Intelsat targeting IPTV and cable operators with MPEG-4 super headend

Satellite operator Intelsat has introduced a video aggregation and distribution service that will enable US cable operators to upgrade services to MPEG-4 Part 10 (H.264 or AVC) cost-effectively, using centralised MPEG-2 to MPEG-4 Part 10 transcoding where necessary (which would be the case for most standard-definition TV services today). The more likely application for MPEG-4 Part 10 over cable is HDTV. Intelsat is also targeting the new service at US telcos introducing IPTV and is offering them the chance to pass-through complete channel line-ups that have been aggregated for them at Intelsat’s Video Operations Center.

Cisco and TELUS invest in Widevine Technologies

Widevine Technologies, provider of downloadable content protection and digital forensics solutions, has announced investments by Cisco Systems and telecoms operator TELUS as part of a round of funding worth $16 million. This also includes follow-on investment from VantagePoint, Bear Stearns Constellation Ventures, Pacesetter Capital and Phoenix Partners.

ABI Research says vendor consolidation will result in all-encompassing IP video solutions providers

A continuing series of acquisitions in the IP video market will eventually result in a smaller number of vendors who each provide all-encompassing IP network solutions including video infrastructure, ABI Research is predicting. The research company is warning of the danger that closed networks could result, and is urging that “standards organisations will need to take action to ensure that all vendors converge their respective technologies into standard platforms."

100 Thomson ViBE encoders used for contribution and distribution in Netherlands

NOB, the national broadcasting facilities company in the Netherlands, has implemented Thomson’s Grass Valley ViBE digital transmission platform in two major systems - both contracts arriving through Thomson’s Dutch partner Digital & Media Solutions B.V. (D&MS). In total, the two projects use almost 100 ViBE MPEG-2 encoders, together with ASI multiplexers and other signal processing equipment. They allow broadcast quality content to be collected from remote areas to the studio centre, and digital broadcast streams to be delivered to transmitter networks, all as IP data over telecoms circuits.

Norwegian IPTV provider is latest to select Latens conditional access

Latens Systems claims its Conditional Access solution, which is software based and avoids the need for smartcards, is now the most widely deployed for IPTV in Europe. The company has announced a series of new deployments this spring, mainly with smaller systems operators, and is hopeful that as subscriber numbers grow on these platforms larger telcos and also cable operators will acknowledge not just the credibility of the content security technology, but the stability of the vendor, which remains small by comparison to rivals offering smartcard solutions.

Telefonica hands development of Imagenio IPTV platform to Lucent

Lucent Technologies and Telefonica Group have reached a strategic agreement that means Lucent will assume responsibility for the future development and deployment of Telefonica’s Imagenio IPTV middleware platform, including the ongoing introduction of new features and capabilities.

Growth in video services will not offset decline in fixed line telco revenues, says Analysys

Growth in TV and video services delivered over broadband connections will not be enough to halt the swift decline in the value of Western European fixed telecoms services in the coming years, according to Analysys, which makes the conclusions in its new report, ‘Western European Fixed Telecoms: Market Sizings and Forecasts 2001-11’.

IPTV monitoring solutions launched/updated ready for NAB

Preventative monitoring specialist Pixelmetrix has launched a hard-disk based system that allows non-stop simultaneous recording of multiple channels of transmitted IP video. The DVStor-IP product is said to be cost-effective and according to Pixelmetrix president and CEO Danny Wilson, it allows broadcasters who are using IPTV to verify that a specific transmission actually happened at a given time.

Complete DVB-S2 contribution/distribution solutions commercially available from Scopus

Scopus Video Networks has confirmed the commercial availability of its complete DVB-S2 solution for the contribution and distribution of digital video broadcast content. The products can be seen at NAB during April.

Optibase supplying MPEG-4 Part 10 headend for Indian IPTV roll-out

India's state-owned telco, Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd (MTNL) is about to add video to its voice and data services around Delhi and Mumbai and the company supplying its video services has selected Optibase's IPTV MGW 5100 platforms for its IPTV headend. With this deployment, Optibase encoders will be the industry's first to enable large-scale IPTV in India. MTNL is targeting 3.9 million subscribers with its IPTV offering.

