Category: Technology

MUMBAI: Consumer elctronics firm Panasonic and US cable major Comcast have announced that they will begin joint testing on an interactive digital cable-ready high-definition plasma television based on the Open Cable Application Platform (Ocap) specifications that cable operators in the US have begun to deploy.

The joint test, which will begin later this month, builds on the relationship Panasonic and Comcast announced at the ongoing 2006 International Consumer Electronics Show (Ces) in Las Vegas. The companies agreed to jointly develop digital cable set-top boxes and to explore and develop extensions to the Ocap specifications that will enhance and simplify consumers‘ home entertainment experiences.

Integrating OCAP middleware into a digital cable-ready television will let consumers access digital cable features, such as video on demand and electronic programme guides, without a digital set-top box. It also will create new opportunities for the delivery of next generation, two-way interactive digital cable features like voting, e-commerce and
gaming with the television.

Panasonic US CTO Dr. Paul Liao says, “This is a major step in the realisation of Ocap and we are very pleased to be partnering with Comcast, the leading cable operator in the US, to test this exciting product. Panasonic is a market
leader in flat panel displays, and this is a logical step for us in terms of giving consumers access to an even wider range of high-definition
options.”

Comcast senior VP, technology and policy Mark Coblitz says, “We are pleased to expand our relationship with a leader like Panasonic to develop the next generation of digital cable-ready televisions. The development of Ocap-powered TVs is another example of how Comcast is working with the consumer electronics industry to enhance the consumer viewing experience by making it even easier to enjoy new interactive applications combined with the convenience of integrated digital cable services.”

Panasonic and Comcast expect testing of the new Ocap-powered TVs to run through 2007, and are targeting initial commercial availability of the first model for early 2008.

“The integration of Ocap technology into High-Definition Plasma televisions is the future of television. It opens the market for new and exciting interactive applications, including on-screen shopping, game play, voting, and many others that are only now being invented by software developers everywhere” adds Dr. Liao.

MUMBAI: “We are the Broadband company.”

That is the message that US telecom major Verizon wants to send out to consumers and the industry.

At the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas Verizon‘s new president and COO Denny Strigl said that the company is leading the way in the next revolution of television. “With the strength of our powerful wireless and fiber networks, we have transformed our business into one of the world‘s greatest content-delivery systems”.

To prove the point, Strigl, accompanied by two of Verizon‘s most senior executives, introduced new products that marry the phone, the Internet and television for consumers in ways not available from any other company.

Verizon has introduced FiOS digital media new interactive programme guide and a platform that offers the company‘s base of FiOS TV customers a myriad of multimedia applications linking television, the Internet, personal computers and phones. Both will be available in the first half of the year.

At the same time, Verizon Wireless raised the curtain on V Cast Mobile TV which is expected to be available in the first quarter of 2007.

Strigl detailed the two-fold strategy behind these products, which crystallises the changing nature of Verizon‘s consumer business. “At Verizon, we build great networks and we offer great content. We have built the nation‘s most comprehensive all-digital broadband fiber network that reaches all the way into individual homes, while we offer the most reliable
wireless voice and data network, period.”

Verizon FiOS provides homes and businesses in 16 states in the US with up to 50 megabits of Internet speed, and FiOS TV is already available in more than 200 cities in 10 states. Verizon Wireless‘ broadband network covers more than 200 million people, offering V Cast Video, V Cast Music and BroadbandAccess for high-speed laptop and PDA connectivity.

Strigl adds, “Our parallel networks of fiber and wireless create a delivery system for the high-bandwidth content of today, and will meet consumers‘ needs for years to come”.

Verizon says that its fiber and wireless broadband networks, and their reach, quality and speeds, provide the basis for advancing existing partnerships with technology companies such as Qualcomm. In addition, relationships with leading content providers, appearing on FiOS TV, on Verizon Online and in a variety of mobile platforms to package, format and program TV content, will combine to deliver a suprior overall TV experience says the firm.

