ITV

Category: iWorld

  • Digital living in Asia, a global perspective

    Digital living in Asia, a global perspective

    SINGAPORE: In the second session on global digital living, a Parks Associates survey of 13 nations revealed that Asian countries are leading the way in the digital homes arena.

    The session, which was addressed by Parks Associates, USA director of research, John Barrett, analysed the digital trends within Asia and compared them to other countries. He also touched upon key topics like consumer attitudes, market structure and current practices.

    He said, “Asian consumers express high demand for new digital service but a low willingness to pay.” When queried on what is driving the growth, Barrett said, “There are some notable differences with western countries. One is that there is wide availability of content and deeper broadband penetration have resulted in Asians being more likely to use computers a entertainment platforms.”

    Secondly, Asian CATV providers are weaker than their North American counterparts because the demand for TV services is not as strong in Asia as it is in North American. Also, piracy is a much greater concern in Asia because copyright provisions are more weakly enforced and commercial piracy more common.

    Some key points which emerged were:

    * Korea, Taiwan were the top two countries ranked high on the Digital Living index
    *53 per cent of Asian internet households are interested in viewing digital photos on their TV compared top just 43 per cent of European Internet HHs and 28 per cent of North American HHS
    *Asian Internet Households are willing to spend on an average $ 7 per month for a video-on-demand service compared to $11 per month in Europe and North America.

  • HD and IPTV: Taking television to the next level

    HD and IPTV: Taking television to the next level

    SINGAPORE: High Definition Television (HDTV) has garnered a great deal of interest from early adopters largely because of the dramatic increase in picture quality, which supports the consumers’ demand for ever larger screen sizes. In order to appeal to the wider consumer audience HDTV will need to demonstrate considerable additional value over that of the standard definition incumbent.

    On the other hand, Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) offers a foundation for the delivery of such value as it provides the capability to offer truly tailored television services in either a lone viewer or community viewer based environment. The additional resolution afforded by HDTV, enables the compelling visual presentation of the information and controls, which will form a vital part in the translation of HDTV demand from the early adopters to the high value mass market.

    ANT Software Ltd (UK) executive vice president sales and marketing Stephen Reeder said, “For most people, TV today still consists of a small number of channels with little or no information about the programming, which is on offer. Over the past 25 years, the introduction of cable, satellite and digital terrestrial television delivery has seen the addition of many more channels, increased programme information, Electronic Programme Guides (EPGs), and most recently, interactive services. Consumer acceptance of the increase in programming has been positive, with some regions, like the UK, experiencing extremely high take up rates.”

    What HDTV alone can’t provide is the transformation of TV from a singular experience where programming is broadcast to the consumer, to a truly tailored service where customers can see what they want, when they want to see it. Here’s where IPTV steps in.

    What can IPTV deliver that other delivery systems can’t?

    IPTV offers a one-to-one relationship between the viewer and the content they are viewing. It means that the viewer has the capability to pause, rewind or skip through a programme under their direct control without affecting other viewers in different locations. “The flexibility afforded by this one-to-one relationship extends far beyond the control of broadcast programming. Most basic IPTV systems offer on-demand movies, special interest channels and compelling interactive services ranging from gambling and Karaoke on demand to simple gaming for the children. In other words, customers can watch what they want to watch, when they want to watch it,” said Reeder.

    On the other hand, HD is important to IPTV because the latter offers immense flexibility and considerable potential customer value. “HD provides a dramatic increase in screen resolution, which in turn provides the potential for more information to be displayed in a clear and easy to understand form,” Reeder added.

    In conclusion, he said, “HDTV has made an impressive impact amongst the early adopter consumers. Although the value proposition of improved picture quality and the ability to support larger screen sizes is unlikely to be sufficient to ensure mass market success. IPTV and the HTML based technologies associated with it have much to offer in building the value necessary to underpin HDTV mass market adoption. The industry leaders are already putting in place the necessary foundation for a range of products and services, which will enhance the HDTV value proposition and create the required market pull to ensure success.”