Scientific Atlanta highlights advanced encoding and DVR/DVD burner at NAB

Scientific Atlanta will be demonstrating SMPTE VC-1 encoding for handheld devices at this year’s NAB (Las Vegas in April). The company is using a stand-alone mobile encoder device and a spokesman says this is likely to be the early form factor for commercial launch. Thomson has already unveiled its stand-alone mobile TV encoder whereas another encoding rival, Harmonic Inc, has decided to provide mobile TV encoding within a single multi-codec, multi-resolution compression platform.

TANDBERG Television celebrates HD, IPTV and VOD successes in China

After a six month trial, TANDBERG Television has been selected to supply the HDTV encoders for CCTV in China’s first national HD roll-out, in a service that features movies, TV series, documentaries and 3-dimensional animated pictures.

Home networking security among the less obvious Cisco and Scientific Atlanta synergies

The Cisco purchase of Scientific Atlanta was such a good fit in terms of complementary products that only $15 million worth of revenue out of $27 billion was overlapping, Bob McIntyre, senior vice president and CTO at Scientific Atlanta, has revealed.  He says the two companies have three integration teams at work covering end-to-end IPTV wireline solutions, next-generation cable networks, and what the companies are calling ‘Connected Life’ - covering the customer premise and home networking, and with a focus on modems and set-top boxes among other things.

Serbian cable operator uses Scientific-Atlanta headend to expand into DTH satellite

Serbian cable operator SBB is introducing a direct-to-home satellite service to reach more of its target audience and has turned to Scientific-Atlanta Europe to provide headend and uplink solutions. The new digital satellite system will make use of the same network management and control system being used for the HFC (Hybrid Fibre Coax) system.

Telenor Satellite Broadcasting chooses Nimbra 340 access solution for video metro network in Sofia

Telenor Satellite Broadcasting (TSBc) has chosen Net Insight's video transport solution to help build a ten site metro network in Sofia, Bulgaria. The network will be used for ASI and Ethernet services to/from broadcast and media operators. TSBc already has a Multi Service Network - also built on Net Insight's equipment - spanning London, Oslo, Stockholm, Helsinki, Copenhagen and Bratislava.

FASTWEB introduces SkyStream Mediaplex-20 headend for 36 TV channels

The Italian IPTV provider FASTWEB has introduced a SkyStream Mediaplex-20 headend system to encode 36 channels of its FASTWEB TV service in MPEG-2. The company, which operates a mixed DSL and fibre network serving 160,000 video subscribers, offers broadcast TV and VOD as part of its triple-play offer. A spokesman comments: “SkyStream's headend is hardened, reliable and versatile and it will easily support our current expansion, and it will also allow us to expand further in the future with minimal capital costs.”

RealNetworks' management and streaming platform behind Cingular’s 16 city VOD-over-mobile deployment

RealNetworks is providing the video management and delivery platform behind Cingular Wireless’ Video on Demand streaming service, which launched in 16 US cities during March. The ‘Watch This! Cingular Video’ service includes a large selection of popular mobile content including TV shows, sports, news and weather over a 3G network. Video clips include ABC TV’s trailers for ‘Desperate Housewives’ and ‘Lost’, and CNN news that is updated hourly.

SES ASTRA encouraging digital TV with new German platform

SES ASTRA has introduced an open satellite platform on which channel owners can launch new digital TV services in Germany. The platform services provided by SES ASTRA will include playout, programme encryption, smartcard distribution and customer relationship management.

Telecom Italia France using Verimatrix to protect AliceBox IPTV

Telecom Italia France has selected the Verimatrix Content Authority System (VCAS) to provide content protection for the premium TV channels that help make up its AliceBox triple-play service. AliceBox, which was launched at the start of the year, combines television with telephony and 6Mbps broadband and television content is supplied by French broadcast groups TPS and Canal+. There are currently 100 broadcast TV channels available. Sagem is providing the MPEG-2/MPEG-4 Part 10 enabled set-top boxes for the service.

J:COM will introduce HDTV recorder to Japan in April

Japanese cable operator J:COM (Jupiter Telecommunications) will introduce HDTV Digital Video Recorder services in April to limited markets.  The HUMAX recorder will enable subscribers to record up to 20 hours of HDTV on its 250Gb hard drive. The device features two tuners so viewers can watch one channel while recording another, or record two channels simultaneously.  The replay picture quality is said to be identical to the original HD broadcast. Subscribers can programme the DVR using the Electronic Programme Guide and search for programmes to record using key words.

