Advanced Television

UGV growth faster than expected

With significant growth in the Chinese market, the forecasts for User-Generated Video (UGV) use and revenue have shifted upward since last year, reports In-Stat. With expectations of higher quality content (e.g. HD video) and increasing file sizes, the demands on bandwidth will likely continue to grow at a faster rate than the number of files/videos […]

May 15, 2008

Vodafone bids for Tiscali

Vodafone has emerged as a surprise frontrunner to acquire Tiscali after submitting a £1.1 billion (E1.37bn) bid for the group. A possible deal would give Vodafone a fixed-line broadband presence in the UK, and allow it to merge Tiscali’s Italian operation with its Tele 2 business there. BSkyB, BT, Swisscom-owned Fastweb, and Italian mobiles group […]

May 15, 2008

Portugal Telecom teams up with TVI for HDTV

From Branislav Pekic in Rome Portugal Telecom has teamed up with national commercial broadcaster TVI to offer live coverage of the upcoming Euro 2008 in high definition to the subscribers of its pay-TV service Meo. All subscribers of the Meo IPTV and DTH service will be able be to follow, for no additional costs, from […]

May 15, 2008

PBS selects thePlatform

The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) in the US has chosen thePlatform to power its new online video initiative that will significantly increase the amount of PBS video available on both pbs.org and local PBS station Web sites. PBS will use thePlatform, the broadband video management and publishing company, to publish and manage its national broadband […]

May 15, 2008

Telcos remain in positive financial territory

The new worldwide IPTV Forecast from MRG confirms that the increased revenues of Telcos and IPTV Operators remain in positive financial territory, and are not negatively impacted by the global turmoil in the credit, oil and housing sectors. The forecast, based on most recently verified subscriber and revenue growth data, shows IPTV subscribers growing from […]

May 15, 2008

Sky's Picnic postponed

BSkyB’s plans to launch a pay-TV service on digital terrestrial television (DTT) will remain on hold following Ofcom's decision to launch a fresh consultation. The regulator has decided that an inquiry into the Sky/National Grid Wireless DTT proposal feeds into the wider pay-TV investigation and is effectively linking the two: “In the consultation Ofcom recognised […]

May 14, 2008

TV Cabo to launch VOD and HDTV services

From Branislav Pekic in Rome Portuguese pay-TV operator TV Cabo plans to launch new services for its cable and satellite subscribers such as VOD and HDTV, in a response to rival service Meo IPTV from Portugal Telecom. According to the head of marketing of Zon Multimédia (owner of TV Cabo), Luís Lopes, the pay-TV operator […]

May 14, 2008

New York cracks down on piracy

New York State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo has declared the state will ramp up its crack down on movie piracy, which estimates costs the state $2.6 billion and thousands of jobs. Cuomhas announced the Piracy Protection Act, which would make movie piracy a misdemeanour, then a felony for a repeat offence, which means potential jail […]

May 8, 2008

IPTV underdeveloped in Australia

The Australian market for IPTV and Internet video is less developed than many other international markets, with fewer than five IPTV providers and fifteen Internet video providers offering full-length professional content directly to consumers, according to a report by the Australian Communications and Media Authority. Industry participants interviewed for the study believed that IPTV and […]

May 8, 2008

RTL hit by ad decline

Pan European broadcaster RTL, owner of Channel Five, has admitted that the TV advertising market in the UK has been tough in the first quarter of 2008, as it reported an overall drop in underlying revenue of 2.9 per cent to E1.323billion. RTL said that its German broadcasting business had performed well, while the UK […]

May 8, 2008