Advanced Television

Broadcast

Amazonas 1 sent to graveyard orbit

Spanish satellite communications operator HISPASAT has completed the re-orbiting process of the Amazonas 1 satellite. This process, which began June 19th, ended on June 23rd after the transmission of the last command from the HISPASAT Satellite Control Centre in Arganda del Rey, through which the passivation of the satellite was completed after having efficiently provided […]

June 23, 2017

Liberty: “Sky F1 paywall damaging the sport”

F1’s new owners, Liberty Media, believe the UK TV rights deal they have inherited from the previous management, led by Bernie Ecclestone, is damaging to the sport – with Sky’s coverage entirely immersed behind a paywall from 2019 to 2024. Sean Bratches, the MD of commercial operations for the Formula One Group, sees FTA television as […]

June 22, 2017

GroupM downgrades UK ad growth forecast

UK advertising is set to see an eighth successive year of growth, and the nation will remain one of the fastest-growing media markets in 2017 with a 4.1 per cent increase in spending taking the industry to predicted investment of £18.6 billion (€21.1bn). This overall forecast is a downward revision from the 7 per cent […]

June 22, 2017

Massive boost for satellite capacity by 2020

Paris-based research company Euroconsult, in its latest report (High Throughput Satellites: Vertical Market Analysis & Forecasts), says there is going to be a significant increase in High Throughput Satellites (HTS) over the next few year, and with each of these new satellites capable of delivering extra capacity into the market. Euroconsult reminds us that over […]

June 22, 2017

Italy to get new FTA channel this autumn

Italian media group De Agostini Editore will launch a new national free-to-air channel this autumn. Branded ‘Alpha’ it will mainly target a male audience and will use channel position 59 on the national DTT network. This will be the group’s second FTA channel – ‘Super!’ broadcasts entertainment programmes for a younger audience and is available […]

June 21, 2017From Branislav Pekic in Rome

Analyst: Pay-TV to dominate US video/TV market

The video and TV market is changing, but not as fast as many people are suggesting, according to analyst firm Strategy Analytics. In its report, Subscription Video and TV Forecast – North America, Strategy Analytics predicts that: Overall annual spending on subscription video and TV services in the US will peak at $130.3 billion(€117bn) in […]

June 21, 2017

VMSOs fuel shift away from traditional pay-TV

In a study from Ampere Analysis, ‘Virtual Multiple Systems Operators’ (VMSOs) are under the microscope. A recent entrant into the subscription OTT space, both in the US and internationally, they are more direct competitors to traditional cable and satellite TV providers than services like Netflix and Amazon. With low subscriber acquisition costs, and slim channel […]

June 21, 2017

Study: Video streaming quality affects viewer loyalty

Cloud delivery platform Akamai Technologies has released new research demonstrating how quality of video resolution and playback affects viewers’ engagement with and loyalty to OTT video streaming services. Conveyed through advanced biometric measurement tools including facial coding and skin conductance, the findings underscore the importance of delivering consistent, high-quality video across any OTT business model. […]

June 21, 2017

Freeview Explore boosts content search

UK free-to-air platform Freeview is launching Freeview Explore – a new feature that it says will ensure that users of its Freeview Play hybrid service get the most out of their TVs. Freeview Explore will demo core functionality, deliver the latest news on the Freeview channel line-up and provide a showcase of the day’s best […]

June 21, 2017By Colin Mann

Netflix adds Interactive Storytelling titles

Netflix has added a new genre to its library of online content with the launch of “Interactive Storytelling” – shows that allow the viewer to choose what happens next in the story. Aimed at children, the first Interactive Storytelling title available immediately is Puss in Book: Trapped in an Epic Tale. A second standalone title Buddy […]

June 21, 2017By Nik Roseveare