MUMBAI: Sony Electronics says that it is continuing its transformation into an entertainment powerhouse.

At the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas it has a 100,000 square-foot exhibit that brings together all of the company‘s strengths from electronics, music and gaming to movies, television and online entertainment.

In a press conference kicked off by Sony BMG Music Grammy award-winning musician Joshua Bell, several of the company‘s US business leaders announced products and technologies related to four strategic growth areas — gaming, high definition, digital imaging and mobile products.

Sony Electronics president and COO Stan Glasgow unveilled the company‘s first Internet video system. He announced that in 2007 the majority of new Sony televisions — starting
with several Bravia flat-panel LCD TVs this year– will accept an attachable module that can stream broadband high-definition and other Internet video content with the press of a remote control button. The module will be available this summer.

Glasgow said, “While other companies struggle with standard definition, Sony has developed a scalable Internet HDTV solution with some notable partners providing content”. Those partners include AOL, Yahoo! and Grouper, now part of Sony Pictures Entertainment, as well as Sony Pictures itself and Sony BMG.

Sony‘s Xross Media Bar (XMB), an icon-based user interface similar to what is already found on Playstation 3 (PS3), PlayStation Portable
and a recently introduced Sony A/V receiver, made its debut in conjunction with the Internet video demo.

Glasgow also reported that Sony Electronics enjoyed strong holiday sales in the US, which have put the company on track for a year
of double-digit growth.

PlayStation: Sony claims to have shipped one million units of PS3, equipped with high-definition, Blu-ray disc drives, in the US by the end of December.

More High Definition: Acknowledging its position in what the company calls ‘Full HD‘ across practically every product category in both consumer and professional
arenas Sony Electronics‘ home products division senior VP Randy Waynick highlighted a continuum of HD technology from the lens
to the living room.

Waynick previewed a prototype 55-inch SXRD Grand Wega rear projection micro-display television with a new laser light engine
technology that enhances color uniformity and brightness, while maintaining a slim profile.

He also recounted the success of Sony‘s Bravia flat-panel LCD line, which comprises 16 models ranging in size from 23- to 52-inch screens,
before announcing the newest member of the family, a 70-inch 1080p HD television.

The model features a new backlighting system and contrast ratio enhancements, as well as three HDMI inputs for full 1080p connectivity to
the latest Blu-ray Disc players. It is also distinguished by its high refresh rate and x.v.Colour technology, which is Sony‘s name for xvYCC, a new international standard in colour technology for personal video applications.

MUMBAI: User-generated video community Grouper has announced its role as one of the channels on Sony Electronics‘ new TV feature — the Bravia Internet Video Link.

The optional module will allow the newest Bravia Sony televisions to access a wide array ofpremium Internet video content available through Sony‘s Internet video service in the US.

Owners of Sony Internet video-ready HDTVs, available later this year, will be able to view some of the highest quality user-generated content from the Web via a small optional module easily attached and concealed behind the TV. Video on the Grouper channel on Bravia Sony televisions will be higher resolution than video found on Grouper.com and will be appropriate for all ages. Content from Sony Pictures Entertainment and Sony BMG Music, as well as other providers will also be available.

Grouper co-founder and co-president Josh Felser says, “This exciting partnership reinforces Grouper‘s leadership in distributing video of all types across different platforms. Grouper‘s channel on the Sony Bravia Internet Video Link brings enhanced quality user-generated videocontent into the living room and makes it possible for people to have more control over what and where they watch.”

The module links the television set directly to a user‘s broadband Internet service provider via an Ethernet connection. Sony Internet video content can then be accessed directly on the TV without use of a personal computer.

The Bravia Internet Video Link will initially be supported by Sony‘s Bravia S-series flat-panel LCD high-definition television line, which was also announced today. The new TV models include the KDL-46S3000, KDL-40S3000, KDL- 32S3000 and KDL-26S3000 units — all shipping this spring.

