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  • Video, music and celebrity gossip on new app for iPhone

    Free vSNAX Videos application offers the latest from MTV Networks and more to iPhone and iPod Touch

    Rhythm NewMedia, a leader in mobile video, has announced the availability of the free vSNAX Videos native iPhone application on the Apple App Store.

    vSNAX Videos promises to deliver mobile video clips to iPhone and iPod touch users from more than 20 premium media partners including AccuWeather.com, Ford Models, Ripe TV, and MTV Networks’ VH1, Spike and GameTrailers.

    Refreshed throughout the day it will offer the latest celebrity gossip, TV show highlights, breaking news, national weather forecasts, fashion and comedy clips.

    Jim Morris, chief product officer of Rhythm NewMedia, which developed vSNAX Videos, said the iPhone allows for “significant improvement” in the way customers experience and consume videos on their mobile devices.

    “We’re excited to launch vSNAX Videos and fully expect users to continue to devour more and more snack size video clips on their iPhones,” he said.
    “vSNAX Videos brings mobile viewing to an entirely new level by using the iPhone’s groundbreaking Multi-Touch user interface so, for the first time, iPhone owners are able to continue to watch their video clip while simultaneously swiping through thumbnails to pick their next selection,” he said.

    vSNAX Videos will be available exclusively in the US and can be downloaded for free from Apple’s App Store on iPhone and iPod touch.

    Alice Kim, senior vice president, Digital Distribution and Partner Relations, MTV Networks, said: “With vSNAX, we’re expanding the industry-leading reach of our mobile video portfolio, serving up content to the consumer that is both engaging and free, on two industry changing devices.”

  • Soaps at the fore of switch to HD

    British soaps lead the changeover to high definition – Emmerdale makes the transition

    Emmerdale has become the British network ITV’s first soap production to be recorded in high def.
    It joins Channel 4’s Hollyoaks and the BBC’s Doctors, while the long-running Coronation Street is expected to make the change from SD shortly.

    ITV Productions spent half a million pounds on new studio cameras and lenses for Emmerdale’s leap to HD, investing in eight Ikegami HDK-79EXIII HD cameras with Canon HD lenses.

    It was reported that stars of the soap were concerned about the show’s transition, worried that the new HD video would draw attention to facial wrinkles.
    Lucy Pargeter – Chastity Dingle on the soap – said: “We all held our breath because we’d heard all the horror stories. However, it was fine – if you don’t look too closely.”

    A number of different HD cameras and lenses were tested over a six-month period from June 2007. Different technologies from manufacturers were mixed and matched and trials were done using on-screen talent and the Emmerdale sets.

  • Glorious HDTV – no strings attached

    Belkin announces wireless HD transmitter that gives 1080p resolution to any HDTV in the home

    It seems such a shame to have a wonderful sleek new HDTV only to be restricted in where you can place – or suffer an unsightly trail of cable and clutter.

    Now Belkin have come up with a solution – albeit at a price – that wirelessly connects devices such as Blu-ray players, receivers, video-game consoles, and set-top boxes to HDTVs and projectors, transmitting a high-definition 1080p True Cinema picture resolution.

    The FlyWire wireless HDMI hub, which uses the 5GHz band to output a full 1080p signal, cost US$999.99 for the full version, which can broadcast around a typical home.

    There’s also a smaller single-room alternative – the FlyWire R1 – which comes in at US$699.99.
    Hanoz Gandhi, VP of Products for Belkin, said the device the limitations as to where HDTVs can be placed and a room littered with cables.

    The company says that as FlyWire does not compress video, it transmits content without lag – definitely a must for gaming.
    FlyWire’s SD card slot also allows for upgrade and expansion options.

    Inputs include three HDMI, two component and one composite. There is also an HDMI output.
    It automatically finds a clear channel to operate on, so minimising interference with other wireless devices.
    FlyWire will be available this October, with the R1 expected in early 2009. UK availability and pricing is still to be announced.

  • iPhone users "unique" in their mobile behaviour

    Study shows that US iPhone users are five times more likely to access mobile internet than average mobile consumer

    The Apple 3G iPhone will change the mobile behaviour of users and alter consumer expectations for phone capabilities.
    That’s according to a report by analysts Nielsen Mobile which looks at the worldwide state of the mobile web.

    The study says that its growth is due to a combination of increasing numbers of user friendly handsets, higher speed networks and unlimited data packages.
    It then goes on to describe the mobile web as having reached a “critical mass” of users this year.

    But it singles out the iPhone – despite being the second most popular device among mobile users in the US after Motorola’s RAZR – for special mention.

    The report says the device’s impact is amplified by the increased awareness its marketing campaign and buzz has driven.
    “As a result, demand for advanced data services and more robust mobile media-focused handsets has increased.

    “iPhone users, a small but growing segment of the overall mobile audience, are unique in their mobile behaviour.
    “For instance, 82 per cent of iPhone users access the mobile Internet, making them five times as likely to do so as the average mobile consumer.”

    The report goes on to say that, so far, the iPhone population had self-selected through price point as early adopters, describing them as “über media consumers”.
    But it adds that as the price point lowers for this device and penetration increases to include more average consumers, the high data usage of iPhone users may be diluted.

