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Category: hdtv

  • Geek Brief's live switching call answered by Vidblaster

    Call for an affordable live switching application by Geek Brief star Cali Lewis answered by Vidblaster

    Geek Brief star Cali Lewis’ request for someone to come up with an affordable live switching application that would work with services like Ustream.tv and Stickam has been answered.
    After making the call a few weeks ago, the Geek Brief team began working with Mike Versteeg, the developer of Vidblaster.
    Lewis wanted a lower-cost live switching application for the growing network of video-podcasters streaming out near-professional HDTV quality live shows.
    She said there were analogue solutions but they cost over US$1,000, while the best options were priced at US$9,000 or more.

    These are beyond the price range of the new generation of low-budget producers – everyone from churches, city councils and community groups to individual bloggers.
    Now on her latest webcast, Lewis said Versteeg had worked on the Vidblaster software to add “functionality” and make it work with streaming services.
    “There’s a growing need in the market for this application, and Mike is now offering it at an affordable price so churches, community groups, schools, and individuals can have access to software that gives us all a live TV studio at our fingertips,” she said.

    Lewis explained that when the call was put out, Vidblaster did not work with any of the streaming services.
    But after introducing Versteeg to one of the founders of Ustream.tv that “barrier” was addressed.
    “Now we have an actual software application that any church, community group or school can afford,” she said. “So they can start broadcasting to the world at a very low entry cost.
    “Now you are able to do something for less than US$400 that previously would have cost someone a couple of grand at best.”

    As well as adapting VidBlaster so it can be used with streaming services like Ustream.TV, Versteeg has added various new functions:
    – single key camera switching
    – cueing up of video, audio or still images for use on live streams
    – graphic and text overlay

  • DVD still dominates but Blu-ray sales up

    DVD remains the most popular home entertainment choice but Blu-ray disc sales up more than 500 per cent in the UK

    Sales of Blu-ray discs for the first half of 2008 have grown by 506 per cent compared to the same period last year, according to the British Video Association (BVA).
    Yet, despite the huge increase, the format still only represents 1.2 per cent of the total UK video market, with sales of nearly one million units.
    The BVA’s half-year results show total sales in 2008 are up 3.3 per cent compared with the same period last year, a rise it attributes to the increased level of consumer choice provided by the HD formats – both BD and HD-DVD.
    In the US, DVD also remains the most popular home entertainment choice but there are differences emerging among age groups.

    Lavinia Carey, director general of the BVA, said the availability of DVD, Blu-ray and legal downloading meant viewers now had more options when deciding how to consume their home entertainment. She said this increased supply of choice was  a factor in the growing demand.
    “Last year proved a bumper year for the home entertainment industry with 250 million videos sold and DVD accounting for 99 per cent of that,” she said.
    “We are delighted to see that the half year 2008 figures reveal an increased demand for home entertainment, especially in the current challenging economic climate.”

    Other figures released by the BVA include:
    Ratatouille is the best seller of 2008 so far with over 1.2 million copies sold
    Stardust, Atonement and The Golden Compass have also experienced high sales each exceeding 800 thousand copies on DVD alone.
     Titles such as Family Guy, Die Hard 4, Alien vs Predator and Alvin & the Chipmunks have made 20th Century Fox the best selling studio of the 2008 so far.

    Research from Knowledge Networks in the US found that 98 per cent of the 30- to 43-year-old Gen X and the 13- to 29-year-old Gen Y groups, and 88 per cent of 44- to 54-year-old Young Boomers, said they use DVDs.
    But the report, “How People Use the Video Marketplace”, shows that 67 per cent of Gen Y said they buy DVDs at least once a month, 71 per cent of Gen X and 51 per cent of Young Boomer.
    Additionally, 67 per cent of Gen Y said they rented at least once a month; 65 per cent of Gen X and 44 per cent, Young Boomer.

    The pattern starts to diverge with Web-delivered content, with 52 per cent of Gen Y, 37 per cent of Gen X and just 21 per cent of Young Boomers saying they stream video.
    With downloading, the breakdown is 37 per cent Gen Y, 18 per cent, Gen X and 11 per cent, Young Boomer.

    However, both younger and older generations indicate they normally do not pay for this new media video usage. With video streams, 3 per cent of Gen Y said they bought monthly; 4 per cent, Gen X and 3 per cent, Young Boomers. With video downloads, 2 per cent of Gen Y said they bought monthly, 2 per cent Gen X and N/A for Young Boomers.

