ViewCast joins Microsoft Silverlight initiative

Tag : Optical Fiber Distribution Frame

Europe’s mobile industry is cutting back spending on newnetworks and services as a growing regulatory burden from theEuropean Union puts profitability under pressure, according toGSMA, the global trade body for the mobile industry. To justify theimposition of retail price caps, the European Commission hasclaimed that mobile operators are making excessive profits, but theEuropean mobile industry’s return on capital employed was just9 per cent in 2006 compared with more than 20 per cent in software,pharmaceuticals and several other sectors, says managementconsultancy A.T. Kearney.
In its response to the European Commission’s publicconsultation on the voice roaming regulation, the GSMA warns thatEuropean mobile operators, on average, are only just covering theirweighted cost of capital and some of them are making an economicloss. A.T. Kearney estimates that ROCE for the mobile industry in2007 was equal to or slightly lower than the 2006 figure.
Historically, one of the leading investors in Europe, the EU mobileindustry’s capital spending has slipped from 13 per cent ofrevenue in 2005 to 12 per cent in 2006 to 11 per cent in 2007.However, heavy capital investment is needed to ensure thewidespread availability of advanced 3G networks, which enablemobile users to access the Internet and other multimedia servicesat broadband speeds. While the mobile industry’s technologyroadmap envisages further dramatic improvements in networkperformance and capacity, the speed of deployment of new networksmay be constrained by the mobile industry’s relatively lowlevel of profitability.

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Virgin warning illegal downloaders
Virgin Media has sent out warning letters to 800 of its customersin an attempt to crack down on illegal downloading. The letters arepart of a 10-week pilot programme run in conjunction with theBritish Phonographic Industry (BPI) - the body that representsrecord companies in the UK.
The BPI has been calling on ISPs to adopt a strict policy towardsInternet users who download copyrighted material, but Virgin Mediaopted for the formal letter approach rather than adopting the"three strikes and you're out" policy.
This is the stance the BPI wants all ISPs to take but only VirginMedia has signed up to any sort of measures at the moment - and itis only agreeing to "educate" its users for the meantime.The BPI says that thousands more letters will be sent, and then thetrial reviewed in mid-August.

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Telia erodes Boxer
The set-top ‘giveaway’ by incumbent Telia, is beingblamed for the slump in the number of subscribers to the DTT payplatform Boxer. Subs fell by 8,000 in the second quarter, bringingthe installed base to 701,000 still 23,000 more than at the samepoint in 2007.
"Competition in the Swedish pay-TV market is becoming tougherand tougher, not least since Telia launched IPTV a largescale," said Boxer MD Per Norman. "The most importantconsideration for Boxer at the present time is that we can developthe terrestrial network using new technology and offer programpackages which give even more value for money, and that we can growin new markets."

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Video no longer an afterthought
From Colin Mann in Salzburg
According to Maria-José Montpetit of Motorola’s Homeand Network Mobility Technology Office, video is now at the centreof a device’s design, where it was once an afterthought."Video is now a first-class citizen," she told delegatesat EuroITV.2008. "Devices are now designed for some kind ofvideo."
Delivering a keynote speech, she said the challenge was to tap intoa user’s perception that it is more a case of a user thinkingof ‘My Service’ than ‘My Device’ and identifythe difference between applications and services, as well asfeatures and benefits. "The device manufacturer can include afeature on a device, but someone who wants to make money from thatfeature has to add an application that will allow that tohappen." According to Montpetit, it is necessary to keepredesigning the TV offering to retain customers.

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DVDs and TV still soak up the dollars
A study from Knowledge Networks reveals that while consumers areturning to new video technologies – such as online streamingand mobile video – most of their video-related spendingcontinues to be on conventional sources such as DVD rentals andpurchases.
New findings from, How People Use the Video Marketplace, also showthat Generation Y (ages 13 to 29) – and, to a lesser extent,Generation X (ages 30 to 43) – is way ahead of Young Boomers(ages 44 to 54) in using emerging video sources, such as mobile andstreaming, but their spending on such video sources is notsignificantly higher.
The research is part of The Home Technology Monitor. The studyshows that the average person aged 13 to 54 spends roughly $31 permonth on video-related content. Of this, about $13 goes to TVservice, and another $13 to buying and renting DVDs; meanwhile,spending on emerging video distribution channels accounts for lessthan $5 combined.

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30% watch Internet TV
Almost a third of UK people under the age of 25 have watched TV viathe internet, according to research from the IPA. The IPATouchpoints report, which queried 5,400 people, revealed that 29per cent of people between the ages of 15 and 25 had watched TVonline, along with 18 per cent of adults between 25 and 64.
The report also said that 13 per cent of all mobile users watchvideo clips on their phones, with the figure rising to 30 per centfor 15-24 year olds. Overall broadband penetration now stands at 73per cent of all UK adults, with internet usage at an average of 45minutes on weekdays and 1.07 hours at weekends.

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Cablevision HD bonus to fight FiOS
Cablevision Systems will give customers another 15 freehigh-definition channels as it faces stiffer competition fromsatellite TV providers and Verizon. The cable operator said itwould add mainstream HD channels including Discovery, Nickelodeon,FX, FOX News, AMC and The Weather Channel to its line-up from July28, bringing its HD offering to 60 channels.

Cablevision said more than 1.1 million of its digital cablesubscribers have at least one high-definition TV and HD-enabledset-top box.
Verizon, which is in a fierce battle for TV subscribers withCablevision in New York's Long Island, currently offers 30 HDchannels on its FiOS TV service and said it would add another 30 inthe next couple of months.