  • Net portal Lycos teams up with PermissionTV for online TV platform

    Net portal Lycos teams up with PermissionTV for online TV platform

    MUMBAI: US net portal Lycos is working with the broadband TV platform PermissionTV to offer a variety of video programming to its 25 million visitors. PermissionTV is a system for media companies and content owners to distribute television programming via the Internet.

    The two companies will team up to deliver a high quality TV entertainment solution to the nearly 25 million visitors to the Lycos Network of sites.

    Lycos will use the PermissionTV platform to offer a variety of video programming to the Lycos audience. Lycos says that the deal reinforces its core strategy to provide consumers with quality video programming and entertainment enhanced with the interactivity of the web, and a platform for creators to showcase and market quality content.

    Lycos CEO Alfred Tolle says, “We chose to work with PermissionTV because we considered it to be one of the most powerful broadband TV platforms available today, allowing us to offer high quality video to our end users that is television-centric, while providing our content partners their own customized channels with a completely unique look under the Lycos brand.

    “By teaming with PermissionTV, Lycos is uniquely positioned to become a leader in the television internet space.” Lycos plans to leverage the PermissionTV platform to acquire a wide range of on-demand content from episodic television, to independent films and programming, to long-form films, providing a totally unique broadband based video experience.

    PermissionTV CEO David Graves says, “The combination of Lycos’s reach, and PermissionTV’s advanced technology is an attractive proposition for video programmers who want to attract a large audience in the most compelling way. This platform makes it easy to get up and running, allowing content providers to build an audience for their own brands.”

    For sponsors, the enhanced online programming offers exactly what they have been seeking: the targetability of web advertising with content that fit expectations of traditional TV viewers. With the PermissionTV platform, Lycos is able to offer media companies and content owners a new distribution channel with subscription, advertising or VOD (video on demand) packaging options. Advertisers get a robust and cost-effective way of reaching potential buyers, while viewers get a controllable on-demand viewing experience that feels like TV.

    Tolle adds, “The era of merging the interactivity of the Web with traditional broadcast television programming is here. Lycos can bring an instant audience, immediate distribution and traffic, and consistently re- engage our users with new content, making this platform particularly attractive to content partners and advertisers alike.”

    The first programming kicked off on 9 June 2006 with the launch of Lycos’ behind- the-scenes video coverage of the soccer World Cup. For the remainder of World Cup, Lycos will give an insider’s look at World Cup culture, featuring exclusive video from embedded Lycos videographers on the front lines, available only at worldcup.lycos.com and powered by PermissionTV. Additional programming will be launched in the coming weeks, including branded television- and movie- related offerings that lend themselves to mainstream audience demand.

  • Citigroup picks up 6.3 % stake in VSNL

    Citigroup picks up 6.3 % stake in VSNL

    MUMBAI: The telecom sector is attracting investments not only in the global market but also in India. Citigroup Inc. has acquired a 6.3 per cent stake in telecom service provider Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd (VSNL).

    Disclosing this in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Citigroup has said that it now owns 18.61 million shares of VSNL. The The stake was bought through American Depositary Receipts listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

    VSNL expects to see volume growth in voice and data business. The company recently bought out the internet assets of 7 Star, a Mumbai-based cable operator. VSNL also acquired for Rs 750 million Direct Internet Ltd and its wholly owned subsidiary Primus Telecommunications India Ltd to strengthen its broadband presence in the Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) segment.

    The phone market is expanding rapidly in India. This has attracted global giants like Vodafone Group which bought a 10 per cent stake in Bharti Tele-Ventures.

     
     

  • India to hit top IPTV slot in Asia Pacific by 2015: Kagan Research

    India to hit top IPTV slot in Asia Pacific by 2015: Kagan Research

    SINGAPORE: So what if IPTV is still taking baby steps in India? Come 2015 and India is going to be the third most happening market for IPTV in the Asia Pacific region in terms of the number of households that will have the service, just behind China and Japan, according to projections by Kagan Research.

