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Our Latest Issues
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Scroll down page or click below for news - latest first
Tuesday
Friday 25th June
Viacom will appeal ‘fundamentally flawed’ YouTube verdict
Kroes: EU must improve spectrum allocation
Ofcom net neutrality debate opens
Google: Online video at ‘advertising tipping point’
Arqiva to trial DTT 3D
England match triples web traffic
Discovery and Sky order 3D shows from Renegade
CNN #1 international media brand for Africa
Promax launches worldwide field meter for DVB-T2
Viacom will appeal ‘fundamentally flawed’ YouTube verdictIn the Manhattan district court Google’s YouTube won round one of the $1 billion copyright case brought by Viacom when the judge agreed YouTube had an adequate defence in having removed copyright material when they were notified of infringement.
Viacom, which says YouTube knowingly left tens of thousands of infringing videos on the site, called the verdict ‘fundamentally flawed’ and said it reflected neither Congress's intent behind copyright laws nor recent Supreme Court decisions. Viacom said it planned to appeal against the decision.
District Judge Louis Stanton said Google and YouTube could not be held liable merely for having a "general awareness" that videos might be posted illegally. "Mere knowledge of prevalence of such activity in general is not enough. The provider need not monitor or seek out facts indicating such activity."
Google and YouTube had argued that they were entitled to "safe harbour" protection under digital copyright law because they had insufficient notice of particular alleged offences. Stanton agreed, saying that when "YouTube was given notices, it removed the material... it is thus protected from liability" under a provision in the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.
Google called the ruling "an important victory not just for us, but also for the billions of people around the world who use the web to communicate and share experiences with each other."
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Kroes: EU must improve spectrum allocationThe European Union must update and improve its allocation of spectrum for radio frequencies as part of the Digital Agenda for Europe, according to the European Digital Agenda commissioner.
Neelie Kroes said at the Annual European Spectrum Management Conference that member states need to work together to ensure that spectrum is being used as efficiently as possible.
"We should launch an effective review (and an inventory) of current spectrum use, with the aim of identifying old and inefficient technologies, unused assignments and sharing opportunities," she said.
"Like many issues in the Digital Agenda, successful spectrum policy pivots around efficiency and prioritisation and, like many items of the Digital Agenda, the technological challenges come together with wider political and cultural challenges."
Kroes explained that this is crucial in improving the deployment of wireless broadband, and that, while the harmonisation of the 100MHz spectrum is welcome, more needs to be done to hit targets.
"Wireless broadband will have a big role to play, yet there are many remaining issues. Some spectrum has not been released, and some existing assignments are not flexible enough to allow the deployment of new broadband technologies," she said.
"For these reasons the Radio Spectrum Policy Programme will be critical for meeting our wider European targets of 100 per cent broadband coverage with increasing speeds."
Kroes insisted that more work needs to be done in the fields of research and development to improve the technological use of spectrum, including cognitive radio. "These are still relatively unknown, but they have the potential to significantly increase spectrum sharing and efficiency, so we cannot allow a mistrust of change to get in the way of progress," she said.
However, Kroes warned that the market must "settle on a spectrum regime that safeguards competition and encourages innovation. We do not want a regime that encourages monopolist or cartel behaviour, nor one that slows down innovation, or favours a particular technology."
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Ofcom net neutrality debate opens
Ofcom has published its promised discussion paper on internet traffic management. It says the paper is to open up a discussion on how these existing and future powers might be used to address traffic management concerns and what stance Ofcom should take on any potential anti-competitive discrimination. It also raises questions about transparency and consumers’ awareness of the traffic management policy of the broadband service they have paid for.
"New EU rules give regulators a clear responsibility to address the emerging issues around traffic management. The question is how Ofcom uses these and existing powers to further the interests of consumers, while supporting vibrant, innovative content production and network deployment," said Ofcom Chief Executive, Ed Richards.
"At the heart of this discussion is how to ensure that traffic management practices are transparent and how to ensure that traffic management is not used for anti-competitive discrimination."
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Google: Online video at ‘advertising tipping point’Online video is reaching a "tipping point for digital display advertising", according to Google VP for global media and platforms Henrique de Castro. He claimed the average European now watches 26 hours of TV a week, of which around 18 hours is spent online.
"Online video is becoming mainstream. More premium content is becoming available as it’s distributed where the audience is. Internet-connected TV is going to be a reality. It will dramatically change the ad industry forever. Ads will become interactive and delivered to individual TVs according to the user."
