Canal Plus preps high-def launch (Canal+ Source PR - French)
March 25, 2006 (Hollywood Reporter) - French pay TV group Canal Plus on Friday announced that its premium high-definition Canal Plus channel will become available to subscribers next month, followed by the launch of its dedicated high-def National Geographic Channel in June, via the group's CanalSat digital platform.

China Netcom´s first IPTV agreement confirms ZTE as major international IPTV network provider
March 24, 2006 - ZTE Corporation, the fastest growing global provider of telecommunications equipment and network solutions, is to install the first IPTV trial for the Beijing arm of China Netcom, the country´s second largest fixed-line telecom operator. This contract will make ZTE one of the largest providers of trial IPTV infrastructure in the world, with a total capacity of nearly 500,000 subscribers and over 200,000 concurrent users in China, Europe and South America.
The China Netcom IPTV project follows ZTE´s three previous IPTV contract wins from China Telecom and confirms ZTE as China´s largest IPTV systems provider. The new network will serve 50,000 IPTV subscribers by provisioning video services including video on demand (VoD), broadcasting, time-shifted television (TSTV), private video recorder (PVR ) and near video on demand (NVoD) as well as value-added services such as interactive games, information services, instant communications, online albums and e-learning.

Orca Interactive Ltd Preliminary Results for the year ended 31 December 2005
March 24, 2006 - Orca Interactive Ltd, a global leader in the IPTV middleware market, announces its preliminary results for the year ended 31 December 2005.
Operational Highlights:
• New deals signed with Lucent, Jazztel, a tier one operator in the Americas, Dansk Bredbånd, Chunghwa Telecom and one of the world’s leading media companies during the year
• Partnership agreements signed with Lucent, IBM and Tata Consultancy Services in 2005
• Significant product investment during 2005 – including the launch of the Home Media application, a new Flash SUI (Subscriber User Interface) and a Flash based SUI SDK (Software Development Kit) and RiGHTv version 4.5, introducing an IPTV SDP (Service Delivery Platform) to enable true open platform capabilities

ATI projects 60% on-year digital TV chips growth, TSMC said to benefit
March 24, 2006 (DigiTimes) - Major Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) customer ATI Technologies projects revenues for its digital TV (DTV) business will grow 60% this year, with TSMC being a major beneficiary of the growth, according to a Chinese-language Economic Daily News (EDN) report.

India - Hathway digital cable box launched
March 24, 2006 (The Hindu) - Hathway Digital TV Services has announced the launch of the digital television services through a remote controlled device.

Brazil - Digital TV format debate goes abroad
March 24, 2006 (Agência Brasil) - Minister of Communications, Hélio Costa, will soon travel abroad to check on the chances for technology transfer which will make it easier to decide on the country's digital TV format. According to the minister, there is interest by some countries in installing factories in Brazil which would reduce the cost of new technology. Brazil is specifically interested in semi-conductor industries, said Costa.

UK - Sky HD on track for May launch
March 24, 2006 - Sky today moved closer to the launch of its high definition television service with the announcement of pricing details and confirmation that the first installations of Sky HD are scheduled to begin in May 2006.
Customers will pay £299 for the Sky HD box and a Sky HD subscription of £10 a month in addition to their Sky digital subscription. As an introductory offer, standard installation of Sky HD is free for all new or existing Sky digital subscribers taking a Sky HD subscription.

ATEME releases revolutionary single-chip Main Profile MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 encoder
March 24, 2006 - ATEME, the world leader in video compression technology, introduces the ATE4000, a unique Single Chip MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 Standard Definition Main Profile Encoder.
The ATE4000 achieves unprecedented density without compromising on video quality while boasting exceptional compression efficiency. The revolutionary IP Core enables system design with unparalleled channels density.
Target markets for the ATE4000 are Broadcast Digital Television, IPTV, Satellite, Telco Head-Ends and professional encoders for distribution of video over wired or wireless IP networks where bandwidth and picture quality cannot be compromised.
The ATE4000 is using the massive computing capabilities of state-of-the-art FPGA technology to achieve best in class performance in the fastest design cycles, contrasting with the traditional multi-processor approach complexities. Strict design rules enforced during all stages of the design ensure optimum scalability and upgradeability for a true future proof implementation.

NTELOS Selects SkyStream to Deliver Cutting-Edge IPTV Service Over FTTP to Subscribers in Virginia
March 24, 2006 – NTELOS Inc., a Waynesboro, Va.-based integrated communications provider, has selected SkyStream® as its video headend partner for its new IPTV service over Fiber-to-the-Premise (FTTP) that will serve its Virginia ILEC footprint.
NTELOS has built a “super video headend” center where it has deployed the SkyStream Mediaplex-20™ video headend. From there, NTELOS is distributing the MPEG-2 feed over a 10-Gigabit Metro Ethernet ring to several regional offices and will deploy the SkyStream iPlex™ edge video headend system for additional video aggregation and distribution. NTELOS will be able to offer local channels, advertising and other programming from these regional centers.

DVR Usage Surges Toward 130 Million Homes By 2010
March 23, 2006 - The US and Europe are leading the global transition toward user-controlled TV. According to "Digital Video Recorders: Demand Surges As Mass Market Era Dawns," the latest report from the Strategy Analytics Connected Home Devices service, digital video recorders (DVR) are set to change television viewing for 130 million homes worldwide over the next five years. Cable, satellite and other digital TV providers had installed 17.4 million DVRs globally by the end of 2005, and DVR manufacturers will enjoy annual sales of more than 40 million units by 2010 as increasing numbers of viewers demand more flexibility in how they watch television.
DVRs can already be found in 12 percent of US homes, and this Strategy Analytics report predicts that more than half of US consumers will have access to a DVR by 2010. The market has been slower to take off in Europe, but even in Europe 25 percent of homes will have DVRs by 2010, up from only 2 percent in 2005.

Sling Media Turns Mobile Phones and Handheld Computers into Personal TVs with the Release of SlingPlayer™ Mobile
March 23, 2006 - Sling Media, Inc., a digital lifestyle products company, today announced the release of SlingPlayer™ Mobile as part of a public beta program for Slingbox owners. SlingPlayer Mobile is a new software package that gives Slingbox owners the ability to watch and control their home TV from any network-enabled mobile phone or handheld computer (PDA) powered by Windows Mobile. The SlingPlayer Mobile software available today is compatible with devices that run Windows Mobile Pocket PC 5.0 and 2003 Second Edition. Sling Media will also deliver a version for non-touchscreen devices based on Windows Mobile Smartphone within the next month.
A trial version of SlingPlayer Mobile is available today as a free download from Sling Media's web site, www.slingmedia.com, as part of the public beta program. Beginning April 26th, SlingPlayer Mobile will be available for $29.99 and includes a free 30-day trial. Slingbox owners who purchase and register their Slingbox prior to April 26th will receive a free license for SlingPlayer Mobile. There are no monthly or recurring charges for the use of the software.

