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"Your TV" For Personal Television With Push Video: Philips Digital Networks launches Philips YourTV as digital personal
TV solution with provisions for conditional access and copy protection (23APR01) (Philips)
The news announcement describes Philips YourTV as including a customizable Electronic Program Guide, user profiling that learns personal viewing preferences while respecting user privacy, targeted advertising, and push video. With regard to push video, the news announcement states that the "push video and content promotion features allow [for] cost efficiencies, as shows can be pushed to disk on a nightly basis." If you're a regular visitor to Ruel.Net, then you've already read about "push video" here. Now you can see the term actually being used by companies in the industry. -ruel -
Controlling PIP Camera Angles: Philips and Be Here demonstrate Picture-In-Picture Navigable Visual Content as new set-top
interactive TV application for controlling TV camera angles from the couch (23APR01) (Philips)
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MHP-Compliant iTV: Philips Digital Networks and Respond TV to partner on MHP-compliant interactive television services
for tcommerce, tele-voting, interactive advertising, and other interactive programming (23APR01) (Philips)
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CryptoWorks-Compliant Set-Tops: Philips Digital Networks announces DVB-compatible DigiBox Cryptoworks and
TechniBox Cryptoworks CAM set-top boxes from TechniSat Digital GmbH have been certified as CryptoWorks-compliant
set-top boxes (23APR01) (Philips)
The news announcement states, "Philips' CryptoWorks product line is a rapidly developing, state-of-the-art conditional access (CA) system in the pay-TV and IP domains. Embedding CryptoWorks in manufacturers' proprietary set-top boxes allows them to receive only those encoded TV programmes provided by the operator and accessible using the corresponding smart card." -
Finding Faces In PVR Recordings: Philips Digital Networks uses MATE-Media Access Technologies'
proprietary ChannelMate face recognition technology on Philips advanced set-top boxes (23APR01) (Philips)
The joint presentation at NAB 2001 by Philips Digital Networks and MATE-Media Access Technologies at NAB 2001 "will focus on MATE's face recognition technology that allows finding a face in any TV program and getting an overview of all faces in the program." - DVR Streaming Software: Maxtor QuickView DVR Streaming Software is available on National Semiconductor Geode SP1SC10 set-top box products (23APR01) (Maxtor) (alt.link)
- HAVi-Compliant DVR: Maxtor Corporation and VividLogic announce compatibility of the Maxtor QuickView IEEE 1394 DVR Subsystem with Home Audio Video interoperability standard for digital TVs and set-top boxes using VividLogic FireBus software (23APR01) (Maxtor) (alt.link)
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Harddrives For Personal Digital Video Recording: Maxtor Corporation begins shipping harddrives for use in advanced
DISH Network digital satellite television products for harddrive-based video recording (23APR01) (Maxtor)
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Interactive Program Guide News: iSurfTV and Triveni Digital are jointly developing ATSC-compliant multimedia data delivery solution for
interactive program guides with prototype to be demo'd at NAB 2001 (23APR01) (PSPR)
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Java Interactive TV News: Espial launches 100% Java delivery platform for digital interactive television
(23APR01) (MarketReady)
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Set-Top Rich Media: Merinta demos its linux-based Trinity set-top box software solution which includes
support for RealVideo, RealAudio, and MP3 files for watching video content and listening to music
(23APR01) (Merinta)
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CoolCast Video, Audio, Media Via DSL: Alcatel is bundling CoolCast into Alcatel 7300 Advanced Services Access Manager
access platform for DSL for providing broadcast-quality video, CD-quality audio, and internet connectivity to TV set-top boxes
and PCs (23APR01) (Yahoo.BW)
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Online e-Learning TV: Pearson Broadband teams up with IBM to provide interactive e-Learning TV services via
broadband, narrowband, and wireless networks (23APR01) (IWire)