    David Tice, VP and group account director at Knowledge Networks said DVDs were the “bread and butter” of content providers.
    “But the growing availability of video in digital forms is impacting on peoples’ expectations,” he said.
    “We found, for example, that 84 per cent of consumers expect to be able to watch video on the device of their choice.”
    The question is, will consumers be willing to pay for the convenience of access in the digital world? And how can content and service providers encourage repeat use and buying in the new media? We’re interested in hearing your thoughts.

  • Blu-ray step away from being HD format for China

    “Chinese companies will play an important role in driving the rapid adoption of the Blu-ray Disc format worldwide” – Xinhua Zhao, president of CESI Technology

    The Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA) has announced that DigiRise Audio (DRA), a locally-developed Chinese audio codec, has passed an important technical evaluation, and is now on its way to being adopted into the format.
    The adoption, if it is approved, is seen as a major step towards Blu-ray becoming the high definition optical disc format for China.

    Meanwhile, CESI Technology Co. Ltd, a contributor member of the BDA, has been designated as the first official Blu-ray Disc Test Centre in China.
    CESI Technology’s joining BDA as a contributor member and their establishment of the Test Centre is another indication of the strong momentum building for the Blu-ray Disc format in China.

    Xinhua Zhao, president of CESI Technology, said BD, as the successor of DVD, presented new business opportunities for the Chinese consumer electronics industry.
    “I am confident that Chinese companies will play an important role in driving the rapid adoption of the Blu-ray Disc format worldwide,” he said.
    “The establishment of our Blu-ray Disc format Test Centre will help complete the ecosystem of Blu-ray Disc business and this centre will help Chinese companies shorten the time to market while saving cost.
    “We expect to collaborate closely with the BDA to bring the high definition experience to Chinese consumers as soon as possible.”

    The establishment of the Test Centre is a critical piece in the Blu-ray Disc value chain in China.
    From today, Chinese manufacturers can receive verification services for the official production of BD-ROM Movie Players at the centre.
    This will dramatically shorten the time needed for product development and market launch of fully compliant BD products for Blu-ray Disc product manufacturers.

    Sumitaka Matsumura, chair of the BDA China Task Force, said the BDA was working hard to bring HD Chinese consumers and the development with CESI Technology was another “significant indication” of the strong support for the format in China.
    “The establishment of an official test centre in China is critical to the acceptance of Blu-ray Disc in China by the industry and consumers and so we very much look forward to the contribution of CESI Technology,” he said.

  • Pioneer develops 400 GB Blu-ray disk


    Pioneer     has developed a Blu-ray compatible disk that can hold 400GB of data on 16 layers.
    The company currently only has a read-only disk available but expects to be able to produce recordable discs.
    Each of the layers can hold 25 GB of data – equivalent to one single “standard” Blu-ray disc layer.

    Multi-layer disks have existed for a while. Normal DVD players and burners are usually able to read and write to dual-layer disks.
    It has been a challenge for Pioneer to get a clear signal from each of the recording layers of the disk, without picking up distortion from other layers.

    The electronics company invented a disk structure that reduces crosstalk from adjacent layers, resulting in a 16-layer optical disk that can playback high-quality signals from every layer.
    No infomration has been given so far on availability and pricing.

  • NBC uses Olympics to promote HDTV and study viewer habits

    NBC has made no secret of the fact it plans to use the Beijing Olympics as a campaign platform for HDTV.
    Now the US network has announced that the summer games will also act as a research lab to guage how viewers use different media platforms.

    The network hopes its research will reveal how people combine, for example, high def TV coverage of an event with tools such as video streaming, video on demand and mobile phones.
    Alan Wurtzel, NBC’s research chief, said the company would publicly issue a TAMi (Total Audience Measurement Index) for the first time.
    This is designed to measure the full range of cross-platform media consumption of the Olympics throughout the 17 days of coverage.

    NBCU will also conduct the largest research project in its history, taking advantage of the unique scope and duration of the Olympics to further the industry’s understanding of cross-platform media usage.
    “An event of this magnitude requires the biggest and most sophisticated research effort to measure it,” said Wurtzel.
    “The size and duration of the Olympics presents us with extraordinary opportunities to gather data on viewer behaviour.”