Top-Digital TV Provides Digital Cable to Beijing Subscribers and Other Chinese Operators Utilizing BigBand Networks Platforms
March 23, 2006 - BigBand Networks, Inc., a leading provider of broadband multimedia infrastructure for video, voice and data, today announced Top-Digital TV of Beijing is using the BigBand BMR® (Broadband Multimedia-Service Router) to manage and disseminate digital television programming. The deployment controls program line-ups and video content, and distributes directly to a satellite uplink facility through redundant Gigabit Ethernet transport over optical fiber. It is designed to enable satellite transmission to cable operators throughout China. This includes providing digital programming to cable subscribers in Beijing, Tianjin City, Shangdong province, Anhui province, and areas. The addition of Top-Digital TV signifies the seventh Chinese customer announced by BigBand Networks since last year's CCBN.
Top-Digital TV is deploying the BigBand BMR as part of nationwide Chinese efforts to implement all-digital programming by 2008, when the Beijing Olympics are scheduled. In the deployment, video is sourced from a collection of satellite downlinks, terrestrial broadcasting, local storage and live feeds. The operator uses the BigBand BMR to control channel line-ups via grooming with application of RateShaping® bit rate adaptation designed to maintain video quality while maximizing bandwidth efficiency. The groomed content is routed to multiple outputs for local transmission and for Gigabit Ethernet transport. A remote BMR performs de-jittering and can enact automated redundancy switching, which is designed to assure video quality post-transport, and the content is uplinked to satellite for nationwide distribution.

Finland - Mobile phone TV operating licence for Digita
March 23, 2006 - An operating licence for the fourth digital broadcasting network, which is intended for mobile television broadcasts and services, has been granted to Digita. The Government issued the licence on 23 March.
Finland will be the first country in Europe to open a commercial mobile phone television network. Digita intends to start commercial operations using the network already this year.
The mobile phone television network will use DVB-H technology. The operating licence will cover the entire country, excluding the Åland islands, and it will be valid for 20 years. Three other digital broadcasting networks are available for transmitting television programmes.
Elisa Corporation, TeliaSonera Finland Oyj and Telemast Nordic Oy had also applied for the licence.

Toshiba delays HD-DVD rollout
March 23, 2006 (Reuters/Hollywood Reporter) - The launch of HD-DVD took another hit Wednesday with Toshiba announcing it is holding off on shipping next-generation players until April, a month behind schedule.

Pyramid Research Identifies a Case for Mobile TV without the Mobile Operator
March 23, 2006 – If last month’s Virgin-BT Movio deal is executed as planned, Virgin would become one of the first mobile TV service providers in Europe. This highlights one of the key risks mobile network operators (MNOs) face with Mobile TV – becoming casualties of a dis-intermediation process that would minimize their role in the Mobile TV value chain or remove them altogether. MNOs missed the mobile music boat; clumsiness towards Mobile TV could have a more negative impact.
Broadcast Mobile TV does not require the operator’s cellular network to work. A likely Mobile TV scenario has a hardware vendor or another third party selling Mobile TV subscriptions that use a portable digital TV receiver, standalone device, or a plug-in for existing media players (iPod, PSP, etc.).

STMicroelectronics and HDIC Joint Venture Releases Complete DVB-MHP Compliant Middleware Supporting International and Chinese Markets
March 23, 2006 - STMicroelectronics, the world's largest supplier of silicon devices for set-top boxes (STBs), today announced that its affiliate company Shanghai-BMC -- a joint venture between ST and Jiaotong University subsidiary HDIC -- has released its complete DVB-MHP compliant middleware solution for TV STBs intended for the international market, including Chinese operators.
The MBT ('Media Beacon Tower') System Technology TV middleware has been developed over several years by HDIC, alongside its head-end solution for use by TV operators, and has been enhanced and brought to market by the S-BMC joint venture. The MBT system is compliant with the DVB-MHP open standard, provides high performance and is reliable, with minimal footprint, and it can be embedded into DVB-T/C/S and IPTV STBs.
This DTV STB solution is compliant with MPEG-2, DVB-MHP, Chinese DTV standard (draft) and other standards. It supports Java applications under Java ME (Java 2 Platform, Micro Edition), the collection of Java APIs targeting embedded consumer products, enabling easy authoring for value-added applications. Its modular design provides open solutions for different market deployment needs, and its layered architecture ensures hardware independence, meaning that the system has minimal deployment costs and short time-to-market.

China to launch satellite for digital TV services
March 23, 2006 (Telecom Asia Daily) - The Chinese government has decided to launch the country’s first direct broadcast satellite in August to stimulate the overall shift of Chinese consumers to digital TV.

China to become world's largest DTV receiver producer in 2010
March 23, 2006 (Xinhua) - China is expected to become the world's largest producer and consumer of digital television (DTV) receivers by 2010. By 2010, China will share 80 percent market of the global DTV receivers, a special device placed on the television set for receiving digital television signals, said sources with the exhibition.

Infogate Online Launches ViewCore™, A New Generation IPTV Service Delivery Platform
March 23, 2006 - Infogate Online, a leading global provider of end-to-end IPTV service delivery solutions to broadband service providers, today announced it has launched ViewCore™. This new generation total solution speeds up the deployment of IPTV entertainment services such as digital TV channels, VOD, pay-per-view, games and more. ViewCore brings together and manages all the components that broadband providers need in order to roll out advanced IPTV services and quickly begin to generate revenues.
The ViewCore IPTV solution, built on the company’s prior experience with IPTV technology and the knowledge of the market’s demands, is a comprehensive, integrated end-to-end solution that manages content and ensures secure delivery from the content provider to the subscriber.

eWan Attends CAB/SAT Conference & Increases Digital Set-Top Box Manufacturing & Production Capacity to 1 Million Units In Anticipation of April 19th Launch of Global IPtv Service
March 23, 2006 (BUSINESS WIRE) - eWAN1, Inc. announced today that the Company has, in preparation for the highly-anticipated launch of its global IPtv service on April 19th, increased manufacturing and production capacity of its 'Triple Play' Digital Set-Top Boxes to 1 million units for the next twelve months, above and beyond the 250,000 boxes the Company has projected will be sold to consumers by the end of 2006.

