Distribution

The new digital ways content was becoming distributed

Live TV Streamed Worldwide to Reporters Phones by GMTV
Video streaming specialists, Forbidden Technologies have announced a deal with GMTV to stream the breakfast programme live to its network of field reporters on location across the world.
GMTV trialled the broadcast application during the US elections, with international correspondents watching the show live via a standard (but secure) Web browser.
With the new streaming application offering the precise camera angles and comments made by studio guests and presenters, on-location correspondents can tailor their own pieces to reflect the mood in the studio.
This solves the problem of foreign correspondents having to deliver reports ‘blind’ to the debate in the studio, and should increase the consistency of reporting.
The technology uses Forbidden’s ground breaking FORscene live compressor, that utilises advanced digital compression techniques to deliver a live video feed to PCs, Macs and laptops via the Web.
The technology also allows news camera crews in the field, to hastily compress and publish digitised content directly onto the Web, in a matter of seconds – definitely useful if you’ve got some mad bloke with a gun coming your way demanding you hand over the tapes.
Nestled up like a pair of love birds, Forbidden and GMTV are full of praise for each other and have pledged to work together during 2005, with their union bringing forth “new innovative streaming projects”.
Forbidden Technology
GMTV
4 February, 2005
Siemens offers TV on mobiles and Voice over WiFi at CeBit
Siemens are planning to make a big splash at the upcoming CeBit in Hannover, Germany.
Along with Skype-capable M34 USB that they’ve already released, they’re planning to go the whole hog and show a Voice over WiFi handset (Gigaset S35 WLAN). On the telephone-plus-TV front they’ve announced a new concept handset, offering DVB-H (Digital Video Broadcast for Handheld Devices) compatibility, which – in theory – will let users pick up around half a dozen digital TV and about 30 digital radio channels.
The ‘DVB-H Concept’ can pick up digital TV signals beamed across 3G networks using a modified version of the existing DVB-T terrestrial digital TV. Adapted for battery-powered terminals, the DVB-H broadcasts in bursts, allowing the receiver to power-down whenever possible, and thus boosting battery life.
DVB-H trials are underway in the UK, US, Germany and Finland, and if all goes to plan, UK residents will be able to wander about the streets watching Coronation Street on their phones in about a year. Not surprisingly, Digital TV phones are already huge in Japan and Korea.
Details are still a bit sketchy, but it will definitely feature a VGA screen and stereo sound. If they can also wedge a hard disk into the phone for recording programmes (and for storing your video clips transferred from PCs) this could be next year’s must-have technology.
The omens are good: the lucky citizens of Japan and Korea are already enjoying TV mobiles and it’s not hard to imagine sleep-deprived Brits shelling out hard cash to tune into every mumbled utterance of popular shows like Big Brother.
This marks another strange twist in the Siemens story. Not long ago, strong rumours were circulating around the net that they were looking to flog off their mobile phones division. This announcement – along with two other new phones (the Gigaset S35 WLAN, a Voice over WiFi and the M75, a chunky military style handset) suggests that no one’s told their tech bods yet.
Siemens (UK)
Siemens (USA)
4 February, 2005
HomeChoice VoD Hits 15,000 Subs, Reach Doubles to 2.4m
Video Networks Ltd (VNL) has announced that it’s broadband and Video on Demand (VoD) service, HomeChoice, now has 15,000 subscribers, since its relaunch in last September.
Eight in ten of their customers have also signed up to the company’s ‘triple play’ package that consists of broadband-delivered TV, broadband and voice calls.
It’s also taking this opportunity to announce that it’s going to be doubling the number of homes it can reach to 2.4 million in London and the Stevenage area, up from 1.2 million.
The VoD component of HomeChoice lets subscribers choose from over 1,000 movies, over 3000 music videos and hundreds of hit TV series, all available to watch exactly when you want.
“The concept of broadband delivered TV and VoD is very new to the entertainment-buying public and to already have 20 per cent market share of new DSL subscribers in our coverage area so soon after our launch is a great achievement. This gives us the confidence to significantly expand our network”, said Roger Lynch, Chairman and CEO VNL Ltd.
VNL initially made inroads into launching its phase 2 footprint in December 2004 when it enabled five new exchanges, including Stevenage – its first exchange outside of the M25. By ‘unbundling’ the exchange, called LLU (Local Loop Unbundling) in the trade, Homechoice is able to provide customers with a 6.5Mbit connection. 2.5Mb are used for TV and VoD delivery, and up to 4Mbit for Internet connection.
The company’s major marketing push for the re-launched HomeChoice service began in September 2004. During Q4 of 2004, VNL was responsible for one in five new DSL net additions in its initial launch footprint of 1.2 million homes.
