Advanced Television

Apple gives back $100

A furious response from early adopters to the $200 (E146) cut in iPhone prices has seen Apple give $100 credit notes to all early purchasers. The company posted an open letter from CEO Steve Jobs on its Web site defending the decision to cut the price of the 8GB iPhone from $599 to $399, but […]

September 10, 2007

Interactive local DTT tests under way in Spain

From David Del Valle in Madrid Spain is to make interactive MHP-based DTT tests in two towns in San Juan de Aznalfarache and Castilleja de la Cuesta, in the province of Seville, in the south of Spain. Aljarafe Television will be launching next week its digital TV channel covering all the Seville demarcation with around […]

September 10, 2007

US Cable and NAB explain digital

The US cable television industry has launched a $200 million (E146m) advertising campaign to assure customers they will still be able programmes after the transition to digital broadcasting. Ad spots open with a graphic that reads: “By law TV stations will end analogue broadcasts on February 17, 2009, and broadcast exclusively in digital.” That will […]

September 10, 2007

Virgin news channel?

Virgin Media is exploring the possibility of launching a dedicated news channel with ITN as content supplier. The mooted Virgin News, which would likely broadcast on a 24-hour rolling format, would effectively complete the replacement of Sky's basic channels package, which was removed from the cable broadcaster's platform, following confirmed plans for general entertainment channel […]

September 10, 2007

Motorola ships 2m IP STBs

Motorola has shipped its two millionth Internet Protocol (IP) set-top box. The milestone was reached just five months after the shipment of its one millionth IP set-top box. The landmark demonstrates the rapid expansion of the IPTV market. The two millionth set-top – a VIP1510 – was shipped as part of the provision of 150,000 […]

September 10, 2007

Qualcomm and TeamCast expand MediaFLO

Qualcomm, developer of advanced wireless technologies and mobile data solutions, has licensed its FLO modulator software to France-based TeamCast, a company that develops equipment for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) serving the mobile TV transmission industry. The agreement enables TeamCast to accelerate development of FLO-compliant modulators for mobile TV transmissions, which can then be integrated into […]

September 10, 2007

Babelgum looks East

Babelgum, the Ireland-based online TV outfit, aims to open in the Chinese market early in 2008. The company plans to add Chinese-language original content in the first quarter of next year”.

September 10, 2007

RRSat extends reach with Intelsat

Intelsat, provider of commercial satellite services, has confirmed that RRSat Global Communications, a global provider of end-to-end transmission and production services for broadcasters, will use the Intelsat global network to expand RRSat's programming transmissions services seamlessly across three continents. RRSat has contracted for capacity on Intelsat's Galaxy 23 and Intelsat 10 satellites for content broadcasting […]

September 10, 2007

RGB global reseller agreement with Tandberg

From Colin Mann in Amsterdam Network video processing specialist RGB Networks has signed a global reseller agreement with Tandberg Television. The agreement will see Tandberg integrate RGB's Broadcast Network Processor (BNP) with its iSIS 8000 IP headend and video processing solutions for satellite, cable, telco and terrestrial networks. The deal will also provide RGB with […]

September 10, 2007

DIC launches kid's channel

DIC Entertainment has launched KidsCo, a joint venture children’s channel it owns along with Sparrowhawk Media and Corus Entertainment, in Romania, Hungary, Russia, Turkey, and Poland. The children’s brand management company said carriage deals have been signed in Ukraine, where KidsCo will be launched next month, and in Asia Pacific, which will receive the service […]

September 10, 2007