan NCC plans STB subsidyTaiwan's National Communications Commission (NCC), in line with its policy to stop analogue terrestrial TV broadcasts in 2012, is drawing up a plan to subsidise the purchase of STBs.
The NCC has come out with two proposals: one calls for giving every household a free STB at a total budget of NT$10.5 billion ($328 million) while another suggests only making low-income households eligible at a total budget of NT$250 million, according to reports.
Back to top
Tuesday 23rd February
UPC consolidates DTH activities and transponders
Spain paves the way for HD DTT
iPlayer doubles year on year
Mobile satellite TV market to reach $11bn by 2015
TidalTV raises $16m funding
Motorola STBs to feature MOTOBLUR
M7 selects Pace
NDS aids launch of South African pay-TV platform
S&T brings interactive content to Freeview HD
UPC consolidates DTH activities and transpondersUPC Broadband will consolidate its European DTH business in order to drive efficiencies and opportunities to expand the business and services provided to customers. As a result it has centralised its activities in a new company, UPC DTH S.a.r.l. based in Luxembourg.
This consolidation coincides with a recent agreement for a long term satellite position and transponder capacity with Norwegian partner Telenor (moving UPC Direct to the Thor 5 and 6 satellites) and an agreement with SES Astra Techcom for uplink services from SES home base in Betzdorf, Luxembourg. An enhanced product portfolio will become available for UPC Direct customers during 2010, including more channels and HD services. The consolidation will combine UPC Direct's activities in Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, as well as UPC’s FocusSat activities in Romania with a minimum of impact for customers.
Due to the move of UPC Direct to Thor 5 and 6, UPC has prepared a detailed transfer plan for its customers in Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, that also includes attractive offers and an enriched channel line-up. Full service ‘at home’ support will be provided to customers in these countries in order to have their dishes turned to the Thor satellite position, starting from May.
Spain paves the way for HD DTT
From David Del Valle in MadridThe Spanish Government is to approve a Royal Decree before the analogue switch-off, scheduled for March 30th, which will lay the groundwork for the launch of HD through DTT.
To foster HD, the Administration will oblige all electronic manufacturers to include an integrated HD decoder in all TV sets from 21’’. The operators will be able to offer as many HD channels as technically possible. In the case of sharing a multiplex with another operator, both broadcasters will have to reach an agreement to broadcast in HD.
So far, only digital satellite platform Digital Plus is offering a wide range of HD channels, around 10 with plans to double in the future. Several Regional channels, like the Catalonian TV3 or Aragon TV, are also operating HD channels, with Madrid-based Telemadrid starting HD transmissions. State-owned channel TVE plans to launch TVE HD after the analogue switch-off.
The Royal Decree will also allocate the final DTT multiplexes to broadcasters. Each nationwide private broadcaster will operate a whole multiplex with a capacity of up to 5 channels with the state-owned group RTVE exploiting two with up to 8 channels. At the same time, regional TV stations will operate two multiplexes.
The number of DTT channels to more than 45 TV channels. The number of pay DTT channels will significantly increase as the pay DTT platform, operated by Abertis Telecom, and managed by Mediapro, shareholder in La Sexta, plans to shortly distribute between 4 and 8 channels at a fee of around E25 a month.
There are already 11 million DTT homes in the country with 27 million DTT devices sold. More than 85 per cent of Spanish homes have access to DTT with an audience share of 56.5 per cent.
iPlayer doubles year on year
The BBC’s online broadcast service saw requests doubled from last year to 120.3 million, 20 million of which were via Virgin. Just three per cent of consumption is now via download.
Back to top
Mobile satellite TV market to reach $11bn by 2015A GIA report on Mobile Satellite Television projects that the market will reach $11 billion by 2015, driven by the growing consumer demand for video content on an anytime, anywhere basis. The increasing penetration of mobile phone devices, improving content quality, and advent of interoperable standards and technologies are expected to boost prospects in the mobile television market.
Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific dominate the global mobile satellite television market. Growth is driven by the transition of terrestrial TV signals to digital airwaves from analogue as well as free wireless TV technologies such as MediaFLO and DVB-H. Satellite-based services are forecast to foster growth by offering affordable solutions for reliable and high-quality delivery of mobile TV services in Europe. The development of interoperable standards and availability of free spectrum space is expected to encourage the development of high-quality content for mobile television. Developing countries of Brazil, China, and India are expected to foster growth in the market for mobile TV services.
