ITV

Category: Middleware

  • NI announces mmWave software defined radio

    NI announces mmWave software defined radio

    MUMBAI: NI, the provider of solutions that enable engineers and scientists to solve the world’s greatest engineering challenges, announced today the world’s first software defined radio (SDR) for the millimeter wave (mmWave) spectrum. The new NI mmWave Transceiver System is a full transceiver that can transmit and/or receive wide-bandwidth signals at an unprecedented 2 GHz real-time bandwidth, covering the spectrum in the E-band, 71-76 GHz. Engineers and scientists have used SDRs ubiquitously in the spectrum below 6 GHz for years. However, with companies investing in mmWave as a potential core technology for 5G, researchers now have a full-featured SDR platform to drive initiatives based on this technology.

    The mmWave transceiver system includes new PXI Express modules that collectively function as an mmWave access point for a user device. Because of the unprecedented flexibility, users can develop mmWave communication prototyping systems or perform channel measurements –necessary exercises for wireless researchers to understand the characteristics of a new spectrum – using the same system.

    The mmWave baseband software delivers a complete mmWave physical layer including channel coding in LabVIEW virtual instrument (VI) source code to expedite system development while alleviating many of the system integration tasks. Researchers can also use the mmWave transceiver system baseband with the E-band mmWave heads or other third-party RF front ends to offer maximum flexibility for exploring other mmWave and microwave frequency bands.

    As a key participant in NI’s RF/Communications Lead User program, Nokia has been working with early versions of the mmWave transceiver system in its 5G research initiatives for over a year.

    “NI’s mmWave transceiver system has been a key research platform for our mmWave research,” said Nokia Bell Labs head of mobile radio research Tod Sizer. “The platform delivers the right combination of hardware and software necessary to expedite our research and has given us confidence that mmWave will indeed be a critical technology for 5G. At this year’s Brooklyn 5G Summit, we are demonstrating a high data rate mmWave system using phased array @ 60 GHz using NI’s platform, thus making 5G a commercial reality.”

    “There’s no doubt that 5G will include frequencies above 6 GHz,” said NI vice president of RF and wireless communications product marketing Charles Schroeder. “The mmWave transceiver system is an essential platform for understanding the propagation models of higher frequency signals and for building real-world prototypes of these new generation 5G systems.”

  • Launches and deals announced at CommunicAsia, EnterpriseIT & BroadcastAsia 2015

    Launches and deals announced at CommunicAsia, EnterpriseIT & BroadcastAsia 2015

    MUMBAI: Over the past four days, Marina Bay Sands has been abuzz with activity as CommunicAsia2015, EnterpriseIT2015 and BroadcastAsia2015 brought the movers and shakers of the infocomm technology (ICT) and broadcasting industry together under one roof.

     

    Dell, Panasonic, Samsung and Sony, household names renowned for their consumer electronics chose CommunicAsia, EnterpriseIT and BroadcastAsia to announce major launches in their B2B segments. 

     

    Panasonic, an exhibitor at both CommunicAsia and BroadcastAsia, announced seven new business technology products and solutions for the Asia Pacific markets. These include the Toughpad FX-X1, a fully-rugged 5-inch tablet, the new AG-DVX200, the world’s first 4K integrated zoom lens camcorder and the world’s lightest 4K+ 3-Chip DLPTM Laser Projector alongside the latest in mobile surveillance technology, blu-ray data storage, and professional broadcast video equipment.

     

    “Asia Pacific is a fast-growing dynamic marketplace, and presents huge opportunities for Panasonic across all our B2B business segments from integrated solutions to audio visual products,” said Hiro Sakamoto, Managing Director of Panasonic System Solutions Asia Pacific. “Our commitment to delivering total end-to-end solutions in the region is an integral part of our growth strategy. CommunicAsia2015 and BroadcastAsia2015 was an ideal platform for us to launch new products and solutions for the Asia Pacific markets as part of our commitment to strengthen our B2B business.”

     

    At CommunicAsia, Dell launched its new Internet of Things Gateway, while at BroadcastAsia, Samsung unveiled the world’s first low temperature video wall, and Sony – their new HXR-NX100 professional camcorder.