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Broadband users spend half their free time online
The Internet has become a big part of the leisure-time activitiesof US consumers with broadband connections who spend nearly half oftheir free time each weekday online, according to a survey byNetpop Research. Respondents say they have on average 4.5 hours offree time each weekday and spend 2.2 of those hours on the web.
Many are multitasking, especially watching TV and going onlinesimultaneously. Four out of five say they have gone online whilewatching TV, and 39 per cent say they do so regularly, according toNetpop, a division of market research and consulting firmMedia-Screen LLC.
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Freeview re-brands recorders Freeview+
Freeview, the UK digital TV service, has announced the re-brandingof its Freeview Playback digital TV recorders (DTRs) as Freeview+.Over the coming months the Freeview+ name will roll out acrossretail and packaging, marking the start of Freeview’sincreased marketing efforts to drive awareness and sales of its DTRequipment.
In addition to providing access to subscription-free channels,Freeview+ boxes will offer a variety of integrated digitalrecording features including series record, one touch record froman eight-day programme guide and functionality to pause live TV.

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Time Warner joins MoCA
Time Warner Cable, the second largest cable television provider inthe US, has joined The Multimedia over Coax Alliance (MoCA) as aContributor level member. MoCA can now claim three of the largestcable companies in the US as members.
MoCA is an open, industry driven initiative promoting distributionof digital video and entertainment through existing coaxial cablein the home.

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ITN extends advertising deal with blinkx
blinkx, the world’s largest video search engine, has securedan extension contract that will augment the scope of itsadvertising partnership with ITN, one of the world’s leadingnews and multimedia content companies. Under the terms of the newagreement, ITN will use AdHoc, blinkx’s patented contextualadvertising platform for online TV and video, to serveadvertisements on the ITN website and its syndication partnersites, including Bebo.

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MPAA approves DreamStream anti-piracy technology
The Motion Picture Association of America has approved the use ofDreamStream's secure online file streaming system as a solution tocurb digital piracy. "We are very excited to have the MPAAstand behind our technology," said Ulf Diebel, chiefdevelopment officer for DreamStream. "The MPAA understands theneed to be proactive - rather than reactive -- in addressing thechokehold that piracy has on the motion picture industry."
The MPAA reports that the major motion picture studios lose morethan $6 billion every year because of piracy alone.

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Increase in Internet radio usage
The popularity of Internet radio has increased markedly in the lastsix months. Industry ratings body Rajar has reported that 14.5million consumers have listened to the radio online at least once-up 2.5 million from November 2007. Podcasts were also shown to be apopular element of online entertainment, with six million peopledownloading one over the period.

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Panasonic becomes Eurosport HD partner
Panasonic Electronics and the Eurosport have announced a newEurope-wide partnership — with Panasonic as the OfficialPartner to Eurosport's high-definition television (HDTV) simulcastservice, Eurosport HD.
The deal between the world's largest manufacturer of consumerelectronics and Europe's leading sports multimedia platform wastimed to coincide with the recent Eurosport HD channel launch. Aspart of the deal, Eurosport will use Panasonic HPX2100 and HVX201high-definition (HD) cameras for coverage of the Olympic Games.

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Thursday 3rd July

Italy speeds switchover
AT&T quits Dish deal
Kangaroo rebounds on Sky
Bezeq threat to YES?
Virgin rapped for broadband ad
Open IPTV Forum adds new members, preps new specs
Microsoft acquires Powerset
Blockbuster backs out of Circuit City
Numericable adds HD to VOD
Discovery HD launches in Australia
Italy speeds switchover
From Branislav Pekic in Rome
The Italian Government and the country’s CommunicationsAuthority (AgCom) is aiming to bring forward the completeswitchover from analogue to digital, which is currently planned forthe end of 2012.
Announcing plans to present a plan for the complete nationalswitchover by September 9, Italy’s Undersecretary for EconomicDevelopment responsible for the Communications Sector, PaoloRomani, said there was the possibility of a prior date to 2012, asItaly risks being the last in Europe. The plan is to anticipate thedeadline by two years, until the end of 2010.
His views were shared by the president of AgCom, Corrado Calabro',who also sees 2012 as a "far off date". Calabro' is ofthe opinion that a detailed evaluation should be made when a largepart of the Italian territory is digital-ready. He added that themodel implemented in Sardinia, based on a frequency allocationagreement, is the right one for Italy as a whole.
Sardinia is due to completely switch-off analogue TV transmitterson October 31, followed by Val d’Aosta, the provinces ofTorino and Cuneo, the regions of Trentino and Alto Adige, to whichRome could be added from this autumn.

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AT&T quits Dish deal
DISH Network, the US satellite television provider, said it hasreceived notice that phone operator AT&T is ending theiragreement at the end of the year to sell TV, phone and Internetpackages. AT&T and DISH have had a joint marketing agreementsince July 2003 to sell the "triple-play" package inAT&T regions.
AT&T said it provided the required six-month notification fornon-renewal of its current contract with DISH. "We continue todiscuss options with DISH," it said in a statement. In earlyApril, AT&T said it had expanded its partnership with DISH interritory previously covered by BellSouth Corp, which AT&Tacquired in late 2006, and had stopped marketing a similar packagewith DIRECTV Group Inc, the No. 1 US satellite TV operator.
That move prompted speculation that AT&T had entirely droppedDIRECTV in favor of a DISH partnership. But AT&T has repeatedlysaid it was still talking to both about a long-term partnership forbundled phone, Internet and video services, and that a finaldecision was due by the end of the year.

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Kangaroo rebounds on Sky
The decision to refer Kangaroo to competition authorities – amove much welcomed by Sky – has seen ITV’s share pricehit a new low of around 45p bringing Sky’s loss on its 17.9per cent stake close to £650 million (E866m).

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Bezeq threat to YES?
Israel’s Antitrust Authority is said to be concerned thatBezeq – the national carrier in Israel - would close YES if itis allowed to purchase control in the DTH platform. The Authoritybelieves Bezeq would prefer to concentrate on the development ofits IPTV service. However, the Restrictive Trade Practices Tribunalhas judged that the Authority’s arguments against Bezeq areweak and that the purchase should be permitted to go through,subject to conditions.