Asia-Pacific offers vast growth opportunities for the mobile television market, and is expected to witness large-scale expansion in the subscriber base as well as service revenues. Rapid growth is attributed to factors such as increasing penetration of mobile handsets and availability of services on a free-to-air basis. Affordable subscriptions and unlimited packages hold high significance for mobile TV services in Asia-Pacific countries. Japan and South Korea represent the leading markets for mobile TV services in Asia-Pacific region, while China and India offer the enormous growth opportunities for market participants.
Major players operating in the global mobile satellite television market include Alcatel-Lucent, AT&T, DiBcom, DISH, KVH, Nagravision and RaySat.
Back to top
TidalTV raises $16m fundingTidalTV, a video advertising management solutions provider, has raised more than $16 million in recent second round funding led by Comcast Interactive Capital, as well as New Enterprise Associates (NEA) and Valhalla Partners. The new funding provides TidalTV with the ability to invest additional resources in online video advertising and monetisation solutions for advertisers and publishers.
Comcast Interactive Capital's Managing Director David Horowitz will join TidalTV's Board.
Back to top
Motorola STBs to feature MOTOBLURAfter announcing that it will split into two separate entities, Motorola's co-CEO, Sanjay Jha, has said Motorola is looking for ways to combine the features of TV set-top boxes and mobile phones. Consumers will be able to more efficiently share photos, video, and other multimedia with their STB.
According to WSJ, Motorola is planning to add its social networking MOTOBLUR application to its TV boxes, which could be hitting the market as soon as next year. In the US MOTOBLUR currently runs on Motorola's Android handsets like the Motorola CLIQ on T-Mobile and the DROID on Verizon Wireless, and it provides quick-access to social networks like Facebook and Twitter.
Back to top
M7 selects PaceLuxembourg-based satellite TV operator M7 Group has chosen set-top box technology from Pace to bring HD TV content and personal video recording to its customers. Pace will develop M7’s next generation of HD devices: an HD set-top box and an HD PVR.
M7 Group provides DTH satellite TV services to residential and business customers in the Benelux countries using its brand names CanalDigitaal, TV Vlaanderen and TeleSAT. The new Pace HD zapper is being deployed immediately and the new HD PVR set-top boxes will follow later this year.
Back to top
NDS aids launch of South African pay-TV platformOn Digital Media has selected NDS as technology provider and prime integrator to support the launch of its direct-to-home DTH platform in South Africa. The new service, TopTV, will go live in Q2 2010.
On Digital Media will secure their MPEG4 DVB-S2-based service using NDS’ VideoGuard conditional access technology. To enable the platform and provide the basis for future functionality, NDS MediaHighway set-top box software and an NDS developed electronic programme guide (EPG) will also be implemented.
The launch of the TopTV platform will provide South Africans with a choice of satellite service providers. TopTV will offer a competitively-priced basic package of approximately 30 channels.
Back to top
S&T brings interactive content to Freeview HDStrategy & Technology (S&T), a specialist in MHEG middleware and interactive playout systems, has announced that its RedKey 2 MHEG engine is powering the text and interactive services in the new Humax Freeview HD set-top box. The Humax HD-FOX T2 is the first DVB-T2 capable Freeview HD receiver to go on sale in the UK. S&T’s MHEG engine will help broadcasters deliver the popular Red Button services and potentially new interactive content carried over broadband.
Back to top
Monday 22nd February
CBS shows for 99 cents on iTunes
TF1 results disappoint
Clicker raises another $11m
Telenet goes DTT
Rousseau elected AEPOC President
Liberty completes J:COM sale
CNBC on Freesat
Latens increases operators flexibility
CBS shows for 99 cents on iTunes
CBS has confirmed it will begin selling some of its television shows for 99 cents per episode through Apple’s iTunes service. "There are certain shows that will be sold on Apple for 99 cents," said Leslie Moonves, chief executive of CBS, adding that CBS had not worked out which shows to offer at lower costs. The lower prices could arrive in time for the consumer launch of Apple’s iPad tablet computer.
Over all, in the fourth quarter, the company reported revenue of $3.5 billion, down 1 percent from a year ago, and adjusted net earnings of $171.1 million, up 19 percent from the $139.3 million reported in last year’s fourth quarter.
