Revolutionary Information Infrastructure Systems

Deutsche Telekom jumps into 3D with movies, pro-league soccer

admin — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 15:39:52 +0000

German telco Deutsche Telekom is adding another dimension to its IPTV platform, offering subscribers of its Entertain TV service the opportunity to rent 3D movies from its Videoload store and watch one soccer game each Sunday from Germany's top professional league, the Federal League, in 3D as well. All they need is a Telekom VDSL line and, obviously, a 3D television.

Viewers can scan the Videoload listings for 3D movie highlights from Warner Bros. and Sony Pictures, or download a 3D movie with a 24-hour window in which to watch it.

Telekom said its Entertain media receiver already is capable of processing 3D signals and won't require any upgrades.

"With this step, we highlight Deutsche Telekom's innovative strength and once again impressively demonstrate the future-proof nature of Entertain," said Christian P. Illek, MD of Marketing for DT.

DT has been dabbling in 3D transmission since November 2009, when it successfully transmitted a 3D signal successfully via the existing DSL network. In April 2010, 3D content was presented for the first time via Entertain at the University of Bonn. One month later, a major sporting event was broadcast in 3D for the first time: the opening game of the 2010 IIHF World Championship in Germany was shown on Entertain.

For more:
- see this article

SeaChange revenue up in 2Q, server sales disappoints analysts

admin — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 14:39:54 +0000

Video-on-demand technology specialist SeaChange International's second quarter results missed analysts' projections, and the company's forecast for upcoming quarters did little to ease the disappointment on Wall Street, which reacted by pushing SeaChange shares down 16 percent in extended trading.

The company showed improvement with $3.5 million in revenue in Q2, up from a loss of $376,000 in the like quarter a year ago. The 11-cent EPS missed analyst expectations of 13-cents per share for the quarter. Revenue was up, largely as the result of recent acquisitions, to $51.6 million for the quarter. The company revised its revenue forecast for the year downward to $215 million to $220 million from $225 million to $235 million. Third quarter earnings had been expected to reach $59 million, or 17 cents per share, but the company forecasts revenues in the range of $50 million to $53 million, or 7 to 10 cents per share.

SeaChange said its revenue from its server and storage division was down about 13 percent to $10.3 million from a year ago, and forecast continued weakness through the end of the year. On a brighter note, the company said software sales for VOD services was doing well, with its media services earning revenue of $7.1 million.

In March, COO and president Ed Dundar left the company after the company posted a 99 percent drop in profit for the quarter compared to a year earlier. Chief strategy officer Yvette Kanouff moved into the president's seat.

For more:
- see this release
- see this article

IPTV, 3D TV are key untapped growth technologies in Asia, survey finds

admin — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 13:55:38 +0000

Asian pay-TV operators says IPTV and 3D television offer the best untapped opportunities for growth as high-definition television's share of the market continues to grow, telling Global Intelligence Alliance that the newer technologies will give operators a chance to differentiate offerings in the region.

GIA polled 35 pay-TV operators in 14 countries in the Asia-Pacific region and found that many are looking towards new technologies including video-on-demand, 3D TV, direct-to-home IPTV and new platforms for future subscriber growth and greater revenues s more than 50 percent already offer HDTV.

Over-the-top content delivery is seen as a threat, the survey found, as piracy is a major concern in the region.

Surprisingly, the group was less than overwhelmed by mobile TV as well.

Much of the concern, said survey partner, ContentAsia, was with the available revenue models.

"Many say they don't expect digital revenues to come anywhere near their traditional revenue in the next three to five years. That doesn't mean they aren't moving in that direction though. The digital question of the moment, then, is about balance - or, specifically, how far and fast to move into the future without jeopardizing today's business", said Janine Stein, of ContentAsia.

For more:
- see this release

Witbe chosen to monitor IPTV QoE for China’s BesTV

admin — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 11:34:44 +0000

The burgeoning market for IPTV in China, which is expected to exceed 15 million subscribers by 2011, has been a good one for Witbe, which has announced a deal with BesTV to monitor and measure the Quality of Experience for BesTV's 3 million IPTV customers.

BesTV will use Witbe's automated "robots" to simulate user actions and measure video and audio signals from behind the set-top box using standard video outputs and calculate a quality score based on true user experience. They can also send a sequence of automated IR signals to the STB and analyze screen responses to provide accurate metrics on zapping time and menu response times.

The Witbe solution will help BesTV make objective perceptual quality measurements, said BesTV CTO Bobby Lee. "It also helps our staff understand issues reported from remote sites and also the variation of quality from STB to STB."

The French company's IPTV solution in 2010 won the IPTV World Series award in the category of "Best Quality Improvement Solution." Its three-screen monitoring solution is shortlisted for the 2010 CSI awards for "Best monitoring or network management solution."

For more:
- see this release

Cable alternative Sezmi teams with Amazon in 36 new markets

admin — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 03:09:22 +0000

Sezmi, which combines over-the-air, cable, and web video content into a single integrated TV service, has partnered with Amazon to launch in 36 markets in the U.S. The company already has partnered with Best Buy to launch in Los Angeles.

Backed by more than $75 million in investment to date, Sezmi looks at itself as a cable alternative, requiring an upfront hardware buy of its "reception center"--a branded HD DVR that blends live, recorded, on-demand and online content and can store up to 1,400 hours of programming, plus an over-the-air receiver that brings in broadcast and cable signals--for $149.

