Advanced Television

BBC Global News expands on YouTube

BBC Global News has extended its relationship with online video community YouTube, by signing an agreement to add six BBC video news channels in Russian, Portuguese, Spanish, Arabic, Persian and Urdu to its existing BBC World News channel.In what is the first multi-language deal by a major international news broadcaster with YouTube, users will have […]

October 6, 2008

VUDU launches HDX

VUDU, provider of digital technologies and services that deliver Internet entertainment to consumers’ HDTVs and Home Theatres, has unveiled HDX, a video format that enables the viewing of Internet-delivered movie content in full HD 1080p format optimised for 40 inch and larger HDTVs and Home Theatres.HDX delivers the highest quality available from any Internet, broadcast, […]

October 6, 2008

Now Sky Italia on regulation rack

BSkyB is beset by competition enquiries and now Sky Italia is facing an investigation by the competition authority AGCOM into whether the pay-TV platform is abusing a dominant position.The probe, lead by the financial police, the Guardia di Finanza, was launched after a complaint from Conto TV, a third party channel carried on the Sky […]

October 6, 2008

Sky Italia cannot impose decoders

From Branislav Pekic in RomeA Magistrate in Naples has ruled that DTH operator Sky Italia cannot impose on its subscribers the use of its own digital box.In its ruling, the justice condemned Sky Italia for “breach of contract and contractual and personal damage” towards one of its clients, identified as Mr. V.D.P., defended by the […]

October 6, 2008

EC will ban help for C4

The European commission is likely to ban the government’s proposed £14m (E17.9m) aid to Channel 4 to meet the costs of the digital switchover and fulfill its public service broadcasting (PSB) commitments.Neelie Kroes, European competition commissioner has told the foreign secretary, David Miliband that Channel 4 had enough reserves and revenues to pay for its […]

October 6, 2008

Lord Carter is comms minister

Former Ofcom and NTL chief executive Stephen Carter has been named as minister for communications, technology and broadcasting in the House of Lords, as part of Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s reshuffle.Carter, who has been handed a peerage to take up his role in the House, said: “Given the global financial challenges, the communications sector has […]

October 6, 2008

Warner early release dates in Korea

Warner Brothers Entertainment has commenced releasing its films online in South Korea before they are released in the country on DVD, shaking up the time-honoured Hollywood distribution model and potentially paving the way for a sharp increase in movie downloads.The studio has targeted South Korea because it has high broadband penetration. It hopes that releasing […]

October 6, 2008

Viasat extends F1, UEFA rights

Viasat Broadcasting has concluded a comprehensive new agreement with Formula One Management (FOM) for the media rights to the FIA Formula One World Championship for Sweden, Norway and Denmark. The agreement provides Viasat with free- and pay-TV rights for the 2009, 2010 and 2011 Championships. Viasat already holds the exclusive rights for Sweden and Norway […]

October 6, 2008

BT ads mock packaged pay-TV

BT's new ads for its BT Vision service poke fun at subscription-heavy pay-TV rivals seeing a man flicking through a friend's fictional pay TV service and joking with him about the number of channels he pays for but never watches. The new ads, part of a £11 million (E14m) TV campaign, focus on how BT […]

October 6, 2008

Triple play “not enough”

From Colin Mann in Cologne Operators need to go beyond the triple play of voice, video and data, according to Bob McIntyre, CTO of Cisco's Service Provider Group. “Triple play is not enough,” he warned delegates attending the Broadband Summit at the ANGA Cable Congress.”The competitive edge will come with an integrated solution,” he suggested, […]

October 6, 2008