He added that apps like Google TV will drive convergence of TV and the internet. "You could be watching a film and searching for information on the actors in it at the same time in the same screen," he said. "So every medium will be internet powered and display enabled. The display space will increase from a $20 billion industry to a $200 billion one. Every medium will be social, so people can chat and watch TV at the same time on the same device. Brands should be ready to take advantage of this. This reality will emerge over the next three years."
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Arqiva to trial DTT 3D
From Colin Mann in LondonBroadcast infrastructure specialist Arqiva is planning a trial of 3D TV broadcasts over the UK digital terrestrial network. Although implementation of any commercial service is likely to be some years away, Mike Brooks, Head of Technical Development, says the company is "trying to understand the techniques" involved in the transmission of 3D.
Any such trial will require licensing from UK regulator Ofcom and will be to a closed group in a limited geographic area. "There is a need for content agreements as well," said Brooks. Steve Holebrook, Managing Director of Arqiva’s Terrestrial Broadcast Division suggested that the trial site would need to be where it wouldn’t cause interference with existing DTT services.
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England match triples web trafficWeb streaming of the England v Slovenia match from BBC saw Internet traffic more than triple as almost 1 million people logged on to watch from work The match kicked off at 3pm meaning many people were in the office when it happened.
Early figures from the BBC suggest the total number of 'concurrent streams' peaked at 800,000 although the total number of viewers will be many times higher. The BBC said this was a viewing record.
That, according to Demon Internet, saw Internet use increase by 55 per cent solely during the game compared to an ordinary working Wednesday afternoon, compared with a 38 per cent increase during the first World Cup game between Mexico and South Africa on June 11th.
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Discovery and Sky order 3D shows from RenegadeUK indie producer Renegade Pictures will make two 3D dramas for BSkyB in the UK and a 3D series for Discovery's upcoming 3D channel in the US. The triple order follows Renegade's success last year with The Queen in 3D, which aired on Channel 4 in the UK.
Renegade editorial director Alan Hayling said that the Sky projects are short dramas that were already with the broadcaster before it decided to super-size them as 3D shows for its 3D channel. The Discovery project meanwhile was pitched to the factual channel operator as a 3D project from the start. Hayling said the Discovery project would be delivered in time for the launch of its 3D channel, a joint venture with IMAX and Sony, in the US next January.
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CNN #1 international media brand for AfricaCNN is the undisputed leader of all international media brands in Africa, according to the debut EMS Africa survey, confirming CNN as the number 1 turn-to brand for both TV and online audiences, ahead of all other international news and entertainment channels and websites.
The results come following the network’s significant investment in both its regional and international news output last year. A new prime time wheel was introduced in September 2009 to complement its ongoing commitment to breaking news; and CNN.com relaunched in October with increased video content and interactive features. In the same period, CNN also ramped up its regionally-focussed programming with African Voices and CNN Marketplace Africa.
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Promax launches worldwide field meter for DVB-T2The Promax TV Explorer has extended its family with the TV Explorer HD+, the only portable meter ready for the new digital terrestrial television standard for second generation (DVB-T2).The TV Explorer HD+ is fully prepared for HDn and able to support all code-rates, bandwidths and constellations of the DVB-T2 standard, including the new rotated constellations, so it can analyse and demodulate all variants of DVB (DVB-T, DVB-T2, DVB-C, DVB-S and DVB-S2).
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Thursday 24th June
BBC must pay for fast access
Online helps C4 make break even
BPI attacks Google for linking to illegal downloads
Daytona night race to be shown 3D online, DirecTV
RGB Networks acquires RipCode
Widevine for Samsung connected devices
KidsCo in Monaco
Hastings joins mirada
BBC must pay for fast accessA portion of the BBC licence fee is set to be used to help pay for fast access broadband networks in UK rural areas. The new Con-Lib government has scrapped the planned £6 (E7.2) annual tax on users of fixed-line telephones to part-finance new broadband infrastructure in remote areas. Instead, the coalition will use the under spend of the portion of the BBC licence fee earmarked for assisting the transition from analogue to digital television, the so-called ‘digital dividend.’
About £800 million is earmarked from the licence fee over five years to help elderly and vulnerable people with DSO through to 2012, and not all of the money is expected to be spent. The anticipated under spend of £350 million will now go to extending fast access reach to areas where it is commercially unsustainable.