The company has continued to build on what it offer its subscribers. In August last year, HomeChoice signed a retail deal with BSkyB enabling its subscribers to watch Sky Sports and selected Sky Movies channels on the service. It has also added telephony to its offering, and is about to launch a music download service that will allow HomeChoice customers to buy downloadable music tracks as they appear on screen. It also plans to double the speed of its broadband service from February, at no extra cost: 512Kbps will raise to 1Mb, 1Mbps to 2Mbps, and 2Mbps to 4Mbps.
HomeChoice
27 January, 2005
RAJAR: UK Internet Radio Listening Increases, Again
This morning RAJAR released their Q4 UK Radio listener figures, over radio, via the Internet and on TV.
For those who don’t follow this kind of thing, RAJAR (Radio Joint Audience Research) is the organisation that monitors and reports the radio listening habits of the UK population, by taking a listening diary of 32,000 people from a pool of 130,000 people around the UK. The figures sound large, and they are. It’s the largest media survey outside the US.
While the details of who is listening to which UK radio station is of great interest to those in that business, the part that caught our attention was the ‘new’ ways of listening to radio, currently via TV-delivery and over the Internet.
It’s worth clarifying that the Internet figures include any listening of the radio on a computer, whether live streaming, using services like the BBC’s RadioPlayer/Listen Again, or Podcasting (download and play).
RAJAR are reporting 16.3% of the UK population, approximately 7.8m people, have used the Internet to listen to radio stations.
The largest area of growth has been in people listening to UK National radio stations over the Internet. This has increased from 8.3% a year ago to 10.8% of the UK population, equating to just short of 4.8m people. It is thought that this is probably due to an raised awareness that the Internet can be used to listen to the radio, helped in no small part by the BBC pushing the service.
Due to synchronicity or just good planning, it’s of note that a new version of BBC RadioPlayer is released today. Providing very fast access to previously transmitted radio content, it comes with a feature that suggests additional programming that may of interest to the listener, based on the program they have selected to listen to. Once Internet listeners become comfortable with features like this, the number of hours listened to online will be significantly boosted.
Strangely the number of people listening to non-UK stations via the Internet has dropped 1.1% from 4.1% to 3.0%. Quite why this would be the case is a slight mystery.
While listening to the radio through a TV might sound like a very strange idea, it’s becoming increasingly popular and includes delivery over Freeview, Sky and Cable TV. Those with a DVR connected to their Freeview box are also benefiting from being able to record radio programmes and play them back when it suits them.
29.7% of the sample (equating to around 14.25m people) reported that they had, at one time or another listened to the radio through their TV. This is up 8.4% from the same month last year.
RAJAR told us that the people listening via non-traditional means appears to be in addition to their normal radio listening.
As these ‘new’ forms of radio listening are clearly gaining favour with the UK public, we feel there would be significant benefit in gaining a more detailed breakdown in how people are using the Internet to access radio. It would be of benefit to all those involved.
RAJAR are in the process of evaluating new ways to monitor radio usage. They are carrying out trials of electronic ‘listening’ devices that are carried or worn by the user. These would replace the manually completed diary version that’s currently used.
RAJAR
National stations – summary
London stations – summary
Detailed figures
New version of the BBC RadioPlayer
27 January, 2005
EU Software Patent Causes Controversy
Plans to introduce European-wide laws on computer software patents have caused controversy because of the impact they could have on the cost and availability of commercial and open-source software. Microsoft chairman Bill Gates put the case rather more strongly, describing opponents of the legislation as ‘modern-day sort of communists’ who want to damage industrial innovation.
The software Patentability of Computer-Implemented Inventions aims to clarify existing European laws on patenting software, but could create legal hurdles for IT departments wanting to develop their own software. In the worst-case scenario, the patents could force smaller suppliers and open-source specialists out of business, restricting competition and the choice of software available to users.
To be patented, software has to have a ‘technical application’. This basically means that a company that develops software to control a DVD recorder can patent it, as controlling a DVD recorder is a technical application. However, a company that develops software to automate an accounting system would not be granted a patent. This is because accounting systems are regarded as a business process rather than a technical application. The whole process is governed by European Patent Convention, an international treaty which has so far been implemented in slightly different ways in each country.
The bill has sparked a debate on whether the EU should follow the US model of granting patents to Internet business methods, such as online bookseller Amazon’s ‘one-click shopping,’ or instead restrict patents for computer software. Poland, a large EU member whose backing is crucial for the adoption of the proposed rules, told Reuters last week that it was not ready to back the legislation amid fears it could open the door to the patenting of pure computer software.
The major benefits of the bill is that it would provide European companies with protection for their ideas and encourage innovation, create a level playing-field for patents across all European countries, and clarify existing patent laws, rather than introducing major changes. However, small suppliers will not have enough financial muscle to obtain and enforce patents, thereby reducing choice for IT departments. It could also restrict the availability and functions of open source software, and IT departments may have to conduct patent searches to make sure they are not infringing rights. The saga continues, with adoption of the bill now scheduled for next week.