     

    Handset makers Huawei, PHICOMM and RugGear also launched their flagships P8, P660 and GranTour Series – RG730 respectively at CommunicAsia.

     

    “CommunicAsia, EnterpriseIT and BroadcastAsia are cornerstone events in the Asia Pacific ICT and broadcasting industries. With experts and decision-makers from a wide range of fields, the events provide an important Asian platform for companies and industry leaders alike to announce new, best-of-breed launches, and deliver key announcements that not only signal a pivotal shift in how enterprises are embracing technology in the way business is conducted, it also demonstrates clearly how technology has become indispensable in the new generation of business growth strategies. We continuously aspire to deliver great, if not better, quality events as countries and regions make further inroads in their smart cities journey towards a hyper-connected digital world,” said Lindy Wee, Chief Executive of event organiser, Singapore Exhibition Services.

     

    “I had no idea how big CommunicAsia was. There are so many high profile companies and people here. It has been great to meet these people in person and develop new friendships and business relationships that are going to help my own business grow,” said CommunicAsia2015 Summit speaker and CEO of MWI, Joshua Steimle.

     

    Smart Technologies to realise Singapore’s Smart Nation initiative

     

    Dr. Yaacob Ibrahim, Minister for Communications and Information announced at the opening ceremony of CommunicAsia, EnterpriseIT and BroadcastAsia that Singapore has entered the “build” phase of its Smart Nation initiative.

     

    In support of Singapore’s Smart Nation vision, local company ST Electronics launched the Intelligent Aggregation Gateway (iAG) Box – a key enabler to ubiquitous connectivity for smart cities. Facilitating sensor communication infrastructure on a single secure platform, the iAG box can be deployed in an urban environment to help with the management of a city’s key infrastructure for public safety, healthcare, transport, environment and utilities.

     

    Alongside major conglomerates, also playing a significant role in paving the way for Singapore becoming a ‘Smart Nation’ are start-ups like CtrlWorks, Neeuro and Zap!. At CommunicAsia, CtrlWorks showcased Axon, an intelligent robot powered by cloud robotics technology, easing manpower needs for areas such as logistics and hospitals. Neeuro pioneered an innovative EEG brainwave headgear that, when paired with Memorie – a mobile app with entertaining games suited for people of all ages, can train different aspects of the brain’s cognitive functions through completion of specific tasks, and enable them to apply the attained skills to daily activities.Another exciting product launch is Zap!, an ‘Uber’ courier service that offers less than two-hour deliveries from as low as S$5.

     

    Australian firms announced major deal at CommunicAsia2015

     

    On the international front at CommunicAsia, ICT companies from Australia marked a decade of participation. The 49-strong delegation from the Victoria region of Australia announced a range of new partnerships, expansions, licensing deals and international joint ventures centred on ICT health and medical technology industries. UnityHealth licensed its award winning eLearning platform, iTherapeutices, to Singapore based MIMS. Proximiti announced the expansion of company operations through two new regional hubs in Singapore and India. flexAnswer Solutions signed a five-year renewal contract with Changi Airport Group, and new contracts with seven Singapore government agencies.

     

    “Victoria has a strategy to help our ICT, health and medical technology companies to become part of global supply chains in knowledge creation, research, product development and commercialisation. The Andrews Labor Government is proud to be showcasing our state’s world class ICT capabilities at CommunicAsia2015, the most important ICT expo in South East Asia,” said Australian Minister of Training and Skills, Steve Herbert.

     

    Shifts in broadcasting economics addressed at BroadcastAsia2015

     

    With consumers increasingly taking control of where and when they want to access content, BroadcastAsia2015 responded by bringing together the latest in OTT and 4K technology, media asset management (MAM) and video analytics.

     

    ARRIS, a global innovator in IP, video and broadband technology gave BroadcastAsia attendees an exclusive first look of its 2015 Consumer Entertainment Index. It is one of the only global studies of its kind undertaken annually that looks at the evolution of entertainment through the lens of consumer engagement with content, connected devices, and each other.