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Virgin rapped for broadband ad
Virgin Media that promoted broadband download times for TV showsand music has been banned after rival internet provider BTcomplained to the advertising regulator that the speeds quoted wereinaccurate.
The national press ad, which ran with the headline Hate To Wait,featured a table with download times for TV shows and music tracksbased on different broadband packages offered by Virgin Media. BTcomplained that the download speeds quoted in the ad weremisleading because Virgin Media's traffic management policy cappeddownloading speeds at peak times.
Virgin Media, which has made much of the fact that its cablenetwork offers superior broadband speeds than rival operators, saidthat its traffic management system "only focused on theheaviest downloaders and uploaders" on its network because itwas the heavy users who slow the internet speeds for othersubscribers, especially at peak times, according to Virgin Media.
The company added that its traffic management system was onlyactive from 4pm until 9pm and threshold levels were graduated basedon whether users had, say, 2Mb or 20Mb connections.
However, the company admitted that customers on its "M"package could not download even one TV show in peaktime withouthaving speed moderation triggered, while "L" packagecustomers could download just two TV shows or 60 songs.
The ASA noted that only a "small proportion" of VirginMedia customers had been subject to its traffic management policy.However, the regulator concluded the ad was misleading.

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Open IPTV Forum adds new members, preps new specs
The Open IPTV Forum has added eleven new members at a recentmeeting held at the headquarters of Telefónica in Madrid,and reports that the first release of its new specifications areclose to completion.
The new members are Fastweb, Swisscom, Access Company, BeeTV,Digital Fountain, Intel, InterTrust Technologies Corporation,Motorola, Opera Software, Thomson and ZyXEL, and together theybring the total membership to 37 companies.
Yun Chao Hu, Chairman of the Open IPTV Forum, commented:"These new members represent a wide range of interest andbroaden the input to the Forum's activities both technically andgeographically; they reinforce the Forum's presence in the USA,with four new member companies (Digital Fountain, Intel, InterTrustTechnologies Corporation and Motorola) and establish the Forum'spresence in Taiwan (ZyXel)."
Commenting on the new open standard specifications, intended toallow IPTV to develop into a mass market service globally, Hu said:"Work on the new specifications is progressing fast. The Forumhas already produced the first version of a Service and PlatformRequirements document and the first architecture specification. Weare now working round the clock to meet our target of publishingRelease 1 in September this year. Release 1 will solve the problemof fragmentation within the market by standardising an IPTVframework, enabling a 'plug and play' experience for the end-userand, by ensuring interoperability, will make IPTV independent ofthe technology behind it."

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Microsoft acquires Powerset
Microsoft has turned up the heat on its rivalry with Google withthe purchase of a private Silicon Valley company that has developedone of the most promising Internet search tools of recent years.The acquisition of Powerset, reportedly for about $100 million,comes in the wake of Microsoft’s failure to challenge Googleeither by acquiring Yahoo outright or buying its Internet searchbusiness, although the software company has said that the offer ofa partial purchase remains open.
Powerset has become one of the most talked-of new search companiesof recent years thanks to its ambitious plan to use so-called"natural language" technology to search the Web. Ratherthan keywords, which search engines such as Google use, naturallanguage technology seeks to "understand" the meaning ofa query and the content of webpages, potentially making it far moreeffective.
However, critics claim that the technology, which has beensomething of a Holy Grail for search companies, is still yearsahead of its time, and even that it raises philosophical questionsabout the nature of language.

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Blockbuster backs out of Circuit City
Blockbuster has withdrawn its offer to buy US electronics retailerCircuit City, citing difficult market conditions. Blockbuster saidthe bid, which valued the retailer at more than $1 billion was nolonger in its best interests.
Last month, Circuit City said its sales had fallen by 11 per centin the three months to the end of May. Blockbuster had planned tocreate a chain selling portable devices as well as entertainment tobe played on them.
Despite withdrawing its offer, the firm's chief executive said itstill believed in that strategy. "We will pursue this strategythrough our Blockbuster stores as a way to diversify the businessand better serve the entertainment retail segment," saidBlockbuster.

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Numericable adds HD to VOD
French cable company Numericable has added HD content fromCinePlay, TF1 Vision and I-Concerts o its Video Club VOD service.
Prices for HD titles are E4.99 for brand new titles, E3.99 forlibrary titles and E2.99 for individual programmes from TF1.Viewers need to have Numericable’s Cablebox HD in order toview the VOD programmes in HD.

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Discovery HD launches in Australia
Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific in Australia, a unit of mediacompany Discovery Communications, has confirmed that Discovery HDhas launched as one of the five dedicated 24/7 HD channels offeredby FOXTEL’s new service, FOXTEL HD +. Discovery HD firstlaunched in the Asia-Pacific region in 2005 and is now available in17 international markets.

Back to top Wednesday 2nd July

XM, Sirius cost saving prediction
FT drops TeliaSonera bid
TV sets still preferred over TV websites
UK STB sales on the up
More FTTH for French estates
Online ad share to break 10% this year
Hollywood actors strike?
IPTV roadmap
China drafting standard for DTT
Setanta on Top Up TV
Seven unveils shackled TiVo
China Telecom close to 1m IPTV subs
Chello Zone expands VOOM HD reach
Espial acquires Kasenna
Dawe joins Turner Broadcasting
Sky shows Style Network
ViewCast joins Microsoft Silverlight initiative


XM, Sirius cost saving prediction
Amid the latest rumours that FCC approval for the deal is imminent,Sirius has provided a first look at the financial future of thecompany after the proposed merger with XM Satellite Radio. Siriussaid that savings from combining with XM would total $400 million(E254m) next year, net of costs. Sirius also said that the combinedcompanies would earn $300 million in 2009 before interest, taxes,depreciation and amortization.
Sirius said that if its pending merger with XM goes through, freecash flow would be positive in 2009 before factoring in capitalexpenditures. Synergies, earnings and cash flow would continue toimprove in subsequent years, said Mel Karmazin, Sirius's chiefexecutive. He said the company would provide more detail in comingmonths.

