ITV

Tag: IPTV

  • Ericsson launches end-to-end IPTV solution

    Ericsson launches end-to-end IPTV solution

    MUMBAI: Ericsson has unveiled an end-to-end IPTV solution, which will make possible a complete range of IPTV services, such as broadcast TV, video on-demand, network personal video recording and electronic programming guides.

    According to an official release, Ericsson’s solution provides telecom-grade performance, meets scalability requirements and involves complete life-cycle management. It also includes guidelines for integration with IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) functions, such as charging and end-user authentication, which is unique on the market. It combines its portfolio with key products from world-leading partners.

    Ericsson Multimedia Solutions VP Claes Ödman says, “IPTV is much more than traditional TV broadcast over the IP network – it is about integrating media with communications services to deliver personalized, interactive television no matter where the viewer is.”

    The end-to-end solution is the first step in Ericsson’s long-term evolution of TV services.

    “Based on our broadband experience, our standardization efforts and our global IMS leadership, Ericsson has a long-term vision for TV and a migration path to help operators meet the challenge,” Ödman says.

    Ericsson’s vision of personalized IPTV services delivered over broadband is based on open standards, including the combination of Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) technologies, for digital entertainment, with the IMS standard for delivering enriched communications services. Ericsson is committed to working with appropriate standardization bodies to achieve economies of scale and inter¬operability in IPTV reference architecture and interfaces, the release adds.

  • NDS selects Broadbus as on-demand video platform for synamedia metro IPTV middleware

    NDS selects Broadbus as on-demand video platform for synamedia metro IPTV middleware

    MUMBAI: Broadbus Technologies, Inc., provider of technology solutions for television on demand (TOD), and NDS, provider of technology solutions for digital pay-TV has come together to announce that the later has selected the Broadbus B-1 video server as the first on-demand video platform for the NDS synamedia metro IPTV middleware. 

    Synamedia Metro is an integrated IPTV middleware solution that enables telecommunications providers and broadband operators to quickly and easily offer the power of IPTV to their subscribers. 

    The NDS solution will incorporate the Broadbus B-1 Video Server, a 100 per cent solid-state, carrier-class solution for the delivery of IPTV and on-demand video services.

    “NDS developed synamedia metro to offer telecommunications providers a turnkey IPTV solution, including security, middleware and electronic program guide functions, that enables next generation experiences today,” said NDS Broadband Internet Group VP Nigel Smith. “NDS believe that Broadbus’ open design, scalability and reliability are a good fit for telco customers.”

    According to an official release, Synamedia Metro IPTV middleware allows IPTV operators to offer attractive Electronic Program Guides (EPG), interactive TV applications (iTV), Video on Demand (VOD), digital video recorder (DVR) or network DVR capabilities and interactive games, in either standard (SD) or high definition (HD), all of which are built using the NDS MediaHighway middleware application development tools (MHDK). 

    The solution also protects premium content and revenue streams through NDS VideoGuard, the most widely deployed, robust and secure encryption technology for content protection, revenue protection and rights management.

    “We’re very excited to be leveraging our extensive on-demand video experience to deliver a powerful IPTV offering with NDS,” said Broadbus Sr. director of marketing Tom Kennedy. 

    “By combining Broadbus’ carrier-class architecture with NDS’s market-leading middleware and security, service providers get a rock-solid foundation on which to build a reliable and scalable IPTV infrastructure.”

    The release also adds that the Broadbus B-1 Video Server is the only 100 per cent solid-state, carrier-class solution for the delivery of on-demand video services. The platform’s compact, switch-based architecture completely eliminates the use of mechanical hard drives for video streaming and ingest, instead leveraging the intelligent management of massive amounts of random-access memory. The result is unparalleled performance, reliability, scalability for VOD and advanced on-demand services at less than one-tenth the footprint and one-eighth the power requirements of traditional systems.

    By integrating the Broadbus B-1 Video Server into a single solution, the NDS Synamedia Metro architecture enables telco operators to deploy a single integrated IPTV system and reduce the time-to-market for new services. The solution is also standards-based, allowing telcos to choose their system components according to their current infrastructure needs.

  • DTV, IPTV growth set to boost Flat Panel Display, STB, chipsets industries

    DTV, IPTV growth set to boost Flat Panel Display, STB, chipsets industries

    MUMBAI: The anticipated growth of digital television (DTV) and high-definition television (HDTV) globally is expected to positively influence the development of a range of support industries.

    A study by Frost and Sullivan Global Advances in Digital TV and HDTV Chipsets notes that these support industries include those of flat panel displays, broadcasting, telecommunications, chipset design and production, set-top box manufacturing, and software or middleware development.

