Interactive standards debate promotes war of words
A leading advocate of the DVB-MHP platform for interactive television has said that claims by promoters of the rival MHEG-5 standard are “absurd and outdated”. He said that MHEG-5 is an old technology that is “not designed for next generation services,” urging broadcasters to thing about future services that would benefit from MHP.

Microsoft Fiji project upsets military regime
The military regime in Fiji has made a formal complaint to Microsoft over the use of the name Fiji in connection with its products. A Microsoft project currently codenamed Fiji aims to update its media centre offering to enhance support for digital television standards and interactive television.

BBC iPlayer update improves online access to programmes
The BBC has unveiled the latest version of its iPlayer online media service which now includes radio and television in a single interface. The size of the video window has also been increased by more than 50% and the audio quality of radio programmes has also been improved. Now the BBC is exploring new ways to bring the iPlayer to the television screen.

Sony sets sights on global networked entertainment
Sony is aiming to become the leading global provider of networked consumer electronics and entertainment. The company will make 90% of its electronics products network-enabled and wireless capable, rolling out video services across its key product lines, starting this summer with the PlayStation Network.

Targeted advertising project prompts privacy concerns
American cable television operators have launched a combined initiative to offer targeted interactive television advertising under the name Canoe Ventures, but could face concerns from consumers over the implications for privacy. The greater challenge is more likely to be one of technical integration.

Interactive Wimbledon delivers ace service for viewers
Wimbledon will once again be interactive this year on the BBC, with the addition of live streams on the web and highlights available through the BBC iPlayer. DirecTV is also doubling up with ESPN to provide interactive Wimbledon coverage. Viewing figures suggest that those using such interactive services tend to watch longer and more often as a result.

IPTV numbers rise in America without affecting satellite
The number of subscribers to IPTV services in North America quadrupled last year, but still reached only 1.2 million homes. These mainly seem to be net additions to the pay-television market, rather than at the expense of satellite, which gained 1.5 million customers.

Microsoft acquires Navic Networks for addressable adverts
Microsoft is buying interactive television company Navic Networks to gain an addressable advertising system. Navic Networks is a pioneer of interactive television and has developed an advertising management system known as Admira. Meanwhile Microsoft says its Mediaroom platform is now powering over two million television sets worldwide.

Amino unveils first fully digital high-definition IPTV box
Amino is launching the first 100% digital high-definition set-top box. It is on show at the NXTcomm conference in Las Vegas. With an HDMI digital socket and no analogue outputs it is cheaper to produce and simpler to install. Amino has also acquired a former BT man as its new chief executive, along with the business of AssetHouse, an asset management company that emerged out of BT.

11 billion videos viewed online last month in America
Young American adults viewed nearly five hours of online video each in April. The latest figures from online measurement company comScore showed that almost 11 billion online videos were viewed during the month, with YouTube accounting for more than 4 billion of them. The vast majority of this was viewing of short form material, with the average viewing duration of less than three minutes.

MHP licence fees dropped for free-to-air broadcasters
Free-to-air broadcasters will no longer have to pay patent licence fees for using MHP interactive television middleware. The fees set by the patent pool administrator Via Licensing have been controversial and have partly accounted for the lack of widespread adoption of the DVB standard.

Win for Digisoft middleware in Thailand and China markets
Win Multimedia in Thailand has selected Digisoft TV from Ireland to provide its service delivery platform and middleware for IPTV services in the Thai and Chinese markets. Win Media is a subsidiary of Win Win Net Corporation based in Bankok. It plans to launch its service across 10,000 retail outlets in Thailand and China over the next year.

Broadband Britain remains a pipe dream rather than a vision
Britain risks its economic competitiveness as a result of lack of investment in next generation networks, but there is no clear business case to build new broadband infrastructure. That was the message from a conference of the self-appointed industry advisory body the Broadband Stakeholder Group held in London.

BBC plans web page for every programme it has ever made
The BBC is planning to provide a permanent web page for every episode of every programme it has ever broadcast. The ambitious proposal was outlined by Jana Bennett, the director of BBC Vision at the Banff World Television Festival in Canada. Separately, the BBC has outlined multi-million pound plans for a permanent multiplatform interactive sport service it is calling Mysportnow.

JumpTV and NeuLion to merge online video operations
Loss-making online television pioneers JumpTV and NeuLion are planning to merge. This will create a single operation covering a range of sports, international and religious channels, delivered on the web and to set-top boxes. The transaction is expected to be completed in the autumn. The merger is expected to result in around 60 job losses by the end of 2008.

Ofcom proposals for spectrum from digital dividend review
Ofcom, the communications regulator for the United Kingdom, has set out proposals for how it will release the spectrum that will be freed up as a result of the switch to digital television. It says the aim is not to raise revenue for the government but to enable innovative services that will deliver significant benefits to citizens and consumers.