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FT drops TeliaSonera bid
France Telecom has abandoned its $40 billion (E25.4m) cash andshare bid for TeliaSonera. Negotiations were terminated afterFrance Telecom could not agree a price with the Nordic telecomscompany or its main shareholder, the Swedish government.

Mats Odell, Sweden’s minister for financial markets, whooversees the government’s SEK200 billion (E21bn) privatisationprogramme, said: "I could not have signed a contract at theprice that was available at the weekend".

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TV sets still preferred over TV websites
Despite the growing popularity of viewing television contentonline, most adults (94 per cent) who subscribe to cable orsatellite television services prefer to watch television ontraditional TV sets, according to research conducted by The NielsenCompany for the Cable & Telecommunications Association forMarketing (CTAM).
One-third of the adult broadband users (35 per cent) surveyed forthe study said they had watched at least one television programmeoriginally shown on TV via the Internet. Of those who sought outvideo content online, 87 per cent watched television programmesdirectly from a TV network website. Further, 82 per cent of thosewho watched video content online reported that they went online tofind a specific television programme that they had missed when itfirst aired on TV. This indicates the critical importance of strongmarketing for the initial TV showing and the success that majornetworks are having by taking popular programmes to the onlineplatform.
"Tracking how consumer behaviour is changing as a result ofnew television viewing platforms is critical to our business,"said Char Beales, President and CEO of CTAM. "As preferencesare made clear through research, cable companies and contentproviders evolve the product mix to best suit viewers’ needsand desires."
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UK STB sales on the up
Volume sales of Set Top Boxes grew to 4.9 million in the yearending April 2008 in the UK, increasing from 4.1 million theprevious year. Value sales also grew significantly from£169.1 million (E225m) to £172.9 million over the sameperiod according to GfK Retail and Technology.
The largest sub-sector within this product area, Digital STBswithout a Hard Disc Drive, grew to 4.3 million units in the yearending April 2008 – a 17.8 per cent increase when compared tothe previous year. Over the same period, average prices of thesedevices have fallen from £31 to £24 and this hasinevitably exerted downward pressure on value sales, which fellfrom £155.7 million to £104.9 million.
Digital STBs with a Hard Disc Drive experienced strong growth inthe year ending April 2008. Volume sales grew to 473,000 unitswhilst value sales grew to £50.5 million. When compared tothe year ending April 2007, these figures represented increases of90.7 per cent and 44.2 per cent respectively.
Looking ahead, the run up to the digital switchover should help tocatalyse sales of Set Top Boxes, and given the popularity ofsmaller LCD TVs for use in the kitchen and bedroom, many of whichdo not feature a digital tuner, the need for a secondary Set TopBox within the home will also help strengthen sales.

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More FTTH for French estates
Alcatel-Lucent has signed a new frame agreement with Neuf Cegetel,France's leading alternative service provider, for the deploymentof a fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) network in Paris. Alcatel-Lucent'sgigabit passive optical network (GPON) solution will enable NeufCegetel to offer very high-speed access and services to more than100,000 apartments. The project is part of an initiative led by theParis social housing office OPAC (Office Publicd'Aménagement et de Construction) to bridge the digitaldivide in the French capital.

Alcatel-Lucent's GPON solution will enable Neuf Cegetel to offertriple play services, including 18 television channels that arehigh-definition television (HDTV)-ready, high-speed Internet accessand VoIP. Alcatel-Lucent will also provide Neuf Cegetel withinstallation and commissioning services.

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Online ad share to break 10% this year
ZenithOptimedia's optimistic predictions for online is holdingsteady. The Publicis Groupe media buyer's latest forecast expectsglobal internet ad spend to grow 26.7 per cent and break throughthe 10 per cent share barrier this year, a year earlier than Zenithpredicted just three months ago. By 2010 Zenith predicts onlinewill attract 13.6 per cent of all advertising, well ahead of thecompany's previous prediction of 12.3 per cent. As for actualdollar amounts, Zenith sees worldwide online ad spend this year of$52.2 billion, $64 billion in 2009 and $78.1 billion in 2010.

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Hollywood actors strike?
Hollywood is preparing for another strike after the largestactors’ union failed to agree on a new contract with the USentertainment industry’s key studios and networks . The120,000-member Screen Actors Guild has been locked in talks withthe studios for several weeks.

failure to reach agreement will pave the way for a repeat of thestrike by Hollywood screenwriters that began last November andparalysed the industry for three months.

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IPTV roadmap
Reasearcher IMS claims to have roadmapped the way to convergedservices for IPTV operators. By categorising multi-platformservices into functional groups including Time-shifting,Place-shifting, Personalisation, and Socialisation, the reportprovides numerous examples of what new services may look like ondifferent platforms and regions of the world.
"The Millennial generation already expects video, personalcommunications and messaging services wherever they are, regardlessof device or network," said Steve Hawley, Sr. IPTV Analyst,Multimedia Research Group, "Operators that aren't transformingtheir service platforms to serve these 'digital natives' arealready at a disadvantage."

Over 180 companies and IPTV Operators are featured in this report,including Operators Deutsche Telecom, PCCW, Orange, and manyothers; and Vendors Alcatel-Lucent, Cisco, IBM, HP, Integra5, NSN,Motorola, and many others. Real-world examples also are examined.One example shows how theatre tickets are purchased on a homeeset-top box with the "ticket" transferred to a barcodeon the consumer's mobile phone. This can only happen if theOperator has control of both platforms.

"The purpose of this report was to identify if, when and howIPTV Operators would move to advanced and converged(multi-platform) services, and measuring the use of IMS andalternative technologies," states Gary Schultz, President ofMRG.. "The reality we discovered is that the interim steps toconverged services de-siloisation and unification of elements ofthe back office - were already becoming vehicles to decrease OpExand improve customer loyalty."

