Advanced Television

Scopus for Max TV

The Romanian MSO Digital Cable System (DCS) has selected Scopus' digital broadcast platform for its DTH service Max TV. Scopus will deploy a fourth transponder system in DCS' Bucharest headends. DCS groups together around 40 cable companies and launched Max TV, one of five DTH platforms serving the Romanian market, in July 2005.

August 27, 2007

Altech for Showtime

With the launch of the Show On Demand service Showtime customers with will be among the first in the world to access a video on demand service via satellite, with the Showbox (DSR3000 digital video recorder) developed and manufactured by Altech UEC. The complete Show On Demand application, head-end utility and network integration services were […]

August 27, 2007

P2P worth $28bn over five years

The worldwide market for peer-to-peer and file-sharing services is expected to generate nearly $28 billion (E20bn) in revenue for carriers and ISPs over the next five years. An ever increasing number of cellular and wireline service providers are offering legitimate file-sharing and downloading services geared to the requirements of their end-users. According to a new […]

August 27, 2007

DVRs in 20% of homes

DVRs in 20% of homes New consumer research from Leichtman Group found that over one in every five households in the United States now has a DVR up from about one in every thirteen households just two years ago. Other key findings include: The mean household income of DVR owners is 33 per cent above […]

August 27, 2007

Spanish soccer war hots up

From David Del Valle in Madrid The dispute between Sogecable, owner of Cuatro and Digital Plus, and Mediapro, shareholder in TV channel La Sexta, over football TV rights has intensified following the decision of Audiovisual Sport, the Sogecable-controlled company that manages the football rights to suspend providing football broadcasts to Mediapro over nonpayment of fees […]

August 26, 2007

FCC still backs a la carte

Federal Communications Commission chairman Kevin Martin isn't backing down stand for la carte, saying he believed it could benefit, not reduce, diversity. But he did apologised for upsetting civil-rights groups who complained about comments he made last week Nonethelss he said claims that interest groups weren't independent came from a Center for Public Integrity study. […]

August 26, 2007

Macquarie after C&M

A consortium including Macquarie Bank's South Korean private equity arm and MBK Partners is set to acquire a 30 per cent stake in the country's second biggest cable TV group and targeting the remaining shares. Macquarie Korea Fund has signed a preliminary deal to purchase the stake from Goldman Sachs for about $650m (E479m), and […]

August 26, 2007

IBM in second life

IBM sales representatives in Singapore, Malaysia and Australia will from Thursday staff the company’s virtual Business Centre in Second Life an online world where millions of participants create alter egos called avatars, buy property and interact with one another. The real reason why we’re doing this is because we do feel the beginning of a […]

August 26, 2007

BT, Sony video phone on PSP

BT Group and Sony have unveiled new software that will allow gamers using portable PlayStations to make video and voice calls and send instant messaging. They said the Go!Messenger wireless software for Sony’s PlayStation Portable (PSP) handheld game player was set for commercial launch in January 2008. In a battle for supremacy against Japanese rival […]

August 26, 2007

BSkyB extends deadline for Amstrad

Sky said its £125 million (E181m) offer would now close on 4 September, after revealing it had received acceptances for almost 86 per cent of Amstrad’s stock. UK competition watchdogs are now scrutinising the deal to see whether competition in the TV technology market will be affected. The two already have close links, with Amstrad […]

August 26, 2007