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  • HDTV coverage of Beijing Olympics offers athletics action in immediate slow motion

    Belgian company I-Movix is to provide its SprintCam Live 2 HDTV cameras to cover much of the action from the Olympic games in Beijing.
    Able to record events at speeds up to 8,000 frames per second, a rate which is more than 260 times that of normal video.
    And while the cameras produce incredible slow-motion images, there is nothing slow about replay times – clips are available for immediate re-viewing.
    The HDTV cameras will be deployed with mobile units at all the major games venues.
    While sports fans have come to expect slow-motion instant replay with standard definition productions, it has not been so in high definition.
    Beijing is going to be both a proving ground and shop-window for HDTV and the I-Movix cameras are part of an array of HD hardware that will be providing unparalleled high def coverage of the sporting event.

  • Cable operators will continue to shoulder the cost of STBs unless testing is adopted to ensure all devices work in all cable systems.


    A retail market for tru2way compliant set-top boxes (STBs) in the US will never emerge unless they are portable across cable systems.
    That’s the conclusion of Steve Wilson, principal analyst with ABI Research, who expects the biggest challenge to tru2way to be interoperability.
    The 1996 Telecommunications Act required cable operators to open up their specifications to create a more competitive market in the United States.
    The result was OCAP, the Open Cable Applications Platform, recently rebranded “tru2way”.
    Any device with a tru2way compliant receiver can receive premium cable TV programming on any operator’s network with the appropriate CableCARD.
    This means any STB vendor can build a tru2way-compliant device and compete for cable operators’ business, and CE manufacturers can embed them in TV’s or other devices for retail.
    In his research brief, “The Outlook for tru2way”, Wilson describes it as a “double-edged sword” for operators.
    “On one hand, cable operators want to ‘own’ the customer’s entire user experience and they aren’t ready to allow others to start loading applications into the STB,” he said.
    “On the other, an open cable standard will reduce the tremendous cost burden custom systems and STBs place on the entire cable business.”
    Wilson says operators are finally starting to deploy tru2way STBs and estimates that in 2013 about half of all US cable subscribers will have a tru2way STB.
    But he goes on to warn that to achieve this many industry-political obstacles and interoperability challenges must be overcome along the way.
    “There’s no real interoperability testing, and no industry group focused on making sure that all the devices brought to market will work in all cable systems,” he said.
    “If applications and devices aren’t portable across cable systems, a retail market will never appear and operators will continue to carry the burden of STBs.”

  • Boost for mobile broadband as T-Mobile UK improves photo and video upload speeds


    Mobile operator T-Mobile UK has deployed HSUPA technology on a nationwide basis to improve upload speeds for users.
    The operator has promised the change will result in an improvement of to fivefold in the time it takes to upload photos and videos to web sites at speeds of up to 1.4Mbps.
    T-Mobile claims it is the first UK carrier to have committed to the data access protocol.
    The company said it is also upgrading the download capability of its HSDPA 3G network to 7.2Mbps, initially within the M25 zone encircling London but rolling out to other major cities during the second half of the year.
    T-Mobile is also trying to drive data usage, by cutting data roaming charges 80 per cent, to £1.50 per MB while travelling in EU member countries.
    Customers signing up for Mobile Broadband before October will also receive a £5 discount, knocking the price down to £10 per month.
    An online ‘postcode checker’ also allows potential customers to gauge the coverage and strength of 3G signal at their home.
    Jim Hyde, T-Mobile UK’s chief executive, said: “Mobile Broadband has come of age.
    “Today, 25 per cent of new contract customers are signing up and we expect to quadruple our user base in 2008.”

  • Nokia knocked off prime spot as iPhone and HTC hit top of the chart


    Nokia may still be the world’s leading mobile phone supplier but it’s been toppled from its pedestal when it comes to phone cases.
    Krusell, the Swedish manufacturer of carrying cases for portable electronics, has released its “Top 10” – list for June 2008.
    The list is based upon the number of pieces of model specific mobile and smartphone cases that have been ordered from the company during June 2008.
    Its chart is unique, according to Krusell, due to the fact that it reflects the sales of phones on six continents and in more than 50 countries around the globe.
    Ulf Sandberg, managing director at Krusell, said that many companies in the accessory industry were currentlyloading their warehouses with iPhone accessories ahead of the European launch of the 3G version on July 11.
    This has catapaulted its iPhone cases into best seller slot for June.
    “Since the iPhones are to be considered as high end devices, we know by experience that the device will have a high case rate and are prepared for a rush for iPhone cases during the coming month,” he said.