    What’s more, the total pay-TV revenues forecast are expected to grow from $13.1 billion in 2004 in the Asia Pacific region to an estimated $38.0 billion in 2015. On the other hand, IPTV revenue share will rise from 0.7 per cent in 2004 to 12.9 per cent in 2015. With this, telcos will capture a significant portion of Asia Pacific total pay-TV revenues.

    At present, IPTV has been launched or is in the trial stages in the following countries in the Asia Pacific region: China (trial), Hong Kong, India (trial), Indonesia, Japan, Korea (trial), Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore (trial), Taiwan and Thailand (trial). In the countries, where IPTV is on a trial basis, operators are either running a trial in selected markets or lobbying respective regulators to lift their grip on pay TV licensing. 

    Some of the key considerations when planning a ‘Pay TV Service’ are: ‘Pay’ factor – who, how much, subsidies; ‘TV’ factor- programs, user experience, positioning, potential revenue stream; ‘Service’ factor- look and feel of service and customer service. 

    In terms of the content strategy, some of the trends in IPTV that can be followed in Asia are: 

    • Start with satellite turnaround signals which already have an Asian footprint as these require little inhouse programming expertise.

    • Invest in brand-name channels to build critical mass and position as a ‘complementary’ and not ‘substitute’ service to traditional PayTV.

    • In-house content department and capabilities give operators the edge, e.g. self-programmed channels, marketing, licensing and legal expertise.

    • Local content/ self-programming are essential for competing with traditional Pay TV operators.

    • PVR/ TiVo has started in Taiwan and Australia on traditional Pay TV platform.

  • IPTV: Expanding the content, engaging the viewer

    IPTV: Expanding the content, engaging the viewer

    SINGAPORE: Television broadcasting is now far more challenging than conventional terrestrial cable and satellite delivery. With the influx of multiple services and delivery platforms like HD, VOD, IPTV (Internet Protocol Television), interactive and multimedia services, consumers are now exposed to a whole new world of entertainment!

    “IPTV is soon going to transform the television landscape. The transformation of television is introducing new technologies in the domain and represents a true transformation in broadcast television,” said JJB Associates Australia principal consultant John Bigeni at the session titled Expanding the Content, Engaging the Viewer on day two of BroadcastAsia 2006.

    A word of caution that was thrown was that companies that are mulling entering into IPTV, should go beyond what is currently being offered by broadcasters. In short, IPTV should go beyond “Me Too” television. “Telecos should move from being providers of transport to being providers of experience. A message to the Telecos is clear – It is not good enough to deliver “Me Too” television,” said OpenTV (Greater China) general manager Ren Xiaoyan.

    Explaining what “Me Too” television was, Xiaoyan said, “Electronic Programming Guide (EPG) and Digital Music comprising services like broadcast TV on-demand, program packages, pay per view, channel favorites, parental controls, multiple service providers and T-commerce, are provided by broadcasters too. So it is not enough for IPTV service providers to just provide all of this.”

    Enhanced programming comprising video mosaics, different camera angle, selection, live information, program enhancements, content, promotion and lifestyle portals should be synchronised with the broadcast stream to provide a rich viewing experience. On-Demand services, on the lines of what is being offered by Comcast, comprising VOD, Push VOD, Pull VOD, PVR, NPVR, PVR To Go and Multiroom & Media Control can be offered based on the network architecture and cost.

    Apart from that Quad Play experiences offering live TV, DVR and remote record, unified voicemail, Email and games will further the experience to a different level.

    IPTV also allows for advanced advertising and in turn providers additional revenue streams for providers. “Addressable advertising is possible through IPTV apart from ad telescoping (provide more detailed spectrum for example provide a commercial of five minutes instead of the regular 30 seconds. One can also target the ad based on demographic,” Xiaoyan said.

    On the other hand, games and gaming services can be also provided over IPTV via pay per play or subscription model, in addition to communication services like email, chat and SMS.