    The flat panel display industry, in particular, has recorded huge revenue growth since the launch of DTV and HDTV services. Moreover, emerging display technologies such as organic light-emitting diodes (OLED) and field emission displays (FED) are being seen as a challenge to the market dominance of liquid crystal displays (LCDs) and with the recent advances in manufacturing techniques, the future for both OLED and FED look promising.

    With regard to the set-top box (STB) technology, new STB chipsets are steered toward the direction of providing a single-chip solution. The introduction of advanced compression standards such as Moving Pictures Expert Group (MPEG)-4 AVC has highly enhanced the video streaming capability of the high-end STBs, and future STBs will have more programmability and advanced functions such as a personal digital recorder. Future chipset designs are likely to focus on the convergence of TV and computer networks and the concept of a multimedia home platform (MHP).

    Technical Insights research analyst Dr. Jayson Koh notes, “Determined to lead the broadcast technologies, the Information Society Technologies (IST) and European Union (EU) have been funding numerous projects in the field of digital and high-definition television, driving the European companies and universities in this area.

    “While countries such as Greece are laying infrastructures for the digital switch over, terrestrial DTV services are already well developed in Germany and France, and Britain has also recently introduced many DTV and IPTV services.”

    The report further notes that in Asia, South Korean, Japanese and Taiwanese companies are leading the flat panel display industries, catering to the increasing demands for LCD and plasma discharge panel (PDP) TV from Europe, North America and notably, China. Also there have been a significant number of IPTV and DTV deployments in Asian countries such as Hong Kong, Taiwan, China, Singapore and South Korea.

    The Challenges: Amidst these positive trends, the high entry barrier and the lack of cost- effective techniques for mass production are the most critical issues that the new companies and technologies in the flat panel display industryface. Other obstacles that add to the entry barrier include, competing with the low average selling price of LCD, high cost of investment, lack of customer awareness, availability of raw materials and components suppliers and the distribution networks.

    “The prolonged format war between HD-DVD and Blu-ray is expected to delay the integration of new DVD standard in high-end STBs and manufacturers would prefer to wait till a common format arises.

    “In the case of new video compression standard, the H.264 would slowly take over the MPEG-2 market but face competition from both AVS and VC-1,” adds Koh.

    In the near term, STB manufacturers have to decide whether to support a certain new generation DVD format or to provide a multiple format drive. Although chipset companies are providing more multiple video compression supports in their products, the high licensing fee arises from this kind of chipsets may not be encouraging.

  • Tandberg Television brings IPTV video head-ends to Globalcomm 2006

    Tandberg Television brings IPTV video head-ends to Globalcomm 2006

    MUMBAI: The Globalcomm 2006 to be held in Chicago this month will see Tandberg Television making its advances in the global standard definition (SD) and high definition (HD) IPTV video head-end market.

    With the recent acquisition of SkyStream, Tandberg Television comes to Globalcomm with expanded compression capabilities. The acquisition combines two highly-complementary technology lines, providing Tandberg Television with increased encoding density and new transcoding solutions and expanding its premium SD video quality and HD AVC encoding. Thus, it is able to provide the industry with the broadest and most flexible IPTV video head-end solution set, informs an official release.

    The expanded range of Tandberg Television IPTV products is designed to provide both large and small telcos with the necessary choice and flexibility to efficiently advance their IPTV service roll-outs. The enlarged product line, packaged in telco or broadcast chassis form factors, presents the industry’s widest selection of encoding and video processing technologies for streaming, transrating, transcoding, high density encoding and premium encoding with solutions that are shipping today for standard definition and high definition MPEG-2, MPEG-4 AVC and SMPTE VC-1, adds the release.

    As a result of the acquisition, Tandberg Television’s Globalcomm booth will show fully operational SD and HD IPTV video head-ends with a number of new innovations including:

    — Unified IPTV head-end control and management with Tandberg nCompass will provide integrated control for all Tandberg IPTV solutions, enabling telcos to save money through improved operational efficiency.

    — Advancements in Picture in Picture (PiP) with the launch of SD PiP on the NEBS-certified, telco-designed Mediaplex and iPlex platforms, as well as SD and HD PiP on the Tandberg premium encoding range.

    — Launch of a new HD encoder designed to meet the needs of the Tier 2 and Tier 3 Telco/IOC markets. Called the Tandberg EN5960, the HD platform has been well-received initially with several successful U.S. carrier deployments already completed. The EN5960 extends Tandberg Television’s market leadership in HDTV.