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China drafting standard for DTT
China Electronics Technology Group Corporation (CETC) has revealedon July 28th a draft standard for terrestrial digital televisionsets will circulating among related enterprises and municipalbroadcasting bureaux. The standard will be non-compulsory and mayor may not be promulgated prior to the Olympics.
Konka, Changhong, Toshiba, and LG have already produced integratedTV sets using this standard. In order to increase the suitabilityof their equipment for multiple regions, the same companies areinstalling single and multiple carrier chips in the TV sets. Thecost of these television sets is much higher than that ofnon-integrated systems, however.
Yu Yueyu, head of the marketing office at the Guangzhou Pearl RiverMobile Multimedia and Information Company, has signalled his firmwill start broadcasting terrestrial digital television six monthsafter digital television broadcasts start in the six leadingOlympic cities.

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Setanta on Top Up TV
Setanta has agreed a new distribution arrangement with Top Up TVthat will provide subscribers with another way to watch SetantaSports. Both Setanta and Top Up TV believe this new agreement willattract more Freeview customers to Setanta’s main channel,Setanta Sports 1, to the commercial benefit of both companies.
The deal will see Top Up TV become a retailer of Setanta Sports onits digital TV recorder (DTR), offering an array of sport alongsideits Top Up TV Anytime and Picture Box subscription services. Thelaunch will coincide with the start of the 2008/9 Barclays PremierLeague season.

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Seven unveils shackled TiVo
Many extra features of TiVo will be disabled when it is launched atthe end of the month in Australia so that network partners Sevencan charge for them via a software update early next year.
The A$699 device will be available from July 29th but the homenetworking features - such as the ability to transfer music, photosand video from a PC to the TiVo box - will be disabled.

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China Telecom close to 1m IPTV subs
China Telecom, the nation's largest fixed-line operator, hasrevealed that the number of subscribers using its IIPTV exceeded940,000 as of May this year, implying that it would soon cross themillion mark. IPTV service, the key step in China Telecom's digitalfamily strategy, has been available to users in major cities suchas Shanghai, Jiangxu, Zhejiang, Guangdong and Shaanxi since 2005.

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Chello Zone expands VOOM HD reach
VOOM HD Networks had revealed that international broadcaster anddistributor of thematic channels Chello Zone will distribute RUSHHD into much of Europe, Africa, the Middle East and parts of Asia.This latest agreement marks the second VOOM HD channel representedby Chello Zone and comes fresh on the heels of RUSH HD’slaunch on Sky.

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Espial acquires Kasenna
Espial, specialist in the delivery of IPTV middleware andapplications, is to acquire all of the outstanding shares of IPvideo delivery outfit Kasenna in exchange for an aggregate of4,722,224 Espial common shares.

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Dawe joins Turner Broadcasting
Turner Broadcasting has appointed former Managing Director of HeartFM, Barnaby Dawe, as Vice President of Marketing and Communicationsacross all Turner Entertainment brands in the UK. Dawe will overseethe marketing and communications strategy for all UK entertainmentchannels – Cartoon Network, CN Too, Cartoonito, Boomerang,Turner Classic Movies, Adult Swim and Nuts TV.

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Sky shows Style Network
Woman’s lifestyle and fashion channel The Style Network iscoming to Sky. The UK launch, scheduled for July 7th, will make TheStyle Network available to over 9.5 million subscribersinternationally, outside of the US.

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ViewCast joins Microsoft Silverlight initiative
ViewCast, provider of streaming hardware and software solutions,has joined the Microsoft Silverlight Partner Initiative to deliverthe next generation of .NET-based media over the Internet. Byutilising Windows Media/VC-1 format, the ViewCast Niagara SCXencoding platform can deliver streaming video and audio content tousers of Silverlight, a cross-browser, cross-platform, andcross-device plug-in offering flexibility in Windows, Macintosh,and Linux environments.

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Tuesday 1st July

OFT bounces Kangaroo
Permira to take NDS private
Sky questions BBC programme bids
Portugal Telecom tops DTT tender
Record-breaking TV deal for SPL
Court upholds FCC on cable rules
In-Flight DBS revenue $900m+ by 2012
OpenV obtains licence
Sigma for Adcom STBs
Two Way and Virgin gaming channel
Oki audience rating
Widevine secures Viginta's DTT video service


OFT bounces Kangaroo
From Colin Mann in London
The UK’s trading watchdog, the Office of Fair Trading hasreferred the proposed video on demand (VOD) joint venture betweenBBC Worldwide Limited, ITV plc and Channel 4 - also known asProject 'Kangaroo' - to the Competition Commission (CC) for furtherinquiry. The CC now has 24 weeks to consider the issues, andcollect evidence on the key issues.
The proposed JV is intended to combine the parties' retailactivities, creating a common website of UK TV content accessibleon demand to consumers. It will also bring together the parties'wholesale activities, which consist of syndicating the contentrights to third parties that offer VOD services.
According to the OFT, concerns arise because the concentration ofimportant and competing libraries of UK TV programming included inthe project may give distorting market power to the joint venture,enabling it to charge higher prices in syndicating content towholesale customers, and potentially raise download-to-rent (DTR)and download-to-own (DTO) prices paid by VOD consumers, or limitthe range of ways in which viewers can watch the parties' contenton demand.
The OFT said it had "carefully considered all evidence as towhether the joint venture would face enough competition from othersources," such as one or more ways of watching the same UK TVcontent elsewhere (say, by video recording off the TV, or DVDrental or purchase), watching competing content (such as hit U.S.TV series, Hollywood and other films), or a combination of watchingdifferent content in a different way.
In order to try and avoid the reference, the parties did offerremedies, but the OFT did not consider their scope sufficient toresolve its concerns in a clear-cut fashion.
In response, the project partners said they were "naturallydisappointed by the decision from the OFT and are frustrated thatit will delay the launch of Kangaroo, however all parties remaincommitted to what the venture offers." They remained confidentthat when properly subject to more detailed scrutiny by theCompetition Commission, it would conclude that the joint venturewill provide wider choice for consumers and be seen as apro-competitive force in the market place. "Our aspiration isthat Kangaroo will offer a wealth of British content and provide anexample of UK innovation and collaboration for the benefit ofconsumers and advertisers alike," they claimed.
ITV said the referral to the UK Competition Commission of a newvideo-on-demand service was likely lead to a delay in its launch."The reference process is likely to take several months andthe service is therefore unlikely to launch on the previouslyanticipated timetable."

