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Tag: hdtv

  • The iPhone takes on new role as universal remote control


    A new application is to go on sale in July that turns the iPhone into an all-purpose remote control capable of operating everything from your HDTV to audio, video and lighting.
    While the iPhone is popular as an interface for home-control systems such as home automation (HAI, Savant), multiroom audio (SpeakerCraft) and media servers (Sooloos), so far there hasn’t been a low-cost solution for using the iPhone (or iPod Touch) as an ordinary universal remote control.
    Now London-based integrator, Steve Moore, has launched the AirRemote application which he modestly describes as “the greatest little TV remote you’ve ever used”.
    The setup includes the AirRemote software and a communications box from Global Cache, which can turn the iPhone’s IP commands into signals to operate an array of home electronics devices.
    “The beauty of the iPod Touch or iPhone versus other tablets is that it has bullet-proof Wi-Fi, doesn’t need to wait for Windows to boot up, and can be held in a hand,” Moore told CE Pro.
    “And they sell loads of them so they cost almost nothing.”
    AirRemote will be available from July 11th exclusively from the iPhone App store for $99. The Global Cache transmitter will retail for about $100.

  • Geek Brief star calls for low-cost live streaming hardware to satisfy growing network of internet broadcasters


    First there were YouTube videos and podcasts made on webcams and camcorders, now there’s a growing network of video-podcasters streaming out near-professional HDTV quality live shows.
    Some – like Leo Laporte and Diggnations’s Kevin and Alex – attract many thousands of viewers to their live network-style webcasts using portable productions systems such as Tricaster.
    Yet while this technology has plumetted in price it’s still out of the reach of the new generation of low-budget producers – everyone from churches and community organisations to individual bloggers.
    Now the American internet podcaster Cali Lewis has launched an appeal on her popular Geek Brief show.
    She is calling for someone in the industry to come up with switching hardware aimed at this emerging market.
    On her latest webcast Cali explained about technical problems they have encountered while streaming live using multiple cameras and admitted they had hit a “roadblock” in terms of finding a solution.
    Having researched options such as Sony’s AnyCast (“too expensive”) and Datavideo SE-800 (cheaper but doesn’t “fit the mission”) Geek Brief is currently testing different software set-ups.
    These include Mike Versteeg’s VidBlaster, which he is working so it can be used with streaming services like Ustream.TV.
    But Cali said what was really needed was an “elegant solution that works for us and folks not able to drop $10,000 on a Tricaster”.
    She added: “We are interested in streaming because it’s fun and difficult to do well. It’s especially hard to do well without spending some pretty big bucks.
    “But there is a real opportunity for someone to build a hardware solution specifically for this emerging market.”
    It would seem like a reasonable call and one that offers great opportunities for anyone able to offer a solution.

  • Hispanics in the US more likely to buy HDTV in next 12 months than non-Hispanics


    Twenty-eight per cent of Hispanics questioned in a US survey say they will buy a large-screen television or HDTV in the next 12 months.
    They also say that TV advertising is the medium that mostly influenced their decision, according to research by Vertis Communications.
    This compares to just 23 per cent of non-Hispanics planning to purchase a large-screen or HDTV in the next 12 months.
    The study – Customer Focus® OPINIONES – also showed that Hispanics found inserts and circulars to be the second most influential form of advertising.
    Internet marketing was the third-most selected medium.
    Scott Marden, director of marketing research for Vertis Communications, said the data proved that multi-channel campaigns were marketers’ best options for swaying Hispanic consumers.
    “Hispanics are increasingly becoming more reliant on the Internet and other forms of technologically advanced marketing—including cell phone and e-mail campaigns—to gather information on products prior to making buying decisions,” he said.
    “While this portends a greater focus on online media, it is crucial for marketers to consider a multi-channel effort when motivating Hispanic consumers to make purchase decisions.
    “Television and direct mail should be cornerstones, along with Web advertising, of any multicultural marketing plan.”

  • Europe must think globally if it wants to catch up with the US and Japan in HDTV


    If Europe wants to benefit from the growing HDTV market, broadcasters and production companies must take a broader view.
    That is the advice of Jaume Rey, director of Professional & Broadcast IT Systems Business Unit (PBITS), part of the Panasonic group.
    Speaking at a conference on “HD content in Europe”, he urged those involved in producing TV programmes to look beyond local markets.
    He noted that while European consumers have embraced HD acquisition technology, many viewers are still watching television on SD sets.
    “HD has expanded extensively throughout Europe in recent years and is now present almost everywhere,” he said.
    “The US and Japan are ahead of us in Europe though some European countries, such as the UK, France, and the Scandinavian countries have already invested and adopted the HD technology.
    “In countries such as Spain, broadcasters and production companies must show a lead in the introduction of HD.
    "In a growing market, manufacturers need to think globally instead of locally where content production and distribution is concerned.”
    Mr Rey said examples of innovative video distribution such as YouTube illustrated the wider view required and European countries should play a key role on this development because of the rich resources of the European cultural heritage.
    “Spain, in particular, with a 400 million potential market of Spanish speakers globally, should play a leading part,” he said.
    He was delivering the keynote speech at the Universitat de València CONTD Conference in València, Spain.
    Mr Rey ended his speech by pointing to a future in which HD technology will feed into a much wider range of productions, including videogames and virtual reality content production, as well as archive AV solutions.