     

    “This week at BroadcastAsia2015, we shared a first look of the findings of our ARRIS Consumer Entertainment Index. This event provided the perfect platform for us to talk about the evolving trends of consumers from across APAC. This year’s study revealed that while consumers’ consumption habits are changing, there are many frustrations, such as challenges with streaming and Wi-Fi connectivity, and experiencing quality mobile TV content through cellular and mobile Wi-Fi streaming services,” said Tim Gropp, Senior Vice President, Sales, Asia Pacific, ARRIS. “Understanding their concerns present significant opportunities for service providers. Beyond addressing these issues, businesses can look at developing new and differentiated offerings that would be most relevant to viewers.”

     

    “BroadcastAsia is THE meeting place for broadcasters in the region. The wide spectrum of products and variety of exhibitors allow me to choose the ideal digital solutions for our company’s ICT strategy,” said BroadcastAsia2015 visitor Alain Roger Poirier, Chief Operating Officer, Bloomberg TV Malaysia.

     

    Best Practices and Growth Potential – The Focus of Industry Discussions

     

    More than 1,000 industry leaders and professionals gathered at CommunicAsia2015 Summit, BroacastAsia2015 International Conference and the Creative Content Production Conference to discuss latest ICT trends, fundamental shifts in broadcasting economics, and digital media challenges.

     

    “BroadcastAsia2015 International Conference was a good combination of both technical and commercial aspects of cloud and virtualisation, as it applies to all video applications. Attendees were a good balance between IT, enterprises and those with broadcast experience,” said Ian Trow, BroadcastAsia2015 International Conference speaker and Senior Director of Emerging Technology and Strategy at Harmonic.

     

    “The social TV and second screen track was absolutely outstanding this year. 2014 and 2015 has seen some of the biggest changes in OTT, social media and the second screen and our panelists and speakers represented all different parts of the business. From gamification to analytics and video this year’s BroadcastAsia was truly enlightening when it came to understand the future of TV,” said BroadcastAsia2015 delegate and Senior Vice President of the Shorty Awards & Muck Rack, Natan Edelsburg.

     

    “The session was especially enlightening in terms of service providers’ business plans to leverage convergence to deliver cross platform services that are engaging to customers,” said Yuvarami T, Director, Media Development Authority, a CommunicAsia2015 Summit delegate.

     

    More than 48,000 attendees from 101 countries and regions, including visitors, exhibiting staff, conference speakers and delegates, and members of media, got to witness at CommunicAsia, EnterpriseIT and BroadcastAsia how technology could be harnessed to better connect cities, governments, enterprises and consumers.

     

    The event will return to Marina Bay Sands on 31 May – 3 June 2016.

  • 3Pillar Global expands leadership team in India

    3Pillar Global expands leadership team in India

    MUMBAI: 3Pillar Global, a leading developer of innovative software products for clients, has announced the appointment of Suresh Kabra as its VP and GM of India to lead the continued growth of the company’s delivery center.

     

    “We are thrilled to welcome Suresh to our growing team. He has an outstanding track record of entrepreneurship and product development and will serve as an extremely valuable asset to our operations in India,” said 3Pillar CEO David DeWolf. “His proven ability to lead high performance teams, along with driving new initiatives and building long-lasting customer relationships, compliments 3Pillar’s global growth strategy.”

     

    Kabra will be responsible for leading, guiding and mentoring the delivery teams while overseeing the day-to-day operations. Suresh will also be responsible for developing and increasing brand awareness and reputation in the Indian market, leading to increased traction in the market for 3Pillar and influencing the ability to recruit top talent.

     

    “I am excited to join the 3Pillar Global executive team at such an exciting time of growth for both the company and the software product development industry. I am looking forward to leveraging my experience to lead and grow the team in India,” said Kabra.

     

    Prior to joining 3Pillar, Kabra was the founder and CEO of clk2c.com, a start-up in the mobile video delivery space, which was acquired in early 2013. Prior to becoming an entrepreneur, he served as assistant VP of Software Products Group at Aricent, Inc., where he directly managed several product line managers and product engineering teams in Delhi, Bengaluru and Chennai.

