NDS has announced the deployment of a new version of MediaHighway middleware that allows subscribers to upgrade standard HD boxes into digital video recorders. Subscribers to Canal+ and CanalSat in France can attach an external hard drive via USB on their existing HD set-top box to have a fully functional DVR facility. The MediaHighway middleware […]

Days after Sky appealed that the UK Competition Commission has gone too far in telling it to reduce its 18 per cent stake to below 7.5 per cent, Virgin has appealed on the grounds it doesn't go far enough. Virgin want Sky out of ITV altogether saying it believes Sky's motivation in the deal was […]

The Federal Communications Commission is set to finally OK Liberty Media’s purchase of a controlling stake in DirecTV. The Justice Department is also reviewing the deal. The deal, which was announced in December of 2006, has Liberty taking a majority stake in the satellite TV provider through a $12 billion asset swap with News Corp. […]

SES Astra and French pay-TV group CANAL+ have revealed that the digital terrestrial free-TV offer TNTSAT has sold 350,000 receivers to French households. TNTSAT is a service for French TV viewers offering the whole range of terrestrial digital free-TV channels over the Astra satellites, and allowing a 100 per cent-coverage of the French territory.

Japan’s space agency has launched an experimental communications satellite designed to enable super high-speed data transmission in remote areas. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (Jaxa) said it hoped to enable data transmission of up to 1.2 gigabits per second at a low cost across Japan and in 19 different locations in South-East Asia through the […]

Internet giant Google has been rated the number one brand in the UK, according to a survey. The firm came top of the UK’s top 500 brands, in an annual survey conducted by research firm Superbrands and based on the views of 1,500 professionals. Google, which replaced the BBC in the top spot, is the […]

Pakistan’s government has banned access to the video-clip website YouTube because of anti-Islamic movies posted on the site. The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority told the country’s 70 Internet service providers that the popular website would be blocked until further notice. The banning temporarily brought the site down in some other areas. Pakistan is not the only […]

Communications equipment maker Motorola has acquired the assets of two Chinese firms in the digital cable set-top sector, as it seeks to expand its product range in China. Motorola has bought Zhejiang Dahua Digital Technology and Hangzhou Image Silicon, known collectively as Dahua Digital. It did not disclose financial details. Dahua Digital is a privately […]

Intelsat and SISLink, t provider of satellite uplink services in Europe, have formed a strategic alliance to launch an HD-ready automated video delivery service for satellite newsgathering (SNG) users in the United States. The strategic alliance will offer Intelsat uPod, a fully integrated broadcasting solution that will allow U.S. SNG operators to execute real-time broadcasting […]

SecureMedia, player in content protection software for secure video and multimedia delivery over IP networks, has confirmed that Vodafone Iceland has implemented and deployed the Encryptonite ONE System, protecting its next generation end-to-end IPTV offering. Vodafone Iceland offers mobile, fixed-line, FTTH and ADSL/ Internet services to individuals and companies throughout the country. Adding to this […]