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Online helps C4 break evenChannel 4 made a tiny profit of £300,000 (E362,000) in 2009 thanks to a strong performance from digital TV which helped offset a £61.6 million loss on its main network.
The advertising recession, described by Channel 4 as the worst in its 28-year history, led to a 14 per cent year-on-year decline in advertising revenues for the broadcaster's main terrestrial network, from £668.7 million to £575.1 million. The channel's loss widened from £9.9 million in 2008.
Channel 4's digital TV services – E4, Film4, More4 and 4Music increased revenues by 4 per cent year on year to £181.3 million. This helped deliver a 43 per cent year-on-year rise in digital TV profits to £53.4 million.
Channel 4's Future Media division also made a positive financial contribution, turning in a pre-tax profit of £3 million, compared with a £7.3 million loss in 2008.
Revenues for the online business were down 2 per cent year on year to £32.8 million, but Channel 4 said "savings on platform costs" helped the division deliver a profit. A decline in online display advertising was also offset by improved revenues from VOD service 4oD, which saw a 60 per cent year-on-year increase in full-length programme views to 218 million.
Channel 4's overall turnover declined 8 per cent year on year to £830.3 million.
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BPI attacks Google for linking to illegal downloadsBritain's recording industry association, the BPI, has sent a cease-and-desist order to Google, asking the search engine to take down links to nine "one-click hosting" sites, each of which hosts thousands of illegal songs.
The BPI's formal complaint cites 38 links "that are available via Google's search engine, and [requests these] links be removed as soon a possible as they directly link to sound recordings owned by [BPI] members". While Google does not operate any of the infringing websites, search queries lead users to illegal downloads at sites such as MegaUpload, SendSpace and UserShare.
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Daytona night race to be shown 3D online, DirecTVNASCAR Media Group and Turner Sports have announced that NASCAR's first foray into 3D programming will take place with a special presentation of the Coke Zero 400 on July 3rd.
The 3D production will be made available through TNT RaceBuddy on NASCAR.COM as well as through DirecTV. Turner also will make the Cup Series race from Daytona available in 3D through DirecTV.
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RGB Networks, a specialist in network video processing, has taken three screen delivery to the next level with the acquisition of RipCode, a privately held developer of solutions for mobile IP video. RGB will incorporate RipCode’s technology into its Video Multiprocessing Gateway (VMG) enabling video service providers to cost-effectively deliver services to their subscribers on TVs, PCs and mobile devices.
"As video service providers consolidate their headends and build converged delivery networks, they require highly reliable IP video solutions that scale efficiently across all subscriber devices," said Jef Graham, CEO of RGB Networks. "With the integration of RipCode’s mobile delivery technology into our modular, high-density Video Multiprocessing Gateway, RGB can offer a unified content delivery solution for TV, PCs and mobile in a scalable, carrier-class platform."
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Widevine for Samsung connected devicesWidevine has signed a global agreement with Samsung Electronics to distribute Widevine's live and on-demand adaptive streaming, virtual DVD-like 'trick play' and digital rights management (DRM) on Samsung connected devices. These technologies from Widevine will enable Samsung to support TV Everywhere and over-the-top delivery initiatives from Internet content providers and large cable, satellite and telecommunication companies.
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KidsCo in MonacoKidsCo, the international children’s channel, has signed a partnership with Monaco Telecom, Monaco’s fixed and mobile telephony, Internet and television provider. KidsCo will be aired on Monaco Telecom’s IPTV platform 24 hours a day 7 days a week from June.
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Hastings joins mirada
mirada, the audiovisual content interaction specialist announces that interactive expert Paul Hastings has joined the team as UK Sales Director. "Paul’s background in TV production, interactive media and his experience of driving sales makes him the ideal person to drive mirada forward in the UK," says José Luis Vázquez, CEO, mirada.Hastings joins mirada from MiCard, the company that developed and deployed for Turner Broadcasting the world’s first interactive TV loyalty scheme.
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Wednesday 23rd June
Mobile operators test new IMB TV service
WarnerFilms joins LoveFilm
STB market hits all time high
ITV gets social with news
On-Demand Group launches SVOD movie service
CNN and AP part ways
TV ad banners on Fastweb
SonicPlayer launches TVG platform
Amino ships 3m units
Sling for Android
Mobile operators test new IMB TV serviceO2, Orange, and Vodafone have teamed up to test a new TV broadcast service which would allow British mobile phone users the chance to watch TV channels on their handsets.