    NBC has scheduled 3,600 hours of Olympics programming on its main network, along with Telemundo, USA, Oxygen, MSNBC, CNBC and Bravo.
    In addition, the company is planning to make 2,200 hours of streaming video available on NBCOlympics.com.
    Consumers may also get video on demand via their computer and Olympics content through their mobile phones.
    “Not only will we measure these Games in a way we’ve never done before, but we’ll also be able to gather data that helps us better understand the new media consumer,” said Wurtzel.
    “At the end of the Olympics, no other research entity in the world will have as much knowledge on cross-platform usage as NBC Universal.”

  • Commuters on London Underground to be shown adverts on giant HD screens






    Passengers waiting for the tube will have no shortage of distractions now that 14-foot HDTV screens are being installed in stations.
    The cross-track projection (XTP) system, which allows high-quality digital images to be projected on to the walls opposite platforms, has been installed by advertising company CBS Outdoor for London Underground.
    The system, which formally went live on Monday, means that commuters waiting for trains are now faced with moving advertising images displayed on the biggest screens in Europe
    Any profits London Underground receives from XTP will be reinvested to improve the Tube.
    Before rolling out the ads to other stations the system was tested at Euston Tube station.
    Following the success of the pilot, stations at Piccadilly Circus, Euston, Bank, Liverpool Street and Bond Street have now been kitted out with 23 high definition projectors and giant soundless screens that will show trailers for new film releases and other advertising.
    Further stations are scheduled to host XTP technology, which will take the number of screens to 150, which, according to London Undeground, makes it the biggest and most sophisticated system of its kind in Europe.
    Richard Parry, strategy and service director for London Underground said the technology would enhance passengers’ journeys.
    “The Tube has a history of innovation and these hi-tech screens are a perfect complement to the major upgrade work carried out by London Underground in delivering a world-class Tube for a world-class city,” he said.
    CBS Outdoor was awarded a £1.5bn contract to manage advertising on the London Underground in June 2006.
    The media company’s soundless screens are all linked to a new digital advertising network enabling messages to be changed remotely and instantaneously.
    In total, CBS Outdoor’s £72m investment programme includes the installation of 2,000 digital screens across the Tube network and, to date, 1,034 digital screens have been installed, including 181 LCD screens, 830 digital escalator panels and 23 XTP screens.
    All the non-digital sites are currently being replaced with new ‘dry-posting’ material which allows all internal posters to be recycled, removing the need for glue and avoiding 96 tonnes of paper going into landfill every year.

  • High definition sports schedules continue to grow as coverage of major sporting events like Wimbledon and Beijing Olympics become more commonplace










    The US’s NBC network is to broadcast both the women’s Wimbledon final between the Williams sisters and the men’s match between Nadal and Federer on its HD channel.
    The addition of this year’s Centre Court battles is just the latest addition to a growing selection of sporting events being shown in high def.
    Sports programming is perfectly suited to high definition because of the fast motion and action in sports.
    The 16:9 aspect ratio of HD provides a vastly better perspective and coverage of a game than SD.
    Viewers can see, for instance, the entire ice in a hockey game or the baseball field in a baseball game.
    So impressive are the results that they influenced an estimated 2.4 million high-definition television sales prior to this season’s Super Bowl in the US.
    Aside from the tennis action, Panasonic has announced that it is to partner the Eurosport HD channel in a deal that ensures it uses the company’s equipment, including the HPX2100 and HVX201 high definition cameras during coverage of this summer’s Olympic Games.
    It also means Panasonic will get plenty of airtime on the station, promoting its VIERA line of HDTVs, as well as running local marketing events.
    Eurosport HD, which simulcasts with the standard definition Eurosport channel, began broadcasting in May this year.
    And with just 30 days to go before the events kick off in Beijing, the broadcast plans in the US are getting clearer.
    NBC Universal has the exclusive rights to the Olympics – for which it paid US$5.7 billion – and will produce over 3,600 hours of sporting coverage, all in high definition.
    The HDTV broadcasts will be carried on NBC, USA and Universal HD, but it remains unclear what time slots will be carried on each network.
    Ma Guoli, a Chinese Olympics broadcasting official, has said that he expects the Olympics to attract four billion viewers – one billion more than in Athens four years ago.
    Beijing Olympics Dissemination Corporation Ltd is expected to use 65 high definition relay vehicles and 1,000 high definition cameras, as well as building a broadcasting centre with an area of up to 80,000 square metres.
    “High Definition signals will be used for TV relays for all 28 Olympics events,” he said.



