Advanced Television

Broadcast

BT: more Phorm tests

BT will begin further trials in the next few weeks of a controversial advertising technology that it hopes will give it a slice of the lucrative online advertising market. The group is one of three UK internet service providers which have conducted trials of technology developed by Phorm, an Aim-listed company, which tracks the web-surfing […]

July 18, 2008

Hong Kong DTT coverage boosted to 75%

Two of the six new transmitting stations that will eventually extend free coverage of digital-terrestrial television (DTT) to 75 per cent of the Hong Kong population in time for the Beijing Olympics have launched.The two stations extend DTT coverage in the territory by another 25 per cent. The already operational main transmitting station at Temple […]

July 18, 2008

PS3 movies

Sony has begun offering a video-downloading service for its PlayStation 3 video games console, part of its aim to broaden its audience and grab a piece of the growing content-downloading market. The launch also reflects the push by Sony Chief Executive Howard Stringer to get its business units to work more closely with one another.Sony […]

July 17, 2008

Sky Italia on Pace

Sky Italia has chosen Pace as its launch partner for high definition personal video recorders (HD PVRs) for the launch of its HD PVR service. The Pace HD PVR (model TDS850NS) comes with dual DVB-S2 tuners, H.264 compression and a 250GB hard drive to store up to 60 hours of HD programming. It comes integrated […]

July 17, 2008

Airplus TV challenges Portuguese DTT decision

From Branislav Pekic in Rome Acting on the deadline for appeals, Swedish company Airplus TV has requested that Portuguese telecommunications regulator Anacom names "a new [independent] and capable" jury for the public tender that will award the licence to run Portugal's Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) platform.Speaking at a press conference in Lisbon, the president of […]

July 17, 2008

Poland: DTT multiplex 3?

Poland could launch a third DTT multiplex as part of its switchover. Regulators the Office of Electronic Communications (UKE) and National Broadcasting Council (KRRiT) may use the 20 per cent of frequencies allocated to Poland that have not already been earmarked for two planned multiplexes by setting up a third.The new multiplex would carry a […]

July 17, 2008

YouTube and Viacom privacy compromise

Google has struck a deal to protect the personal data of millions of YouTube users in the $1 billion copyright court case brought against the video-sharing website by Viacom. Under the deal, Google will make user information and IP addresses from its YouTube subsidiary anonymous before handing over the data to Viacom in the US […]

July 16, 2008

Pay DTT channel for Spain

From David del Valle in MadridMediapro, main shareholder in the commercial TV channel La Sexta, is finalising the launch of a pay DTT channel to distribute premium sports events like the European Champions League and matches from the Spanish Football League, among other content, at a monthly fee between E17 and E18. Mediapro expects the […]

July 16, 2008

BBC: Huggers in and virtual IBM man

Erik Huggers has been confirmed by the BBC as its new director of future media and technology, replacing Ashley Highfield. The BBC has also hired an expert on virtual worlds as part of its efforts to bring its TV and internet output closer together. Roo Reynolds, who is currently a ';metaverse evangelist' at IBM, will […]

July 15, 2008

TV sports rights setback for Sogecable

From David Del Valle in MadridSogecable’s attempt to increase the value of its pay-TV unit Digital Plus for its eventual sale is being hindered by its competitors in the Spanish TV market. The company has suffered a new setback by losing the pay-TV rights to the European Champions League from 2009, to Mediapro, main shareholder […]

July 15, 2008