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Transforming Into A Digital Nation: British Prime Minister Tony Blair presents the Labour Party general election manifesto
which seeks to open up the entertainment and learning opportunities offered by digital television and the internet,
commit to the digital television switchover, and pledge to ensure broadband access (16MAY01) (MediaGuardian)
Media Guardian reports television and the media only get a few paragraphs in the Labour Party manifesto. See the next news item for the manifesto. -
Launching Ambitions for Britain: Labour Party's general election manifesto with a ten-point plan
for transforming Great Britain in the first decade of the 21st Century (16MAY01) (Labour)
On page 11 of the Labour Party's "Ambitions For Britain" general election manifesto (PDF) in a section entitled "Digital Nation," the manifesto states, "We have the best TV in the world. The next challenge is to open up the learning opportunities and enjoyment offered by digital TV and the internet to every household. We are committed to making the switchover from analogue to digital signals as soon as conditions for access and cost have been met."- Beck Says iTV Is On 15-20 Year Track With At Least 5 Years Till 60% Consumer Adoption: Mixed Signals CEO Caroline Beck also says interactive television versions of "Jeopardy" and "Wheel of Fortune" are still being produced but Sony is not airing them right now (15MAY01) (DCD)
Digital Coast Daily (DCD) quotes Mixed Signals CEO Caroline Beck as stating, "A number of articles in the press have misunderstood what Sony is doing. We're actively producing interactive Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune. Sony, for its own reasons, is not airing it right now." DCD also quotes Beck as stating "we're on track" regarding to the market progress of interactive TV. DCD quotes Beck as explaining, "Go through technology history and everything is between 15 and 20 years.... I think there's a solid five years to go before we'll start to see the 'hockey stick' moving towards [a mass market consumer adoption level of] 60 percent.... [Advertisers] wouldn't look until it hit 20 million [in set-top boxes]. Interactive programs with an interactive audience are likely twice as valuable to advertisers, which means they could probably live with 10 million. "- Anstrom Says 10 Years Till Financially Viable iTV: Weather Channel CEO Decker Anstrom says we've been working on interactive television for 4 years now and expect 10 more years before it's financially meaningful (15MAY01) (CableToday)
In covering the Interact 2001 conference in Tampa, Florida, CableToday quotes Weather Channel CEO Decker Anstrom as stating, "We've been working on ITV for 4 years now, and expect 10 more years before it's meaningful financially...That's not pessimism, that's reality - and in the new economy, success takes patience. We have it and suggest that others should, too." With regard to government regulation, Anstrom is also quoted as stating, "Nothing will kill ITV faster than government regulation.... Overheated expectations [as to interactive television progressing faster than it actually is] will invite the regulators to enter the ITV business now."- Twelve Million Club: Gemstar-TV Guide says its TV Guide Interactive and GUIDE Plus+ System interactive program guide services are now available in 12+ million homes throughout North America (14MAY01) (TVGuide)
- Gemstar-TV Guide quarterly results include continued growth of licensing revenues derived from interactive program guide technology (14MAY01) (TVGuide)
- IP Television For China: Tianjin Zhonghuan Networks selects Minerva Networks IP Television Headend hardware and nCUBE n4 media servers for deployment of IP-based television services including multi-channel television and video-on-demand by China Telecom (16MAY01) (nCUBE) (alt.link)
The news announcement quotes nCUBE president Michael Pohl as stating, "The needs of China Telecom's subscribers represent the future of IP Television worldwide."- Interactive TV For Hong Kong: CLP Telecom and Yes Television to launch Oxygen interactive TV service providing broadcast television, video-on-demand, internet access, and email with pilot test beginning May 28 in less than 100 households and eventual possible rollout in August in Hong Kong (14MAY01) (Revolution)
Revolution magazine cites CLP Telecom as indicating, "Yes Television will be responsible for providing the technology, platform and content and CLP will handle various tasks such as marketing, communications and customer service."- Broadband & Interactive TV At The Banana Splits Show: BroadbandBananas Event to take place during MediaCast 2001, May 22, 2001, 6:00-9:00 pm at the Limelight in London (16MAY01) (BroadbandBananas)
Click the news link to go to the BroadbandBananas website for more info about the BroadbandBananas event. When you get to the front page, wait and listen to the "Banana Splits Show" theme song from the old Hanna-Barbera children's show before entering further into the website. You can click here for the previous spotlight on BroadbandBananas. And for the kid show fans out there, you can click here and here for information about the old "Banana Splits Show."- Digital Days 2001 For Latin America: Motorola Broadband Communications Sector to host Digital Days 2001 Conference, May 15-17, 2001, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to showcase interactive digital applications for the cable industry including television internet access, video-on-demand services, email, and ecommerce (16MAY01) (PRN)