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Permira to take NDS private
In a surprise move News Corp has made a deal to become the minorityshareholder in its conditional access subsidiary NDS. Two newcosbacked by private equity house Permira will take the businessprivate.
The plan is the Permira newcos will own 51 per cent while News willkeep 49 per cent. The deal has been struck at a 21 per cent premiumto the companies Nasdaq share price. News Corp had owned 72 percent, with the balance in float, but the ownership structure madeit difficult for News to access the cash NDS generates – itpresently has nearly $700 million cash at hand.
The deal has been negotiated with News Corp and NDS management, andwill now go before a special independent committee of the NDSboard. News Corp.'s take from the deal will be $1.7 billion in cashand debt, the company said.
News Corp. said the deal represents an "attractivealternative" for public shareholders to cash out of an"illiquid investment at an attractive price."

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Sky questions BBC programme bids
BSkyB has said that the BBC should not be allowed to bid forHollywood films or US TV series and that Channel 4's claim of apotential £150 million (E187.5m) funding gap is "open tochallenge", in its submission to Ofcom's second review ofpublic service broadcasting.
BSkyB said the BBC was obliged to focus on areas the market was notserving well, "where there is a real deficit inprovision". "The BBC should step back entirely from otherareas. In particular, there is no justification for the BBC usingpublic money to outbid commercial broadcasters for Hollywood filmsand US series," the company added.
BSkyB said the fact the BBC was spending £100m a year onacquired programming and "appears to be increasinglyaggressive in this area" is a "clear signal that itsexisting remit and governance structure is fundamentallyflawed".
The satellite broadcaster is also sceptical of Channel 4's claimthat it cannot continue to deliver its PSB obligations without theequivalent of as much as £150m a year in support. "Thisproposition is open to challenge. After all, its revenues havecontinued to grow overall, by nearly 25 per cent over the past fouryears, even as competition has increased," Sky said.
The satellite broadcaster's argument is that there is "noevidence of an impending crisis" in the provision of UK publicservice broadcasting and that the debate has "consistentlyfailed" to take into account the role of multichannel TV andthe Internet in providing high-quality content.
Sky also said the assumption that ITV and Five should be able todrop their public service broadcasting obligations as the value ofanalogue spectrum subsidies dwindle, needs to be looked at moreclosely.

"After all, spectrum used for terrestrial televisionbroadcasting, including gifted digital terrestrial television[Freeview] capacity, is scare and remains highly valuable, as Ofcompoints out frequently," the satellite broadcaster said in itssubmission.

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Portugal Telecom tops DTT tender
From Branislav Pekic in Rome
Portugal Telecom has been placed first by the commission thatevaluated the bids for the DTT platform for pay-TV channels.
Portuguese telecommunications sector regulator Anacom announced onJune 27th that Portugal Telecom obtained 85 out of a total of 100points, while Sweden’s Airplus TV was awarded 57 points. Thetechnical and financial criteria weighed in with 60 per cent, whilethe TV offer corresponded to 40 per cent.
The two competitors now have 10 working days to respond to thesefindings. Only after the consultation period is over will a finaldecision be reached, although in the majority of the publictelecommunications tenders in Portugal, no changes resulted.
In its bid, Portugal Telecom promised national coverage in 18months, the commercial launch of the service in April 2009, apay-TV offer that includes new thematic channels, VOD and PPV. Theoperator plans to subsidise the acquisition of set-top boxes forlow-income families, citizens with special needs and charities.
The result of the tender for the free-to-air DTT multiplex will beannounced on July 24th but no surprises are expected, as PortugalTelecom is the sole bidder.

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Record-breaking TV deal for SPL

The Scottish Premiere League has agreed a landmark four year dealwith Setanta Sports for live domestic broadcasting rights.The£125 million (E166m) deal will extend the current partnershipfrom the start of season 2010/11 through to the end of season2013/14. 60 games will be covered live each season for broadcastacross the UK and Ireland.

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Court upholds FCC on cable rules
A federal appeals court has upheld the Federal CommunicationsCommission's authority to make rules intended to increase cabletelevision competition in the US.
Local governments had filed legal challenges to agency rules theFCC said would speed the approval process for new competitors, capfees paid by new entrants to local governments, and easerequirements that competitors build systems that reach every home.The lawsuits said the FCC overstepped its authority.
A three-judge panel ruled unanimously for the FCC. It said theagency showed the local franchising process was ''unreasonablyimpeding competitive entry into the cable television market.''

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In-Flight DBS revenue $900m+ by 2012
The market for in-flight live direct broadcast video revenue isprojected to grow to $913 million in 2012, according to research byMultiMedia Intelligence. With revenue of $87 million in 2007, livein-flight video promises impressive growth.
"The current environment of increasing fuel prices anddownward pressure on fares has been painful to the airlineindustry," according to Amy Cravens, contributing analyst withMultiMedia Intelligence. "The result has been that airlineshave been aggressively pursuing new revenue streams. In-flight livedirect video broadcast services are 'a no-brainer,' offering avalue service to passengers and new revenue to the P&L."
Even with the current constraints in the airline industry, usagerevenues are still anticipated to nearly double in 2009. Themajority of video deployments are with a single player, LiveTV,with Panasonic being their largest competitor.