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Sun Infrastructure For Set-Top PlayJam: Static 2358 selects Sun Enterprise 4500 servers, Sun Solaris Operating platform,
Sun Java9, and Sun StorEdge to provide infrastructure for PlayJam interactive gaming channel for play on digital set-top boxes
in the UK (23APR01) (SUN)
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Digital Video Captures NAB 2001 Limelight: Apple's new QuickTime 5 to include TV channel program guide along with a
new digital video codec, SecureMedia's Encryptonite encryption engine and Indexed Encryption technology are said to
provide increased security for MPEG streams for video-on-demand applications, and eMotion Inc. intros new feature for
MediaPartner 4.0 for watching media files on handheld wireless devices (23APR01) (EinSite)
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- Data Broadcasting Strategies & Solutions: SkyStream Networks announces next-generation premium digital media delivery strategies and solutions for enabling television broadcasters to distribute advanced internet and video services using existing television broadcast bandwidth (23APR01) (SkyStream) (alt.link)
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Wireless Data Distribution For Movies, Music, & Media: SkyStream Networks' Source Media Routers platform and
zBand Advanced Content Management software to be integrated into Dotcast's Dotcaster Edge Servers at 200+
local US television broadcast stations for wireless distribution of movies, music, and other rich media over the
Dotcast Digital Network (23APR01) (Skystream)
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- Broadband Content Via DTV: Channel Wireless division of Clear Channel Communications Inc selects SkyStream Source Media router platform for delivery of broadband internet content via digital television airwaves to home users (23APR01) (SkyStream)
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Northern Sky Research Says SkyStream Networks Is The Leader: Northern Sky Research's "Worldwide IP Encapsulator
Market" study finds television broadcasters want a one-box solution for applications for MPEG video, audio, and IP data
that can be supported through one stream (23APR01) (SkyStream)
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SkyStream Networks and BroadLogic Network Technologies announce partnership to enable
television broadcasters to provide multimedia rich content on consumer PCs over DTV airwaves
(23APR01) (SkyStream)
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Set-Top VOD Talent: Eagle Broadband announces former Intertainer Senior Architect Steven Newstat PhD
joins Eagle Broadband as senior technology specialist (23APR01) (EGLW)
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Investment For MetaTV Universal Portal Platform: MetaTV gets $28 million investment from Comcast Interactive Capital,
Cox Communications, Atrium Venture Partners LP, Harron Capital, Liberate Technologies, Redpoint Ventures,
Rosewood Venture Group, and Saints Ventures LLC (23APR01) (MetaTV)
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Mediabolic One Software For PC-TV: Mediabolic releases Mediabolic One convergence software
which combines PC and TV for entertainment and information (23APR01) (Yahoo.BW)
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DTV Consumer Products: Panasonic showcases digital television consumer products at the DTV Store exhibit at NAB 2001
(23APR01) (PRN)
- Digital TV Momentum Is Delayed By Industry Standoff: Main handicap for digital television is chicken-and-egg standoff between TV broadcasters and consumer electronics manufacturers (23APR01) (LATimes) (alt.link)
The Los Angeles Times reports, "The broadcasters complain that there aren't enough homes with digital sets to justify spending the money on digital programs. The manufacturers counter that the masses won't buy new sets unless there's more programming." However, the Los Angeles Times goes on to report, "Still, analysts and industry insiders say there are signs that the shift to digital TV is gaining momentum." You can click here or here for Associated Press facts and figures on the transition to digital TV.- Consumers Slow To Embrace Digital TV: Legg Mason Analyst Blair Levin says "We have a chicken-and-egg problem where everybody is playing chicken" (23APR01) (LATimes.AP) (alt.link) (alt.link) (alt.link) (alt.link) (related.link) (related.link) (related.link) (related.link) (related.link)