    The June chart:
    1. (8) Apple iPhone
    2. (5) HTC Diamond
    3. (3) Nokia E51
    4. (2) Nokia 6300
    5. (1) Nokia 3109
    6. (9) LG KU990
    7. (6) Nokia N95 8GB
    8. (4) Sony Ericsson K810i
    9. (-) Sony Ericsson K530i
    10 (10) Sony Ericsson W890i

    () = Last month’s position.

  • Smartphones and low-cost mobile phones set to see most significant growth at expense of mid-tier handsets


    The top and bottom ends of the wireless handset markets are to enjoy the best growth rates over the next five years, according to researchers.
    This will be at the expense of mid-range models, commonly called “enhanced” phones. The enhanced phone sector is currently the largest in terms of shipments, with 854 million units shipped in 2007.
    But it will be overtaken by both other classes in 2013, with just 441 million shipping.
    Kevin Burden, a director of ABI Research and author of the report “Mobile devices annual market overview”, said: “As we see more user sophistication and demand for high-end features, handset manufacturers will continue to push functions of high-level smartphone operating systems further down their product lines.
    “Their smartphone portfolios will grow, and with them, the entire smartphone market.”
    The report said this was seen as desireable by operators as well, who wanted more smartphone users because of the higher average revenue per user (ARPU) they generated.
    It added that the operators also like phones with standard operating systems that are optimised for their content delivery platforms.
    At the other end of the market, demand will be driven by the huge emerging markets in countries such as China, India, and Brazil.
    Here, the ABI report said the low-cost and ultra-low-cost handset categories were set to become the largest classes of mobile phones by 2013 in terms of shipments, though not in terms of revenue.
    “While the unit shipments of ultra-low-cost handsets will be dramatic over the forecast period, the device class is only expected to account for 6 per cent of the market’s overall revenue,” said Burden.
    “But vendors will continue to pursue these markets for the sake of brand-building and the prospect of eventual upward migration by users.”
    Since no single mobile device will serve the needs of everyone, a number of other form factors will compete for users’ mobile computing cycles.
    In particular, MIDs (Mobile Internet Devices) and UMPCs (Ultra-mobile PCs) show promise for wider consumer acceptance.
    According to the ABI report, prices will be moderate (eventually under US$200 for many MIDs) and the devices wiill deliver a superior mobile Internet experience.

  • Mobile software set for rapid growth as inexpensive smartphones ring changes


    The mobile software market will be worth an estimated US$ 67.3 billion in 2013 – up from US$ 17.9 in 2007 – as the number of mobile devices grows and minutes of use increases steadily.
    This revenue growth will be fuelled by mobile carriers’ willingness to carry data apart from voice and the introduction of third-generation (3G) smartphones.
    That’s the conclusion of analysts at Frost & Sullivan in their report “World Next-Generation Mobile Software Market”.
    They say that with the expansion of memory, an increase in processor speed and the availability of better networks that allow for faster data transfer, mobile software is in for exponential growth.
    Daniel Longfield, research analyst at Frost & Sullivan, said there was a mass move towards mobile devices as people used them for tasks that a few years ago were performed on a desktop computer, a laptop, a MP3 player, an electronic gaming platform, or a digital camera.
    He said mobile software was key to placing mobile devices at the forefront of consumer habits by incorporating the applications and capabilities of other electronic devices into mobile devices.
    This, in turn, will benefit all members of the mobile value chain.
    “Over the next decade, the cycle of software development, where many mobile software products and applications were developed originally for other types of devices, will reverse,” said Longfield.
    “This reversal is likely because the number of mobile devices manufactured is expected to continue to outpace all other types of personal electronics and also due to smartphones possessing more processing speed and memory.”
    The report predicts that the mobile software market will grow at a faster rate than the total software market, thereby increasing its segment size.
    But it warns that as mobile carriers are extremely cautious about spending, mobile software vendors will have to prove the value proposition and return on investment of their products before clinching deals.
    Going forward, the mobile software market expects to witness greater standardisation, technological advances, and competitive changes. All these will further increase the mobile software market size.
    “Mobile software vendors are poised to receive large revenue increases from carriers and other mobile market value chain members,” said Longfield.
    “However, these spoils will not come without great effort to patch endless gaps in the current carrier service infrastructure and business models.”