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OpenV obtains licence
OpenV, China's largest Chinese-language Internet TV and Videocontent provider has obtained from the State Administration ofRadio, Film and Television a Licence for Publishing OnlineAudio-Visual Programmes. Industry experts believe that the issuanceof the Video License will accelerate standardisation of the onlinevideo industry while promoting market growth.

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Sigma for Adcom STBs
Sigma Designs, a provider of digital media processing and wirelesssystem-on-chip solutions, and Advanced Communications (Adcom), aJapanese communications technology company, have confirmed thatSigma's integrated SMP8654 media processors will be used to powerAdvanced Communications' IPv6 STBs currently being deployed bythroughout Japan.
The companies have also entered into a collaborative relationshipto develop IPTV set-top boxes for the Japanese market based onSigma's SMP8654 media processor and Adcom's iSense IPTV softwareplatform solution.

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Two Way and Virgin gaming channel
Virgin Media Television has agreed a deal with Alderney-basedbetting specialist, Two Way Gaming, which will see the broadcasterlaunch a sister channel to the long-established Challenge. The newchannel, Challenge Jackpot will be broadcast on Virgin Media’sUK cable network. The channel’s output post-midnight will alsobe broadcast on Virgin1 and Bravo2, extending its reach to Freeviewand satellite viewers. Challenge Jackpot will be a gaming channelallowing viewers to watch or play along with a variety of casinogames.

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Oki audience rating
Oki Electric Industry has developed the "Audience RatingInformation System" for IPTV, which will be offered to theJapanese market. The system collects viewership data to enablebroadcasting companies to improve their services.

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Widevine secures Viginta's DTT video service
Widevine Technologies has announced that leading Lithuanianmultichannel television, telephone and Internet service providerViginta has selected Widevine Cypher to secure content deliveredover DTT, hybrid QAM (cable) and IPTV deployments. This marks thefirst time downloadable conditional access and DRM has beenimplemented in a one way DTT network, drastically reducing the timeand cost associated with maintaining consumer device security.

Back to top Monday 30th June

News Corp: European pay-TV spree?
BBC web video device?
BBC DVB-T2 tests prepare for HD on Freeview
25 bids presented on Italian DTT tender
IPTV providers must push PPV and VOD
Tiscali portal launches EPG
FLO approves conditional access standard
Demand for new content driving growth of African pay-TV
NBC streaming data for advertisers
Teleste receives Digicable order


News Corp: European pay-TV spree?
James Murdoch, head of News Corp TV in Europe, is said to beconsidering bids that would bring Premiere of Germany and Digital+of Spain into the group’s European pay-TV family. The twosatellite broadcasters together would cost more than E4 billionanalysts say.
Although News Corp is already a shareholder in Premiere and hasbeen mentioned in connection with Digital+, a bid for both is astretch and the story in the WSJ had no named sources, however theWSJ is now owned by News Corp, so one can assume its sources arewell informed. The story will certainly be useful in testing marketand regulatory reaction in the countries concerned.
In Germany News Corp already owns 25.01 per cent of Premiere and islooking to install its management. In Spain, media conglomeratePrisa is considering selling its Digital+ unit. The sale process islikely to begin by the end of July. Other possible bidders includeVivendi, Spanish cableco ONO, and Telefónica.

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BBC web video device?
The BBC is developing plans to bring its web video iPlayer catch-upservice to television screens, in a move that would take its onlineambitions to a new level and pit the corporation against technologygroups such as Apple.
Mark Thompson, BBC director-general, told the FT it was"looking very hard at" forming an alliance to introduce"a very simple standard" for getting online video fromcomputer screens on to standard televisions.
Similar devices such as Apple TV have been on sale for some timebut have not gained a mass following. "There are many thingsout there in the market, but what we haven’t yet got is asimple standard, to mean that you can get services like iPlayer andKangaroo," said Thompson.
As the BBC has demonstrated with Freeview and iPlayer, itsuniversal reach and unmatched promotional power can take productsthat have been peripheral (like On Digital or numerous internetvideo players) and make them universal.

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BBC DVB-T2 tests prepare for HD on Freeview
The BBC has begun DVB-T2 test transmissions today, from theGuildford transmitter southwest of London, in preparation for HD onFreeview. The transmission facilities are provided by National GridWireless and Arqiva as part of their support for the DVBstandardisation process and the UK project for the launch of DVB-T2services.
This follows the approval by the DVB Project of the DVB-T2specification and this will be the first time signals compliantwith the DVB-T2 specification will be broadcast. DVB-T2 is the nextgeneration digital terrestrial transmission standard for new HDTVservices on Freeview. Currently, Freeview services use the DVB-Tstandard which was defined more than 10 years ago. DVB-T2 canprovide significantly more capacity and this will be essential forHDTV services to be launched on Freeview, currently planned for theend of 2009. The DVB forecasts the use of DVB-T2 will result incapacity gains of up to 45 per cent. Ofcom is counting on the extrabandwidth released by development of the standard to put its HDplans into action.
Justin Mitchell, leader of the DVB-T2 modem development team at theBBC, said: "We are delighted that our team in collaborationwith our partners has been able to deliver such a key piece oftechnology in such a short timescale. This is a big step forward inenabling the introduction of full HD terrestrial on Freeview by theend of 2009.". Back to top


25 bids presented on Italian DTT tender
From Branislav Pekic in Rome
A total of 25 bids have been submitted for as many TV channels onthe tender organized by Italian telecommunications regulator(AgCom) to award 40 per cent of capacity on five Italian digitalterrestrial TV multiplexes.
The bids were submitted by 17 companies, and a special commissionwill now evaluate the bids before announcing the winners on August23. A total of 12 TV channels will be awarded on one multiplexbelonging to state broadcaster RAI and two multiplexes eachoperated by commercial broadcasters Mediaset and Telecom ItaliaBroadcasting.
The list of bidders reads like a who’s who in broadcasting.The Disney group has requested one channel, while Jetix Europe, inwhich it has a 75.7 per cent stake, has requested another. Turner,ESPN and QVC have each requested one channel, while the NBCUniversal group is seeking two channels, one of which is likely tobe used by movie channel Studio Universal. Experienced Europeanpay-TV operators, Sweden’s AirPlus TV and the UK’s Top UpTV, have also submitted bids, with the former requesting six TVchannels.
Italian companies and broadcasters taking part on the tender arethematic channel producer Sitcom, financial information publisherClass Editori, the Consorzio Alphabet consortium (made up ofElea-De Agostini group and Interattiva), Anica Flash (cinema andentertainment info), Rete Blu (belonging to the Italian CatholicChurch), sports rights broker Infront Italy, as well as local TVchannels Telelombardia, Antenna 3 Nord Est and Altitalia TV.