They are testing technology which would enable them to provide broadcast TV over their existing 3G mobile phone spectrum, without slowing up their networks, which are being used by smartphone users to access the web and send emails.
The operators are working with Ericsson, IPWireless, and Streamezzo on a three-month trial of integrated mobile broadcast (IMB) technology in west London starting in October. IMB uses part of the airwaves the operators gained during the sale of 3G spectrum in the early 2000s.
This spectrum is perfect for broadcast services as it is "unpaired" – it cannot be used to send and receive signals so it is not used for mobile phone calls. But because it is part of the existing spectrum it works with the phone companies' systems, making it easy to bill customers. This spectrum is available to more than 150 operators across 60 countries covering more than half a billion subscribers.
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WarnerFilms joins LoveFilmLoveFilm has struck a deal with Warner Bros Entertainment to run its subscription video-on-demand service WarnerFilms on the LoveFilm player.The multi-year distribution deal will see a range of Warner Bros UK’s releases offered on a pay-per-view basis.
WarnerFilms viewers can watch 28 films a month, online and via web-enabled TVs, with seven titles added each week. New releases will be made available to LoveFilm members on a pay-per-view basis when they’re released on DVD. They will then be available to rent on DVD and Blu-ray 28 days after the retail release.
Last month LoveFilm kicked off a month-long campaign with film studios Dreamworks, Momentum and Paramount, allowing members to watch thousands of films and TV series online for free via the LoveFilm player.
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STB market hits all time high
Global demand for digital STBs hit a new high in 2009, with worldwide STB unit shipments increasing 11 per cent, reports In-Stat. Record demand for both satellite and terrestrial set top boxes fuelled the market growth.But the market still faces challenges in the future. "The STB market will be solid for the next few years. However, there are some emerging threats that will test the market’s long-term viability," says Mike Paxton, an analyst at In-Stat.
Research by In-Stat found the following:
- Unit shipments in 2010 are projected to decrease slightly, returning to 2008 levels.
- Hybrid STBs that integrate IP video with an existing broadcast platform will ship in significant numbers in 2011, particularly in Europe.
-Sustained demand for advanced set top box products like HD-capable STBs and PVR-enabled products, coupled with the continuing analogue-to-digital transition, will keep the STB market vibrant through at least 2012.
- Satellite STBs, the largest market segment, accounted for 48 per cent of 2009 global STB unit shipments.
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ITV gets social with newsITV News is to incorporate social media into its TV bulletins as it launches a year-long strand which will follow a panel of viewers as they deal with the impact of measures announced in today's budget.
Starting this week, ITV news bulletins will frequently incorporate social media, by encouraging viewers to ask questions of reporters and financial experts during the news. At first it will be limited to the early evening news but ITV plans to expand it to News at Ten.
Meanwhile, despite teething problems, ITV is hailing the success of ITV Live World Cup coverage saying it clocked more than one million users during the first week. It peaked with 204,000 uniques during the Holland-Denmark match and is averaging 130,000 uniques per game, ITV says. England’s games against USA and Algeria, which were both at evening-time, attracted 90,000 and 121,000 uniques respectively.
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On-Demand Group launches SVOD movie serviceThree-screen VOD enabler On Demand Group has launched a TV subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) movie service over SFR Neuf’s network to add to the transactional VOD service launched in January 2010.
Working with major Hollywood studios, the SVOD service will allow SFR Neuf viewers to watch a selection of movies for a monthly subscription. Content is processed and delivered from On Demand Group’s London content factory, with many new titles added to the library each month. The SVOD and TVOD services will reach more than two million homes with blockbusters and classic library titles, all on-demand with full DVD-like functionality to pause, rewind and fast-forward.
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CNN and AP part waysCNN has confirmed will end a 30-year relationship with the Associated Press as the cable news network invests more heavily in original reporting. The network, which runs the most popular US news website, realised that it was unable to redistribute some material that it did not generate itself as it launched businesses on platforms such as mobile devices.
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TV ad banners on FastwebFastweb has unveiled a new advertising and marketing service. With this new service, advertisers are able to communicate and interact with Fastweb TV households directly on the TV screen with a breadth of interactive formats.