MUMBAI: European IT provider Fujitsu Siemens Computers has launched its new range of entertainment PCs. the aim is to immserse th consumer into digital entertainment.

The firm says that the high definition images and crisp surround sound makes users feel like they have dived into the PC game, or in the audience at a live concert. The flatscreen monitors are designed to fit seamlessly into the living room says the firm.

The Scaleo EV PC has integrated Intel Viiv technology and is now more silent thanks to an improved housing and cooling concept.

The Scaleo EV allows instant control of all TV, DVDs, music, films, photos and radio with one remote control. With the Intel High Definition Audio and 7.1 surround sound, one can listen to the cinema-like audio quality via the stereo.

The digital video recorder (PVR) also lets viewers pause, record, and replay from the TV. This is the hub of the digital home – music stored on the PC can be played on the stereo, photos can be accessed on the television and stored films can be watched on other clients as laptops. It can store up to 320 GB of data, as well as thousands of photos.

The organisation notes that the internet has ushered in a quiet but definite revolution at homes, offices and cyber cafes in India and changed the way we look for content, communicate or undertake commercial transactions. Whether it is through the PC or the ubiquitous mobile device, internet and wireless based technologies are transforming the socio-economic fabric of India in ways that we never thought of before.

The combination of technologies and devices have for the first time thrown open the possibility of acting as a great leveler making it possible to ‘walk the talk‘ on empowerment and inclusiveness. Communications, availability of content and commercial transactions are much more efficient. cost effective and pervasive due to these technologies.

The speakers at the seminar will include People Group chairman Anupam Mittal, eBay India chairman Avnish Bajaj, On Mobile CEO Arvind Rao, ACL Wireless persident Atanu Mandal and Connecturf MD and CEO Neville Taraporewala.

The first day looks at the internet. The topics are the driving forces of the Internet in India, how businesses can use it, what the net can offer and the role of the youth in driving net uptake. The second day looks at the mobile in terms of value added services. The speakers will look at what makes a successful mobile marketing company in India. then theer is the issue of forces that are driving adoption beyond metroplolitain cities.

The panellists will also look at whether the policy environment is right for mobile value added services industry.

MUMBAI: As part of its restructuring strategy, India‘s oldest music company Saregama is increasing its digital presence. The RPG Group firm is launching an entertainment portal where it will make available music, movies and a whole host of other products.

Consumers can download music through the portal and movies will be added on. “We will have a subscription and ad revenue model as well. The portal is likely to be called saregama.com. The aim is to make the portal the digital supermarket of entertainment,” says RPG Enterprises – Entertainment Sector president and CEO Subroto Chattopadhyay.

Saregama generates 15 per cent of its revenues from the digital format. The company‘s turnover stood at Rs 1.19 billion during the fiscal ended 31 March 2006.

Saregama has also digitised 190,000 out of the 300,000 tracks it owns. “We will have the remaining content digitised. We will start work on it by April-May. We have a vast library of content. During the digitisation process, we discovered that we had 30,000 tracks in Tamil. The challenge is for us to go out and make our products locally relevant,” says Chattopadhyay.

The company is making a re-entry into films and has taken on board BR Sharan of Lalita-ji Surf ad fame and noted film actor-director Aparna Sen who will look after the Hindi and Bangla movies. “We will be producing movies in these two languages initially. We have taken in Sharan and Sen for this purpose,” says Chattopadhyay.

Saregama is also going to produce TV content in Hindi and Bangla. Sharan, Sen and noted cinematographer Vijaylakshmi will be taking care of the TV content business as well. The company already produces 14 hours of programming per week for the Sun network channels.

MUMBAI: Computer chip major Intel and Internet provider of downloadable videos in the US CinemaNow have announced a collaboration.

This will allow consumers using Intel technology-based media PCs, such as those with Intel Viiv technology, to legally download and record major motion picture movie content to blank DVD discs for playback on both the PC and consumer electronics devices, including most standard DVD players.