  • Delta to begin volume shipments of HD projectors with positive outlook for remainder of 2008














    Delta Electronics will soon begin volume shipments of full HD projectors, according to company CEO Yancey Hai.
    He expects its business outlook for the second half of 2008 to remain “guided positive”.
    Hai said orders for Delta’s power supply products from segments such as desktops, notebooks and LCD TVs have remained strong, with order visibility extending at least three months.
    The CEO said Delta had recently begun production of full HD projectors and the company is now in talks with a number of brand vendors for ODM orders.
    Delta’s projector will deliver a full HP 1080P resolution and brightness of 6,000 lumens.





  • Gas released from HDTVs potentially far worse for climate change than CO2










    A gas used in the production of flat-panel displays for HDTVs is 17,200 times better at trapping heat in the atmosphere over a hundred-year period than carbon dioxide, the gas most associated with global warming.
    Michael Prather, of the University of California at Irvine, has completed a study into nitrogen trifluoride (NF3), which he describes as the “missing greenhouse gas”.
    Yet the synthetic chemical produced in industrial quantities is not included in the Kyoto Protocol’s basket of greenhouse gases or in national reporting under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
    Concerns have led Toshiba Matsushita Display Technology to avoid using the gas, although Air Products, which produces it for the electronics industry, said very little NF3 is released into the atmosphere.
    Prather argues that as the gas is not controlled in the same way as other greenhouse gases, companies may be careless with it.
    The scientist, whose findings are reported in the latest issue of the journal Geophysical Research Letters, is calling for NF3 emissions to be monitored.
    It wasn’t included in the Kyoto agreement when it was signed by 181 countries in 1997 because the compound’s manufacture at the time was miniscule.
    But increased use of NF3 in flat-panel display production means that’s no longer the case.
    NF3’s global-warming potential is second only to sulfur hexafluoride (SF6), the worst-rated greenhouse gas on the Kyoto list.
    Prather notes that the increased production of NF3 means that emission levels of the gas could potentially increase.
    “With 2008 production equivalent to 67 million metric tons of CO2, NF3 has a potential greenhouse impact larger than that of the industrialised nations’ emissions of PFCs or SF6 (sulfur hexafluoride), or even that of the world’s largest coal-fired power plants,” writes Prather.
    “If released, annual production would increase the lower atmospheric abundance by 0.4 ppt, and it is urgent to document NF3 emissions through atmospheric observations.”



  • Samsung launches programme to ensure compatability of HDMI-enabled products






    The Korean electronics giant has begun a pilot programme of Simplay HD testing and verification at its facilities.
    The scheme aims to ensure customers can simply “plug-and-play” any new device without the frustration of getting home and finding it isn’t compatable with existing equipment.
    The testing ensures interoperability between electronic components such as set-top boxes (STBs), high def televisions (HDTVs), digital video disk (DVD) players, cables and audio/video (AV) receivers.
    By taking the guesswork out of shopping for HDMI-enabled components it’s hoped that consumer satisfaction will be boosted and return rates reduced.
    The pilot programme of Simplay HD testing and verification will be administered by both companies.
    In what is described as the first-of-its-kind self-testing initiative, the scheme will expand Samsung’s participation in the Simplay HD Testing Program by increasing product through-put, extending the range of products tested and accelerating time to market.
    Once assessed, components bear the Simplay HD logo, which signals that they have passed a rigorous HD interoperability and performance-testing regimen and will work together.
    ChanHo Youn, assistant manager of the Customer Satisfaction Management Centre at Samsung Electronics, said the company understood the importance of delivering fully interoperable products with optimised performance to retailers and customers.
    He said the best way to ensure this was by utilising the expertise of Simplay Labs and its HD testing programme.
    “Samsung has used Simplay Labs testing extensively on a variety of consumer electronics devices and, as we expand our Simplay HD participation, the self-testing programme will help streamline the process,” he said.
    The pilot program will include on-site Simplay testing equipment installation, technician training and certification, quality control, collaborative test specification reviews and integration with product development and supply chain processes.
    Joseph Lias, president of California-based Simplay Labs, said he was thrilled to expand a longstanding relationship with Samsung by rolling out the self-testing pilot program.
    “Working closely with Samsung in defining the parameters of the Simplay HD Testing Program continues to provide consumers with the peace of mind that their HD components will work together to deliver a great HD experience,” he said.