The service is enabled by a technology developed by justAd.TV that allows Internet advertising campaigns to run on TV STBs. These banners are displayed on the television screen when the viewer pauses the video or when fast-forwarding, without interrupting the viewer experience. With this technology, Italian advertisers now have a single campaign for both Internet and TV audiences.
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SonicPlayer launches TVG platformSonicPlayer has unveiled a technology they believe will revolutionise the way mobile developers create applications for iPhone, iPad, and Android devices. The technology called TVG makes it possible for publishers to instantly create live television channels and for developers to create slick mobile TV apps for iPhone and Android or to easily add live television to their existing mobile applications. The TVG Studio platform also has an SDK for creating live television applications in Adobe Flash.
The company projects that the accessibility of this technology will make Internet and mobile television more widespread than ever, and as a result, the number of live Internet and mobile television channels available on the web will quadruple by 2011.
"Live Television is a major social experience," says Moses Johnson creator of the TVG Studio technology. " This is epitomised by watching the same thing at the same time, and that opens the door for social interactions such as chat and the real-time exchange of ideas and conversations. As a development platform TVG is revolutionising interactive social experiences on web and mobile in a way that is unprecedented and we want to quickly get these tools in the hands of developers and content creators so the party can begin".
The SonicPlayer’s next goals include bringing the TVG platform game consoles such as XBOX, PS3, Wii, Sony PSP, and Nintendo 3DS enabling game developers to integrate live broadcasts inside their multi-player games.
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Amino ships 3m unitsAmino Communications, the IPTV specialist, has sold and shipped its three millionth STB, just over a year after hitting the two million sales mark.
This latest milestone was reached last month with the sale of STBs to a distributor for Eastern Europe, where the company has enjoyed significant success over the last five years including contract wins with several major network operators. This year, Amino has announced a string of deals, including its first contract to supply its new Intel-backed hybrid/OTT technology to a major Western European operator.
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Sling for AndroidSling Media has announced the availability of its SlingPlayer Mobile application for Android Smartphones. The all new application gives Android phone users easy access to their home TV experience anywhere they have mobile phone or Wi-Fi internet access. Now anyone with an Android phone never has to miss a favourite TV show when they're away from home.
"We're committed to the Android platform, and users of our new and improved SlingPlayer Mobile application will experience one of the most complete mobile television experiences available today," said Sling Media Senior Vice President and General Manager John Gilmore. "Now the full spectrum of viewing, including local channels and sports teams, video on demand, pay per view and even control of their home DVR, is available to the growing number of people moving to Android."
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Tuesday 22nd June
Liberty to spin off Capital, Starz units
Reliance, CBS joint TV venture
BBC Worldwide pay-for-play gaming
Mobile and Internet video still struggling for pricing model
Nintendo 3D without glasses
C4 cuts ready for convergence
SARFT, MIIT develop 3D TV standards
Tesco launches first Freeview+ HD PVR
ESPN America HD on Sky
International support for Technicolor 3D
NDS selected by Comcast for tru2way implementations
Ericsson enables HYA Cable to offer advanced TV
Liberty to spin off Capital, Starz unitsLiberty Media has confirmed plans to spin-off two of its units - investment arm Liberty Capital and pay TV and studio unit Liberty Starz.
Liberty, which has been criticised for its opaque structure, currently trades under three tracking stocks: Liberty Starz and Liberty Capital, and Liberty Interactive, which holds assets including interests in QVC, Internet company IAC/InterActiveCorp, and travel web site Expedia.
Greg Maffei, the company's chief executive, said that the split will create more transparency for the business and will help the company "to better pursue our strategic objectives, including acquisitions using stock." He expects the split-off to occur in late 2010 or early 2011.
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Reliance, CBS joint TV ventureReliance Media World plans to enter into a joint venture with CBS Studios International to own and operate a portfolio of television channels in India.
The venture—in which Reliance Media World and CBS will own equal stakes—initially will broadcast English language general entertainment channels. The companies plan to explore Hindi language and regional-language entertainment channels in its next phase.
The two companies have signed a preliminary, non-binding term sheet and are currently in negotiations for setting up the proposed venture.
The venture marks Reliance Media World's entry into the television-broadcast space. The company, part of the Reliance ADA Group, currently has operations in radio, marketing and advertising.