    “In order to save call center cost, many companies are now providing in-house customer care services for instant updates on programme booking and billing,” Xiaoyan said.

    So what’s the promise of IPTV? While, it cannot be simply “Me Too” TV, the advantage it has is that digital TV has not yet fulfilled its true potential as it has been hampered by narrowband (as opposed to broadband) and no return channel. Also, it does not provide the on-demand experience and iTV (Interactive Television) never really took off. But now, IPTV can bring in better content and experience through narrowcasting, faster channel change, faster application and content download and better on-demand services.

    While it all sounds hunky dory, IPTV’s dirty little secret is that cable and satellite channels are already providing all of this! So how does IPTV compete? Xiaoyan provides the answers.

    “Companies providing IPTV can’t just focus on video. They have to run and run faster in the competitive environment. They have to work with advertisers and programmers, work out new content deals and business models and not just limit themselves to their vendors,” he concludes.

  • mPhase Tech highlights its IPTV solution at Wall Street Analyst forum

    mPhase Tech highlights its IPTV solution at Wall Street Analyst forum

    MUMBAI: mPhase Technologies (OTCBB: XDSL) president and chief executive Ronald Durando will brief the 17th Annual Wall Street Analyst Conference on the company’s latest software release specifically designed to help telecommunications operators be better equipped to provide carrier-class IPTV services, especially as the market is poised for growth.

    Durando’s presentation at The Princeton Club in New York City will be webcast live on 15 June at around 11:10 am and archived at http://www.investorcalendar.com/CEPage.asp?ID=104932.

    Among the most recent improvements to the mPhase TV+ System is an integrated Latens dynamic Conditional Access System, a pure software security solution that protects content and allows telcos to offer revenue rich premium content. The newest enhancements to be discussed include features to improve the ability of a service provider to cost-effectively manage both subscriber growth and system complexity, states an official release

  • Sunrise Broadband secures commitment for $25 mn funding from Dutchess Private Equities Fund

    Sunrise Broadband secures commitment for $25 mn funding from Dutchess Private Equities Fund

    MUMBAI: The Colorado-headquartered Sunrise Broadband Group, Inc. has said that it has entered into an investment agreement with Dutchess Private Equities Fund, LP, a Delaware limited partnership whereby Dutchess is committed to purchase up to twenty-five million dollars (US$25,000,000) of Sunrise Broadband’s common stock, subject to the terms and conditions of the agreement.

    “The Dutchess agreement allows management to close on targeted rural cable television systems and to complete the network upgrades to offer Voice Over Internet Protocol, high-speed Internet and digital video services,” says Sunrise Broadband’s CEO Calvin D. Smiley, Sr.

    The deal with Duchess requires that Sunrise Broadband file a registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission, become fully reporting and register the underlying securities. The approval of the registration statement will activate the agreement with Dutchess, states an official release.

  • Telkonet launches IPTV trials in New York

    Telkonet launches IPTV trials in New York

    MUMBAI: Telkonet, Inc., the provider of in-building broadband access over existing electrical wiring, announced that they have begun deployment to beta customers and testing of its Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) service in New York City. Telkonet’s NuVisions IPTV service delivers traditional cable TV programming and enables subscribers to surf the internet, receive on-demand content, and perform a host of Internet-based functions via their TV sets.

    As per an official release, the NuVisions IPTV service will deliver a host of bundled services such as television, internet, and telephone service over the NuVisions’ gigabit network that connects the properties it serves in a redundant gigabit ring within New York City – a virtual fiber optic network in the air. NuVisions also plans to add more channels and features, such as video-on-demand, movies, games and interactive content, to the service when fully deployed. With NuVisions’ IPTV service, subscribers can use the television via remote controls and wireless keyboards to watch TV programs, surf the Internet, communicate with building services, and shop with neighborhood vendors or national retailers.

    NuVisions IPTV service can be deployed rapidly and at a lower cost than current cable televisions systems. It can offer consumers many advanced features, such as the ability to record several programs simultaneously without having to add more tuners. The NuVisions IPTV service is seamlessly integrated into a building as it relies on existing telephone wires for delivery to subscribers.

