Advanced Television

Law OK for Phorm

Existing data protection and privacy laws in Britain are enough to protect consumers worried about controversial targeted advertising company Phorm monitoring Internet browsing, the government has said. More than 21,400 British consumers had signed a petition on a government Website asking lawmakers to investigate whether the service, which has been trialled by BT, breached existing […]

May 22, 2009

Netflix: "There’s plenty of room to grow"

Netflix may eventually double or quadruple its subscriber base, as the largest US movie-rental service via mail expands its video-streaming service to include more content and more electronic devices that can play it. Netflix may eventually be able to increase its number of customers to between 20 million and 40 million. While increasing its investment […]

May 22, 2009

Hisense launches mobile DTV terminals

Chinese consumer electronics manufacturer Hisense has launched two mobile digital TVs based on the DMB-TH and AVS national mobile DTV standards. The mobile televisions were produced using self-developed IP. Hisense has already signed an initial order of 30,000 units with Qingdao Guangdian Mobile Digital TV, who will provide a free trial of the devices to […]

May 22, 2009

Microsoft adds Netflix to Windows Media

Microsoft is adding Netflix to the list of content providers in its Windows Media Centre feature for Vista PCs as part of the company’s drive to give people more entertainment options on their computers. Microsoft already has a deal to deliver movies from Netflix through its Xbox game console, but people can only play back […]

May 22, 2009

Arima SMS integration with mobile TV

Telegent Systems, the company that makes television mobile, and Arima Communications, a leading Taiwanese handset ODM company, has revealed that Arima has enhanced its free-to-air TV handset design incorporating Telegent's mobile TV technology to enable consumers to send and receive SMS messages while watching live, free broadcast TV. The SMS-TV feature, which will be commercially […]

May 22, 2009

Macrovision to change name to Rovi

Macrovision Solutions Corporation, a digital entertainment technology leader, has announced its intention to formally change its name to Rovi. The Rovi brand is part of the company's new brand identity that includes a new corporate visual design. Macrovision will continue to operate under the Macrovision name until the annual meeting of stockholders being held on […]

May 22, 2009

European pay-TV top 10

From Branislav Pekic in Rome Italian consultancy e-Media Institute has published a list of the top 10 pay-TV operators via satellite, which sees BSkyB on top with 9.2 million subscribers in the UK and Ireland, 34% of all TV households. Canal Plus France is second with 5.3 million, followed by Sky Italia with 4.7 million […]

May 22, 2009

Ofcom Kangaroo conditions published

According to Ofcom and Sky, Project Canvas could need Office of Fair Trading scrutiny – but the final terms of the Project Kangaroo shutdown show the OFT already has significant control over the way BBC, ITV and Channel 4 can work together on VOD. The Competition Commission's draft final undertakings instruction, on how the Kangaroo […]

May 22, 2009

Sky1 commissioners migrate

Sky1 commissioners Donna Taberer, Andrew O’Connell and Nan Whittingham are leaving the satellite broadcaster to join their former boss Richard Woolfe at Channel Five. Taberer is to become Five’s head of entertainment, O’Connell has been appointed head of factual and Whittingham is moving to the broadcaster as head of production. All three will start their […]

May 22, 2009

CE Spending Drops

The US Consumer Electronics Association released a study finding that the average U.S. household spent $1,229 on consumer electronics in the past year, a drop of $176 from the same period last year. According to the survey, “the 11th Annual Household CE Ownership and Market Potential Study,” men spent an average of $902 while women […]

May 22, 2009