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BBC Worldwide pay-for-play gamingBBC Worldwide is to make its first foray into pay-to-play gaming linked to TV programming with an online version of The Weakest Link. It already offers a free version of the Anne Robinson-fronted BBC knockout quiz, and will now charge players a variety of amounts from £1 (E1.2) to play. BBC Worldwide has teamed up with Amuso.com, the two-year old venture backed by investors behind Skype and Joost. The BBC will promote the new pay-to-play game at the end of its terrestrial broadcast of Weakest Link.
Last month BBC director general Mark Thompson revealed that the operation will record profits of about £140 million in the year to the end of March, up from £103 million the year before, with official figures to be published in about two weeks.
BBC Worldwide executives will be exempt from the ban on bonuses for BBC executives.
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Mobile and Internet video still struggling for pricing modelCFOs from 75 of the world’s largest media and entertainment companies are optimistic about revenue potential from the Internet and mobile devices in spite of declining revenues, according to Ernst & Young’s 2010 global media and entertainment CFO study.
"The phenomenal proliferation of digital entertainment among consumers continues to challenge media and entertainment companies," said John Nendick, Global Media & Entertainment Leader for Ernst & Young LLP. "Revenues are dropping due to the unbundling of media and the reduction of per unit pricing is challenging CFOs to identify innovative ways to reach their financial objectives. However, as the demand for digitally delivered entertainment continues to increase significantly, CFOs feel optimistic about revenue potential."
Given the discrepancy between increasing consumption of digital content and falling revenues, CFOs surveyed agreed that the industry must determine if and how much they can bundle media content and then settle on appropriate pricing. Ernst & Young analysis indicates that by 2012, the average per unit price of video and music content will decrease by almost 25 per cent from the per unit price in 2009. This would be on the heels of the 55 per cent decrease of the price of music and the 12 per cent decrease of the price of video between 2006 and 2009. Currently, the average per unit price of music is $3 and $6 for video.
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Nintendo 3D without glasses
At E3, the video-game industry’s annual showcase, the star of the show was Nintendo’s 3DS. The 3DS displays true 3D images without the use of special glasses. Unlike many 3D movies with objects that might appear to come whizzing out at you, the 3DS images appear to have depth that recedes into the screen.The technology, known as a parallax system, works because the user holds the unit directly in front of the eyes at a fixed distance.
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C4 cuts ready for convergenceChannel 4 is to cut its senior management by a quarter and combine its online and broadcast editorial teams as part of a restructure announced by new chief executive David Abraham. Channel 4 will now combine its commissioning and creative activities into a single cross-platform content division led by a chief creative officer, combining the roles of director of TV and content and head of Channel 4.
Julian Bellamy, currently head of Channel 4, will act as chief creative officer while the recruitment process is undertaken and has been invited to apply for the role. In April former director of TV and content Kevin Lygo announced he was to join ITV.
Group finance director Anne Bulford has been promoted to chief operating officer and she will now have responsibility for the strategy department, commercial and business development and technology operations in addition to finance, legal and compliance and commercial affairs.
Andy Barnes will continue to head Channel 4's ad sales team as director of sales and will continue to report to Abraham. The performance review of the commercial team conducted by Barnes with Boston Consulting Group is scheduled to finish in early July.
The restructure will halve the number of direct reports to Abraham from 13 to six and it is intended that the senior management group will be reduced by 25 per cent or 12 posts, before the end of 2010. This will be achieved by not replacing current vacancies and by a small number of redundancies.
Abraham said: "We are going further than any other broadcaster has yet gone to fully integrate our commissioning and content teams as we anticipate the tipping point in the convergence of television with other media."
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SARFT, MIIT develop 3D TV standards
The State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT) has begun formulating industry standards for 3D TV broadcasting. Seven or eight domestic TV stations have plans to launch stereoscopic channels or programmes, according reports.
The China Electronics Standardisation Institute, an affiliate of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, is said to be compiling a glossary of 3D television-related terms and is developing 3D television image quality tests.
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Tesco launches first Freeview+ HD PVRTesco and IP Vision have launched the UK's first Freeview+ HD PVR Hybrid Box. The Technika SmartBox is now available in store and online, with 320Gb of memory.
The Technika SmartBox also allows users to access over 2000 hours of on-demand programmes via IP Vision's FetchTV platform. Services including the BBC iPlayer are accessed via an on-screen menu.