European WNO Launches Mobile TV Portal with Bluestreak’s MachBlue™ Technology
March 22, 2006 – Bluestreak Network, Inc., today announced that Orange France, the top wireless network operator in France, will launch the Orange World TV portal using Bluestreak’s MachBlue™ for Mobile platform. This is the second rich-media portal deployed by Orange that uses MachBlue™ technology; the first service, the Orange League 1 soccer portal, was launched at the 3GSM World Congress in Barcelona on February 15, 2006.
The new mobile TV portal delivers 52 channels across 3G and EDGE networks. End users can use their MachBlue-powered mobile phones to access daily program guides for broadcast and exclusive mobile TV channels.
With this new service, Orange France subscribers can watch their favorite shows on their mobile phones as easily as they can watch television at home. They can quickly zap from one channel to the next or can find television shows by content type, whether broadcast, film, news, music, sports, or children’s programming.

Entropic Communications Provides Motorola with MoCA Technology for Whole-Home Distribution of Video and Entertainment
March 22, 2006 - Entropic Communications, Inc today announced that Motorola, Inc. will use Entropic's c.LINK™ 270 chipset as a key component of the home media networking features of the Motorola QIP and DCT advanced series digital video set-tops. Motorola set-tops with embedded Entropic chips will enable multi-room video and content sharing without the need for additional cabling or installations associated with set-up and truck rolls, and the inconvenience to the consumers.
Entropic's c.LINK-270 chipset can be used in a variety of consumer electronics such as set-tops and modems, broadband gateways and routers, DVR/PVRs and digital TVs. It enables seamless networking over the existing coaxial cable infrastructure at data rates as high as 270Mbps, making coax the ideal medium for networking high-bandwidth applications such as video. Coaxial cable is available in more than 110 million homes in the U.S.
Verizon Communications is currently deploying Motorola QIP series set-tops as part of its FiOS™ TV service, available in selected cities in Texas, Virginia, Florida, California, New York and Massachusetts.

NEC Electronics Announces Single-Chip LSI for Digital Satellite Broadcasting Standard
March 22, 2006 - NEC Electronics today announced a new single-chip LSI to lower the cost and boost the performance of set-top boxes (STBs) for DVB-S, the digital satellite broadcasting standard used in Asia and Europe. The EMMA™2SL/S integrates the peripheral functions needed to receive DVB-S broadcasts, and decoding of audio-visual data streams. STB manufacturers can use it to reduce the number of parts in the final product, allowing them to be quicker to market with competitively priced, high-performance systems.

PanAmSat Lands My TV DTH Platform in Africa
March 22, 2006 - PanAmSat announced today that it had signed a multi-year agreement with Strong Technologies l.l.c. of Dubai for programming distribution on its PAS-10 Indian Ocean Region satellite. The multinational company will utilize the Ku-band payload on this powerful spacecraft to establish My TV, a Direct-to-Home (DTH) platform in sub-Sahara Africa. This is the latest addition to the more than 20 DTH platforms worldwide that operate on the PanAmSat fleet.
My TV, which recently was awarded a DTH Television Broadcast License by the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission, will include in its channel lineup at launch: BBC World, Eureka! (for six-year-olds to pre-teens), Baby TV, Trace TV, MCM Top, Adventure 1, Fashion TV in addition to six additional channels which will be added over the coming months including sports, movies, children and music programming. The channels will be uplinked from Stellar in Germany and will use the Conax CAS7 conditional access and encryption system. The satellite reception hardware available at launch is the Strong SRT 4642 and SRT 4652 which is widely available through Strong’s regional distribution network headquartered in Abuja, Nigeria.

China - Nation turns on to digital TV
March 22, 2006 (China Daily) - The number of digital TV subscribers could more than double this year to 10 million, according to Radio and TV Information (R&TI) magazine.

TANDBERG Television Enables Digital Move for Guangzhou Microwave
March 22, 2006 - TANDBERG Television today announced that it has been selected by Guangzhou Microwave, one of the largest broadcast network operators in China, to provide the MPEG-2 technology for the operator’s move from analog to digital. A range of TANDBERG Television's state-of-the-art digital broadcasting equipment will be used, including the industry's highest performance, lowest bit-rate standard definition (SD) and high definition (HD) encoders and the TANDBERG TT1200 series of professional receivers.
The complete system features TANDBERG equipment located at 13 stations and can be centrally monitored and controlled by the TANDBERG nCompass network management system. The total solution enables Guangzhou Microwave to smoothly transition its broadcast microwave network from analog to digital. The network provides the Digital TV broadcast services to the households in the rural area surrounding Guangzhou, as well as terrestrial multimedia services to home subscribers and terrestrial automobile users. The network will support the exchange of both SD and HD programming between urban Guangzhou and remote suburban counties.

CCTV Launches China's First HDTV Service with TANDBERG Television MPEG-2 Encoding System
March 22, 2006 - TANDBERG Television announced today that it is providing the professional video compression systems to enable China's first national high definition (HD) TV roll-out. The new HDTV service is being deployed to provide a state-of-the-art television infrastructure for China and to ensure that millions of people in China have access to superior HD content. The HD service, the first of its kind in China, features movies, TV series, documentaries and 3-dimensional animated pictures.
HD is the immediate future for Chinese broadcasting, with the upcoming 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing already being hailed as the 'High Definition Games'. Additionally, the Chinese government has set a deadline of 2015 for the culmination of the country's mass migration to digital TV and the nationwide switch-off of analog broadcasting. NDT, partner of the country's largest broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV), selected TANDBERG Television to provide an MPEG-2 head-end system which it has been trialling over the past six months. Following these successful trials, the service is now being rolled out nationally and is already being used by CCTV to provide HDTV to multiple digital cable head-ends across China. The HD video delivery system is based on the superior bandwidth-reducing capabilities of the TANDBERG E5780 MPEG-2 HD encoder, which has field-proven capabilities in large-scale deployments.

STMicroelectronics Introduces Low-Cost, Highly Integrated Satellite Set-Top Box Decoder for High Volume Markets
March 22,2006 - STMicroelectronics, the world’s largest supplier of silicon chips for set-top boxes (STBs), today announced a new low-cost satellite STB receiver/decoder chip – the STI5188 – intended for high-volume free-to-air markets in Asia, the Middle East, Africa, South America and Europe. This highly integrated device combines the functions of ST’s STV0288 DVB-S receiver and the STM5118 mass-market STB decoder, to create a product that will enable the manufacture of digital receivers competing in cost with analog sets. Additionally, the STI5188 is the first low-cost decoder for the STB market to be implemented in 90nm process technology, and therefore puts ST in pole position to support market requirements for both high volume and low cost.

