Advanced Television

Chinese TV Makers Push for Web TV Standards

Along with nine major Chinese TV brands, the China Video Industry Association (CVIA) under The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MII) has filed applications for two industry standards for Web-enabled TV sets The standards are drafted mainly by CVIA, China Digital Home Industry Association (CDHIA), and Chinese TV makers such as TCL, Skyworth, and […]

December 11, 2009

Qwest going OTT

Qwest Communications continues to chart a unique course among major US telecom service providers, focusing on improving its broadband network in the belief that video content is moving rapidly to an over-the-top (OTT), on-demand model, Neil Cox, Qwest’s EVP for product and IT, said at the TM Forum-run event. “Only sports need to be live,” […]

December 10, 2009

E4 HD to launch on Sky

E4 HD, Channel 4's second dedicated HD channel, is to launch on the 14th December on Sky's HD service, Sky+HD. A simulcast of E4, the channel will provide access to a wide range of hits series to UK and Irish viewers in HD for the first time. The multi-year deal will see E4 HD incorporated […]

December 10, 2009

Disney joins FLO TV line-up

FLO TV, provider of the FLO TV live mobile TV service, has expanded its content distribution agreement with The Walt Disney Company to add content from the ABC Television Network and Disney Channel to its line-up, joining content already available on ESPN MobileTV. As part of the deal, FLO TV users will have access to […]

December 10, 2009

UK broadband tax details

The UK government’s controversial broadband tax has been detailed in the pre-Budget report. The £6 (E6.6) a year levy will be imposed on all households with a fixed line phone. The government would provide super-fast broadband to 90% of the UK by the end of 2017. The money is earmarked for the 30% of homes […]

December 10, 2009

Liberty examine MGM

Liberty Media Corp Chief Executive Officer Greg Maffei has said the company will look at the Hollywood studio and library assets of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, which is considering selling itself to the highest bidder. Maffei said the company would look at MGM for a possible transaction but said the assets are not a “must-have” for its Liberty […]

December 10, 2009

DVB-T2 in Finland

TeamCast, a specialist in mobile TV and DTT, is partnering with the Finnish operator DNA Oy – the operator selected by the Ministry of Transport and Telecommunications in Finland for the operation of two multiplexes in VHF frequency band, using the DVB-T2 standard (the new digital terrestrial broadcasting standard which supports HDTV programmes). The companies […]

December 10, 2009

Report urges global IPTV standard

A study by management consultancy Arthur D. Little has warned that without a single, global IPTV standard, the industry could fail to deliver. According to the report “Open standards for IPTV Set-Top Boxes,” with a variety of Internet-ready consoles already in the home (gaming platforms, PCs, DVD players), the industry has yet to reach a […]

December 10, 2009

ADB follows tru2way

From Colin Mann in Geneva Digital television technology specialist Advanced Digital Broadcast (ADB) has demonstrated live that it can deliver the promise of tru2way interactive technology for cable system operators, and consumers. At a recent CableLabs Interop event, ADB showed how its ADB-4820C high-definition set-top box could seamlessly support the full functionality of both Cisco […]

December 10, 2009

CBS sees advertising revival

CBS said the fourth quarter was better than the preceding three quarters, buoyed by higher prices paid for advertising time sold closer to when TV programmes aired. Advertising pricing is up more than 25 per cent and, combined with more advertisements sold, CBS is expecting to add $100 million more in sales for 2009 than […]

December 10, 2009