DirecTV and Thomson upgrade digital distribution system
American satellite broadcaster DirecTV and technology provider Thomson have upgraded their digital distribution system for multi-home developments. The system receives a satellite feeds through a private head-end and distributes signals using internet protocols to multiple homes in apartment blocks or gated communities. The platform enables bundles of video, voice, data and interactive services to be delivered over a single connection.

Inuk Networks receives further funding for Freewire platform
Inuk Networks has received £9.5 million in a second round of funding to develop its Freewire broadband platform. The investment is led by a subsidiary of Welsh channel S4C from its commercial revenues, together with initial investor the venture capital firm Wesley Clover. Freewire is already the largest true IPTV service in Britain and is planning international expansion.

BT Vision begins charging for repeats of BBC programmes
BT has started charging for replays of BBC programmes on its BT Vision broadband video service. They were previously available for free and can still be freely downloaded or streamed online through the BBC iPlayer. Plans have now been announced to make the entire BBC One channel available online. Viewers will still apparently need a television licence but it is unclear how this will be enforced.

New standard enables applications in smart card modules
A new standard could enable more advanced interactive applications to run in plug-in conditional access modules for televisions and set-top boxes. The Common Interface Plus or CI+ standard has the backing of several leading consumer electronics companies. Ocean Blue and SmarDTV have produced the first CI+ application, previewed at the Anga Cable show in Cologne.

Tru2way shows interactive capabilities at Cable Show
Tru2way is gaining momentum as the new way ahead for interactive television on cable in the United States. Tru2way is the retail brand for OpenCable hardware and OCAP software and will be much in evidence at the annual industry Cable Show in New Orleans. Following a two-day Tru2way developer conference, there will be more than a dozen demonstrations on display.

ActiveVideo Networks rebrand reflects changes in TV
Arguing that “television isn’t just about TV any more,” interactive television company ICTV has been renamed ActiveVideo Networks, reflecting its emphasis on becoming a service provider rather than a technology vendor. Based on standard web technologies, ActiveVideo combines online media with high-quality video, delivered as a standard video stream, accessible through a remote control to provide interactivity across most digital set-top boxes.

Cox selects NDS to provide new set-top box interface
Cox, the third largest cable operator in the United States, has chosen NDS to implement its next-generation interactive video user interface, which will be extended to include online community features. NDS has also been substantially cleared of accusations of unfair competition brought in a critical court case by Kudelski Group and EchoStar.
BT Vision gains customers and orders new boxes
BT Vision gained 94,000 customers in the first quarter of 2008, reaching a total of 214,000. BT is still some way off its target of two to three million homes by the end of 2011. Pace has announced a contract with BT to deliver a new V-box with a more powerful processor for more advanced interactive applications. It follows a previous contract with the set-top box division of Royal Philips Electronics, which was recently acquired by Pace.

Seachange develops Affinity with the web for ratings
SeaChange is bringing new applications to video-on-demand, on display at the Cable Show in New Orleans. The latest version five release of its Axiom platform adds online social networking features, bringing viewer ratings and recommendations to video-on-demand services, while also providing support to allow users to rewind broadcast programmes and enabling the real-time insertion of advertising.

Tru2way shows interactive capabilities at Cable Show
Tru2way is gaining momentum as the new way ahead for interactive television on cable in the United States. Tru2way is the retail brand for OpenCable hardware and OCAP software and will be much in evidence at the annual industry Cable Show in New Orleans. Following a two-day Tru2way developer conference, there will be more than a dozen demonstrations on display.

ActiveVideo Networks rebrand reflects changes in TV
Arguing that “television isn’t just about TV any more,” interactive television company ICTV has been renamed ActiveVideo Networks, reflecting its emphasis on becoming a service provider rather than a technology vendor. Based on standard web technologies, ActiveVideo combines online media with high-quality video, delivered as a standard video stream, accessible through a remote control to provide interactivity across most digital set-top boxes.

Cox selects NDS to provide new set-top box interface
Cox, the third largest cable operator in the United States, has chosen NDS to implement its next-generation interactive video user interface, which will be extended to include online community features. NDS has also been substantially cleared of accusations of unfair competition brought in a critical court case by Kudelski Group and EchoStar.

BT Vision gains customers and orders new boxes
BT Vision gained 94,000 customers in the first quarter of 2008, reaching a total of 214,000. BT is still some way off its target of two to three million homes by the end of 2011. Pace has announced a contract with BT to deliver a new V-box with a more powerful processor for more advanced interactive applications. It follows a previous contract with the set-top box division of Royal Philips Electronics, which was recently acquired by Pace.

Seachange develops Affinity with the web for ratings
SeaChange is bringing new applications to video-on-demand, on display at the Cable Show in New Orleans. The latest version five release of its Axiom platform adds online social networking features, bringing viewer ratings and recommendations to video-on-demand services, while also providing support to allow users to rewind broadcast programmes and enabling the real-time insertion of advertising.