SCM Microsystems to Supply CableCARD™ Digital TV Decryption Modules for South Korea’s Third Largest MSO
March 22, 2006 - SCM Microsystems, Inc., a leading provider of solutions that open the Digital World, today announced that it has signed a contract with Comtech Korea Corp. to supply 70,000 OpenCable™ compliant CableCARD™ digital TV decryption modules for deployment to CMB DMC, the third largest MSO in Korea. Comtech, which is one of South Korea’s largest systems integrators in digital broadcasting, has been working with CMB DMC since 2005 to plan and implement the roll out of digital equipment and services to the operator’s subscriber base of two million. SCM estimates that the modules ordered by Comtech for CMB DMC will be required and shipped over the next one and a half years.
SCM’s CableCARD modules will be used in conjunction with cable set-top boxes in subscribers’ homes to decrypt broadcast signals from CMB DMC. The modules incorporate the conditional access (CA) security system from Conax AS. CMB DMC has installations in five cities, with a potential subscriber base of two million. CMB DMC launched trials of their pay-TV and call-based event PPV services at the end of 2005, with commercial service following in early 2006. They plan to expand the services to Real Video-on-Demand and advanced bi-directional data broadcasting in May 2006.

Greece - Gov't announces first digital TV broadcast by ERT
March 22, 2006 (ANA) - Government spokesman Theodoros Roussopoulos on Tuesday announced that the state television channel ERT broadcast its first digital programme "Prisma+" on Monday afternoon. "Land-based digital television is a fact in Greece, as of yesterday afternoon," Roussopoulos told reporters.

Freescale and Techno Mathematical deliver H.264 video encoding/decoding capability
March 22, 2006 - Freescale Semiconductor and Techno Mathematical have succeeded in full-duplex encoding and decoding H.264 high-quality video using Techno Mathematical’s proprietary software on Freescale’s i.MX multimedia applications processors. In addition, the companies have implemented a highly-efficient playback function for Windows Media® format.
Freescale and Techno Mathematical achieved full-duplex encoding and decoding of H.264 video format (QCIF 15 fps) by running Techno Mathematical’s H.264 codec software on Freescale’s i.MX21 multimedia applications processor, operating at 266 MHz. The companies achieved simultaneous decoding of the Windows Media video/audio format by running the Techno Mathematical’s high-speed Windows Media decoder on Freescale’s i.MX21 processor.
The combination of Freescale’s high-performance, low-power i.MX21 processor and Techno Mathematical’s innovative algorithm software effectively enables difficult functions and allows playback of multimedia files in the Windows Media format without decoding hardware. Functions such as the H.264 type video phone and concurrent recording and playback of one-segment broadcast programs are considered very difficult to implement on traditional mobile platforms.

SkyStream Delivers IPTV Across Georgia for Pineland
March 21, 2006 – SkyStream®, a leader in IP video delivery solutions, announced Pineland Telephone Cooperative is using its Mediaplex-20™ headend platform to provide more than 200 channels of television and music to subscribers in 30 communities and counties in Georgia.
Pineland recently launched its MPEG-2 IPTV service and already has plans to scale the service, eventually offering it across its entire customer base. Pineland provides voice, high-speed data and video services across more than 13,000 access lines in rural Georgia. With close to 10,000 voice subscribers and more than 5,300 Internet customers, Pineland has a significant customer base for video services.

BSkyB outlines Easynet broadband strategy
March 21, 2006 (Reuters) - BSkyB, the country's biggest pay-TV company, laid out plans for expansion beyond its traditional satellite platform in a meeting with analysts after its acquisition of Internet service provider Easynet.

Challenging Year For ASTRO
March 21, 2006 - ASTRO ALL ASIA NETWORKS plc has reported continuing demand for its services. Group revenues rose 17% to RM2,013 million for the financial year ended 31 January 2006 while net attributable profit improved 57% to RM229 million, benefiting from lower taxes and reduced finance costs.
The operating results of the Company were significantly impacted by continuing issues relating to the implementation of our customer relationship management and billing system (CRM). Despite these operational challenges, Astro TV service connected 445K new accounts, up from 409K in the previous year. Total subscriptions rose to 1.941 million and residential subscriptions to 1.784 million.
In Indonesia, we launched an Astro service on 28 February 2006 to an encouraging response. This service has been introduced under licensing arrangements pending a restructuring of the Joint-Venture and Shareholder agreement to comply with new guidelines under the country's Broadcasting Law.

CP-Tel Selects Latens FCAS to secure IPTV Advanced services in Louisiana Over Fiber and ADSL
March 21, 2006 - Latens Systems, the leading provider of IPTV Conditional Access solution working with Amino, leading IPTV set-top box supplier, to secure IPTV services delivered to the AmiNET Series of set-top boxes. CP-Tel now can offer its subscribers secured video services that include Pay-TV, personal-video-recording (PVR), video-on-demand (VOD), and subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) as MPEG2 streams.

Irdeto Protects Content for First U.S. HDTV Over IP Deployment; Secures Expansion of SureWest's New Service Offering
March 21, 2006 - Irdeto, the proven expert in content security for digital TV, IPTV and mobile, and a subsidiary of multinational media group Naspers, announced today that it is securing SureWest Communications' High Definition TV (HDTV) over IP (Internet Protocol) services in its Fiber-to-the-Premise network.
SureWest Communications, a leading independent telecommunications holding company, is using the Irdeto IPTV content security solution to prevent piracy, protect its revenues and ensure timely content delivery. This is the first service provider deployment in the U.S. of HDTV over IP.
SureWest's IPTV network in the Sacramento, California, region is growing rapidly. The new HD IPTV service offering will deliver more than 260 channels, including 17 high-definition, 24 international, 45 music channels and 75 premium channels. SureWest also provides movies on demand and major studios' theatrical releases.

NTV-Plus, Russia's Leading Pay-TV Platform, Expands Resource on Eutelsat's W4 Satellite Through New Contract With RSCC
March 21, 2006 - Eutelsat Communications announces that NTV-Plus, Russia’s leading direct-to-home pay-TV platform, is boosting its capacity on Eutelsat’s W4 satellite from six to eight transponders. The new agreement for high-power capacity on Eutelsat’s W4 satellite has been concluded between NTV Plus and the RSCC (Russian Satellite Communications Company), Russia’s national satellite communications operator and a longstanding partner with Eutelsat in the Russian market.
The new capacity will be used by NTV-Plus to expand its pay-TV platform which was launched in 1997 and today serves 450,000 subscriber homes, mainly located in Russia, through Eutelsat’s W4 satellite. Since the beginning of March three new television channels (NTV-Plus Tennis, NTV-Plus Sport Classic, Nash Football) have already joined the existing offer of 60 digital channels. Up to 20 further channels are planned for launch in the coming months.

Pioneer Telephone Cooperative Starts Customer Trial of Ruckus Wireless Smart Wi-Fi Platform for In-Home Digital IPTV Service Distribution
March 21, 2006 - Ruckus Wireless, an innovator in next-generation smart Wi-Fi technology, today announced that Pioneer Telephone Cooperative, the third largest U.S. telephone cooperative and a leading provider of commercial IPTV services, is beginning a customer trial of its new in-home "smart Wi-Fi" system to enable subscribers to stream picture-perfect digital TV content to any corner of the home using standard 802.11g Wi-Fi technology. The Ruckus trial gives Pioneer a significant lead over other U.S. IPTV providers in offering subscribers a way to reliably move new digital content around the home over standard Wi-Fi.
Pioneer plans to use the Ruckus Wireless smart Wi-Fi system as a next generation multimedia platform to enable and distribute broadband digital services, such as IPTV, to thousands of homes throughout Oklahoma. Pioneer is currently one of the nation's largest providers of commercial IPTV services (launched in June 2004) and has more than 20,000 broadband subscribers throughout 76 cities and towns.