25 January, 2005
China Develops its First Digital TV Chip
Shanghai-based Fudan University has developed the country’s first home-made digital TV chip. Not only that, but the chip has passed appraisals by experts from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Chinese Academy of Engineering, and it’s outperformed European and US standards in terms of sensitivity and anti-jamming capacities – at lower costs.
The ‘Zhongshi No.1’ chip, which is based on China’s DMB-T standard and is made by Grace Semiconductor Manufacturing and Semiconductor Manufacturing International, integrates more than 70 storages, 2 million logic gates and 20 million transistors. It’s expected that the mass production of the cost-effective chip will help to boost China’s digital TV industry as it will pave the way to a new generation of high-definition televisions (HDTV).
Apparently, dozens of electronics makers have integrated the new chip technology into their products, including Changhong, TCL, Skyworth and Haier. China’s Henan Province has applied the new technology to launch mobile TV programs, and other localities have reported success in trial operations. US-based Time Warner has also announced that it plans to offer subscription-based digital TV programs to China.
According to official statistics, China has more than 370 million TV sets and an average 40 million sets are being sold each year. China plans to broadcast the 2008 Beijing Olympics on digital TV and hopes to roll out the service nationwide by 2015.
25 January, 2005
HomeChoice Doubles Broadband Speeds, Free
Video Networks Ltd (VNL), who run the UK VOD service, HomeChoice, will be doubling the speed of their broadband service from 1st February, at no extra cost.
512Kbps will raise to 1Mb, 1Mbps to 2Mbps and 2Mbps to 4Mbps.
Last week the two UK cable companies, ntl and Telewest, announced they would be offering Video on Demand (VoD) in the UK over their existing connections. They both offer broadband services at a range of speeds, but they are generally distinct from the TV services which are available at extra cost, except from occasional special offer bundles.
Currently ntl offer “broadband” at 300Kbps (arguable if this is broadband), 750Kb and 1.5Mbps (£37.99/month (~€57.50, ~$75). Telewest offer broadband only services (blueyonder) between 256Kbps and 4Mbps, with the top package being £50/month (~€72, ~$94). As these prices don’t include the TV services, they also won’t include VoD, when it gets rolled out.
The HomeChoice offering is delivered over a telephone line and includes the TV service; VoD; free evening and weekend phone calls; as well as higher speed broadband connections with their base level service now being 1Mbps. Their 4Mbps service is priced at #45/month (~€65, ~$85).
Roger Lynch, Chairman & CEO, Video Networks Ltd. said: “Video Networks is constantly looking for ways it can enhance its current suite of services to continue to provide a superb customer experience.”
It’s taken long enough for competition to arrive in the UK, but it finally appears to be taking root. For the UK consumer, this is all good news, as competing providers clamour to offer better deals to woo subscribers.
HomeChoice is currently available to over 1.4 million homes around London. VNL have stated that they want to expand their offering beyond London, although details are not yet public.
Existing HomeChoice customers will be notified of the automatic speed upgrades from 24th January via direct mail.
HomeChoice
24 January, 2005
HD Radio – More Channels or Music Sales to Bring Income?
The US radio industry is looking to make additional income from music downloads, we’re told by Reuters – while listening to the radio, they’ll be able to select the playing track for paid download.
The piece announces the catch-all snappy name of HD Radio, that’s iBiquity Digital’s offering, which digitised the FM and AM bands. European readers will be well aware of equivalent FM services under the banner of DAB (Digital Audio Broadcasting) which has been available for a considerable period of time, and the currently lesser known drm (Digital Radio Mondial, not Digital Rights Management) which offers FM-quality listening on the AM frequencies.
The benefits brought by HD Radio/DAB/drm are digital compression of the audio, enabling more radio stations to be broadcast on the same amount of frequency. As the broadcast is digital, additional information can be distributed with it, such as the name of the artist and track playing.
As with all things compressed for digital distribution, there is a balacing act between number of stations and the audio quality of those stations. Digital doesn’t have to equal quality. The quality of the audio isn’t assured – the amount of the compression directly controls the quality.
US “terrestrial radio”, as it is being called by some to differentiate it from its satellite-delivered competitor, is under pressure from numerous sources; satellite radio (XM AND Sirius); Nokia’s Visual Radio; Internet-based radio stations; digital music player; podcasting, and don’t appear to have acted that quickly to respond.
The current cost of radios to receive HD radio are in the range of $500-$1,000 (~€382-€764, ~£270-£540), but as we’ve seen in the UK with DAB, it’s just a matter of time before these drop to the £49 (~€70, ~$91) levels, as more efficient chip sets become developed and a mass market is formed.