In 2009, revenue declined 7 per cent, to $13 billion, while adjusted operating income fell 40 per cent, to $1.22 billion.
TF1, France’s largest commercial broadcaster, targeted only a 2 per cent increase in sales in 2010 after two years of slumping advertising revenues. The company reported net profit of E115 million for 2009, down 30 per cent on the previous year, on sales of E2.365 billion, down 9 per cent. Advertising revenues for the TF1 channel, France’s most popular and by far the most important part of the group, were down 13 per cent.
The broadcaster exceeded its own target for cost-cutting, achieving E74 million of what it said were recurrent savings on content and operating costs. Cost-savings allowed for a rebound in operating profit towards the end of last year, up 45 per cent in the last quarter on the same period in 2008.
TF1’s audience share continued its gradual decline, falling to 26.1 per cent in 2009, from 27.2 per cent in 2008.
The company has tried to compensate for this decline by reinforcing its presence in digital terrestrial television, buying NT1 last year to merge with its RMC channel. But its digital business accounts for only a small part of the group’s broadcasting revenues.
Back to top
Clicker raises another $11mClicker, a comprehensive search engine for TV content on the web, has closed an $11 million Series B funding round led by JAFCO Ventures, with existing investors Benchmark Capital and Redpoint Ventures also participating. JAFCO's Joe Horowitz will join the Clicker board.
The new funding brings Clicker's total funding to $19 million, after an $8 million round the company closed in October 2008.Clicker doesn't actually store content on its servers, but instead makes it very easy to search through the vast amounts of content available online.
Clicker's index includes over 600,000 full length TV episodes spanning 10,000 shows. The service also allows users to search through premium content including Netflix's Instant Streaming movies and Amazon Video on Demand. The site also offers music videos, and has started teaming up with schools to index their lectures and other original content.
Back to top
Telenet goes DTTBelgian cable network operator Telenet has signed an agreement with Norkring Belgie to use capacity on the latter's broadcasting infrastructure network. This will enable Telenet to offer DTT services in Flanders and Brussels beyond its cable footprint to secluded homes, caravans, holiday homes and cars.
Back to top
Rousseau elected AEPOC PresidentPhilippe-Olivier Rousseau, Managing Director and Senior Banker at BNP Paribas, has been elected as new president of the European Anti-Piracy Association, AEPOC. Rousseau is the successor to Jean Grenier , the former General Director of Eutelsat, who has retired after pioneering and developing the first pan-European industry initiative against audio-visual piracy during 13 years. Among many other commitments the telecommunications engineer and musician held positions at the Conseil supérieur de l’audiovisuel (CSA), Eutelsat, Intelsat and Music Choice Europe.
The co-ordination of effective political and legal industry initiatives against piracy, the exchange of technical information, expertise and best practice as well as tightening AEPOC’s relationships with EU policy associations and global anti-piracy partners will be on the agenda of the new president.
Back to top
Liberty completes J:COM saleLiberty Global has completed the sale of its 37.8 per cent stake in Jupiter Telecommunications (J:COM) to KDDI in a $4bn cash deal.
The Tokyo-based carrier earlier this month scaled back its plan, saying it would retain 31.1 percent of Jupiter and place 6.7 percent in a trust bank, after the bid led Japan’s financial regulator to examine the deal’s legality. The revised offer means KDDI has waived the right to veto management decisions at Jupiter.
Back to top
CNBC on FreesatCNBC, the leading pan-EMEA business and financial news channel, has announced that it will be available on Freesat from February 23rd on channel 210. The channel’s availability on Freesat increases CNBC’s distribution in the UK to 12 million households. The announcement follows the channel’s decision at the end of January to become available ‘free-to-air’ for direct-to-home satellite users in the UK.
Back to top
Latens increases operators flexibilityLatens, developer of middleware and software-based security solutions for IPTV and cable services, has unveiled CAS 5 - a software only Conditional Access System which will work on all networks - Cable, DTH, DTT, IP and Hybrid from the same head end, thereby making it a safe investment no matter how operators decide to expand their Pay TV services.
Latens CAS dynamically detects how STBs are connected to the CAS and automatically allocates the entitlements/permissions to it. This means that when an operator wishes to expand to other network types, or from one way to return path, they will not have to invest in a new CAS system. Latens software-only CAS protects a one-way cable or DTH network and offers expansion and return path to an IPTV offering without the need to make changes in the head end or in the STB.
Back to top