India - Motorola keen on IPTV services
March 21, 2006 (Television Point) - Motorola is in talks with all wireline players, Reliance Infocomm, Tata Indicom, Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd and Bharti Airtel to supply internet protocol set top boxes in India. While most of the players have not openly spoken about their plans for IPTV (internet protocol TV), Reliance Infocomm chief Anil Ambani said that they plan to introduce IPTV by the end of this year.

Sigma Designs Adopts ANT Galio Browser and IPTV Client to Ensure Faster Time to Market and Cost Savings for IPTV Operators
March 21, 2006 - ANT plc, a leading provider of software and solutions for the IPTV, hybrid TV and consumer electronics industries, and Sigma Designs, a leader in digital media processing solutions for consumer electronics, announced today that Sigma Designs has adopted the ANT Galio Browser and IPTV Client software for integration with its EM8620L and SMP8630 series media processors.
The pre-integrated solution unleashes the maximum potential of the silicon-based processors while ensuring a quicker time to market and considerable cost savings. The solution is already planned for deployment with a Tier One European Telco and is also actively in review by a number of other global Tier One Telcos for delivering enhanced IPTV services.
With ANT's software managing everything from local device set-up menus and controls to Electronic Programming Guides (EPGs), Video on Demand (VoD) interfaces and interactive advertising, the joint solution gives service providers unsurpassed delivery, presentation and control. ANT and Sigma Designs are also now working towards enabling other elements of the ANT Galio Client, including personal video recording (PVR) and connected device framework.

Sigma Designs, Inc. Reports Fourth Quarter and Year-End Results
March 21, 2006 - Sigma Designs®, Inc. (Nasdaq: SIGM), a leader in digital media processors for consumer appliances, announced results for its fourth fiscal quarter and year ended January 31, 2006.
Recent business developments include:
• Announced jointly that Moviebeam’s new set-top boxes are powered by Sigma’s EM8622 media processor, providing top quality audio/video output demanded by the new breakthrough movies-on-demand service. MovieBeam just recently launched its MovieBeam System in 29 major metropolitan areas across the United States, reaching nearly half of all U.S. households.
• Announced that the company will work with Pioneer Corporation on the joint development of a full-featured Blu-ray DVD player using Sigma Designs’ SMP8630 family of media processors. Pioneer intends to be the first company to offer a high-quality, Blu-ray DVD player that contains all the key features expected from a high quality consumer product.
• Announced the acquisition of Blue7 Communications, a privately held San Jose-based company focused on the development of advanced wireless technologies, and Ultra-Wideband (UWB) semiconductor products. The addition of a wireless division will broaden the company’s technology portfolio and enable greater levels of media processor integration.
• Announced jointly that Sigma is working in partnership with Widevine Technologies, to pre-integrate the patented Widevine Cypher® Virtual SmartCard™ with Sigma Designs’ EM8620 and SMP830 series media processors.
• Announced that Tatung launched its new high-definition, digital set-top boxes that are based on Sigma’s SMP8634 media processor.

Europe "making good progress" in the switch to digital TV
March 21, 2006 - New research published today shows that the number of homes with access to DTT will almost quadruple over the next four years, as several European countries stay on course to hit switchover targets. According to European Switchover Strategies, a new report from Informa Telecoms & Media, 44.9 million European homes will have access to DTT signals on their main TV set by 2011. That figure represents 16.6% of European TV households, compared with 4.5% of TV homes - or 12 million homes - that had access to DTT at the end of 2005.
Such has been the rapid growth in some digital terrestrial TV services, pay TV competitors have begun voicing criticism about what they perceive as preferential treatment for DTT. The European Commission has set a switchover target of 2010 and the stronger than anticipated success of digital in several countries, including France, Germany and Sweden, means that many European nations will meet the target.

Coaxsys, XAVi Deliver Modem with Integrated TVnet™ Networking
March 21, 2006 - Coaxsys, the leader in IPTV and multimedia networking, and XAVi Technologies, a leading provider of ADSL CPE solutions, today announced the availability of a TVnet-integrated modem for use in home IPTV deployments. The ADSL/ADSL2+ modem (model number X7823r+) includes integrated TVnet technology and a coax interface that enable operators to leverage a premise's existing coaxial cable to distribute IPTV throughout a subscriber's premise.
The announcement is the first publicly disclosed integration of the industry's #1 coax-based IPTV network, TVnet. Since introducing TVnet IPTV networking solutions for telephone companies in early 2005, Coaxsys has acquired seventy-five Telco customers. XAVi's new modem has integrated the TVnet technology found in the IPTV 7000 product line and offers 70Mbps of minimum sustained throughput for IPTV delivery.

Shanghai Oriental Cable Network Selects TANDBERG Television's OpenStream to Power VOD Services
March 21, 2006 - TANDBERG Television today announced that its OpenStream® Digital Services platform has been selected by Oriental Cable Network (OCN) to support its first video on-demand (VOD) content deployment in Shanghai. Oriental Cable Network (OCN), formerly known as Shanghai Cable, operates the world's largest metropolitan cable television service that covers the entire area of Shanghai, delivering more than 61 channels to a subscriber base of over 4 million viewers.
The contract is the first to be publicly announced for the TANDBERG OpenStream Digital Services Platform in Asia. It builds on the company's strong position in the North American cable VOD market, where OpenStream is the leading, open digital services platform, enabling cable operators to quickly and confidently offer on-demand services such as video on-demand.

Tut Systems and Verimatrix Win Content Protection and Access Security Contract at MBO Video
March 21, 2006 - Tut Systems, Inc., an industry leader enabling the delivery of next-generation data and video services over broadband networks, and Verimatrix, the leading provider of content protection and security for the IPTV industry, today announced that MBO Video LLC/Cim-Tel Cable, LLC of Mannford, OK is deploying next-generation IPTV services utilizing Tut Systems' Astria® content processor (CP) and the Verimatrix Content Authority Systems (VCAS). The MBO Video win is the latest in a series of mutual customer wins, but the first in which Tut Systems acted as the prime vendor for the VCAS solution under a recently signed reseller agreement.
Tut Systems' Astria® Content Processor (CP) platform serves as the core video processing system for MBO Video's 192 channel MPEG-2 digital headend, currently serving 10 video service providers throughout the states of Oklahoma and Missouri. MBO Video's recent announcement to add MPEG-4 AVC video to their headend will yield better picture quality while significantly lowering the bandwidth required for today's MPEG-2 video. The addition of VCAS enables MBO Video to protect video content delivered to multiple downstream operators using one centralized server to both encrypt and watermark premium content.