    “At the same time, we expect that the powerful user interface and increasing network speeds will continue to change the behaviours of many iPhone purchasers.
    “Fundamentally, the iPhone, and competitive devices, will also affect consumer expectations for phone capabilities.”

  • Smartphone? Most people just want a camera, Bluetooth and music

    Research shows that cameras, bluetooth, and music top consumers’ lists as “must have” features on mobile phones

    The function-packed Apple iPhone 3G may about to be released to the world but many consumers say they just want a mobile that’s a phone
    Clint Wheelock, vice president and chief research officer for ABI Research, said: “It’s still a voice-centric world. Consumers across all mature markets still choose their mobile operator based on ‘the basics’: price, friends/family on the same network, and network coverage.”

    Speaking after the publication of an ABI Research consumer survey, Wheelock said the findings showed that digital camera functionality, Bluetooth connectivity, and music/radio playback on mobile phones were the top three features that people consider essential for the next mobile phone they will purchase.
    The desire for camera phones with 2+ megapixels leads the pack with 47 per cent of consumers listing this feature as a “must have,” followed by Bluetooth at 34 per cent and music/FM radio functionality at 32 per cent.

    Games and Internet access are also high on the list of features that subscribers have on their phones, but never use.
    “Many mobile data and multimedia services are failing to reach the mainstream not because they’re unavailable, but because they fail to provide a satisfactory user experience and pricing model for most consumers,” said Wheelock.

    However, he said the survey results identified some “surprising differences” between markets.
    “Camera phones, for example, were more than twice as important for consumers in Taiwan versus those in the US,” he said.
    “Similarly, Bluetooth is considered essential by mobile subscribers in Western Europe and Taiwan, but penetration of this feature is very low in Japan and South Korea, so it’s of little importance to consumers in those countries.”

    Other key findings from ABI Research’s global wireless consumer survey of 1,402 current wireless subscribers in seven countries, are as follows:

    * The three most common features that subscribers have on their current mobile phones are: games (64%), Internet access (61%), and 2+ megapixel cameras (58%).
    * The handset features that are least likely to be regarded as essential are: Wi-Fi, mobile TV, and games.

    Click here for full information on the ABI Research brief Wireless Subscriber Profiles and Preferences.

  • HDTV to follow lead of smartphone

    In the same way that mobiles will all soon be “smartphones”, HDTV will simply become “TV”

    BY 2015 nobody will refer to “high definition” TV because HD will be the standard form of free television everywhere.
    But the HD broadcast offering in Europe will largely remain patchy during the intervening transition period, according to a report by Screen Digest.
    The study says HDTV will mainly develop as a pay TV product in Europe over the next five years – and mostly as a satellite product.

    A major factor for this is the lack of HD on free-to-air platforms, with only Sweden having already launched HD on free DTT and only France and the UK likely to follow in the short-mid-term.

    The report says that despite its name, Freesat HD has a disappointing HD line-up and is not likely to make a strong market impact in the UK.
    Other barriers to HDTV uptake are a lack of local HD channels in many countries, with pay TV operators relying mostly on US HD channels supply so far.
    The study concludes that a number of European pay TV operators “lack of ambition” when it comes to HDTV.

    In the report, HDTV 2008: Global Uptake, Strategies and Business Models, three critical success factors that will support the successful migration to HDTV are identified:
    – penetration of HD-ready displays
    – supply of HD content and HD channels
    – the availability of HD broadcast on a variety of television platforms.

    The report shows that all these are now cleared for a sustainable migration to HD in the long term.
    But it adds: “In the next five years, HDTV will mainly develop as a pay TV product in Europe, and mostly a satellite product.
    “However after analogue switch-offs are completed between 2010 and 2012, and digital free-to-air platforms are upgraded to more advanced technologies, they will end-up with more bandwidth capacity and become more widely accessible.”

    This, says the report, will kick-start the next phase of HDTV migration as HD becomes the mainstream and ultimately, the standard form of free television around the middle of next decade.

    There is a clear connection between the depth of the HD offerings and the take up of HD by subscribers, according to the study.
    It says that HD has not been pushed hard enough yet by many of Europe’s pay TV operators despite being used heavily as a marketing tool.
    The problem is that this isn’t followed through with the delivery of HD channels.
    Premiere in Germany still only offers two HD channels and its HD uptake is sluggish.
    By contrast BSkyB has now 17 HD channels covering all genres, and on the back of this has signed up almost 500,000 subscribers in less than two years – the fastest take-up of any new BSkyB product.
    The report says that in European pay TV markets that show signs of maturity, operators can use HD to drive ARPU, increase loyalty and reduce churn rates.
    HDTV can also drive pay TV acquisition, as new owners of HD-ready sets are frustrated by the lack of free HD sources.
    “Pay TV operators should therefore seize this window of opportunity before free TV eventually accommodates more HD,” says the report.

    The report also says that small and medium sized pay-TV operators might benefit from reduced costs of transmission and release bigger capacity by migrating their subscribers to MPEG4 at an early stage.

    Click here to view the report summary and its key findings

  • 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.