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  • Pivot3 Demonstrates Serverless Computing Platform

    Innovative Platform Eliminates Dedicated NVR Servers to Save Power, Reduce Rack Space, and Lower Costs

    High-Definition Storage experts, Pivot3, have announced the first public demonstration of its Serverless Computing platform at ASIS International 2008 in Atlanta, Georgia.

    The new platform, which runs NVR software on the storage node rather than requiring its own dedicated server, will be demonstrated in three locations at the show at the World Congress Convention Center.

    The company also disclosed that five NVR companies and four channel partners had joined its newly formed Serverless Computing Certification Program (SCCP) for NVR to speed adoption of the technology in the video surveillance market.

    Companies such as Exacq, Genetec, Lenel, Milestone, and OnSSI have already joined the program.

    Also joining SCCP are integrators who install and support Pivot3 solutions in the field, including Southwest Surveillance Systems, Connections IT, Aware Digital Inc, and Broadcast Technologies.

    The Pivot3 Serverless Computing platform allows surveillance directors to run video surveillance applications such as video recording, access control and video analytic software directly on the Pivot3 clustered storage platform.

    Using this approach, users can eliminate the physical NVR server hardware required in a conventional solution to realize hard savings in cost, rack space, power and cooling.

    A customer with 500 cameras, for example, can realize savings of 44 per cent in power and cooling costs, 51 per cent in rack-space usage and 22 per cent in cost savings by eliminating 15 physical servers and 5 physical failover storage RAIDs.

    Dilip Sarangan, research analyst with Frost and Sullivan, said: “On average, storage solutions account for an estimated 50 per cent of all acquisition costs for video surveillance systems.

    “With Serverless Computing, these costs can be reduced dramatically with all savings transferred directly to end users.”

    The Pivot3 Serverless Computing Certification Partner Program is designed to help users simplify the deployment and speed the adoption of video surveillance solutions running partner software applications on the Pivot3 Serverless Computing platform.

    The program is open to software leaders who are working with Pivot3 on joint sales opportunities and who are committed to providing world-class support for open-systems to their joint customers.

    Pivot3 offers the following benefits to SCCP members:

    * Pre- and post-sales support for qualified joint opportunities, including configuration assistance, demo systems loaners, and joint sales calls

    * Joint marketing and lead-sharing activities, including joint PR, collateral, webinars, and local seminars

    * Access to the Pivot3 High-Definition Video Simulator Tool, which allows partners to simulate large video workloads for performance assessments

    * Access to the Pivot3 video lab and a team of dedicated engineers

  • BBC to launch regular HD DTT broadcasts


    Catherine Smadja, head of strategy at the BBC, said the Corporation is to start regular DVB-T2 HD broadcasts in November 2009.

    Speaking at the the International Broadcasting Convention (IBC) 2008 in Amsterdam, she said: “One of the multiplexes will be upgraded to DVB-T2 and MPEG-4, on which there will be the BBC HD service and two others. And very soon thereafter, three other HD services.”

    The new multiplex will launch in November 2009 in the first regions, but should eventually be available to 98.5 per cent of the UK population.

    Five other DTT muxes will remain DVB-T.

    “DVB-T2 is for us an absolute necessity, because DTT is the number one platform in the UK,” Smadja said.
    “We have to offer HD as a public service broadcaster on DTT, not only on cable and DTH.

    Smadja said there was no business model for how to accomplish this and HD would only add to the cost.

    “There might develop a market for HD pay-TV, but not for free-to-air,” she said. “Luckily, the DVB Group solved the spectrum scarcity problem.”

  • The Future is 3-D HDTV

    DreamWorks CEO says 3-D will transform movie watching.

    Jeffrey Katzenberg, CEO of Dream Works, believes that 3-D HDTV is the future of the TV and movie industries.

    Fittingly he made his comments in a speech that was beamed by satellite across the Atlantic and displayed in glorious 3D HDTV at the International Broadcasting Convention (IBC) 2008 in Amsterdam.

    In what was described as the world’s first live transatlantic broadcast in Stereoscopic 3D, Katzenburg told over a 1,000 delegates that the technology is the “most exciting thing to happen to the visual experience in 70 years”.

    As well as laying out his vision for 3D, Katzenberg entertained the 3-D glass-wearing audience with 3-D HDTV clips from the animated Kung Fu Panda, which has been released in theaters, and Monsters vs. Aliens, set for a spring 2009 release.