    Tandberg Television will also continue its tradition of open integration by working with leading systems integrators, middleware providers and consumer device manufacturers to provide operators with complete systems. The Globalcomm booth will include live demonstrations with both Myrio TotalManage, Myrio Interactive and Microsoft TV IP-TV Edition middleware and leading set-top box vendors.

    Tandberg Television EVP Jim Olson said, “Globalcomm will see Tandberg Television cement its lead as the IPTV compression powerhouse. Our unique offering of choice and flexibility enables operators to mix and match their head-end infrastructure investment to maximize utilization of existing network infrastructures (SONET, ATM and IP), to leverage increased bandwidth efficiencies and to select the most appropriate video compression performance and density to support picture quality requirements on a per channel/per program basis.”

    “What’s more we will show telcos at Globalcomm how they can integrate our IPTV video head-end systems with our range of revenue-generating solutions for advanced IPTV services. These include Push/Pull video on-demand, interactive television, mobile TV and ad insertion, all of which will truly differentiate a telco’s offering from standard cable services in the Tier-2 and Tier-3 markets,” he added.

    HD and SD Picture-in-Picture

    According to the release, Tandberg Television is showcasing its latest developments in Picture-in-Picture (PiP) technology that increase operator options for real consumer benefits, such as enabling second channel live viewing, advanced video mosaics, next-generation video programming guides, user configurable multi-view screens and the simultaneous delivery of content to mobile, handheld or web streaming devices.

    Tandberg Television will launch SD PiP on both the iPlex and Mediaplex video head-ends. These carrier-class platforms are complete head-end systems in a single chassis that enables a new level of converged services over any last mile access infrastructure (xDSL, FTTx, and CATV). The Mediaplex and iPlex video platforms are the industry’s first fully-integrated switched digital video head-ends to deliver MPEG-4 AVC encoding, MPEG-2 to MPEG-4 AVC transcoding, PIP encoding, transrating, remultiplexing and routing. With flexibility, and highly-dense capacity of up to 48 MPEG-2 or MPEG-4 AVC encoders or transcoders, Tandberg Television’s Mediaplex and iPlex platforms can distribute hundreds of high-quality video channels in multiple formats and rates to millions of subscribers simultaneously.

    In addition, HD PiP capabilities will be shown on the Tandberg premium HD platform. Delivering outstanding quality and 3-in-1 resolution choices, the Tandberg EN5990 encoder is able to output MPEG-4 AVC HD main video (either 720p or 1080i), “HD-PIP” which is user selectable with resolutions from 192×192, SIF through to full resolution SD running between 256Kbit/s -> 5Mbit/s and “Micro-PIP” with 96×96 (PAL) / 96×80 (NTSC) resolution. This ability to deliver a full resolution SD version of the HD channel opens up several possibilities for broadcasters and operators and enables a number of HD user multiview applications. With HD source in and both HD and SD versions of the same channel out, SD only subscribers would get a chance to see the HD channel content. Tandberg Television has been shipping SD PiP in its premium EN5920 and EN5930 MPEG-4 AVC and VC-1 encoders since last year.

  • Alcatel, IBM and Microsoft Collaborate to deliver Integrated Server Solutions for IPTV

    Alcatel, IBM and Microsoft Collaborate to deliver Integrated Server Solutions for IPTV

    MUMBAI: Alcatel and Microsoft Corp. announced they will harness IBM’s server systems technology to deliver solutions for carrier-class triple play/Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) deployments. This announcement, combined with the existing OEM agreement between IBM and Alcatel, solidifies IBM as a key member of the joint Alcatel-Microsoft IPTV ecosystem.

    As a result, IBM, Alcatel and Microsoft will work together to deliver these advanced systems to carriers deploying triple play service offerings.

    The optimization of IBM’s server and storage solutions will include the ability to provide superior support for the Microsoft TV IPTV Edition software platform within Alcatel’s overall Triple Play Service Delivery Architecture (TPSDA). The companies will also cooperate on global go-to- market efforts that will include joint selling and marketing activities, states an official release.

    The combination of Alcatel’s network access experience, IBM’s proven server solutions and Microsoft’s software expertise and comprehensive IPTV Edition software platform is expected to speed time to market for IPTV services while improving system performance and architecture scalability for telecommunications service providers. In addition, with the pre-investment in performance testing and integration, the cooperation also has the potential to improve performance and lower CAPEX for service providers, the release adds.

    “As the key services integrator and partner to many of the world’s largest service providers seeking to deliver triple play offerings, our customers rely on us for guidance across all areas of their projects,” says president for Alcatel’s fixed solutions activities Monika Maurer. “By working with established leaders like IBM and Microsoft we maintain tremendous confidence in the capabilities of the ecosystem, while providing our customers with the flexibility and reliability necessary for their next-generation network deployments.”