In contrast to the the digital TV sets which may cost thousands of the dollars, this Associated Press (AP) article mentions the $480 AccessDTV card for PCs as a relatively lower-priced consumer entry product to digital television. The alternate link includes a screen shot of AccessDTV. See the next news item for a report on AccessDTV.- Breaking The Chicken-And-Egg Shell: AccessDTV's Peter Kusterer says we're here to help break the shell on the egg (25APR01) (NAB2001Daily)
The AccessDTV Digital Media Receiver is a TV tuner card with software, desktop antenna, and $10 monthly subscription service. You can click here for questions-and-answers about AccessDTV.- AccessDTV As PC-TV Consumer Entry To Digital TV: Wired's Brad King looks at the $480 AccessDTV card for PCs (23APR01) (WIRED)
- Embrace The Digital Future: Jonathan Pegg says perhaps the pieces in the digital television puzzle will finally begin to fit together (23APR01) (NAB2001Daily)
Writing for the NAB2001 Daily News, Jonathan Pegg writes, "While digital television affords broadcasters a host of new opportunities, the transition to digital has not always been easy. Over-the-air broadcasters face audiences that are migrating to other avenues. The industry is still struggling with how to use the Internet for streaming opportunities, and is also keen to explore how interactive television can capture viewers and increase revenues." Pegg goes on to write, "However, 185 stations are broadcasting DTV and with the reaffirmation of the 8-VSB standard, perhaps the pieces in the DTV puzzle will finally begin to fit together."- NAB CEO Calls For Embrace Of Digital TV In The US: NAB CEO Edward Fritts also says the transition to digital television has been handled about as effectively as California's deregulation of energy (23APR01) (IDG) (alt.link) (related.link) (related.link) (related.link) (related.link)
IDG cites NAB president and CEO Edward Fritts as indicating, "The television industry must embrace the switch to digital broadcasting, but it must work with both government and the public to ensure that the transition is carried out smoothly or it stands to alienate a lot of viewers." IDG also quotes Fritts as stating, "So far, the transition to digital in this country has been handled about as effectively as California's deregulation of energy." For those not in the US, the deregulation of electricity in California has backfired with the terrible doubling and tripling of electricity bills.- National Association of Broadcaster CEO Edward Fritts' NAB2001 All Industry Opening State of the Industry Address (23APR01) (NAB)
- Promoting Digital TV To Try To Get Consumers To Embrace The Digital Future: Consumer Electronics Association and National Association of Broadcasters seek to further increase consumer awareness of digital television by launching television and print advertising campaign in Fall 2001 (22APR01) (NAB2001Daily) (related.link) (related.link) (related.link) (related.link) (related.link) (related.link) (related.link)
The news item from the NAB2001 Daily News quotes Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) president and CEO Gary Shapiro as stating, "We are going to get to digital technology as a country. It's a question of how to get the consumers interested." In the related link, Reuters quotes National Association of Broadcasters president and CEO Edward Fritts as stating, "DTV offers consumers better picture quality and a plethora of new services that will be free of charge to viewers. This promotional effort will both educate consumers about the benefits of digital and high-definition television and serve as a reminder that DTV's time has come." Reuters quotes Shapiro as stating, "Consumers have overwhelmingly embraced the digital experience. Our research shows as more and more consumers purchase DTV products, they are looking for high-quality, high-definition TV programming." In the first related link, a joint CEA-NAB news announcement states, "The promotional campaign, which will rollout this fall, is expected to be unveiled in a few markets, yet to be determined, and then rollout into more markets in 2002." In the third related link, another NAB news announcement states there is a new DTVweb.org website for the DTV promotion.- Ruel's Spotlight Website: DTVweb.org (22APR01)
- Digital TV Cooperation In Australia: Australian free-to-air television broadcasters ABC and SBS are committed to ensuring digital TV is delivered to TV viewers in a simple and cost-effective way (23APR01) (AustralianIT.AAP) (related.link)