Intel Viiv technology-based PCs currently provide consumers with the ability to view their movie content locally on the PC, sync it with portable devices, and wired or wirelessly extend the content through their home networks to connected devices, such as large-screen TVs.

Intel’s digital home group VP and GM of the company’s Content Services Group Kevin Corbett says, “The ability for consumers to legitimately burn premium content to DVD is one of the greatest barriers to delivering consumers the flexibility to truly enjoy digital home entertainment when and where they want it.

“The investment by CinemaNow to advance the Burn-to-DVD service model is a major step forward in the digital distribution of content, and Intel is excited to be working with them to bring these capabilities to consumers via Intel Viiv technology.”

CinemaNow, in collaboration with Intel, will optimise the burn-to-DVD service for PCs based on Intel Viiv technology. The enhancement will enable movie fans who wish to use the burn-to-DVD service through a large screen, or 10-foot interface, to do so from their couch. The service will be available in the early part of this year; the Burn-to-DVD solution is currently available through a standard PC, or 2-foot, interface.

Additionally, CinemaNow unveiled plans for the delivery of additional Intel Viiv technology capabilities in early part of this year, including extending premium movie content over the home network to connected devices. This service provides CinemaNow customers with the latest Hollywood hits, music videos and independent movies while taking advantage of the capabilities provided by Intel Viiv technology.

CinemaNow CEO Curt Marvis says, “Joining forces with Intel will help us improve our digital home distribution model. CinemaNow is the ideal platform to demonstrate Intel’s enhanced processor power and this technology will dramatically improve our burn-to-DVD consumer experience.”

CinemaNow launched burn-to-DVD in July 2006. Burn-to-DVD technology for movies takes advantage of the multi-core performance provided by Intel’s new Core 2 Duo processor. The 40 per cent more powerful Core 2 Duo processor family will allow Intel Viiv technology-based PC consumers to download and burn movies faster and more efficiently. ? Intel continues to work with the industry on enhancements to further the performance of these technologies.

MUMBAI: A Brazilian judge has ordered video sharing site YouTube to find a way to stop Brazilians from viewing steamy footage of supermodel Daniela Cicarelli and her boyfriend.

Media reports state that the clip still appears periodically on YouTube, prompting the expanded order from Sao Paulo state Supreme Court Justice Enio Santarelli Zulian. Cicarelli, a model and ex-wife of footballer Ronaldo, sued YouTube after a video of her apparently having sex in shallow water on a beach with her boyfriend was posted to the site. For days it was the most viewed video in Brazil.

It was way back in September that YouTube was ordered in September to remove video showing Cicarelli and Brazilian banker Renato Malzoni in intimate scenes along a beach near the Spanish city of Cadiz.

The court says that YouTube must find a way to use filters so the clip stops popping up in Brazil on the site owned by Google. The case now goes automatically to a three-member panel of judges who will decide whether to make the order permanent and whether to fine YouTube as much as $119,000 for each day that the video was viewable state reports.

MUMBAI: Right now high definition (HD) DVDs have not taken off in the US due to the prevailing system of two incompatible formats.

One is blu ray which has the backing of Sony and the other is HD DVD which has the backing of Toshiba. Now however there could be some light at the end of the tunnel.

Warner Bros. media reports state will introduce a high-definition DVD that can hold films and TV shows in rival and incompatible formats. Warner said that it developed the Total HD Disc.

Warner Bros. will place both formats of movies on a single disc. This though shows that there is no resolution on a single format.

Meanwhile LG Electronics is planning to market a dual-format DVD player. Other electronics makers are expected to do the same.

Warner Bros. has also patented a disc that can hold three versions of a film — one in each of the rival high-def formats and a third that can be viewed on standard-definition players. This eliminates the need for the consumer to upgrade his DVD if he/she does not want HD in the first place. Reports add that from a technological standpoint this could be as groundbeaking as when LP records were introduced in the late 1940‘s.