02-03 - TELE-satellite International Magazine
02-03 - TELE-satellite International Magazine
02-03 - TELE-satellite International Magazine
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MEDIA Satellite & Broadband News<br />
ally increase the number of HD channels available,<br />
starting with addition of Canal+ in the near future.<br />
SWITZERLAND<br />
SWISSCOM BLUEWIN TV<br />
ADDS HD VOD TITLES<br />
Swisscom’s Bluewin TV is offering 130 feature<br />
films, concerts and documentaries in high-definition<br />
on-demand with Dolby Digital 5.1 sound,<br />
with prices starting at CHF 2.50 (US$ 2) each.<br />
Viewers will initially be able to choose from over<br />
70 feature films, over 40 concert recordings and<br />
around 30 documentaries. A “large number” of<br />
dubbed films will also be made available in their<br />
original language with Dolby Digital 2.0. Bluewin<br />
TV had 95,000 paying customers at the end of<br />
September, up from 80,000 at the end of the second<br />
quarter of 2008 and 52,000 in September 2007.<br />
TURKEY<br />
SEACHANGE AND ARGELA TO<br />
BRING IPTV TO TURK <strong>TELE</strong>KOM<br />
IPTV and VOD software, systems and services<br />
provider SeaChange <strong>International</strong> has partnered<br />
with Turkey-based telecom solutions provider<br />
Argela to provide IPTV solutions for Turk Telekom,<br />
for which SeaChange is also providing systems<br />
integration and professional services. SeaChange<br />
and Argela’s combined product offering will enable<br />
telecom operators to offer telephony, messaging,<br />
Internet access, mobility services, VOD and<br />
personal video recording services that integrate<br />
seamlessly with their service delivery platforms<br />
(SDP). The companies are partnered to bring these<br />
services to the rapidly growing market for IPTV.<br />
AIRTIES SELECTS OPERA<br />
FOR NEW IPTV STB<br />
AirTies has selected Opera 9.5 for devices from<br />
Opera Software to serve as the presentation<br />
engine for its new high-definition ‘Air 7120’ IPTV<br />
set-top box. The selection of Opera 9.5 for devices<br />
is intended to lend web browsing capabilities<br />
to the Air 7120, , as well as allow developers to<br />
quickly and easily create user interfaces and other<br />
applications using Web technology such as HTML<br />
and CSS. The company adds that using widgets,<br />
users of the Air 7120 can additionally access<br />
Internet content in the form of small applications<br />
directly from the set-top box’s home screen.<br />
UNITED KINGDOM<br />
BROADCASTERS TO LAUNCH HD ON DTT<br />
Channel 4, the BBC and ITV are to be given free<br />
high-definition spectrum on the Freeview digital<br />
terrestrial platform, according to media regulator<br />
Ofcom. It plans to auction an additional HD<br />
channel to commercial players by the end of<br />
2010. The new channels will roll out on a regional<br />
basis starting next fall with nationwide coverage<br />
expected by the end of 2012. ITV will broadcast<br />
its peak time schedule on the new service plus<br />
football and drama, Channel 4 intends to feature<br />
a mixed genre service including more than 150<br />
hours of movies in the first year on air, while the<br />
BBC is yet to reveal its plans for its HD channel.<br />
BBC PLANS OPEN IPTV PLATFORM<br />
The BBC is in preparations to create an open<br />
industry standard Internet TV platform codenamed<br />
‘Canvas’, intended to enable content providers<br />
to easily launch Web TV services, according<br />
to Erik Huggers, the corporation’s Director of<br />
Future Media & Technology, speaking at industry<br />
event Mipcom. He stated that the service would<br />
potentially be available via a set-top box and<br />
enable “any service to build applications onto the<br />
platform”. Huggers estimates that, if approved,<br />
Canvas is at least 12 to 18 months away.<br />
BT VISION LAUNCHES CATCH-<br />
UP IPTV PLATFORM<br />
BT has become the first company to offer<br />
catch-up television from all the UK’s terrestrial<br />
networks, after linking up with ITV to make the<br />
broadcaster’s programming available via digital<br />
TV service BT Vision. The deal, which sees ITV<br />
syndicating its content in a closed VOD platform<br />
for the first time, provides full catch-up for eight<br />
days through BT Vision’s TV Replay service.<br />
The move also gives viewers access to archive<br />
programming from terrestrial channel ITV1<br />
and digital channels ITV2, ITV3 and ITV4.<br />
SKY LAUNCHES ONLINE TV SERVICE<br />
BSkyB has launched its standalone online pay-TV<br />
service Sky Player TV, providing access to some<br />
Sky channels without the need to subscribe to<br />
its <strong>satellite</strong>-based service. The service offers<br />
internet users a choice of three packages with<br />
prices ranging from £15 (US$ 22) to £34 a month.<br />
The Entertainment Pack costs £15 per month and<br />
includes the Disney Channel, British Eurosport,<br />
National Geographic Channel, Sky News, Sky<br />
Sports News, MTV One, Nickelodeon and Nick Jr.<br />
FOX SIGNS VOD/IPTV DEAL WITH BT VISION<br />
20th Century Fox has signed a deal with BT<br />
Vision giving the IPTV operation rights to a
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