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IPTV providers must push PPV and VOD
Although consumers are increasingly prepared to have some form ofpay-TV in their household, getting more consumers to order and thenregularly view pay per view (PPV) or video on demand (VOD) remainsa key challenge for service providers, according to a recent surveyby Gartner.
In the fourth quarter of 2007, Gartner surveyed 5,800 consumers,covering 18 countries and territories, and found that approximatelythree-quarters of all worldwide respondents had some form of pay-TVin their households, yet less than one-quarter of all respondentspurchased either PPV or VOD content within the past year.
The research indicates that globally, the average consumer spends22 hours per week viewing entertainment television; of which 16hours per week is spent watching TV and six hours watching DVDs orvideotapes. Furthermore, 39 percent of all survey respondents haddownloaded some form of video content (moves, TV shows and videoclips for example) in the past three months.
Gartner maintains that tapping into this established behavior andproviding alternate solutions to satisfy demand is essential inearning incremental revenue for IPTV. "Consumers already valueDVD and videotape purchases and rentals, so getting them totransfer this behaviour or habit over to IPTV subscriptions is akey strategy in developing revenue," said Amanda Sabia,principle research analyst at Gartner. "Providers need toensure that ordering and navigation processes for PPV and VOD areeasy to understand and user friendly. They should also offercompetitive pricing, free trials and a wide range of titles, makingsure they include various unique and most-recent versions."

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Tiscali portal launches EPG
Tiscali has launched its Electronic Programme Guide (EPG) availablethrough its portal. The EPG is designed to be an essential TV guideand planning resource for users of any digital TV service –including Tiscali’s own Tiscali TV, Virgin Media, Freeview andSky.
The Tiscali guide is the first online listings service to includefull details of over 170 channels and TV content available throughon-demand channels like 4OD, giving viewers the chance to searchthrough listings of every TV show or film stored on each.
The guide enables users to personalise the service to the channelsand features they are most interested in. Users can select thechannels they want to view, set reminders, pick favourite shows andreceive recommendations based on their personal preferences. Theservice also includes interactive elements allowing users to rateprogrammes and comment on them.

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FLO approves conditional access standard
The FLO Forum, a body of more than 95 supporting global wirelessindustry leaders and dedicated to the open standardisation of FLOTM(Forward Link-Only) technology for mobile multimedia broadcast, hastaken another step forward with the approval by theTelecommunications Industry Association (TIA) of the Forward LinkOnly Open Conditional Access (OpenCA) Specification.
The completion of the OpenCA Specification, published as TIA-1146,creates a standards-based environment that enables multiple vendorsto implement content security systems within the FLO architecture.The specification is the eighth FLO standard approved by the TIA,following the publication of TIA-1130 Forward Link Only MediaAdaptation Layer Specification earlier this year.
The OpenCA specification provides a standard interface forconditional access (CA) systems to interoperate, ensuring that FLOnetwork operators have the flexibility to use multiple CAsolutions. Through the standard interface, they can replace anentire CA system seamlessly with another system, or run multiplesystems concurrently in a "Simulcrypt" setting. Thisprovides operators with greater control to respond to changingsecurity demands or business model requirements. The framework alsoenables content providers to offer a wider choice of premium mobilecontent while reducing the risk of piracy, and thus helping tocreate a compelling end-user mobile TV experience.

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Demand for new content driving growth of African pay-TV
African digital TV consumers are seeking more localised contentfrom the pay-TV industry, and operators are answering the call bydeveloping business models to meet this growing market’sdemands, according to IMS Research.
Sub-Saharan consumers previously limited to only South Africancontent can now enjoy local programming from other countriesbecause of the rise of new national and pan-regional African pay-TVoperators such as HiTV and Gateway. Competition between major DTHoperators is resulting in channel line-ups that offerinternational, country- and language-specific broadcasting toappeal to larger African audiences.
Over the years, African consumers‚ interest in internationalcontent has shifted toward a focus on local and nationalprogramming. Operators such as Nigeria’s HiTV and Trend TV,which are seen as more culturally in touch with the tastes ofAfrican TV viewers, have been proactive about marketing localprogramming. Growth of content production facilities dedicatedspecifically to native content has made new programming available,and as a result Africans no longer need to rely on European orAmerican programming for entertainment. Interest in sports contentin particular influences demand for services such as Gateway‚sGTV, one of the only services authorised to broadcast EnglishPremiere League football in Africa.

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NBC streaming data for advertisers
NBC Universal has announced its NBC TV network will next monthbecome the first to make programme-specific streaming dataavailable to advertisers, who will be able to compare demographicsfrom such US hit shows as Heroes and The Office. Data will beprovided to advertisers by Nielsen Online's VideoCensus measurementsystem.

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Teleste receives Digicable order
Teleste has been selected by Digicable Network in India to delivertheir new compact IP-based digital television platform. The valueof the initial order is E12 million. Digicable will provide anadvanced portfolio of digital interactive television services overa Head End in the Sky (HITS) satellite distribution network. Thesolution provided by Teleste will provide both IPTV and DVB-C basedtelevision. Back to top