     

    Kabra also served as VP, business development (APAC) for Conexant, Inc., where he helped the company to grow business manifolds in the Greater China region. He holds a BE from BITS, Pilani and MS from Concordia University, Montreal, and has done a certificate program in International Management from NUS-Stanford. Kabra is also a MIT Sloan Executive Program in General Management scholar. He also holds a Design Patent for Flexible Display Units, issued by The Patent Office, Govt. of India.

  • New technology simplifies collection for cable ops

    New technology simplifies collection for cable ops

    MUMBAI: Even as industry prepares for phase III of digitisation, here comes a technology that is likely to get more than a warm welcome from cable operators.

     

    UPASS, a front-end automation for the cable sector and mobility solutions provider, has announced that it has successfully integrated with the subscriber management system of Media Nucleus; a development set to change the collection system. While Kottayam-based Star Vision Cable Networks is the first LCO to use the integrated solution, Media Nucleus is in talks with three other operators for installing the solution to their systems.

     

    It was at the recently concluded SCaT that the collaboration took place. “We finished the integration and also showcased a part of it during SCaT,” informed Media Nucleus director Santosh Nair. He explained the working of the solution as: “Each subscriber will have an ID, subscriber number or name that will be stored in the subscriber database. Once the subscriber pays the monthly fees, the collection agent will type it on the mobile phone that has all the details relating to the package etc. Also, there is a Bluetooth printer connected to this device, which will help him print a receipt immediately.  The same data will also be sent to the database, which clears the subscriber’s outstanding amount.”

     

    Technically speaking, UPASS’s cloud model acts as data bridge between the mobile device and the SMS server. There is an option for collection entries to be made either in cash or cheque and the relevant data is passed on to the SMS server in real-time.

     

    UPASS managing director Ravindra Deshmukh said: “We are excited that Media Nucleus and UPASS are collaborating to help operators overcome the challenges of billing and collection hurdles by providing data in real-time as trusted and actionable information. Our system benefits end users quickly and with self-service, regardless of data volumes and variety, or whether the data is on-premise or in the cloud.”

     

    The advantages of the solution are three-fold. One, it will make the collection process easier. Two, it will make the system more transparent and help MSOs with instant data on subscribers and revenue collected per day. Three, it is more economical, since it can be used even on a simple Rs 500 mobile phone.

     

    Nair said every operator had collection issues and with this system in place, “MSOs will just have to follow up on the data. They will get instant information, unlike earlier, when LCOs would collect data and sometimes, not even reveal it. The information will give an upper hand to MSOs as well, who can show it to their investors.”
     

    Explained Media Nucleus director technology and delivery Rajiv Tomer: “We had been providing the core solution of subscriber management solution and were looking at integration services to enable collection at the ground level become a part of our solution to our clients.  UPASS, having an industry benchmark solution, gave us the right option to be a go-to-market, providing end-to-end technology with a single integrated platform. We have enabled it in such a way that operators can provide the basic handset to the collection agents, which gets integrated with our SMS.”

     

    The solution will be available to operators at a one-time investment of Rs 2500. This apart, “the operator will have to pay less than Re 1 per transaction per month,” informed Nair, adding, “We will be meeting operators from Pune next week. We have been getting a good response for the technology.”

     

    Maharashtra Cable Operators Federation president Arvind Prabhoo said the technology would address the biggest problem of digitisation, which is collection. “The cost of collection for the operator is approximately Rs 25. Also, there is a huge process involved with it- right from collecting money from each subscriber to putting the data on computer etc. The solution will reduce this burden and make the system more transparent.”

     

    “Rs 2500 is just 10 customers for an operator, so it is very economical for them. Also, getting two-three handhelds will also reduce their burden. As for the MSO, they have for long wanted a transparent system, which they can achieve through this,” Prabhoo said.

     

    The UPASS solution claims that it provides customer data capture and STB activation in real time, channel/package activation from the LMO phone as well.

  • AoIP advancements for APT’s Oslo audio codec platform

    MUMBAI: WorldCast Systems’ codec specialists, APT, have announced a significant upgrade to the AoIP functionality of their industry-leading codec platform, the WorldNet Oslo.

     

    This new version, which will be demonstrated at IBC 2013, brings two main new benefits to the broadcaster: greater channel density and unique scripting and control capabilities. 