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ESPN America HD on SkyESPN America Hd is now available in the UK and Ireland for the first time. The new channel gives fans access to the best sporting action from the US in HD quality. The introduction of the channel brings the number of ESPN channels available in the UK to five, in addition to ESPN, ESPN HD, ESPN Classic and ESPN America. The launch also means ESPN is the only sports broadcaster, other than Sky, in the UK to offer two HD channels. ESPN America HD will be available to existing ESPN subscribers who have a Sky HD subscription at no extra cost.
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International support for Technicolor 3DFollowing on the successful launch of Technicolor 3D in North America, Technicolor has secured broad support from several major motion picture studios for the international release of theatrical content in the Technicolor 3D format. Studios providing international support are DreamWorks, Universal Pictures, Paramount Pictures, The Weinstein Company and Warner Bros. The first international release in Technicolor 3D will be Shrek Forever After from DreamWorks Animation in Germany. Other countries included in the international launch of Technicolor 3D are the UK, Spain, Italy, and Japan.
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NDS selected by Comcast for tru2way implementationsNDS has been chosen by Comcast to be the Prime Integrator of the company’s tru2way software integration project that utilises the Cable Labs tru2way Reference Implementation (RI). Under this agreement, NDS’ Professional Services Group will lead testing, code development and success validation for the integration of new tru2way applications and devices for Comcast.
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Ericsson enables HYA Cable to offer advanced TVEricsson has provided Hsin Yeong An (HYA) Cable, the Taiwanese cable operator, with a fully redundant head-end solution that enables it to offer subscribers a richer, more advanced service. The Ericsson solution will enable HYA Cable to provide consumers with increased channel choice and HD programming.
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Monday 21st June
Sky Sports on DTT as TopUp joins appeals
FCC homes in on broadband control
US pay TV operators add 1.7m subs in Q1
OnLive launches cloud gaming
OIPF demos end-to-end IPTV delivery
RCom to hive off DTH, IPTV into separate company
Canal+ selects IBM content management
EPIX subscriber authentication deployment
Sky Sports on DTT as TopUp joins appeals
Ofcom has approved the use of DTT spectrum freed up by DSO for Sky Sports 1 and 2 paving the way for BT to offer the channels as part of BT Vision. Like Virgin, BT will a (more) aggressively priced package reflecting the regulated wholesale prices imposed on Sky in March.
Both Virgin and BT will offer the channels under a compromise deal made in April where the difference between the ‘Sky price’ and the ‘regulated price’ will be paid into an escrow account pending the outcome of the various appeals – Sky is appealing to have the regulation removed while both Virgin and BT are appealing for the pricing to be further reduced and regulation to be extended to Sky Sports 3&4.
Meanwhile, the pay DTT outfit TopUp TV has launched an appeal against Ofcom proposals to allow Sky to run its ‘Picnic’ pay-TV service on the UK DTT platform – this was the ‘flip side’ of Ofcom’s price regulation of Sky and something Sky, at the time, dismissed as a worthless sop.
TopUp – which was one of the companies that lobbied Ofcom to regulate Sky’s pricing – says allowing Picnic (Sky’s pay DTT proposition) will damage its business; it says Ofcom’s contention that any anti-competitive impacts were ‘outweighed’ by the wholesale price regulation were, in its case, false and the introduction of Picnic will simply allow Sky to distort competition on another platform.
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FCC homes in on broadband controlBy a party-line split vote of 3 to 2 the FCC has moved toward giving itself the authority to regulate the transmission component of broadband service, a power the commission’s Democratic majority believes is central to expanding the availability of broadband.
The next step is invite public comment on the proposal to overturn a previous Commission ruling that classified broadband transmission as a lightly regulated information service. The proposal would designate broadband transmission as a telecommunications service, which, as with telephone service, would make it subject to stricter regulation.
The Commission has said it intends ‘a third way’ between over and under regulation and will exempt broadband from most of the regulatory options it has under the stricter designation, keeping only those regulations that are necessary "to implement fundamental universal service, competition and market entry, and consumer protection policies."
The FCC. began reconsidering its broadband regulation policies after a federal court of appeals in April invalidated the ‘net neutrality’ approach that the commission had long taken. The FCC claimed that Comcast had breached this principal in blocking access by its users to BitTorrent, a file-sharing service, the court said Comcast had the right to do so. In an attempt to recapture the ability to regulate traffic management, the FCC has said it will not seek to rule on content or consumer pricing.
The debate will inevitably set network providers against service providers and sets the scene for an enormous lobbying bonanza.
