Digital-Lifestyles

Distribution

The new digital ways content was becoming distributed

  • BT Abandons Broadband Pre-Registration Scheme, Promises Coverage to Rural Britain

    BT’s preregistration scheme for broadband has been dropped, because of high demand for the service throughout the country. Instead, the telco has promised to make an additional 1128 exchanges broadband-enabled by 2005 – providing coverage to 99.6% of the UK. Coverage is at about 85% today.

    Alison Ritchie, BT chief broadband officer, said in a release from the company: “BT has continued to innovate in order to drive broadband as an enabler for tomorrow’s society and to deliver a truly Broadband Britain.

    “The broadband registration scheme has been a powerful tool for us to match investment to demand and its fantastic success, with the support of local campaigners, has set the way for other countries to follow. Now, as we move into more and more rural areas and we have a clearer picture of growing demand, there are real benefits to be gained through a planned roll out. This means we can deliver broadband to far more people in a shorter timeframe.

    “This approach also means we can use the best engineering solution for the whole network to efficiently manage costs and future growth. Together with our plans to extend the reach of broadband from a local exchange, this takes us significantly closer to universal availability.”

    The previous initiative, where an exchange was only converted if there were enough preregistered customers to make it worthwhile, prompted BT to upgrade over 2000 exchanges.

    The company will now be undertaking a systematic roll-out to all but the very smallest exchanges. As for the remaining 100,000 UK premises that won’t be covered by the new exchange upgrades, BT has promised to continue to find other ways to deliver broadband internet access to remote locations.

    BT’s press release

  • Windows Media 9 Now On Linux

    Turbolinux have become the first major distributor to provide a Linux-based OS with Windows Media and DVD playback built in.

    Version 10F of their distribution comes with both CyberLink’s PowerDVD for Linux and Xine. Xine is the most popular Linux video playback engine and this distro comes with licensed Windows Media 9 codecs.

    PowerDVD supports CSS (the Content Scramble System), allowing Linux users to watch DVDs legally, they’re no longer bypassing a copy protection algorithm to decode content off disks.

    As Linux distributions go, Turbolinux 10F is not cheap – it’ll set you back US$149 (€125), but then it does contain proprietary commercial software and codecs. However, Windows XP Home, which has the same functionality (with free WM9 codecs) is only US$30 (€25) more expensive than Turbolinux.

    Although getting WM9 into a Linux distribution is a step forward, it’s not really all that surprising: Microsoft’s new expanded licensing programme means that the company is very willing to get their media technology onto as many platforms by “allowing the components to be deployed on all platforms—even non-Windows desktops” (from the WM licensing page).

    Turbolinux’s announcement

    Microsoft’s Windows Media Pricing and Licensing

  • Netflix Switching to Web Delivery

    Netflix, the online DVD rental firm has plans to deliver films via the internet by 2005: “Our strategy is to get huge in DVDs and then expand into downloads,” Reed Hastings, Netflix Chief Executive, said to Reuters.

    Netflix’s business model currently operates around the postal service – users browse the Netflix site, selecting titles they wish to view. DVD’s are then delivered to the company’s 1.9 million subscribers by post. Cutting out the postal service will pay for online delivery and allow Netflix to invest in more content. Hastings estimates that a download service will have 5 million subscribers by 2006.

    Netflix currently charge US$20 (€17) a month for their postal-delivery service, and are proposing a US$22 (€18.50) per month charge for their download offering.

    Netflix don’t want to download to computers, instead using a broadband connection direct to the TV set-top box – rather like Blockbuster’s unique VOD service in the UK.

    Competition is going to be fierce – more movie download services are in the pipeline and Netflix will have to go up against strongly-backed groups like Movielink and CinemaNow. Movielink was formed by five major studios: MGM Studios, Paramount Pictures, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Universal Studios and Warner Bros. CinemaNow counts Microsoft and Blockbuster amongst their investors.

    Netflix

    CinemaNow

    MovieLink

  • UK’s Progress Towards Digital Switch-over “Astonishing”

    The UK’s culture secretary, Tessa Jowell described the country’s progress towards digital Switch-over as “astonishing”. The statement was prompted by a new BBC report, “Towards Achieving Digital Switch-over” which confirmed that the country could switch over to digital broadcasting by 2010. The new BBC report has similar findings and recommendations to the Ofcom paper we covered last month.

    There are some caveats contained in the BBC document, as there are several issues that need to be straightened out – but if the industry and the Government work together, then the 2010 date should be achievable. If left to market forces, it may take until 2013 for 95% of the country to be ready.