    “I believe this is the future,” he said. “Not only my future, but all of our futures.”

    Katzenbugh said that 3-D is being seen as a means of enticing people away from their home screens and into cinemas.
    “The theater experience, in many ways, has been trumped by the home experience,” he said.

    “This is a chance for them to leap back ahead, and make it a growth business again … It’s a chance to bring people back to movie theaters who stopped going.”

    While there are only an estimated 2,500-3,000 3-D-capable theaters in North America, Katzenberg said this was expected to change.

    He forecast that up to 80 per cent of theater attendees would be able to see Shrek 4 in 3-D when it opens in 2010.
    Video games are expected to be a driving force in 3-D viewing in the home.

    Barrie Woolston, commercial director at Arqiva Satellite Media Solutions division, which broadcast the 3D transmission, said digital cinema was an important new medium and demand for alternative content was growing rapidly.

    “Live 3D High Definition broadcasts add an exciting new dimension to the audience experience and present significant opportunities for live event organisers and exhibitors,” he said.

    “The big screen is the perfect showcase for the 3D experience and this demonstration has highlighted its enormous possibilities for driving revenues across an exhibitor’s network.”

  • iPhone Downloads Top 100m – Why Isn't Everyone Happy?


    More than 100 million applications have been downloaded from the App Store since the launch of Apple’s 3G iPhone two months ago.

    This landmark was announced today to a chorus of iPhone programmers voicing their displeasure over Apple’s unclear and seemingly arbitrary “approval” policy.

    Fraser Speirs, developer of the popular Exposure program for the iPhone, even went as far as declaring he would not make any further submissions to the App Store until sweeping changes were made.

    “I will never write another iPhone application for the App Store as currently constituted,” he said on his blog.

    He added that while he isn’t pulling Exposure from the store, he isn’t “going to invest time and money into new ideas for the iPhone until this mess is resolved”.

    Apple said today that more than 3,000 applications are currently available on the App Store, with over 90 per cent priced at less than USD $10 and more than 600 offered for free.

    However, its approval policy has already left developers of completed iPhone apps with programs they are unable to distribute after getting an official rejection letter.

    Among those refused recently is Podcaster, which despite following official guidelines fell foul of Apple because it duplicated iTunes’ functionality.

    This is despite other software – calculator and weather apps – that also duplicate Apple’s being approved.

    Another reject is Pull My Finger, which was judged to be too tasteless for customers.

    Null River has also finally received an official response from Apple about its tethering app, NetShare, which was pulled from the App Store twice.

    Apple has decided it will not be allowing any tethering applications in the AppStore.

    What is angering many developers is that even following Apple’s guidelines to the letter is no guarantee their apps will be approved.

    In Speirs’ words, “writing software is a serious investment of time and energy".

    Yet he says Apple’s “current practice of rejecting certain applications at the final hurdle – submission to the App Store – is disastrous for investor confidence”.

    “Developers are investing time and resources in the App Store marketplace and, if developers aren’t confident, they won’t invest in it.

    “If developers – and serious developers at that – don’t invest, what’s the point?” he asks.

    Speirs suggests Apple perhaps wants the App Store to be a “museum of poorly-designed nibware written by dilettante Mac OS X/iPhone OS switcher-developers and hobbyist students”.

    He adds: “That’s what will happen if companies who intend to invest serious resources in bringing an original idea to the App Store are denied a reasonable level of confidence in their expectation of profit.”

    Speirs goes on to make some suggestion for improving the current situation.

    With Apple celebrating the 100 millionth download mark it may be in no mood to appease disgruntled developers, but it would do well to pay some attention to their comments.

    Whoppee cushion apps may not be to everyone’s taste but taking an approach smacking of censorship has an equally bad smell about it.

    Please let us know your thoughts on the subject.

  • Acer and ASUS Planning Smartphones


    It’s done a good job in conquering the PC, laptop and netbook markets, now the Taiwanese electronics giant seems intent on entering the smartphone realm.

    Gianfranco Lanci, Acer’s CEO, said the company plans to launch a smartphone under its own brand at the beginning of 2009.

    Speaking in an interview with German financial magazine Capital Investor, Lanci said the Acer smartphone will be UMTS enabled, with a touch pad similar to the iPhone’s, and would cost around EUR 500.

    Lanci also said that with Acer’s netbook manufacturring capability approaching 6 million, he expects the company to leave all competitors in that market in its wake.