Minerva Networks and Nortel Announce Joint Development to Enable Real-time IPTV Communications Services
March 21, 2006 - Minerva Networks and Nortel announced the joint development and release of an Application Interface that enables the integration of real-time IPTV services with Minerva's iTVManager software. Nortel is using this jointly developed interface as a first step to bring together Minerva's IPTV middleware platform with Nortel’s IMS solution to make content available to users anywhere, anytime, on any device.
Using Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), the new API gives developers and service providers the tools needed to enable real-time applications such as voice mail access and callback functionality over the television set. This innovative development environment also provides service providers with investment protection through support for legacy non-SIP systems including Caller ID and instant messaging as well as well providing a foundation for future IMS services.
The robust API enables key communications features such as click-to-call, network address book, buddy lists, mobile-to-TV text and picture messaging and the ability to configure communications services directly through the set-top box (STB). The Minerva iTVManager platform has been enhanced to leverage a broad range of capabilities in Nortel's standards compliant SIP solutions.

Deutsche Telekom Partners With Microsoft to Launch IPTV Services
March 21, 2006 - Deutsche Telekom AG has reached agreement with Microsoft Corp. on an alliance to deliver Internet Protocol television (IPTV) services to consumers across Germany. The contract will enable Deutsche Telekom Group to deliver next-generation television, as well as complementary interactive services and a range of entertainment products over its VDSL broadband networks. Deutsche Telekom will use the Microsoft TV® IPTV Edition software platform to offer these services. Microsoft will support Deutsche Telekom with joint marketing, in addition to marketing by Deutsche Telekom, to help develop IPTV in Germany. The agreement reached with Deutsche Telekom is Microsoft’s largest IPTV contract in Europe to date and its second largest worldwide.
The platform will enable customers to receive regular TV programs as well as advanced television services including standard- and high-definition programs, interactive TV, digital video recording and video on demand. An onDemand Collections feature will allow viewers to access appealing content packages including selected feature films, TV series or documentaries at the touch of a button.
IPTV services will be delivered through the new VDSL network, which is currently being extended by T-Com. This network is expected to permit bandwidth of up to 50 Mbit/s and is planned for launch starting mid-2006 in 10 major German cities including Berlin, Hamburg, Cologne and Munich.

European Telecom Operators Look to Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) to Offset Declining Traditional Revenues
March 21, 2006 - With the ongoing deregulation of the European telecommunications market and the subsequent entry of alternate service providers, incumbent telecom operators are witnessing a sharp decline in revenues from traditional business streams. Technologies such as voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and broadband over cable modem are further contributing to this trend and to offset this decline as well as to reverse the downward trend in their customer base, telecom operators are beginning to focus on delivering bundled services that provide higher revenues and growth. IPTV is one such service, which while complementing the bundle, also provides telecom operators with a defence strategy against the entry of cable operators in the telephony business.
Typical service enhancements enabled by IPTV will include on-screen programming information, time shifting features, and multiple camera angles. The technology is able to provide these distinctive enhancements due to the two-way communication capability of the broadband connection and the point-to point distribution. While the two-way communication capability allows for true interactivity between subscribers and the network, point-to-point connectivity makes possible for each viewer to watch individual broadcasting such as video on demand.
Notably, market participants consider premium content in the distribution business the most important element in the delivery of television over digital subscriber line (DSL). Service providers will have to invest considerable time and effort in procuring content as well as exclusive sports material from major studios and producers. This is all very important in order to launch their services and differentiate them from those of cable operators.
Also, service providers need to understand that despite the high expectations from the offering, IPTV may not be an immediate success throughout Europe. The success of this offering will be different in each country, depending on specific country and regional characteristics. Factors such as current pay-TV penetration and availability, viewer preferences and regionalisation, among others are likely to strongly impact service uptake in each country.
Nevertheless, IPTV is likely to establish itself as a valid alternative to cable and satellite TV over time. Also, its acceptance is likely to be more pronounced once communication services - be it voice, instant messaging or unified messaging - are fully integrated to the service. With all the elements in their right place, IPTV might very well be the service to push broadband beyond PC penetration and Internet access, thus helping operators nearing saturation levels in broadband penetration reach a wider market.

China Netcom Announces 2005 Annual Results
March 21, 2006 - China Netcom Group Corporation (Hong Kong) Limited (HKSE: 0906; NYSE: CN), the leading broadband and telecommunications company in China, today announced its annual results for 2005.
During the year, the Company launched IPTV services with its partners in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province. Subject to regulatory approval, the Company believes that growth in IPTV and other broadband application-based services will further promote the expansion of broadband business in the future. The Company will devote substantial efforts to the development of broadband content and application services, improve access speed, and prepare for the development of "video-oriented" broadband content and application services in the future.

China - Digital TV standard handed in
March 21, 2006 (People's Daily) - The long-awaited terrestrial digital TV broadcasting standard is expected to come out this year and China will also draft standards on mobile (phone) broadcasting, Internet protocol TV (IPTV) and satellite broadcasting.

South Koreans resisting switch to digital cable
March 21, 2006 (Telecom Asia Daily) - South Korean cable operators face major challenges in moving analog customers to digital, according to panelists at the Korea Digital Cable TV Summit held recently.

Vuico Announces Universal Mobile Video Player
March 20, 2006 - Vuico, Inc., a global mobile software company, today rolls out its GoVid™ Player, a Universal Mobile Video Player standardized across mobile phones and networks. The GoVid™ Player allows interoperability across cellular networks and handsets and can be customized to enhance the end users video and audio experience. Coupled with the recently released Vuico GoVid™ Mobile Video offerings, Vuico brings the seamless integration package directly to Content Providers and enables them to send content to their customers without depending upon a carrier or content aggregator.
The GoVid™ Player utilizes NTT Software's BLUEGRID middleware technology localized by Vuico, Inc. for the US market. The client-server application operates in J2ME standards on the handset communicating to a J2EE Server. The application dynamically assigns the picture size for the video to optimize the user experience by allowing the feed to utilize the largest portion of the handset display. The GoVid™ Player allows for playback of any 3GPP compliant content via streaming or download.