Users can choose a basic package for $4.99 a month, or an expanded package for $19.99.

For more:
- see this article

Sprint’s WiMAX making inroads into federal agencies

admin — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 08:33:08 +0000

Sprint (NYSE:S) announced it is making inroads into federal agencies with its WiMAX offerings.

According to Sprint, dozens of federal agencies have already certified Sprint's WiMAX-enabled devices. Two key applications the operator is honing on include situational awareness and healthcare. Situational awareness applications include: mobile high-definition video surveillance, location-based solutions, laptop connectivity for individual agents, video streaming or connections to/from handheld devices and the transmission of large images and video from target areas.

Sprint said administrators in federally managed facilities are using WiMAX to offer expanded mobility for caregivers. For example, medical staff can view high-resolution medical images on the HD screen of HTC Evo or view patient records and lab reports on WiMAX-connected wireless tablet PCs while gaining increased mobility so they can spend more time with patients.

For more:
- see this release

Community WiFi giving cable a run in some communities

admin — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 08:11:54 +0000

A new multi-dwelling WiFi installation in Provo, Utah illustrates a new trend in which community WiFi applications are providing broadband Internet connections that are cheaper and easier to install than cable systems. More than 300 homes within the 320-acre Cambria Community can receive the 802.11n-based 3 to 5 Mbps service for about $21 a month--less than one half the price of most cable broadband offerings in the area. Article

Will new portable hotspot/unlimited data plans put the squeeze on AT&T?

admin — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 08:06:08 +0000

Clearwire and Virgin Mobile recently introduced portable WiFi hotspots and contract-free unlimited mobile broadband data plans--the Clearwire Puck and the Virgin Mobile MiFi. Will their moves make bundled data plans obsolete for the likes of AT&T (NYSE:T)?

Rather than paying $25 for 2 GB of data on the iPhone, plus $20 for tethering and another $25 for 2 GB of data on the iPad, AT&T subscribers can buy the minimal data plan for 200 MB on the iPhone and instead pay $40 per month with Virgin Mobile for unlimited data on a portable hotspot that could be shared among the iPhone, a laptop and the iPad, noted PC World.

While the upfront savings is just $15 per month, consumers could potentially save a significant amount considering that mobile hotspots provide unlimited data compared with the 4 GB combined total on AT&T. And even more devices could connect to the portable hotspot.

For more:
- see this PC World article

FCC seeks comment on open access rules for wireless networks

admin — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 07:30:20 +0000

The FCC issued a notice of proposed rulemaking that pertains to how wireless networks and specialized services should be handled under open access provisions envisioned by the commission.

The FCC is seeking comments on how wireless providers should address transparency, devices and applications.

"The NPRM seeks comment on ‘how, to what extent, and when' openness principles should apply to mobile wireless platforms, with a particular emphasis on furthering innovation, private investment, competition and freedom of expression," the FCC said. "Mobile broadband providers such as AT&T Mobility (NYSE:T) and Leap Wireless (NASDAQ:LEAP) have recently introduced pricing plans that charge different prices based on the amount of data a customer uses. The emergence of these new business models may reduce mobile broadband providers' incentives to employ more restrictive network management practices that could run afoul of open Internet principles. Additionally, Verizon and Google issued a proposal for open Internet legislation that would exclude wireless, except for proposed transparency requirements."

When it comes to transparency, the FCC asks how end users, content device and applications companies might make informed decisions about mobile broadband network providers. In addition, the commission wants to know how applications may be tied to the network. "To what extent should mobile wireless providers be permitted to prevent or restrict the distribution or use of types of applications that may intensively use network capacity, or that cause other network management challenges," wrote the FCC.

The FCC is also questioning whether operators should have their own app stores and if web-based applications should be regulated differently than native applications. "If providers were to be prohibited from denying or restricting access to applications in their capacity as network providers, should they nevertheless have discretion regarding what apps are included in app stores that they operate," the FCC asks.

For more:
- see this RCR Wireless News article

FCC close to finalizing TV white space rules

admin — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 03:28:02 +0000

The FCC is close to releasing final rules for the use of TV white space spectrum after authorizing the spectrum's use for unlicensed services back in 2008.

According to The Wall Street Journal, some of Chairman Julius Genachowski's top aides have met with broadcasters and other involved parties to hammer out the remaining challenges to use of the spectrum. Genachowski indicated earlier this year that he wanted rules finalized by the end of September. Companies such as Microsoft and Google have continued to lobby the FCC for the final rules.

White space airwaves "represent a unique opportunity to spark next-generation broadband networks across the country," Rick Whitt, Google's telecom and media counsel, said in an interview with the WSJ. "We're very eager for the commission to give the green light to start innovating and building new services on these airwaves."

Since the FCC approved the use of white space spectrum in late 2008, broadcasters and wireless microphone users have continued to fret over the potential for interference. The FCC's technical conditions require that both fixed and portable devices include geolocation and spectrum-sensing applications capable of integrating with an FCC database that comprises TV signals and the location of venues such as stadiums and concert arenas that use wireless microphones. Geolocation technology will be used to map the location of the device and compares it to the location of TV stations in an area. The database must be able to check for other registered devices, making sure the device is registered with the database and calculating accurate maps to identify TV channels and other services operating in the spectrum.

For more:
- check out this WSJ article