  • Soccer fans enjoy ITV's first HD programming as Euro 2008 matches broadcast on Freesat


    The UK’s ITV network has launched its HD service on Freesat by broadcasting the opening games from Euro 2008.
    Freesat is a subscription-free, digital satellite TV service from ITV and the BBC.
    Viewers can see all the games the BBC has rights to in high definition on Virgin Media and Sky, but ITV announced that its debut HD programmes would be matches on the opening few days of the football tournament.
    The first HD offering from ITV was the Portugal v Turkey match on Saturday.
    Following this, ITV’s games through to the 13th of June will also be available in high definition, by pressing the red button on ITV1 when viewing on Freesat.
    Although Euro 2008 will occupy the channel for the next few weeks, Simon Fell, Controller Emerging Technologies, ITV Consumer, said there would also be HD coverage of England football internationals, the Champions League football and selected dramas.
    Speaking at Understanding and Solutions’ Driving Digital Content event, Mr Fell said the red button strategy was made necessary by the structure of the ITV Network. “We’re a regional business funded by advertising and that’s the model we have to keep to,” he said.
    Once an HD broadcast has completed, viewers will be returned to their local ITV region.

  • Japan's HD offerings boosted by launch of new VOD service

    The growing market for high definition television in Japan has received a further boost with the start of a VOD service by the country’s largest retail chain, Tsutaya.
    Users will be able to download titles from home using the acTVila portal that is popular on Japanese plasma and LCD HDTVs.
    They will have 48 hours to watch the films or TV shows as many times as they want.
    The new service from Tsutaya, which counts 27.2 million members at its 1,330 branches across Japan, is the latest sign of the growing popularity of HDTV in the country.
    The retailer plans to make deals with four Hollywood studios – Paramount, Warner Brothers, Walt Disney and NBC Universal – to expand its available online library to 2,000 titles by the end of the year.
    It added that high-speed fiber-optic connections are required for use of the service – which are currently available in about a quarter of Japan’s 48 million homes.
    The service launched with downloads of the first season of hit US series “Heroes”, “Lost” and “Desperate Housewives”.
    Each full length movie will cost 735 yen (about $7 USD) with other prices still to be announced
    Tsutaya hopes that the new service will pull in more customers with higher disposable incomes in the 40-50 age range.
    AcTVila was developed by Japan’s major television makers – Sharp, Sony, Matsushita, Toshiba and Hitachi – and is compatible with several dozen models of plasma or liquid crystal display sets.

  • Leading HDTV manufacturers take legal action against Vizio over patents


    Mitsubishi, Samsung, Sony, and Philips have filed a patent suit against low-cost HDTV maker Vizio claiming the company is violating 15 patents key to supporting MPEG-2 video in its products.
    The legal action is seeking an order to prevent Vizio from using the patents, as well as financial compensation.
    According to the complaint – other parties to which also include Columbia University of New York, Victor Co. of Japan, and Thompson – the individual companies have pursued Vizio about licensing the patents, but the company has refused to deal with them.
    It is claimed that Vizio has also declined to discuss the matter with the MPEG Licensing Authority trade group.
    In response to the suit, which was filed in federal court in Manhattan on June 2, Vizio said it doesn’t need licenses for the MPEG-2 patents.
    It claims its suppliers have licensed the patents and those licenses extend to Vizio’s products.
    The company said it will fight the suit and expects its partners will support and cooperate in the defence.
    Earlier this year, the MPEG LA trade group filed suit against Target over its Tru-tech brand of televisions (PDF) on similar patent infringement claims.
    Vizio has made a name for itself in the US by selling comparatively low-cost high-definition televisions through mass retailers like Wal-mart, Costco, and Circuit City, often substantially undercutting prices for similarly-featured models from competitors. During the first quarter of 2008, Vizio was ranked as the number three seller of LCD televisions by DisplaySearch and iSuppli.