We found the comments by Jeff Littlejohn, executive vice president of distribution development at the dominant US radio station company, Clear Channel, the most illuminating, “We don’t think the business model associated with downloads is nearly as attractive as adding additional audio channels.”
In Clear Channels view there’s still more money to be made from advertising revenue than from music downloads, not least because they don’t have to share the revenue raised with the record companies – who are not known for their willingness to take small proportion of sales.
Radio Broadcasters Mull Digital Music Stores: Reuters
17 January, 2005
RocketFM – Unleash Your Computers Audio to FM Radio
Wow, Griffin Technologies are busy. Following a flood of announcements from them in the build up to MacWorld including the SmartDeck iPod cassette adaptor, they’ve just announced RocketFM.
Building on their idea of transmitting iPod music to FM radios, RocketFM is a USB FM Transmitter for PC or Macintosh that takes the sound from your computer to an FM radio that you might have knocking around.
The software that comes with it, lets the broadcasting frequency be chosen by the user, to avoid clashed with your favourite stations.
Costing $39.95 it will starting shipping in the US in the first quarter of 2005.
Different countries around the world have different rules on the use of this type of device. Quite a few countries in Northern Europe, including Sweden, Austria, Iceland and the UK, don’t like you broadcasting on FM, no matter how weak the signal.
Ofcom, the UK super regulator, has been very clear about their dislike of such devices, like iTrip. It contravenes the Wireless Telegraphy Act of 1949 and use of one in the UK could in theory be met with the maximum penalty of two years in prison.
Griffin RocketFM
13 January, 2005
Vonage UK VoIP Service Opens
Yesterday there was a very quiet launch of something significant to UK telecoms.
Vonage has been providing Voice over IP (VoIP) services in the US since 2001 and over this short time has become somewhat of a run away success. They’ve now opened up shop in the UK.
Vonage call themselves the fastest growing telephony company in North America, but with an impressive 400,000 lines in service and having carried over half a billion calls, it could be justified.
There are two UK offerings from them; Residential Unlimited, for £9.99/month (~$18.60, ~€14) providing unlimited phone calls within the UK and Ireland; and a Small Business Unlimited Plan for £18.99 (~$35.50, ~€27) which included the same unlimited calling but with the addition of a free dedicated fax line with 500 minutes of outgoing traffic.
Once you have signed up, they give you the required equipment and all that is required, is to plug in a normal telephone handset and you’re away. There is no minimum length of service.
The cost of calls to “non-normal” numbers are detailed on their site, but it’s worth noting that the rates to UK mobiles are charged at 15/10/5p during day/evening/weekends, no matter which mobile network is called. International rates appear very reasonable, certainly significantly lower than normal BT prices.
It is free to call any other Vonage customer, no matter where they are in the world.
Beyond cost, there are other advantages of VoIP phone services over a normal phone, such as the ability to take your phone number with you as you travel around the world, simply by plugging your adaptor into a broadband connection.
If you have friends or business colleagues abroad, Vonage offers phone numbers in cities around the world for an additional £2.99/month (~$5.60, ~€4.30). All of these numbers will route back to your single phone line.
We were taken aback to see that emergency services calls are supported as this has been a source of a debate in the US. As the Vonage phone can be plugged into any broadband connection in the world, having an emergency operator doesn’t make too much sense given your location cannot be identified in the same way a landline can.
Dialling 999 or 112 on the Vonage UK service will connect you to the UK emergency operator who will then route your call to the appropriate emergency agency. In the list of emergency agency you’ll be offered, we were amused to see Mountain Rescue and Cave Rescue. Strange given you need to have a broadband connection to use the service.
Last year we were surprised when BT launched a VoIP service, Broadband Voice, in the UK. It initially felt a bit like cannibalisation of their landline business.
It was only when we saw their pricing did we understand why it wouldn’t be a threat. They’re nearly the same as their landlines prices!
They too have two packages. Unlimited UK (Local and National) weekend and evening landline calls costs £6.50/month. Strangely BT limit the free calling to an hour, beyond this additional minutes are charged 1p/min. Daytime calls are 3p/min.
Their Anytime plan gives unlimited UK landline calls up to an hour per call at anytime for £14 a month.
Rates to mobile on the BT service vary depending on the mobile operator, some of them lower than Vonage.
After a quick look at the International rates, it appears that BT prices are more expensive, for example, a call to New York would be 2p/min on Vonage but 4p/min with BT Broadband Voice.
The level of BT’s prices doesn’t surprise us. Their usual tactic is to only lower their prices when competition comes into the market – so welcome to the UK Vonage.
We’ve been trying to get our hands on the Vonage service since it was first introduced in the US. We figured that it was a geographically independent (global) service, so they should be able to sell anywhere, but they weren’t thinking the same way at the time. We’ll be reviewing the service as soon as we can.
Vonage UK
BT Broadband Voice
7 January, 2005