    Issues that need to be addressed cover areas like ease of recording from digital broadcasts, telling unconverted households about digital television and simplicity of use for new services.

    Tessa Jowell said in a statement responding to the report:

    “This Government is absolutely committed to working with the industry to achieve digital switchover. The potential rewards, including more choice for consumers and more space for new services, are too great for us not to be.

    “The fact that half of homes in the UK now have access to digital TV shows there is a considerable appetite for the product out there. This provides a solid foundation for continuing the drive towards full switchover.

    “Of course there are obstacles along the way, many of which are highlighted in this report. We are working closely with stakeholders to determine the actions needed to overcome these in the journey to switchover. This report will help us focus on the challenges ahead.”

    UK Government’s Digital Television site

  • Windows Media 9 Continues to Make Progress

    Microsoft’s Windows Media 9 platform is going from strength to strength – it’s being adopted by more broadcasters, it’s being incorporated in more players and MS are making more refinements to the platform codecs for High Definition media.

    Microsoft are watching the platform’s popularity in the film and television world and are building on this by partnering with media companies to develop its range of functions. Work with Adobe, CineForm and BOXX Technologies has demonstrated WM9’s multi-stream High Definition capabilities, and companies like USDTV have adopted 9 as their broadcast format.

    It’s not just all broadcast work either — Sonic solutions are introducing DVD Producer WMV HD Edition for producing High Definition DVDs later this year.

    Microsoft is also submitting an update to its WM9 compression codec to the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers

    Tandberg Television are currently demonstrating their EN5920 encoding platform – the only hardware encoding solution for WM9 available. Companies like NTL Broadcast and Swisscom’s Bluewin are trialling the EN5920 to provide real-time encoding and decoding of WM9 streams to domestic digital TV customers.

    Windows Media Home

  • Stream Ripping Gains Popularity

    We never did it of course, but many people remember sitting by their cassette radio as a child, waiting to tape favourite songs off the charts to a fresh C90. Stream ripping is basically a 2004 remix of that old Sunday evening tradition, and it’s providing music sharers with a “new” way to acquire content – and it’s untraceable.

    Stream ripping applications allow users to capture multiple streams all day, amounting to several thousand songs. In fact, one program, StationRipper will record 300 streams simultaneously and make a separate MP3 for every song played. It will even skip broadcast tracks that you’ve already recorded.

    We tried StationRipper this morning as a bit of reaseach and found it almost unbelievably easy to use. It works best with Shoutcast, but you can access any radio station stream you have a URL for.

    One feature that particularly impressed us was the ability to buy whatever music was being played in a stream – simply click on the station and then the buy button: StreamRipper takes the track details to Amazon and presents you with the album featuring the track, if it’s found.

    Greg Ratajik wrote StationRipper after he saw the limitations in other programs like StreamRipper32, and estimates that the program has been downloaded over 350,000 times.

    Whilst not quite as user friendly as many P2P packages, and with many of the problems associated with recording traditional radio stations (lower broadcast quality, DJs prattling over the top of music), programs like StationRipper present a convenient way of time-shifting internet radio broadcasts.

    Acquiring music from ripping radio streams is untraceable, unlike logging onto P2P networks and downloading tracks. The radio station will have a listener’s IP number, but since users aren’t required to log into most stations, it’s extremely difficulty to ID them. Besides, they have no way of telling if someone is listening to a stream or archiving it.

    But is it legal? Stream ripping software has lots of non-infringing uses, so it looks like the programs have nothing to fear … yet. It’s really up to what the user then does with the music – if they are using it as a way to acquire music without paying, or then go onto to share streams or tracks that they have ripped, then that’s illegal.

    Stream ripping applications go to further demonstrate that if labels insist on crippling music with restrictive and untrusting DRM, then inventive consumers will find ways to defeat it until they get a fairer system.

    StationRipper

    Shoutcast

  • US Wireless Broadband Market Grows – But Which Standard Will Survive?

    One thing is for certain – demand for wireless broadband is going to increase rapidly in the US. However, perceived competition between the three main access technologies means that many companies don’t know how to meet that demand.

    WiFi, WiMAX and 802.20 are three technologies for providing broadband network connections wirelessly, and it’s difficult to tell which one to back in this race.

    WiFi is well established, has a reasonably large installed base and is in use globally. As McDonalds have already named their WiFi provider, you can tell it’s reached mainstream.

    WiMAX is backed extensively by Intel and Nokia, and is rapidly emerging as a favourite, though cards employing the technology and WiMAX-enabled laptops are not expected to reach the market until 2007.

