Advanced Television

Regulation

Viacom and sues Cablevision over iPad app

Viacom, which owns cable networks MTV and Nickelodeon, has sued to stop cable operator Cablevision from broadcasting its shows through an iPad application in the US. Cablevision recently released an iPad app that allows subscribers to watch live TV channels at home for no additional charge. Because the shows are only available for home viewing, […]

June 24, 2011

Investors object to PROTECT IP

More than 50 venture capitalists submitted a letter to the US Congress June 23, objecting to a piece of antipiracy legislation being mulled by the Senate. The VCs, most of whom invest in technology companies, argue that Preventing Real Online Threats to Economic Creativity and Theft of Intellectual Property Act, or PROTECT IP, would “stifle […]

June 24, 2011

Dutch enshrine mobile neutrality as regulator backs off cable

The Netherlands has become Europe’s first country to enshrine network neutrality in law by banning its mobile telephone operators from blocking or charging consumers extra for using Internet-based services like Skype . The measure, which was adopted with a broad majority in the lower house of the Dutch Parliament will prevent KPN, the incumbent telco […]

June 23, 2011

EU challenges Belgium access proposals

The European Commission has expressed a number of concerns on proposals by Belgian broadcasting and broadband regulators. In particular, the Commission is asking the Belgian regulators to take full account of market developments in both markets and to further substantiate and justify its reasoning with regard to the broadcasting market. The Commission believes Belgium hasn’t […]

June 22, 2011

BBC tests adaptive streaming for connected devices

The BBC has revealed it is testing HD adaptive streaming for connected devices. Andy Armstrong Technical Architect for Programmes and On Demand says in a blog that adaptive bit rate HTTP streaming may be the candidate technology that supports this aim. The test is using Wimbledon feeds and the BBC will be  using Adobe HTTP […]

June 22, 2011

Rovi and LG expand relationship with DivX agreements

Rovi and LG Electronics have signed multi-year licencing agreements that expand their relationship and provide further integration of DivX technology into a wider range of consumer electronics devices. LG’s latest agreements support its plans to continue to promote the technology on devices beyond Blu-ray Disc players, to ultimately include HDTVs, in-car players, set-top boxes, tablets […]

June 22, 2011

Millions set to watch Wimbledon in office

As Britain steels itself for a potential fortnight of ‘Murray-mania’, which will see the British Number 1 tennis player once again attempt to become the first ‘Grand Slam’ winner of the modern era, research suggests that millions of employees could tune in at work, with employers decreeing ‘business as usual’ during the Wimbledon tournament. However, […]

June 20, 2011By Colin Mann

Media Broadcast oversees DVB-T2 trials in Singapore

Media Broadcast, a company of the TDF Group and a European service provider to the broadcast and media industry, has been selected by the Media Development Authority of Singapore (MDA) to conduct a DVB-T2 technical trial in the city state. This technical trial sets the groundwork to enable free-to-air digital terrestrial TV reception using the […]

June 20, 2011

US: Illegal streaming could get 5 years jail

The US Senate Judiciary Committee has approved a measure that would make illegal streaming of video over the Internet a felony offence in some cases, and has sent the proposed legislation to the full Senate. The Bill, S. 978, would make illegal video streaming for commercial purposes a felony punishable by as much as five […]

June 17, 2011By Colin Mann

Russia enacts new Media Bill

Russian President Dmitriy Medvedev has signed into federal law new rules covering all aspects of “the mass media,” says the Kremlin press service. Russia’s State Duma (parliament) passed the law on 3 June 2011. The Federation Council approved it on 8 June 2011. Medvedev signed the new bill on June 14. In essence, the new […]

June 15, 2011By Chris Forrester