  • Japan to use audience rating system to discover IPTV programme preferences

    A viewer rating system developed by Oki Electric Industry is to be used in Japan to collect information on the viewing habits of IPTV users.
    Existing ground-based broadcasting systems have the means to gather viewership data, such as user preference and viewer history.
    Broadcasting companies say this information is important in enabling them to improve services.
    However, until now there has been are no equivalent user information collection functions for IPTV services.
    OKI’s IPTV Audience Rating Information System allows service providers, with the authorisation of users, to obtain information about when and which channel and programs the users watched.
    The system will collect the viewership data in the form of an “audience rating library” on the user’s device, which will then be encrypted, sent to and registered in the database server at the IPTV distribution centre.
    This information will then be printed out as viewership reports which service providers can offer to programme producers.
    Masa Saito, general manager of IP Systems Division at OKI, said the system, which uses the company’s eVideo technology, would ensure the efficient delivery of high quality video over IP networks.
    “We have been proposing the technology to handle audience rating information to ASTAP, Asia’s communication standard organisation and FG-IPTV in ITU, the UN’s agency for information and communication technologies, as we believe open standards are important in improving IPTV service and technologies,” he said.
    “We will continue our activities within IPTV-GSI, the IPTV standardisation initiative, to promote international standardization to enrich IPTV services.”
    Telecom carriers in Japan are expected to increase their IPTV service provisioning with the start of next-generation network (NGN) services, and as the ITU works on setting international standards.

  • Survey shows viewers shifting towards web but preference is still for television screen


    Over a third of all US broadband users have watched at least one TV show on the Internet, according to a study conducted on behalf of the Cable & Telecommunications Association for Marketing (CTAM).
    But the research found that while broadband users are increasingly turning to the web for their video content fix, 94 per cent still prefer to do their viewing on a television screen.
    For cable and satellite networks concerned about the growing threat of online TV shows and movies, the survey provided some comfort.
    Of those who watched online shows, 82 per cent did so because they had missed a specific programme on TV.
    Based on this, the report points out the “critical importance of strong marketing for the initial TV showing”.
    That said, technical limitations that make viewing web video onto TV difficult are not likely to remain so for long.
    The research comes as ByD:sign announce they are launching the first LCD HDTV with DivX Certification for the Japan market. (See Separate article hdtv.biz-news.com/news/2008/06/30/0017)
    With guaranteed DivX video playback, users will be able watch content from the PC on the television while maintaining superior video quality.
    Video On Demand also continues to have a growing presence, with availability in approximately 28 million US homes and over half (54%) of these households ordering On Demand movies or programs.

  • LCD HDTV to be sold in Japan which allows simple transfer of high def content from the PC to the TV


    Watching high def content downloaded from the Internet is going to get a whole lot easier for viewers in Japan.
    A liquid crystal display high-definition television made by byd:sign Corporation is to be the first with DivX Certification sold in the Japanese market.
    The video format will let viewers watch digital content from PCs on the HDTV – rather than on a PC monitor.
    Katsumi Iizuka, chief executive officer of byd:sign Corporation, said DivX videos had enabled consumers to enjoy high-quality content through the internet.
    “DivX Certification enhances our HDTV features and gives added value,” he said. “We plan to provide more valuable entertainment to our customers in working with DivX high quality content and devices in the future.”
    Kevin Hell, chief executive officer of DivX, said the DivX certified LCD TV would allow the Japanese market to easily transfer high-definition videos directly to their TVs.
    “DivX is the only video format that offers consumers an easy and flexible way to move video content across devices, guaranteeing interoperability between the PC, TV, DVD players, mobile phones, and more,” he said.
    “Byd:sign’s compact LCD HDTV is a prime example of the simple transferability of high-quality content in an open, digital system.”

  • European callers become more mobile as landlines increasingly shunned


    Almost a quarter of European households have given up fixed landlines for mobile phones and online calling, according to a European Union survey.
    The poll, carried out in November and December, found that 24 per cent of European households now eschew fixed landlines in favour of mobile phones, up from 22 per cent in a survey two years earlier.
    The Czech Republic, Finland and Lithuania had the lowest number of landlines in use across the 27-nation bloc.
    The results chime with the growing interest in the use of mobile VoIP services – either via GSM/GPRS wireless standards or through WiFi – and the widespread installation of internet calling software on smartphones.
    The EU survey – which questioned 26,730 people – also found that 22 per cent are now using their personal computers for phone calls or video chatting via programs such as Skype.
    That is a rise of 5 percentage points from the last poll.
    The survey said the bloc’s newer members, most of them in eastern Europe, were leading the trend in a shift to online calling.
    In Lithuania, 61 per cent of the households were using Internet phone services.