From Colin Mann in Geneva Senior executives from the Kudelski Group have reiterated the company's commitment to OpenTV, despite its failure to take control of convergent media solutions provider. Kudelski has made a non-binding proposal to acquire all of the Class A ordinary shares of OpenTV not currently owned by Kudelski or its affiliates, for […]

Macrovision Solutions Corporation has announced that Canal+ Group, a leading pay-TV operator in France, has signed a multi-year licensing agreement for Macrovision's electronic program guide (EPG) patent portfolio. The multi-year agreement allows Canal+ Group to use Macrovision's licensed intellectual property in its EPGs deployed on its various platforms. ….

Lionsgate said it will sell a 49% stake in TV Guide Network – which it recently acquired from Macrovision Solutions — to JPMorgan Chase’s private equity arm and TV producer Allen Shapiro for about $123 million in cash. One Equity Partners, the global private equity investment arm of JPMorgan Chase, will become a 49% equity […]

NDS Group has entered into a multiyear licensing agreement for Macrovision Solutions’ electronic programme guide patents. Under the agreement, NDS will be able to offer licensed EPGs to its pay-TV platform operator customers in specified countries. “We believe operators will benefit from having the option to license Gemstar’s EPG patents alongside NDS’ own leading technology […]

Macrovision Solutions Corporation says UPC Broadband has entered into a multi-year license for IPGs in several European countries. Meanwhile Macrovision has signed an agreement with UPC to distribute certain IPG and interactive television technologies developed by UPC to other service providers.

Sky is reportedly considering reopening its EPG slot queue to channels broadcasting in the HD. If so it would be the first time new channels could come directly on to the EPG since applications were closed in October 2007. Room for the additions would be made by a software download, following which the EPG available […]

TiVo and US satellite TV provider EchoStar return to a Texas court this week in the latest round of a longstanding fight over a TV recording technology patent. The legal dispute dates back to 2004, when TiVo charged that satellite TV provider EchoStar Communications Corp’s Dish network system violated TiVo’s patent for 'Time Warp' software, […]

The European Commission has cleared France's E99 million state aid for Quaero, the multimedia search index being built by a consortium of electronics and other companies. Former French president Jacques Chirac agreed to fund Thomson for the project back in 2005. The EC said the project in fact “brings positive externalities for the community as […]

Sky is planning a reshuffle of its electronic programme guide (EPG) to create more spaces in 13 of its genres. The broadcaster is planning to fill gaps created by channel launches and departures, with existing channels moving up in the guide. They will, however, retain their positions relative to each other. Six genres – lifestyle […]

Evolving Systems, provider of software solutions and services to the wireless, wireline and IP carrier market, has confirmed that its Tertio Service Activation solution and Tertio Service Verification solution have been selected by German broadband carrier Unitymedia to support their growth strategy for triple play services. Unitymedia’s core business is TV, with more than five […]