    “IBM is pleased to be a key server platform and storage provider in delivering integrated IPTV solutions to Alcatel and Microsoft customers,” says IBM’s Systems and Technology GroupVP Jim Pertzborn. “Leveraging the breadth of IBM’s System x ™ and BladeCenter ™ technologies will enable Alcatel and Microsoft to deliver reliable, scalable and cost-effective IPTV solutions to their customers.”

    “Our joint collaboration with Alcatel and IBM is a significant validation of the growing IPTV industry,” adds Microsoft TV Division GM Marketing Christine Heckart. “By working with these industry-leading companies we can continue to strengthen the Microsoft IPTV Edition platform while enabling service providers to cost-effectively deliver exciting new TV experiences for consumers.”

  • Broadband applications in the US put networked homes on a strong growth trajectory

    Broadband applications in the US put networked homes on a strong growth trajectory

    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.

  • Intel and NDS to collaborate on protected WiMax-based TV multicast

    MUMBAI: Intel Corporation and NDS Group plc., have announced a trial system to demonstrate the TV and video services for fixed WiMax technology.

    Using the WiMax IEEE 802.16-2004 standard and the soon to be ratified IEEE 802.16e, Intel and NDS will also collaborate on industry and market development activities. The companies will engage in demonstrations to service providers and the industry to show how WiMax can offer more than broadband access with pay-TV services.

    The pre-WiMax implementation takes place at Intel’s Wireless Competence Center in Kista, Sweden and demonstrates the first system to show WiMax TV services including live TV, VOD and integrated electronic program guide (EPG) delivery to an Intel Centrino mobile technology based notebook over 802.16-2004 and 802.11.

     

    The current demonstration uses fixed pre-WiMax equipment to deliver content to the customer premises equipment (CPE) and then WiFi to send content to the notebook. Companies intend to enhance the system to support 802.16e standard in the future and to make sure that security requirements protect the interests of content providers in an aim to demonstrate pay TV services delivery over mobile WiMax to Intel based PDA and notebook devices.

     

    NDS VideoGuard conditional access protects the business and content of the service provider and:-

    >Prevents the valuable TV channel offering from being received by subscribers who have not paid for it.

    >Protects content delivery efficiently using content entitlements, authorizations and tier packaging.

    >Enables content purchasing scenarios (e.g. Pay-Per-View)

    >Supports Video-On-Demand by enabling secure content purchasing, protecting content delivery sessions, and enabling content business scenarios like DRM.

     

    Intel Wireless Competence Center director Anders Huge said, “Demonstrating multicast TV to notebook computers articulates the way forward for mobile computing – extending the range of services offered by WiMAX to include broadband internet access, VOIP and video. Intel Centrino mobile technology based notebooks are great entertainment devices and offer consumers the ability to take their home entertainment experience on the go.”

     

    NDS vice president product marketing Yossi Deutsch added, “We are happy to work with a major force behind WiMax technology and getting a clear message out that it is not only about broadband access but rather a full range of lucrative services, enhancing the very model behind WiMax future deployments.”
  • Sahara, DD ad sales revenues for England series gross Rs 2 billion

    Sahara, DD ad sales revenues for England series gross Rs 2 billion

    MUMBAI: The first chapter of Nimbus’ boss Harish Thawani’s audacious gamble with the India cricket story is over with a battered English side glad to be back in the cooler climes of Old Blighty and the Indians getting some well deserved rest before they head out to the Caribbean.

    For Thawani however, the rollercoaster he’s been on since his Nimbus Communications swung the telecast rights to India cricket for the next four years with a bank-breaking $ 612.18 million composite bid has barely begun. The India-England tour — the first of ten international series (and four domestic cricket seasons) that constitutes the deal — is over and the calculators are out tallying the revenue numbers.

    Indiantelevision.com’s discussions on the matter with media buyers indicate that the series, which involved three Tests and six ODIs (one was washed out), has generated about Rs 2003 million in ad sales from national broadcaster Doordarshan and Sahara One. Going by these calculations, DD accounted for Rs 987 million while Sahara One mopped up Rs 1016 million.

    But what is of critical importance to Nimbus is really how much it is able to net from this series. Indiantelevision.com estimates show the ad sales revenue picture for this series looking something like this: Nimbus’ Net income from DD is Rs 630 million (deducting 25% share to DD and 15% agency commission) and for Sahara it is Rs 864 million. That makes a total of just under Rs 1500 million ($ 35 million).