    For the German market, Acer will launch its netbooks bundled with mobile internet services from a German mobile operator, although Lanchi wouldn’t discuss details.

    Meanwhile, following on from its P552w touchscreen phone, another Taiwanese computer giant is said to be preparing to enter the smartphone market.

    Engadget says Asus is planning an Omnia-esque device that will feature a large touchscreen, a 5-megapixel camera, a trackball for non-touch navigation, and the predictable 3G radios / WiFi.

    The smartphone from Asus, which is understood to produce smartphones for other well-known tech companies, is due to appear in November 2008.

  • Smartphones Confuse a Fifth of New Users


    The US telecoms giant Sprint is to offer free, in-store smartphone training in an effort to reduce the number of phones returned to it by confused customers.

    This could be a reflection on the technical competence of the average purchaser of today’s function-packed smartphones.

    Or it could be that retailers and manufacturers aren’t doing enough to explain how new handsets operate.

    Whichever it is, the fact that 21 per cent of Sprint’s smartphone buyers come back to the store to return the phone or to seek help in setting it up and learning to use it, is a mite worrying.

    In response, employees at the US’s number three mobile carrier will be able to provide training.

    Initially the program is only in Sprint-owned stores but it is to be rolled out to selected independent stores as well.

    Sprint has hired extra employees for every store to handle the workload.

  • iPhone challenge spurs on RIM

    Blackberry adds “lifestyle” apps as RIM looks to increase its appeal to consumer market

    For many, Research in Motion’s Blackberry has been seen simply as a corporate favorite with little appeal beyond email-hungry executives.

    Yet the Canadian handset-maker is showing there’s more to it than that – and seems to be succeeding in broadening its consumer appeal.

    Worldwide figures for the second quarter of 2008 have revealed that the BlackBerry OS has surpassed Windows Mobile market share for the first time.

    RIM captured a 17.4 per cent market share, almost double the 8.9 per cent it registered for the same period last year, while WM took 12 per cent.

    And with the 3G Blackberry Bold expected to be released in the US any day now, the prospects for further rises – at least in the near future – are excellent.

    RIM success in the ongoing mobile OS market share wars

    RIM has been making a great effort to expand the Blackberry’s appeal beyond its traditional corporate base .

    It has just announced a partnership with TiVo, initially giving subscribers to the digital video recorder (DVR) service access to program guides and scheduling functionality on their BlackBerry – but promising much more.

    If some swift work can be done with the technology then it can’t be long before they are offering TiVo streamed to a BlackBerry.

    The partnership announcement from the two companies mentions future collaboration that “will focus on software applications that further simplify mobile access to video content”.

    RIM has also announced new apps for the BlackBerry lineup, including Slacker Radio, MySpace and Microsoft Live Search.

    Ticketmaster has also partnered with RIM to bring mobile ticket purchasing to the BlackBerry, allowing the smartphone users to browse, search, and purchase tickets to live entertainment while on the go.

    The launch of the 3G iPhone and threat of Apple eying RIM’s corporate market may have played a part in this trend towards multimedia functions like audio and video content.

    But whatever the motivation, it appears to be paying off.

  • Blu-ray disc or three hour HD download?


    Much has been made of the role the high cost of Blu-ray Discs has played in hampering the high def format’s uptake.

    Yet if reports from Engadget are borne out, VUDU is shortly to offer HD downloads “equal in quality to Blu-ray movies”.

    The US-based internet video download service is said to be already currently in private beta testing for the new content format, which is dubbed HDX.

    While VUDU has not confirmed the report, the Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA) would certainly have something to say about such claims if it were to do so.

    Just last month, the BDA reacted swiftly to the DISH Network’s claims that its “full” HDTV 1080p/25Hz image matched Blu-ray quality.

    Whether the BDA has any need to feel threatened remains to be seen.

    This was the view espoused by David Mercer, principal analyst at Strategy Analytics, who suggested satellite providers are competing primarily with cable and IPTV companies, and not with the Blu-ray Disc format itself.

    Yet even if VUDU does start offering HD downloads approaching Blu-ray quality would the prospect of approximately three-hour download times appeal to many people?

    The company currently offers SD as well as HD downloads but it appears it is aiming for the high-end home theater owner with the new HDX codec.

    While streamed SD content can be played immediately, HD downloads require several hours to begin.

    Not surprising since the downloads would be over 6GB, requiring over two hours to download in most cable cases, and over four hours for most DSL users.