Auroras and Verimatrix Partner to Deploy Encryption, Service Protection and Forensic Watermarking Technology Throughout the Auroras IPTV Network
March 20, 2006 – Auroras Entertainment, LLC and Verimatrix, Inc. announced today that they have partnered to deploy Verimatrix’s industry leading content security and encryption technologies, as well as VideoMark® forensic watermarking technology, to protect both live broadcast and Video on Demand (VOD) television programming throughout the Auroras IPTV nationwide network.
Auroras, a leader in IPTV content, infrastructure and services, provides an end-to-end IPTV service, that will utilize the Verimatrix Content Authority System (VCAS) to protect content from the Auroras Master Headend through decoding and playback on a consumer set-top box (STB). Encryption is the only fixed component within the Auroras IPTV network. Under the agreement, Auroras will secure all live and on-demand content with Verimatrix 128 bit AES encryption and ultimately supply user-based watermarking through VideoMark. Forensic watermarking enables content providers and system operators to track down security breaches to individual STBs quickly and precisely.

Harmonic's DiviCom® Encoders Deployed More Than Any Other Brand by Top Tier Telcos Worldwide
March 20, 2006 - Harmonic Inc. today announced that, according to results published in Multimedia Research Group, Inc.'s (MRG) new "IPTV Market Leader Report", it is the undisputed leading provider of digital video encoders to top tier telcos worldwide. The high-performance DiviCom® encoders power more than 2,300 standard and high definition channels for this category of operators, nearly twice the combined total of the two vendors commonly considered Harmonic’s main competitors. MRG also concluded that Harmonic has very strong growth prospects around the world as a result of its deployments in major IPTV networks.
Today, Harmonic counts many of the world's top tier IPTV operators as its customers. Some of the operators utilizing Harmonic solutions include Aliant (Canada), CanalSatellite (France), NTT Plala (Japan), SaskTel (Canada), SOFTBANK Yahoo! BB (Japan) and Video Networks (UK). These trendsetters have pioneered the IPTV market over the past five years in both MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 AVC (H.264) with the world's first large-scale IPTV service, the first service based solely on MPEG-4, the world's largest IPTV service and the first multi-service digital headend to support video-over-DSL.

New $12M/DKK75M Fiber-to-the-Home Broadband Network in Denmark Will Deliver "Triple Play" Services to More than 30,000 Subscribers
March 20, 2006 - Wave7 Optics Inc., a leading supplier of fiber-to-the-home or -premises (FTTH/FTTP) equipment for residential and business services, and Sydfyns Elforsyning (SEF), a major utility company based in Svendborg, Denmark, today announced a major FTTP PON network that is currently the largest such system installed in northern Europe. The two companies announced further that 1200 residential customers have been connected to the network and are now enjoying a full suite of "triple play" voice, RF video and data services. SEF expects to have more than 5000 customers "on net" by the end of this year. Eltel Networks is managing the project as the equipment installer and integrator.
Sydfyns Elforsyning is in the process of connecting all of their 30,000 electrical customers in the Svendborg area to this new "single fiber" optical broadband network. Single-fiber Ethernet based PON (passive optical networks) such as Wave7's "Last Mile Link" equipment are less expensive to deploy, maintain and operate than dual-fiber systems, which transmit RF video traffic on a discrete fiber segregated from the data and voice traffic. Furthermore, the Wave7 PON network will make it more efficient for SEF to operate this network as an open access system that will accommodate multiple third-party Internet, telephone and video (RF or IPTV) service providers.
The initial service package includes 28 channels of RF television (the system is also "HDTV ready"), up to four traditional (also known as "POTS") telephone lines (IP phone capable-VoIP), and symmetrical high-speed data bandwidth rates ranging from 512 kbps to 200 Mbps per customer. Other service providers can access the network to offer similar services, with all RF or IP video, voice and data services efficiently and economically managed via one network interface and one management system developed by Wave7 Optics.

EICTA launches licensing agreement for HDTV logo
March 20, 2006 - EICTA, the trade association of the European Digital Technology industry, today launched the official licensing agreement for the "HDTV" logo. The HDTV logo will signify that a device can receive and process High Definition television signals.
The logo will soon appear on a wide range of digital devices that are capable of receiving and processing High Definition television signals broadcast over terrestrial, cable and satellite or pre-recorded. This will include set-top boxes, DVD players and recorders, and televisions with built-in digital receivers.

Yuxing Selects Espial Evo To Complete High Definition IP-STB
March 20, 2006 - Espial®, a leading provider of client IPTV middleware and applications, is pleased to announce that Yuxing Software Co., Ltd, a STB solution provider based in Beijing, China, has integrated Espial Evo into its H.264 set-top box. This is the beginning of an ongoing relationship that will also include the integration of Espial Evo™ on other Yuxing set-top boxes as demanded by their telco customers and other broadband service providers.
Yuxing's newest set-top box enables telecommunications operators to deliver a low-cost, highly customizable and engaging IPTV solution. With Espial Evo, Yuxing can provide their customers with the middleware and applications to create customized EPG and VOD services that can be easily developed and rapidly deployed. With this customizability and ease of use, operators are assured operational control over their offerings.
Espial Evo is built upon an innovative architecture that allows operators to provide a captivating and instant IPTV consumer experience by eliminating performance penalties such as progressive page loading and blanking. Building on its unique client middleware framework, Espial Evo includes applications such as Electronic Program Guide, Video on Demand, Walled Garden Portal, Settings and Browser.

Sunniwell Chooses Espial® Escape® for New High-Definition IPTV Set Top Boxes
March 20, 2006 - Espial®, a leading provider of client IPTV middleware and applications is pleased to announce that Sunniwell Broadband Digital Science & Technology, a Beijing-based solution provider of digital multimedia set-top boxes (STBs), has selected the Espial Escape browser to power its new STBs. The ability to offer the development of rich portal content utilizing the latest Internet standards as well as the ability to provide an engaging Internet-on-TV experience for their customers were the key factors in the decision to standardize on Espial’s powerful Web browser. This licensing agreement also includes an alliance to begin supporting Espial Evo IPTV Client applications on Sunniwell STBs starting with low-cost STBs for the global market.
Espial Escape features the latest television and W3C standards by offering HTML 4, JavaScript 1.5, DOM1, DOM2-Events, CSS2.1, CSS-TV, and DVB-HTML to offer a rich and dynamic environment for content creation and Internet-on-TV.

UK - Register now for BT's TV Vision
March 20, 2006 – BT today announced that its national next generation TV service will be called BT Vision. The world-first service, combining digital terrestrial TV with on-demand film, TV and music programming, as well as interactive services will be launched in the Autumn. However, BT Broadband customers who want to be first in line for the groundbreaking service can register their interest at www.bt.com/btvision.
Customers will be able to choose from a wide range of on-demand film, music and television programming as well as a groundbreaking interactive and communications service, all available through their TV sets.
The service will be a world-first, combining access to digital-terrestrial channels through the aerial with broadband-powered video on demand. This unique combination, delivered on a software platform powered by Microsoft and through a set-top box made by leading manufacturer Philips, will allow customers choice, control and convenience. Unlike other pay-TV services, there will be no mandatory monthly subscription.
BT Vision will be enabled by the BT Hub, the device which is at the heart of BT’s strategy for the converged home. The hub will also allow wireless networking for the family’s PCs and laptops and up to five different calls to be made at the same time using voice over internet technology.