    WiMAX, based on the 802.16 standard, has huge bandwidth – typically more than 30 times that of 3G data services – and it allows subscribers to receive broadband network access simply by attaching a receiver to their home. This method is being trialled by BT in rural areas as an alternative to digging up fields. The standard is also suitable for people on the move as WiMAX can be used in vehicles up to a speed of 150 Km/h.

    The 802.20 wireless networking standard will let you travel at 250 Km/h and still keep a network connection, and so is ideal for deployment on high speed trains.

    There are some overlaps between the two technologies, but they are not meant to compete. WiMAX is intended for fixed locations like houses, or a mobile user with a PDA or laptop. 802.20 is intended for high-speed mobility, and can be overlaid on top of an existing WiMAX network.

    The WiMAX forum

    Senza Fili Consulting’s report on wireless broadband

    Inside 802.16

  • Send Spam, Get Paid, Get Banned

    Sendmails Corp are a marketing firm that know that people will do anything for money – and that includes allowing their PCs to be used to send spam. The New Hampshire-based company is offering US$5 (€4.22) to internet users who download and install their VirtualMDA (Mail Delivery Agent) client, followed by US$1 for every hour of CPU time the agent uses sending out bulk emails to “customers”.

    Despite fact that most net users complain bitterly about the unstoppable rise in unsolicited emails, anti-spam groups fear that plain old human greed will prompt people to sign up for the service, and spam will just get worse.

    There is, of course another problem here. Sending spam isn’t SETI@home – it doesn’t take massive amounts of CPU cycles to even huge amounts of mail. Sendmail don’t really want your processor time – what they’re really after is your IP (internet protocol) address.

    Companies who make a habit of making huge bulk mailings tend to get their IP address blocked by ISP’s mail servers. Internet service providers know who the key culprits are and block or at least heavily filter all mail coming from their domains. Users of VirtualMDA will be sending spam from their own IP address – and that’s not going to make your DSL provider very happy. They’ll ban you, and your email address may well get blocked by several mail providers.

    Of course, Sendmail and their customers don’t care about this as plenty more people will sign up and take the US$1.

    Wired on the service

    Computer not as busy as it could be? Sign up for SETI and get us all killed

  • NAB: New 5.1 Extension Means Better Compression

    Dolby Laboratories have announced an extension to their Dolby 5.1 codec, called Dolby Digital Plus. The codec extension is of particular interest to television broadcasters because of the efficiency of its compression: if audio tracks take up less room, then it leaves more bandwidth for more channels.

    Broadcasters are keen to deliver more channels to customers – particularly when they’re charging them – but need to keep picture quality up to, or even better than, current standards.The existing DD codec supports but rates from 320Kbps to 640Kbps for 5.1 audio – yet this new extension will reproduce 5.1-channel sound down to 192Kbps. Dolby Digital Plus has a new top end to – up to 6Mbps, which will no doubt be handy in the future.

    Importantly, Digital Plus is backwardly-compatible with previous versions of the 5.1 codec.

    Dolby have already come up with an interesting application for the new codec – a DVD could access a studio’s website and stream a live director’s commentary, or other interactive content, through the viewer’s TV.

    Dolby Digital on Digital Plus

  • Nintendo: Cartoons for the GBA

    For US$20 (€) you’ll soon be able to buy a GBA cartridge containing up to 45 minutes of high-quality (well, for a 240 x160 pixel screen anyway) video and animation. Nintendo are addressing an issue that they’ve long had with their games consoles: kids keep switching them off and watching television. Admittedly, they tend to watch Nintendo cartoons, but then that might expose them to adverts for other companies’ products.

    So, Nintendo have brought the cartoons to their GameBoy Advance in the form of cartridges containing between two and four episodes of popular cartoons. First up will be a selection of episodes from the Pokémon franchise, followed by other titles from other series: SpongeBob SquarePants, The Fairly Oddparents, Dora the Explorer and Codename: Kids Next Door, and Sonic X.

    “Even by the remarkable standards of product evolution that have characterized the Game Boy franchise, this is a landmark event,” says George Harrison, Nintendo of America’s senior vice president of marketing and corporate communications, said in a statement. “Pokémon is part of the first step in revolutionizing the nature of portable video entertainment, with eventual reach targeting all demographics.”

    This is a remarkably similar idea to the ZVue player we talked about a few months ago – though since Nintendo has sold more than 20 million GBA players in the USA alone, the Zvue’s prospects look somewhat diminished.

    Nintendo