Blog

MUMBAI: Media conglomerate Viacom‘s unit MTV Networks, which brought in the music video fad, is foraying into new digital music service and will be competing with the music store of Apple Computer Inc.‘s iTunes, which has a strong dominance in the online music market.

The broadcaster has teamed up with Microsoft to launch the beta of a new online music service, called Urge, that will be integrated in Windows Media Player 11 is set to make its debut on 17 May.

Offering more than two million songs from the major labels and thousands of independents, Urge will encompass all musical genres from alt-country to zydeco. In addition to a broad catalogue of music choices, Urge will deliver a deep well of exclusive MTV Networks programming and original, hand-crafted content.

Urge, the subscription and download music service, though not first in the market, can be purchased for 99 cents each or as full albums starting at $9.95. The service will also offer a two-week trial without requiring any commitment or credit card number, according to media reports.

The service also will offer unlimited downloads at a monthly rate of $9.95 or $14.95 for the ability to transfer songs to any or more than 100 compatible portable music players.

It has celebrity playlists, streaming radio stations, artist profiles and an increasing number of blogs. One can download billboard charts by genre and year, watch music videos, and explore music by genre.

MTV Networks’ music group president Van Toffler said, “Urge will serve as a ‘psychic concierge,’ introducing fans to new artists and helping them to develop a deeper connection to old favorites.”

“By combining our expertise in digital media with the music leadership and marketing savvy of MTV Networks, we have created a powerful and unique way to experience music. This landmark collaboration will bring innovative new experiences to millions of music fans,” said Microsoft media/entertainment and technology convergence group corporate vice president Blair Westlake.

“As with everything we do at MTV Networks, every element of Urge will be developed with our audience in mind. Beyond providing a simple transactional service, Urge will provide a musical playground where fans can experiment, customise, discover and download new music,” said MTV Networks chief digital officer Jason Hirschhorn.

Urge will be promoted through multiple venues, including the MTV, Vh1 and CMT channels, which on average collectively reach more than 165 million US viewers, as well as through the respective brands’ web sites and Urge.com.

MUMBAI: As the networked home market in the US reaches the mass-market adoption stage, multimedia and entertainment-centric networking solutions are likely to drive the demand for home networking and become strong revenue generators.

Moreover, increasing broadband penetration and expanding range of applications and services are ushering in new growth opportunities for all stakeholders in this nascent market.

Research firm Frost and Sullivan finds that spurred by the increase in multiple PC households, falling hardware prices, increasing number of IP applications and rise in broadband adoption; the number of networked homes in North America is likely to increase from 22.5 million in 2005 to 63.8 million in 2012.

Frost & Sullivan industry analyst Piyush Arora notes, “Entertainment-based home networks and emerging broadband services and applications such as IPTV and personal video recording are likely to be key contributors to future growth of home networking. The growth in network-enabled consumer electronic devices and the burgeoning online and offline digital content, will also fuel this trend.”

Last year only five per cent of total networked homes had a multimedia network with at least one non-PC networked device such as a television, DVD player or set-top box. However, by 2012, multimedia networks are likely to post a stronger growth and increase their share to 25 per cent of total networked homes.

The increasing penetration of broadband is also expanding the range of potential applications of home networks — from sharing broadband access between computers to streaming multimedia content between networked consumer electronic devices. Networked storage, home automation and home security are also likely to become strong contributors to home networking growth.

Furthermore, networked homes will be ideal for service providers to deliver triple-play services and other service bundles to attract new customers. In fact, service providers are becoming an important component of the distribution channel for networking products and solutions.

Last year, around 15 per cent of total home networking equipment revenues in North America came from the service provider channel. This share is likely to increase to 37 per cent by 2012 as service providers — including cable companies, telcos, and other broadband ISPs — increase their service bundling initiatives and start playing a more active role in offering home networking solutions.

In the long term, it is essential for service providers, networking equipment vendors, and other stakeholders to forge more effective partnerships and develop networking solutions that provide a simpler set-up experience for consumers and reduce ongoing maintenance issues.

“Given the complexity of setup, installation, and troubleshooting, developing a more lucid support management framework and new customer support tools are crucial for the widespread adoption of home networks,” concludes Arora.

MUMBAI: Football association Uefa has announced a victory in the High Court in the UK over the illegal streaming of Uefa Champions League matches via the internet.

Uefa had issued proceedings in March this year in the High Court in England against the owners and operators of a series of websites unlawfully streaming and making available to subscribers television coverage of Uefa Champions League matches.

The claim alleged infringement of copyright in the broadcasts and all the separate ancillary copyright works included in those broadcasts, namely the UCL music, the UCL on-screen graphics, the sponsored video sequences and the UCL Starball.

The judge granted summary judgment, issued a permanent injunction restraining the broadcasting of UCL matches over the Internet, ordered the confiscation of all equipment used in the pirating process as well as ordering that the defendants pay the substantial costs of the claim with the precise level of damages to be assessed.

Uefa CEO Lars-Christer Olsson said, “This is a landmark decision in favour of Uefa and of rights holders everywhere. We see this as a major victory against the unauthourised and illegal streaming of UEFA Champions League matches over the Internet, and therefore a full endorsement for the protection of the rights of the official broadcasters who have purchased the right to show these matches.”