  • Chinese firm launches USB dongle for live HDTV


    European viewers can now watch live high-definition television programming on their mobile devices using a USB TV dongle developed by the Chinese company Aigo.
    The dongle, first released for the Chinese market in April, is compatible with European HDTV standards.
    It will enable users to watch live HDTV on their laptops, desktop computers, portable video players and portable navigation (GPS) devices.
    Viewers simply plug the device into their PC or portable video player’s USB port to capture HD programming wirelessly from local TV stations.
    Feng Jun, president and founder of Aigo, said: “People across China, and now also in Europe, will have access to live HDTV on their laptops and portable video players.”
    The new product costs approximately USD 100 and requires no subscription fee.
    Legend Silicon was involved in the design of the dongle receiver.
    The company, in conjunction with Intel, has been working with laptop computer manufacturers and USB dongle receiver manufacturers to build an ecosystem that promotes HDTV on laptops.
    A key element of this has been the Intel Centrino platform, whch has advantages in supporting mobile HDTV on laptops.
    The platform allows speedy decoding and smooth displaying of HDTV and is capable of running multiple tasks while displaying a TGV program.
    The Centrino platform’s low power consumption technology makes the laptop thinner, lighter and offers a longer battery life, as well as improved mobile reception.
    In addition, advanced wireless technology offers a smooth upstream channel, allowing audiences to interact with programs that they are watching.
    Major laptop manufacturers have shown their willingness to collaborate with Legend Silicon and Intel to promote this new usage model.
    Lenovo, HP, ASUS, Sony, Samsung, Toshiba, among other major brands, all agree that the advanced Intel Centrino platform, integrated with the HDTV DTTB USB dongle, will expand the multimedia and entertainment functionality of laptops.
    The HDTV viewing feature is expected to be a stimulus for laptop sales.
    Aigo, a brand of Beijing Huaqi Information Digital Technology Co. Ltd, is headquartered in Beijing’s Zhong Guan Cun – a technology hub known as the “Silicon Valley of China”.
    Founded in 1993, the company has established itself as China’s strongest consumer electronics brand through aggressive R&D investment, coupled with strong marketing and branding.
    It is the first Chinese partner of the F1 McLaren Mercedes team (Hamilton, Alonso),
    Huaqi sales revenue has increased 60 per cent annually for the last decade. Its products are exported to North America, South America, Europe, SE Asia and various other regions.

  • Blu-ray awareness and potential rising in the US but barriers remain


    High cost and a belief that standard-definition DVD is “good enough” are the main barriers to US consumers purchasing Blu-ray players.
    These are the conclusions of a study by the NPD Group, which found that manufacturers still face challenges despite rising awareness of Blu-ray.
    The market research company found that 45 per cent of HDTV owners in the US now claim to be familiar with Blu-ray Disc (BD), up from 35 percent in June 2007.
    And, while only 6 per cent of all consumers surveyed said they plan to purchase a BD device in the next six months, NPD found purchase intent to be higher among the growing population of HDTV owners, boding well for the future of the format.
    The report reveals that 9 per cent of HDTV owners plan to buy a BD-capable player in the next six months.
    Russ Crupnick, entertainment industry analyst for NPD, said: “With HDTVs now in approximately 40 million US households, that percentage translates to a pool of almost 4 million potential BD player buyers.”
    While manufacturers still face the challenge of convincing some consumers to ditch standard-definition DVD players and content, those who do appear pleased with the move.
    Consumers who purchased a BD set-top player cited “leading-edge technology” and a “superior viewing experience” as primary reasons for making the purchase.
    And they indicated a clear preference for BD content. In fact current BD set-top player owners expect that 80 per cent of their upcoming purchases will be in BD rather than standard DVD.
    By comparison, 43 per cent of PS3 owners use the BD capability in their consoles at least once a month; however, they do not view BD movies as often as set-top device owners do.
    “The door is open for studios to feed the consumer’s appetite for Blu-ray content, and we expect sales to increase, as prices for hardware and software moderate in the coming months,” said Crupnick.
    “Even so it will take a concerted effort by manufacturers and retailers to ratchet awareness even further and convince all of those potential buyers of the superiority of Blu-ray Disc versus standard DVD.”

  • Higher sales of HD devices helps TiVo report soaring Q1 profits


    Digital video recorder maker TiVo has reported soaring income for the first quarter of 2008 boosted by higher sales of HD devices and reduced advertising costs.
    The California-based company said it earned $3.6 million, or 4 cents per share, for the three months ending April 30.
    This is up from a profit of $835,000, or 1 cent per share, in the same period a year earlier.
    Revenue totalled $54.9 million, down 5.5 per cent from $58.1 million for the same period last year.
    Tom Rogers, President and CEO of TiVo, said the most significant activity being worked on to boost stand-alone sales of HD devices was relationships with third parties.
    He said tests were begun last quarter with bundling with HDTV set sales.
    This was working either directly with a consumer electronics manufacturer or retailers on the bundling of the TiVo sales and potential content partners who have particular reasons to see TiVo sales driven.
    “Several of the bundling programs we ran during the quarter were promising, increasing sales for both TiVo and the consumer electronic manufacturer, while allowing us to acquire subs at lower costs.
    “For example, we ran a bundle in conjunction with Amazon.com and Mitsubishi that increased not only TiVo sales but Mitsubishi’s as well.”
    Rogers said an expansion of these bundling efforts was planned and he was hopeful that the early successes would translate on a broader scale.