- More Digital Days 2001 News: SeaChange Interactive Television System to be demo'd with TV Guide Interactive and video-on-demand for cable operators using Motorola DCT-1000, DCT-2000 and DCT-5000 digital set-top boxes at Motorola's Digital Days 2001 conference in Brazil (16MAY01) (SeaChange)
- Set-Top For Mexico & Latin America: Certus Corporation announces new interactive set-top cable platform using National Semiconductor Geode processor and EnReach broadband media streaming software for deployment in Mexico and Latin America (16MAY01) (EnReach) (alt.link)
- Streaming Video-On-Demand And DVD Playback: Samsung Electronics and Octal select Sigma Designs EM8400 MPEG2 decoder to be incorporated into new series of advanced digital set-top boxes with integrated web-enabled DVD player and based on Microsoft TV Advanced Digital Platform for receiving digital video broadcasts, playing DVD movies, broadband internet access, video-on-demand, and other digital media services (16MAY01) (SigmaDesigns) (alt.link)
- Linux & Set-Top Controller: IBM selects MontaVista Software's Hard Hat Linux operating system for IBM PowerPC-based single-chip set-top box controller to enable electronics manufacturers to develop television set-top boxes and other home gateway products (16MAY01) (IBM) (related.link) (related.link) (related.link) (related.link)
The news announcement states, "Netgem, a European developer of interactive services applications, plans to develop new products based on the IBM STB controllers running the Hard Hat Linux operating system."- Other IBM News: IBM NetVista internet appliance to use QNX operating system and Opera web browser (16MAY01) (PCWorld)
- Digital TV Set With Internet Access: Princeton Graphic Systems begins shipping Princeton Ai3.6HD as high definition-ready TV and computer monitor with Ch.1 internet service for web browsing, email, chat, online shopping, and channel guide (16MAY01) (PRN)
- Portable Digital TV & Video: Digital Mobile Video Conference, London Marriott Hotel, London, July 5-6, 2001 (16MAY01) (IBC)
There is also a pre-conference seminar "The Future of DVB-T" led by Crown Castle International on Wednesday, July 4, 2001, discussing "What is the potential for mobile and portable reception of DVB-T?"- Mobile Email Web Device: Danger Research is working to develop a $150-$200 BlackBerry-type wireless cigarette-pack-size email device with calendar, address book, memo pad, games, stock trading, and web browser (15MAY01) (RedHerring) (alt.link)
You can click here to check out Danger Research. And you can click here to check out Research In Motion's Blackberry wireless email device. You can also click here for CNET's new guide to wireless email devices.- Other BlackBerry Email-Anywhere News: Research In Motion says Glenayre Technologies infringes BlackBerry patent for redirecting email from a computer or server to a handheld device using a single email address (17MAY01) (CNET)
- Digital TV & Broadband In Germany: NDS opens new office in Berlin for interactive digital television and broadband services (PDF) (16MAY01) (NDS)
The news announcement quotes NDS Germany regional sales manager Andreas Krensel as stating, "The convergence of digital television, Internet and computing opens up new business opportunities and revenue streams for broadcasters and telecommunications carriers, and Germany is one of the leading adopters of these technologies."- UPC Digital TV Hard Launch For Europe In 3Q/4Q 2001: UPC development of digital television services finds 90% of respondents are satisfied with its EPG, 92% watch additional digital television changes, 60% use near-video-on-demand, and 82% listen to the digital music channels (PDF) (15MAY01) (UPC)
Page 6 of United Pan-Europe Communications report on the results for three months ending March 31, 2001, states the development of UPC digital services shows 90% of respondents are satisfied with the electronic programming guide, 92% watch additional digital television changes, 60% use near-video-on-demand, and 82% listen to the digital music channels. Page 5 of the report goes on to state, "UPC continues to invest in the development of its interactive services including enhanced interactive television, event driven programming, entertainment and gaming, walled garden, internet on the television and the Interactive Entertainment Guide ("IEG"), prior to hard launching its digital offering in the third and fourth quarter 2001 and significant progress is being made." There is no mention as to whether Liberate TV, Microsoft TV, and/or some other platform will be used in the hard launch.- Watching TV And Surfing The Net: Scarborough Research finds 70% of online adults in the US watch the same amount of TV since they began surfing the internet, 7% watch more TV, 23% watch less TV, 20% spend less time reading print magazines, and 15% spend less time reading newspapers (09MAY01) (Scarborough) (related.link) (related.link)
You can click here for another news item where MediaVest Worldwide finds PC owners do watch more primetime television.- WorldGate announces promotion of Mark Santoleri as affiliate sales regional vice president responsible for domestic accounts in the US (16MAY01) (WorldGate)
- TV Commercials On The Web: FamilyTime.com selects Amicada technology for providing full-screen full-motion television commercials on the internet for online and offline viewing (16MAY01) (Mediapost)
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- Beck Says iTV Is On 15-20 Year Track With At Least 5 Years Till 60% Consumer Adoption: Mixed Signals CEO Caroline Beck also says interactive television versions of "Jeopardy" and "Wheel of Fortune" are still being produced but Sony is not airing them right now (15MAY01) (DCD)
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