    We’d be interested to hear what would you would prefer – a handy, albeit still pricey disc, or a three hour wait to watch HD content on demand?

  • Coming Year Important for New Wireless HDTV Products

    Wireless High Definition Special: Over the coming weeks hdtv.biz-news.com will be interviewing representatives from the competing wireless high definition TV systems to assess their current state of readiness and future viability.

    To kick things off, Steve Wilson, principal analyst at ABI Research, which recently produced a report Wireless Video Cable Replacement Market and Technologies, gives his opinion on wireless HDTV developments.

    The end-of-year shopping season, followed by the annual CES trade show in January, will give the next indications of the likely short-term prospects for wireless high-definition television systems in the consumer space.

    Holiday sales of existing products and new product announcements at CES will help paint a picture as to which of several competing systems – if any – is likely to lead the charge towards wide consumer acceptance of wireless HDTV.

    There are three contending technologies, loosely characterized as: 5 GHz, 60 GHz, and ultra-wideband (UWB).

    Small numbers of 5 GHz and UWB devices are currently shipping; demo products of 60 GHz systems are expected early next year.

    “Over the next two to three years, we’re going to see one or two of these wireless HDTV approaches emerge as the primary ones,” said Wilson.

    Two industry groups have emerged to promote 5 GHZ and 60 GHz solutions.

    Israeli company Amimon, around whose technology the 5 GHz platforms are based, took an initiative in July, forming the WHDI Special Interest Group, which has been joined by Hitachi, Motorola, Sharp, Samsung and Sony.
    Hedging their bets, the latter two vendors are also members of the competing industry body, WirelessHD, which is intended to promote the 60 Hz approach designed by SiBEAM, Inc.

    Other members of WirelessHD include Intel, LG Electronics, Matsushita Electric, NEC and Toshiba.

    Samsung is said to believe that WHDI should be seen as a stopgap technology until WirelessHD becomes “the ultimate solution in the long run”.

    But until then, Wilson believes “the WHDI group has the early momentum”.

    He continued: “Announcements at CES of systems using the 60 GHz band will give some indication of whether consumer products will actually make it to market in 2009.

    “The coming year will be a very important period for the introduction of all types of new wireless high-definition TV products.”

  • HDTV sales surpass 10 million in UK

    Sales of HDTVs healthy but viewers face problem of content gap

    Cumulative sales of HDTVs to date surpassed 10 million in the UK, according to a report by GfK Retail and Technology.

    In the first six months of 2008, more than 2 million were added and the market research firm expects the cumulative total to be approaching 15 million by the end of 2008.

    While the UK lags behind other nations such as the US in HDTV pentration, the GfK report said the figures were significant considering it was a product which only really started selling in significant quantities in 2004.

    It pointed out that since some homes had more than one HDTV, the number of households not yet owning a high def set “must be well over 10 million”.

    “In other words, the spectacular uptake of this product so far may not even equate to half of its potential sales,” the report said.

    However, GfK said any enthusiasm should be tempered by the sobering thought that an overwhelming majority of HDTVs are not yet relaying genuine high definition broadcasts.

    This is because the digital terrestrial platform cannot yet broadcast in HD.

    “Fortunately, there has been a sustained growth in large screen TVs, and HD is now a standard feature on all of these products,” said the report.

    “Manufacturers and retailers have also been quick to move their focus to 1080p (so-called Full HD) products.
    “By June 2008, this segment accounted for 18 per cent of flat TV market volume and 33 per cent of the turnover.”

    Intense pressure on prices is key feature

    A comparison between the 52 weeks ending June 2007 and June 2008 confirms that HD was transformed from GBP £721 down to GBP £502.

    The 32"+ large screen decline was an equally steep GBP £859 to GBP £646, despite the move to larger screen sizes.

    Narrow the parameters to 1080p only and the price in the same reporting periods plummets from GBP£1660 to GBP£954.

    Other points arising from the GfK market monitor include:

    * In the small/ medium segment (up to 26"), the HD volume share increased from 37 to 63 per cent.

    * The Internet accounted for 29 per cent of HDTV sales in the first half of 2008, compared to 17 per cent purchasing all TVs.

    * In the 12 months to March 2006, 9 per cent of HDTV sales were for use in a household bedroom, compared to 85 per cent of sales intended for use in the living room. In 2008 – HDTV sales for use in a bedroom had risen to 19 per cent, while HDTV’s bought for the living room had dropped to 73 per cent.