    Considering that Nimbus’ bid for the India territory rights was a whopping $ 504.09 million, there’s a huge mountain still that Thawani’s privately held Mumbai sports management company has left to climb to clear the profit threshold.

    THAWANI’S GAMEPLAN

    Having said that, and going by a recent report in Forbes, Thawani is already in the clear on the international territory rights (Nimbus’ bid here broke down as $ 108.09 million). The report says that Nimbus has sold BCCI’s telecast rights internationally for $130 million. The jury’s still out on that one though, with some industry observers calculating that Nimbus could not have made more than $ 89 million from the sale of international rights.

    As for the India part, everything points to Nimbus launching its own sports channel before the end of the year and for this the market expectation is that Thawani will soon be announcing another round of funding for this purpose.

    Thawani claims that investors are currently valuing Nimbus at $400 million to $500 million, which would mean that Nimbus has tripled in valuation terms in less than a year. It was last August that UK-based private equity and venture fund 3i acquired around 33 per cent stake in Nimbus for $45.50 million (approx Rs 1.97 billion).

    In conclusion, what is the downside in this gamble (for Thawani and any investor who wants to buy into his vision) and what could be the upside. That is really what will have guided Thawani in making what still remains a hugely difficult play to pull off. As the head of a broadcast concern told Indiantelevision.com, the current thinking is that there is just no way anyone can make more than $ 550 million from this deal. So at the outset itself, Nimbus is looking at a $ 62 million hit on its investment, or $ 15.5 million per year spread over four years.

    But there is the upside as well, which is that with all the new broadcast delivery platforms that are opening (DTH, IPTV, mobile TV) and if all the constellations of a booming economy, a brilliantly performing team and the kind of possibilities that a young on-the-go populace provide are in consonance, then $ 800 million might well be within reach.

    Before jumping to conclusions either way, it might be worth remembering a certain Kunal Dasgupta and his now well documented masterstroke of a gamble on the ICC cricket rights in 2002 for a then unheard of $ 208 million. There is no one who today does not see the SET India CEO’s bid as a really inspired play.

    A potential loss of $ 62 million versus a best case gain of $ 200 million. Which way the dice falls by the time 2010 comes around will determine whether Thawani is ultimately acknowledged as a visionary or someone whose go for broke gamble went bust. Unsurprisingly, there are many a respected industry stalwart who believe that if anyone can pull this off, it is the fashionably bald head honcho of Nimbus.

  • Juniper Networks to host conference call webcast on IPTV

    Juniper Networks to host conference call webcast on IPTV

    MUMBAI:Juniper Networks has announced it will host a conference call webcast to discuss ‘IPTV and Beyond’ on 8 May at 8 am Pacific Time. The conference call will be broadcasted live over the Internet.

    Service Provider Business VP marketing and partnerships Shailesh Shukla will provide an overview of the company’s strategy on why service providers need to think beyond simply delivering IPTV as a single service and how to build multi-service networks for the future given today’s business imperatives. Shukla will begin with a brief presentation and then take questions.

    The conference call will be broadcasted live over the Internet. To participate via telephone, the dial-in number is 866-567-4884, or 706-758-0058 for international callers. The web cast will be available at http://www.juniper.net/company/investor/announcement.html and a replay will be archived on the Juniper Networks website.

    Juniper Networks enables in secure and assured communications over a single IP network.

  • BNS Hong Kong to source content for Thailand’s True IPTV service

    BNS Hong Kong to source content for Thailand’s True IPTV service

    MUMBAI: Hong Kong based IPTV solution provider Broadband Network Systems Ltd (BNS) will source and aggregate digital television channels for the Thailand-based True Corporation’s IPTV platform. As per the deal, BNS is working with True IPTV to acquire key lifestyle content for its IPTV platform.

    The scope of the service provided by BNS includes sourcing and aggregating digital television channels from around the world for distribution over True’s broadcast services.

    True Corporation Public Company Limited has over 400,000 broadband subscribers and has launched Thailand’s first IPTV service, True IPTV, in early April 2006 with 10 channels across entertainment, music, lifestyle, kids and news categories, states an official release.

    “Working with an experienced content aggregator like BNS will enable us to secure the sought-after content needed to expand our services quickly,” says Broadband Broadcast and Multimedia GM at True Corporation Plc Paisit Vatjanapagorn.

    Director of Strategy and Content at BNS, Alita Wong says, “Offering compelling and unique content is one of the most important aspects of a successful IPTV service. We are excited to work with True Corporation and look forward to delivering a differentiated content mix which drives subscriptions.”