    The use of IP technology enables direct communication between a subscriber’s IPTV device, which replaces the much larger traditional set-top “cable box”, and the NuVisions control center. As a result of this direct connection to the control center, functions currently performed by stand alone devices, such as digital video recorders (DVR’s), are now incorporated as features of the new offering controlled through the IPTV device, the release adds.

  • Cable ops in US shift strategies to meet IPTV threat; report

    Cable ops in US shift strategies to meet IPTV threat; report

    MUMBAI: As telcos are gearing up to deploy competitive pay television offerings, a new report from market research division of Light Reading, Heavy Reading indicates that cable companies in US are revamping their video programming offerings.

    The cable ops are primarily doing it to fend off growing competition from IPTV services being launched by incumbent phone companies, adding more interactive services to their existing MPEG/QAM broadcast networks.

    The report suggests that the cable Next-Gen Video Plans and the Future of IP delves deeply into the next-generation video plans of North American multiple system operators (MSOs) as they prepare for the coming assault from telco IPTV and continue to defend against the competitive threat of direct-broadcast satellite providers.

    The report further analyzes the evolution of cable video from both a technology perspective and a business perspective, focusing not just on how MSOs are changing their networks, but also on how they are changing their business models with respect to video on demand (VOD) and the growing trend toward non- linear programming in general.

    “MSOs have no near-term plans to swap out their existing infrastructure to adopt end-to-end IP, nor is this type of move immediately necessary,” notes Heavy Reading and author of the report senior analyst Sterling Perrin. “In the near term, the MSOs plan to mimic the interesting features of IPTV using their existing MPEG/QAM networks.”

    Perrin adds, however, that switched digital video (SDV) could be a precursor to an MSO move to an end-to-end IP network — once SDV proves to be able to deliver quality equal to that offered now by conventional cable networks. “Cable end-to-end IPTV would require the final — large — step of replacing currently installed cable set-top boxes with IP STBs,” he says. “The rest of the network is moving to IP already.”

    Cable Next-Gen Video Plans and the Future of IP delivers a complete analysis of the Next Generation Network Architecture (NGNA) initiative from CableLabs, the cable industry’s research consortium, including how and when NGNA is likely to be deployed by leading MSOs. The report provides details covering product and market strategies of more than a dozen technology suppliers, including Ciena, Cisco Systems (and its Scientific-Atlanta subsidiary), Fujitsu, Motorola, and Nortel Networks.

    The methodology adopted has been exclusive one-on-one interviews with key executives from leading North American cable MSOs provide rich insight into this emerging market sector. Cable MSOs interviewed for the report include Comcast, Cox Communications, Rogers Cable, and Time Warner Cable.

    Other key findings of the report include:

    MSOs will leverage IP technology (and vendors) to expand their reach beyond the TV and set-top box as they branch into new areas, including delivery of content to mobile devices and to PCs. IP is well entrenched in MSO aggregation and core networks, but non-TV video service will likely be the first beachhead of IP in the access network — where preserving traffic in an IP form and building on the enormous industry support for IP (meaning lower costs) makes sense.

    MSOs are facing a spectrum crunch as they look to next-generation services to compete with both satellite and the telcos, but the situation is not dire. Cable executives interviewed for this report insist they have plenty of unused capacity in their networks. The efforts and innovation of the next three to five years will center on how best to tap that unused capacity.

    Deployment of SDV, when it does happen, will not necessarily boost sales of optical transport equipment. SDV is really about doing more with the same – – i.e., boosting the number of video channels available to subscribers without adding any new capacity to the network. The migration will likely be similar to that for VOD, which by its switched nature has allowed MSOs to ratchet up programming choices without having to dedicate much additional bandwidth (if any) to it.

    Cable Next-Gen Video Plans and the Future of IP costs $3,795 and is published in PDF format. The price includes an enterprise license covering all of the employees at the purchaser’s company.