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US pay TV operators add 1.7m subs in Q1US pay TV service providers added nearly two million additional subscribers in the first quarter of 2010, despite an increasing threat from "Over the Top" services such as Netflix, Hulu, and YouTube, according to a report published by analyst firm Strategy Analytics.
"Over-the-top video services—both ad-supported and paid—are widely viewed as a threat to pay TV operators," said Jia Wu, Analyst at Strategy Analytics Digital Consumer Practice and author of the report. "However, despite the disruption caused by OTT, US pay TV providers continue to grow both revenues and subscribers."The threat of OTT must not be completely ignored, however. Survey research conducted by Strategy Analytics in 2009 showed that US consumers perceive a relatively low "value for money" for pay television services. The pay television industry is banking on its "TV Everywhere" initiative, aimed at offering subscriber content on multiple screens, to counter the threat of OTT, according to the report.
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OnLive launches cloud gamingOnLive, a potentially revolutionary online gaming service, has been launched at the annual E3 video game trade show to cautious support from the industry.
The first large "cloud gaming" service aims to stream console versions of games over the Internet to tens of thousands of players at once, removing the need for the console or for games to be bought in stores. The service initially makes 23 titles available.
"We are using the Internet and computers in ways that have never been tried before," said Steve Perlman, OnLive founder and chief executive, in a blog note. "Like any new technology, you can expect a few bumps on take-off, until we reach cruising altitude and achieve a smooth flight."
The digital service is attractive to games publishers in removing the costs of making and distributing packaged goods. They could cut out the cost of retailers and avoid both paying licensing fees to console makers and losing sales in the used disk-based games trade. But publishers are cautious about putting brand new releases on an unproven service and risking upsetting established relationships with retailers.
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OIPF demos end-to-end IPTV delivery
The OIPF (Open IPTV Forum) has announced the successful completion of its second Interoperability Event which culminated in demonstrations of end-to-end IPTV delivery across interoperable equipment and services from OIPF members.
The OIPF specifications segregate the IPTV delivery chain into three key areas: terminal, gateway and head-end. The terminal function was represented in the interoperability event by both set-top-boxes and television sets. These terminal devices notably included protected content delivery and a range of basic TV services, combined with rich interactive applications. The gateways provided crucial intermediary protocol translation, mediation and login (user personalisation) capabilities. Head-end provision covered the delivery of VOD (video on demand) and linear television, protected video content and multiple service provider "bouquets" of services and applications.
The successful combination of these different capabilities meant that the participating OIPF member companies were able to demonstrate the interoperability of their development products delivering the switching of service providers, protected VOD and linear TV content, and a wide range of services and applications, including rich web-based services/applications.
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RCom to hive off DTH, IPTV into separate companyReliance Communications is planning to hive off its DTH and IPTV businesses in India into a separate company titled Reliance Digital Works. RCom plans to bring multi-system operators (MSOs) and foreign investors into the new company for funding its expansion plans, according to reports .
Currently, the group operates the DTH business under the brand name Reliance Big TV, which is a subsidiary of Reliance Communications. It has about 2.3 million subscribers.
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Canal+ selects IBM content managementIBM has announced today that Canal+ Group, the leading pay-TV service provider in France, has signed a contract with IBM to transform the way it processes and delivers its programming and services to distribution channels.
Working with IBM, Canal+ will transform its entire digital supply chain for Canal+ Group premium and thematic channels from point of origin (content provider) to the delivery for distribution platforms (satellite, DTT, cable, DSL and mobile). This strategic initiative will help Canal+ to lower costs, speed up the time it takes to bring on air new programming and content, and provide it with the flexibility to better serve existing distribution channels as well as key emerging growth areas.
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EPIX subscriber authentication deploymentAs online video viewership is steadily increasing and technology leaders champion the proliferation of mobile devices as an emerging means for media consumption, EPIX is rolling out the first broad-scale deployment of subscriber authentication to enable online viewing. The multiplatform entertainment service has launched its online platform, EpixHD.com, for Cox Communications and Mediacom Communications customers and will introduce authentication with Charter Communications in July.
Now, in addition to viewing the linear channel and SVOD offering of over 150 HD and SD movies each month, EPIX subscribers will have access to the entire line-up online.
Charter, Mediacom and Cox launched the EPIX channel and SVOD service in April and are supporting the introduction of the third platform, EpixHD.com, with launch marketing campaigns that include free previews in June and July.
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