Advanced Television

Articles

Sardinia kick-starts Italy switchover

Italy’s communications authority said a deal has been reached between all TV operators in the Sardinia region on how to switchover to DTT. Sardinia is the first of Italy’s 20 regions to organise a switchover and the authority said it hopes Sardinia will set an example for the switch from analogue, due to be completed […]

January 18, 2008

Court to rule on French football rights

A French civil court will rule on a request by pay-TV group Canal Plus to suspend a tender for the rights to broadcast France’s top flight football matches over the next four seasons. Canal Plus had already filed a first request with the Tribunal de Grande Instance (TGI) to suspend the auction held by France’s […]

January 18, 2008

France TV tax

The French government is reportedly planning to impose an additional tax on the purchase of TVs, computers and mobile phones in a bid to help state broadcasters recover some of the shortfall – up to E1 billion – caused by the ban on advertising on public TV and radio mooted last week by President Sarkovsky. […]

January 18, 2008

Netflix offers unlimited access

Video rental company Netflix is now offering subscribers unlimited access to movies and television shows to watch via the Web on their personal computers. The feature will be open to all subscribers already on one of their unlimited monthly video rental plans, with no extra charge. Until now, Netflix had limited the number of hours […]

January 17, 2008

Viasat choose Pace for Nordic HD PVR

Pace Micro Technology has been selected by Viasat Broadcasting, the leading digital satellite payTV broadcaster in Scandinavia and the Baltic states, to be the launch partner for its HD PVR service. Viasat will be deploying the Pace TDS850NV HD PVR to households across the Nordic countries.

January 17, 2008

Technetix self install order

Technetix Group have signed an agreement with a major European telecom PTT for the supply of self install kits. The supply agreement starts in January 2008 and will be for a minimum annual quantity of 10,000 kits. The kits will be used to interconnect their IPTV system within the home. Technetix says it has been […]

January 17, 2008

Apple revamps TV as Jobs admits disappointment

Apple overhauled key elements of its online video strategy following an admission by Steve Jobs that the company's early efforts had been a disappointment. He confirmed earlier reports of a new online rental service for movies and a revamp of the Apple TV set-top box so that viewers can stream movies direct from the internet, […]

January 17, 2008

Arcor chooses NDS VideoGuard

NDS has revealed that Arcor, the second largest telecommunications provider in Germany, has selected NDS VideoGuard content protection to secure its new IPTV service. Arcor-Digital TV will initially be available in 51 German cities and communities offering digital TV and advanced entertainment services such as VOD.

January 17, 2008

FCC says wireless auction may be muted

The head of the Federal Communications Commission expressed concern that the credit crunch could hinder bidders in an upcoming government auction of wireless airwaves. Chairman Kevin Martin said that he was “concerned that the overall economic conditions could end up impacting the auction.” Martin’s comments came less than a week after a key potential bidder […]

January 17, 2008

Broadcasters align to expand French mobile TV

French broadcasters Canal Plus Group, TF1 and M6 have entered into an alliance with a number of other French TV firms in an attempt to expand the country's mobile TV market. The trio have signed a mobile TV charter along with AB Groups, Bollore, LagardereActive, NextRadioTV and NRJ Groupe. The alliance's remit calls for the […]

January 17, 2008