This is another story to follow up last Friday's story about how Australian television broadcasters ABC and SBS are joining up with the Federation of Australian Commercial Television Stations (FACTS) to form a Digital TV Strategy Group. The AAP quotes FACTS chairwoman Judi Stack as stating "All the free-to-air broadcasters are committed to ensuring the digital experience is delivered to our viewers in a simple and cost-effective way. The DTV strategy group will work closely with manufacturers and retailers on a co-ordinate framework for the rollout of the next generation of receiving equipment."- Digital TV Datacasting News From Australia: Australia's Internet Industry Association calls for halt to datacasting auction (23APR01) (Newsbytes)
Newsbytes quotes Internet Industry Association's Peter Coroneos as stating, "The lack of bidders now reduces the auction to a fire sale." You can click here for previous news about predictions that the auction will be stopped.- More DirecTV-Sky-UltimateTV News: News Corp Chairman Rupert Murdoch and Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer are said to be meeting with General Motors CEO G. Richard Wagoner for talks about buying DirecTV (23APR01) (Inside) (alt.link) (alt.link) (related.link) (related.link) (related.link) (related.link) (related.link) (related.link)
Inside quotes News Corp's Rupert Murdoch as stating, "We believe the digital future is interactive television." For the DirecTV deal, Inside reports, "News Corp ... is enlisting Microsoft and Liberty Media, a cable company, as partners. Murdoch is traveling to Detroit with Microsoft chief executive Steven Ballmer. If News Corp is able to buy DirectTV, Microsoft is expected to put up about $3 billion; the software giant would then merge its interactive television company, Ultimate TV, into Murdoch's satellite television assets, called Sky Global. Liberty Media would contribute another $500 million. To come up with the rest of the money, Murdoch is likely to spin off some of Hughes' assets and borrow about $2 billion." You can also click here for a previous Los Angeles Times news item about this potential DirecTV-Sky-UltimateTV relationship.- DirectTV Doesn't Have Digital Cable Envy: DirecTV doesn't fear losing subscribers to increased digital cable rollout (23APR01) (CableWorld)
- Digital TV Branding News In The UK: Granada and Carlton to announce changing the name of ONdigital to ITV Digital on Wednesday to reflect its commercial Independent TV programming (23APR01) (TheTimes) (related.link) (related.link) (related.link) (related.link) (related.link)
- TV Branding Beyond The TV: YTV weirdness works in any medium for kids (23APR01) (Strategy)
The Strategy magazine article is about cross-media branding on TV, the web, in print, and in music. Strategy magazine quotes YTV director of marketing Laura Baehr as stating, "As much as they're watching TV and playing computers, [kids] still love to read."- Tune Out To Tune In: Cutting back on TV for kids who don't think they watch too much TV (link.changes) (23APR01) (UnionTrib)
The San Diego Union Tribune article, which is entitled "Tune out to tune in: Cutting back on TV gives kids a clearer picture in school," cites the TV-Turnoff Network as providing the following statistics about TV watching for children in the US: (1) children ages 2 to 17 watch TV an average of 19 hours and 40 minutes per week; (2) 73% of parents would like to limit their children's TV watching; (3) the average youth watches television 1023 hours per year versus spending 900 hours studying in school; (4) there's a 1 in 12 chance that a parent requires children to do homework before watching TV; and (5) 61% of children ages 8 or older say they have no rules for watching TV. The TV-Turnoff Network is a nonprofit organization founded in 1994 that promotes turning off the television set. You can click here to check out the TV-Turnoff Network. If it's any coincidence since this is NAB 2001 week, well, April 23-29 is supposed to be "National TV-Turnoff Week." See the next news item.- National TV-Turnoff Week: US Surgeon General Dr. David Satcher and Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton join TV-Turnoff Network and the Washington DC Public Library to kickoff National TV-Turnoff Week 2001 in the US, April 23-29 (23APR01) (TvTurnoff)
- *** CLICK FOR MORE NEWS ***
- Digital TV Momentum Is Delayed By Industry Standoff: Main handicap for digital television is chicken-and-egg standoff between TV broadcasters and consumer electronics manufacturers (23APR01) (LATimes) (alt.link)
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