Tru2way shows interactive capabilities at Cable Show
Tru2way is gaining momentum as the new way ahead for interactive television on cable in the United States. Tru2way is the retail brand for OpenCable hardware and OCAP software and will be much in evidence at the annual industry Cable Show in New Orleans. Following a two-day Tru2way developer conference, there will be more than a dozen demonstrations on display.

ActiveVideo Networks rebrand reflects changes in TV
Arguing that “television isn’t just about TV any more,” interactive television company ICTV has been renamed ActiveVideo Networks, reflecting its emphasis on becoming a service provider rather than a technology vendor. Based on standard web technologies, ActiveVideo combines online media with high-quality video, delivered as a standard video stream, accessible through a remote control to provide interactivity across most digital set-top boxes.

Cox selects NDS to provide new set-top box interface
Cox, the third largest cable operator in the United States, has chosen NDS to implement its next-generation interactive video user interface, which will be extended to include online community features. NDS has also been substantially cleared of accusations of unfair competition brought in a critical court case by Kudelski Group and EchoStar.

BT Vision gains customers and orders new boxes
BT Vision gained 94,000 customers in the first quarter of 2008, reaching a total of 214,000. BT is still some way off its target of two to three million homes by the end of 2011. Pace has announced a contract with BT to develop a new V-box with a more powerful processor for more advanced interactive applications. It follows a previous contract with the set-top box division of Royal Philips Electronics, which was recently acquired by Pace.

Seachange develops Affinity with the web for ratings
SeaChange is bringing new applications to video-on-demand, on display at the Cable Show in New Orleans. The latest version five release of its Axiom platform adds online social networking features, bringing viewer ratings and recommendations to video-on-demand services, while also providing support to allow users to rewind broadcast programmes and enabling the real-time insertion of advertising.

Zattoo claims copyright case for channel carriage
Zattoo, which is now offering live online streams of the leading British terrestrial television channels, is claiming it has the right to do so under the United Kingdom Copyright Act. Zattoo says it “operates strictly legitimately on the basis of agreements with broadcasters and the copyright law” but the British broadcasters say they have no agreements with the streaming startup company. The law seems ambiguous at best.

ITV receives record fine for phoney competitions
ITV, the leading commercial broadcaster in the United Kingdom, has been fined a total of nearly £5.7 million for misleading premium rate telephone competitions. The fines, the highest ever imposed by the communications regulator Ofcom or its predecessors, reflect repeated serious failures and breaches of broadcasting codes. ITV was found to have disregarded the terms and conditions of its competitions, selecting finalists for on screen suitability rather than at random.

Vusion introduces high-quality video streaming solution
Vusion is a four-year old Silicon Valley startup company, formerly known as Jittr Networks, that is entering the market to compete with companies like Move Networks to deliver high quality video online video. The company has come out of stealth mode to reveal a new streaming media solution that claims to enable high-definition video over existing best efforts broadband networks.

Rok gains Jalipo in paper deal worth over $16 million
Rok Entertainment, a mobile streaming video company, has acquired online video operator Jalipo in a shares deal valued at $16.8 million. Jalipo provides pay-per-view video on demand and live channels over the internet based on a system of credits.

Freesat launches free satellite television alternative to Sky
Freesat is a free digital satellite television service now available across the United Kingdom, launched as a not-for-profit joint venture by the BBC and ITV. It offers around 50 television and radio channels, with up to 200 expected to be available by the end of the year. The BBC HD high-definition channel is available at launch. ITV HD will be offered as a red button service exclusively on Freesat.

Sezmi promises next-generation television experience
Sezmi, a startup company originally known only as Building B, is planning to launch a hybrid set-top box that combines broadcast and broadband programming to create a personalised viewing experience. Sezmi is starting pilot trials in preparation for commercial launch later this year and says it has entered into agreements with broadcasters in its initial markets in America.
BBC iPlayer cable television debut with Virgin
The BBC iPlayer, previously only an online service, is now available on Virgin Media cable television in the United Kingdom. Cable viewers will be able to watch high quality pictures on their television screen without waiting for programmes to download.
Freesat prepares launch of free satellite television service
Freesat, a new free-to-air satellite television service, is due to launch in the United Kingdom in early May. Modelled on the successful Freeview digital terrestrial television platform, it will offer the main terrestrial channels and the new BBC HD high-definition service. Receivers will go on sale in high street shops, compatible with existing satellite dishes, representing a threat to subscription services from Sky.
Murdoch criticises BBC iPlayer for cramping competition
James Murdoch, the chief executive of BSkyB, has criticised the BBC iPlayer for crowding out competition. He said the way in which the BBC is regulated, which had allowed the online video service to be launched, was an “abrogation of accountability” and that it had “squashed other competitors”.
Virgin Media video-on-demand will overtake Channel 4
Virgin Media says that within a year its customers will spend more time viewing its video-on-demand service than watching Channel 4. Customers of the British cable television company use the video-on-demand service 22 times a month on average. “We are at the start of a fundamental shift in the way people consume TV,” Virgin Media chief executive Neil Berkett told delegates at the Cable Europe conference in Madrid.