     

    The Oslo’s AoIP module combines audio, IP transport, management and auxiliary data (basically the complete functionality of a codec unit), onto a single, plug-in module. This newest version 1.2 now supports Simplex modes, enabling the AoIP module to operate as either a Dual Stereo Encoder or Dual Stereo Decoder in addition to the existing duplex Stereo Codec mode. With four simplex channels per module, a single Oslo platform can now offer the broadcaster up to 16 or 32 channels of professional quality audio in only 1U or 3U of rackspace. This makes the Oslo an extremely cost-effective option for studio and transmitter sites handling multi-channel encode or decode. 

     

    As well as increasing the channel density, version 1.2 of the Oslo AoIP module also offers support for ScriptEasy, the intelligent scripting application from our partner company, Audemat. 

     

    ScriptEasy is a hugely powerful and flexible tool that enables a broadcast engineer to control not only the behaviour of their APT codec but also other equipment co-located at the codec site. The control goes much further than standard codec software, enabling the specification of complex combinations of alarm and events scenarios and the precise definition of what action should be triggered should any of these occur. This allows you to create and manage many individual back-up scenarios, remotely reconfigure units and receive confirmation of status as well as schedule specific changes to the configuration or streams.

     

    ScriptEasy can also provide consolidated monitoring by aggregating data received via SNMP with controls from traditional I/O and summary data into a user-friendly dashboard view. This dashboard will provide simple graphical statuses of many different parameters across several units in your network.

     

    “ScriptEasy takes codec control to the next level,” commented Christophe Poulain, Group VP Sales for WorldCast Systems. “One early adopter of Scripteasy on the AoIP codec has used the technology to create a complex scheduler, automatically connecting and disconnecting from multicast IP addresses to create a complete program schedule across numerous sites. Not only is Scripteasy the tool that creates the schedule it is also the tool that polices the schedule sending alarms to a central site should audio not be present on the correct decoder at the scheduled time. There are no other codecs on the market capable of such sophisticated management.”

     

    The AoIP module in the Oslo 1U and Oslo 3U platforms will be on display on the WorldCast Systems’ stand 8.B50 during IBC 2013 in Amsterdam from the 13-17 September 2013.

  • Asian D- Cinema Summit calls for a uniform technology format

    Asian D- Cinema Summit calls for a uniform technology format

    SINGAPORE: Is the whole world soon going to be divided into the Digital and the Non Digital? Well, looks like. And not just that, but understanding the digital world seems like the only way to remain relevant in the rapidly converging media & entertainment industry.

    Broadcast Asia 2006, aptly embodies a theme, titled Digital – The Journey Forward. And to go with the theme, the mega event which is made up of exhibitions, conferences and meetings, started off bang on with ‘The Asian D-Cinema Summit.’

    The summit focused on the rollout of digital cinema, which has revolutionised the cinematic experience for moviegoers around the world. Setting the agenda for a day-long discussion, Mike Connors, chairman Connors & Associates, Singapore, began the session by shedding light on the overall scenario.

    He said, “The coming days are going to pose newer challenges for people in the movie business. Cause: digital cinema is more than just perfect images and sounds, but it impacts on how a movie is actually made (production), distribution and projection in the theatres. So, it’s not just about digital capture but also about digital delivery and projection. So, going the digital way is all about setting up systems that ensures a uniform and high level of technical performance along with quality control.”

    So, how does the movie industry flourish as well as move towards a smooth transition to a digital future? What came across was that one has to move towards one digital distribution and exhibition format. And that format is clearly complying with the Digital Cinema Specifications (DCI which came across in 2002).

    Taking the discussion further, Thomas Lim, Director, Education, Learning, Digital Media & entertainment, IDA Singapore, said, “The film fraternity across the Asian region seems to grappling with issues of complying with the Digital Cinema initiatives, to ensure great quality control. In fact, Singapore is fast emerging a great hub by playing a strong support to the industry in terms of helping comply and convert content to the norms of DCI.”

    Some of the other questions which were raised during the opening session were what are the technical developments that will help enhance the conversion to digital screens? In the future, who will bear the technology cost? How will distributors and exhibitors work out their new equations? Will we have to create fresh content as the theatres go digital? Or will moviegoers have to pay more to enjoy digital cinema.