HOT BIRD 7A launched successfully

Eutelsat’s  HOT BIRD 7A satellite has been successfully launched from  Kourou in French Guiana and will be eased into its geostationary orbit at 13 degrees East during March, then tested prior to entering service as a replacement for HOT BIRD 1. The satellite will bring the total Eutelsat transponder count at its primary video neighbourhood to 102, up from 100. HOT BIRD 7A will account for 38 of these (all Ku-band). Together with HOT BIRD 8, which will be launched in 2006, it will raise Eutelsat’s in-orbit security at 13 East and enable the company to redeploy HOT BIRD 3 and HOT BIRD 4 to other locations.

Liberty Global's CEO warns telcos: video is going to be tough

Mike Fries, CEO of Liberty Global, which owns the pan-European cable operator UPC Broadband (plus chellomedia), told delegates at the European Cable Communications Association's annual congress in late February that cable operators faced a real challenge from telcos offering video, but said that although IPTV technology did work, he predicted they would struggle to make a commercial success of video.

Irdeto acquiring Philips’ CryptoTec CA business and will provide ongoing support for CryptoWorks customers

Irdeto is about to acquire the CryptoTec Conditional Access unit belonging to Philips, in a deal that will see Irdeto take on current customers of  Philips’  CryptoWorks CA and provide them with ongoing customer support. The agreement, which should be completed in the spring, boosts Irdeto’s market presence and allows Philips to concentrate on standards-based Digital Rights Management (DRM). No financial details of the transaction have been disclosed.

Virgin Mobile to become first European operator to use broadcast overlay for TV-to-mobile; BT Movio platform operator with DAB-IP

Virgin Mobile (the UK's largest MVNO - Mobile Virtual Network Operator) looks set to become the first European mobile phone operator to deliver live TV to handsets using broadcast overlay technology. The company is aiming for a commercial service launch later this year using the UK's existing DAB (Digital Audio Broadcasting) network, as used today for digital radio. It will use DAB-IP, an enhanced DAB technology capable of delivering live multi-channel TV, and will provide the service on the world's first DAB-IP enabled Smartphone, which was unveiled at the 3GSM World Congress in February.

MobiTV prepares for hybrid cellular/broadcast mobile phone TV networks; announces support for DVB-H and DMB at 3GSM

In preparation for the expected migration of live broadcast TV services from cellular networks to broadcast overlay networks, like DVB-H, MobiTV revealed at the 3GSM World Congress conference in early February that it can now integrate various standards-based, wireless broadcast network technologies with its existing cellular-based service platform.

DIRECTV chooses MV 100 encoders for MPEG-4 Part 10 standard-definition services

DIRECTV, the US direct-to-home satellite operator, has selected DiviCom MV 100 encoders from Harmonic Inc. for MPEG-4 Part 10 (H.264/AVC) compression of standard-definition services. DIRECTV would not comment on their precise use although the most likely applications are contribution of local channels to the satellite headend or the introduction of new SD services over satellite using MPEG-4.

TANDBERG Television to acquire SkyStream: expands presence in IPTV headends and adds push on-demand capabilities to VOD portfolio

TANDBERG Television is about to acquire SkyStream in an $80 million deal that gives the UK-based company a greater share of the emerging IPTV headend market and innovative satellite transmission technologies that, among other things, can support push-VOD where movies are delivered as files into Digital Video Recorders.

 Alcatel behind attempts to create Europe’s first satellite mobile TV system; will use DVB-H S-band with terrestrial repeaters

Alcatel Mobile Broadcast (AMB), the new internal Alcatel venture dedicated to mobile TV, is behind plans to launch a terrestrial broadcast network using DVB-H in S-band, rather than L-band (1452-1477 MHz) or the especially scarce UHF frequencies (470-838 MHz). Terrestrial network infrastructure will then be complemented by a pan-European geostationary satellite (yet to be launched) that will provide direct-to-phone S-band transmission of live mobile television services.

Oxford Mobile TV Trial Reveals Strong Consumer Demand for Multi-Channel Broadcast TV onto their Mobile

January 17th, 2006 -Clear consumer demand for the creation of a nationwide, mass-market, multi-channel mobile broadcasting service Usage and viewing duration are exceptionally high and the vast majority of consumers are satisfied with the services.