ASUSTeK Selects Irdeto for Mobile DRM Client Solution
March 20, 2006 - Irdeto, a world leader in content security and a subsidiary of multinational media group Naspers and ASUSTeK Computer Inc., (ASUS), today announced that ASUS, a leading global provider of notebooks, motherboards, communications and 3C total solutions, is integrating Irdeto's OMA DRM-compliant content security solution into its next generation of mobile devices.
The agreement will enable ASUS to offer its customers the fully integrated Irdeto Mobile Open Mobile Alliance (OMA) DRM solution for multiple operating systems. Designed to enable fast integration of DRM with multimedia applications such as media players, ringtone engines and MMS Clients, the Irdeto Mobile DRM solution allows ASUS to continue to rapidly bring to market innovative handsets that meet the requirements of network operators and content owners.

Zoran Powers New Humax Cable Set-Top Box Products for Japan
March 20, 2006 - Zoran Corporation announced that its Generation 9 Elite digital television processor powers the Humax JC-5000, a new digital cable set-top box for the ARIB-standard market in Japan.
The JC-5000 is a high performance, Japan Cable Labs (JCL) certified digital set-top box designed for deployment in the Japanese cable system.

STMicroelectronics Reduces Costs for NorDig-Compliant Set-Top Boxes
March 20,2006 - STMicroelectronics, the world’s largest supplier of silicon chips for set-top boxes (STBs), today announced the low-power and ultra-compact STV0362 COFDM demodulator – a chip designed to perform front-end processing of terrestrial digital TV transmissions throughout Europe – which offers an evolutionary path, at significantly lower cost, from the current industry-leading STV0360 and STV0361 demodulators. ST has shipped, since 2002, more than 20 million of these earlier devices, and is one of the world’s leading suppliers of System-on-Chip (SoC) solutions for digital TV.

Pace Introduces Vegas DVR Product
March 20, 2006 - Pace Micro Technology, a leading digital set-top box provider specializing in the development of emerging technologies, today announced its latest all-digital DVR product, the Vegas TDC575 SD-DVR. This all digital, dual-tuner SD-DVR is a perfect complement for MSOs who are looking for a low cost DVR solution in an all digital network. It is a richly featured set-top that includes advanced connectivity, DOCSIS/DSG, and a processor powerful enough to support both current and future technology requirements. Vegas supports CableLabs® OpenCable™ Application Platform (OCAP™) and has also been integrated with the latest electronic program guide (EPG) and Video on Demand (VOD) applications deployed in the market today. Its slim case design and low cost make Vegas the best choice for large-scale DVR deployments.

mPhase Technologies Designs an Affordable Telco Starter Kit for Cost-Effective, Rapid Launch of Video Services
March 20, 2006 - mPhase Technologies is using this week's TelecomNEXT show (Booth 1871) as a launch pad for its IPTV in a Box™ offer, a pre-packaged, complete starter kit designed to help telecommunications providers jump-start the market for revenue-rich video services.
IPTV in a Box is a self-contained mPhase TV+ System built around high-performance, industry-standard HP ProLiant servers, incorporating pre-configured and tested best-in-class enabling technology for managing the delivery and provisioning of video-on-demand (VOD) services down to compatible set top boxes (STBs).
The mPhase TV+ System software manages the delivery of IPTV service from a video head end to the STB controlling the consumer's television. The offer includes 1000 consumer kits of Amino set top boxes and 1000 BestData ADSL2+ modems.
Unlike proprietary systems that lock the telephone company into the vendors release schedule and special purpose hardware, the mPhase TV+ System software relies on an open software architecture and runs on general purpose HP servers. The mPhase TV+ System has advanced capabilities for dynamic service creation and provisioning, including storing and controlling subscriber information and billing information.
The IPTV in Box offer includes the hardware necessary for a single central office installation. The "Box" is a 22U rack of HP ProLiant DL380 and DL360 servers and includes key capabilities from the following mPhase partners:
• SkyStream iPlex™ head end hardware and software for encoding TV content
• Latens Software Defined Content Authentication
• Entone StreamLiner® Network Video Recorder (NVR) software
• Triveni Digital GuideBuilder™ Electronic Program Guide Software Solution

Consumers & Convergence: Challenges and opportunities in meeting next generation customer needs (Report)
March 20, 2006 - Based on a global survey of consumers, a report from KPMG International suggests it may be time to rethink the business model for mobile converged services.
The report from KPMG International claims that the time has come for service providers to switch from a customer-based business model to a model which focuses more on presenting a stable customer base to third party advertisers and sponsors. The survey of 3576 cellular phone owners worldwide revealed that consumers see absolutely no limits in terms of what services can be offered via their mobile handsets. However, almost 40 percent claimed that they would not be prepared to pay a premium over and above their current bill to receive these services.
Therefore, KPMG International claims that attempting to exploit converged services purely to squeeze more cash out of consumers on a traditional subscription model will not work. Cell phone companies would find themselves offering upgraded content but without necessarily being able to secure the premium subscription rates which they would hope for.

NDS and SES AMERICOM Team up to Offer Secure IPTV Solutions for Telecommunications Companies
March 20, 2006 – NDS, the leading provider of technology solutions for digital pay-TV, announced an agreement today with SES AMERICOM, a leading satellite operator and services provider in North America, to support their IP-PRIME™ IPTV distribution solution with NDS Synamedia™. Synamedia is a secure IP solution for two-way IPTV network operators. IP-PRIME is a centralized, satellite-delivered IP television delivery system that permits Telcos to bundle traditional standard and HD programming on a single line with their voice and Internet services.
The new offering enables telecommunications companies to offer secure, premium TV services to their customers. SES AMERICOM will deliver up to 300 channels encoded into MPEG-4/H.264 via their IP-PRIME platform, offering Telcos a more efficient and robust transmission path.
The solution for SES AMERICOM features VGS, a secure headend-based content protection solution from NDS. The hardware-based solution does not require a smart card in the consumer device. The decryption capability is embedded within the device’s standard video processor chip, which communicates securely with the NDS VGS network servers. NDS has worked closely with major chipset manufacturers to develop these secure video processors that can communicate with secure headend servers, providing strong content protection over two-way networks.

NTT Electronics' HD MPEG-2 Encoder/Decoder Commissioned by South Korean Broadcaster MBC
March 20, 2006 (Yahoo) - NTT Electronics (NEL) has officially begun implementation of its HD MPEG-2 Encoder/Decoder(a) to Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC), one of South Korea's top 3 networks, for use in its broadcast centers.