    “Though, the answers to these queries will emerge in the time to come, it looks like we are getting there,” said Al Barton VP, Sony Pictures Entertainment, USA. He added, “Last year we were here speculating the specifications laid down to go digital but this time for people involved in the film business, we are here really to discuss how more countries have start adopting to digital screens. The systems which have worked in the US can also be applied in other parts of the world, in spite of the fact that the scenario does is differ from region to region. Like, France has independent producers and Germany is a country where most of the prints are used twice in the country. So, we’ll have to come to a flexible solution for digital films being distributed across the world.”

    The opening session also looked at the various technological challenges that the digital world will pose for the industry. Equipment manufacturers will have to invest in compatible equipment so as to help theatrical projectors to create a uniform and compatible digital cinema. But hopefully, as the market gets more competitive, the price of the equipment and its installation which were previously thought to be a major barrier to digital cinema will become increasingly affordable.

  • Apple introduces U2 iPod

    Apple introduces U2 iPod

    MUMBAI: Software major Apple has introduced the new iPod U2 Special Edition as part of a continued partnership between Apple, U2 and Universal Music Group (UMG).

    The new U2 iPod is based on the fifth generation 30GB iPod and holds up to 7,500 songs, 25,000 photos or over 75 hours of video and features a distinctive, all-black stainless steel enclosure, red Click Wheel and custom engraving of U2 band member signatures.

    Apple VP worldwide iPod product marketing Greg Joswiak says, “We are thrilled to continue working with one of the greatest bands in the world to bring U2 fans a special edition of the world’s best digital music player. With its distinctive new design, including an all-black stainless steel enclosure, the new U2 iPod is sure to be a hit.”

    U2 iPod customers will also receive 30 minutes of exclusive U2 video downloadable from the iTunes Music Store. The new U2 iPod is available immediately for Rs.21,400.

    Featuring integration with the iTunes Music Store and the iTunes digital music jukebox, the new U2 iPod features Apple’s patent pending Auto-Sync technology that automatically downloads digital music, podcasts, photos, audiobooks, home movies, music videos and popular television shows onto the iPod and keeps them up-to-date whenever the iPod is plugged into a Mac or Windows computer using USB 2.0. The new U2 iPod features up to 14 hours of battery life for music playback.

    The iPod requires a Mac with a USB 2.0 port and Mac OS X version 10.3.9 or later and iTunes 6; or a Windows PC with a USB 2.0 port and Windows 2000, XP Home or Professional (SP2) and iTunes 6. Battery life and number of charge cycles vary by use and settings. Music capacity is based on four minutes per song and 128-Kbps AAC encoding; video capacity is based on H.264 750-Kbps combined with 128-Kbps audio; and photo capacity is based on iPod-viewable photos transferred from iTunes.

  • NDS to deploy full end to end system to Romania’s DTH platform Boom TV

    MUMBAI: News Corporation‘s NDS Group has announced that a leading digital satellite pay-TV broadcaster in Romania, DTH Television Group has contracted NDS to deploy a full end-to-end system including NDS VideoGuard conditional access, MediaHighway middleware and EPG on their newly launched digital pay-TV platform, Boom TV. NDS is the provider of technology solutions for digital pay-TV.

    The platform had launched in May to homes in Romania. The NDS VideoGuard will protect all content delivered to new digital subscribers.

     

    DTH Television Group chose the full end-to-end system to secure their premium subscription content and will also take advantage of new services offered by NDS, including interactive TV applications, informs an official release.

    NDS Group chairman and CEO Dr Abe Peled said, “We‘re delighted that DTH Television Group has selected our proven solutions for their new service, Boom TV. This is an important contract for NDS as Romania, which has a population of over 40 million, is a significant TV market with the highest TV viewing figures in Europe by a wide margin. It also signals our expansion into the high-growth Eastern European broadcasting market, which we will continue to develop over the coming months and years.”

     

    Boom TV CEO Isaac Waldman said, “NDS is an important partner in being able to offer our subscribers enhanced TV services to make their viewing experience more entertaining.”