Screen Digest back issues from December 2007:
Worldview.(Insight)(funding models for mobile TV)
Dec 01, 2007 ... It is a long time since any country scrapped its television licence fee, yet the possibility that the recently elected government in Poland may try to do so (377a1) somehow seems in keeping with the times. There are so many broadcast funding models that the idea of a mandatory and ...
True video-on-demand market: cable to dominate true VoD despite IPTV's current lead.(Focus)
Dec 01, 2007 ... [Television][Wired media][Satellite][On-line] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] * Sixty per cent of TV-based true VoD households are currently enabled through IPTV * By 2011 24m cable households will be enabled for true VoD * Over 1bn [euro] will be ...
Bundled discs to drive hi-def sales: promotional packages aimed at increasing hardware take-up.(Focus)
Dec 01, 2007 ... [Video] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] * Both hi-def groups have launched similar bundling promotions to boost hardware sales * Offers are broadly consistent, although titles vary by country * The bundle deals effectively discount the cost of players by ...
Online video viewing upward trend: audience are rising but not yet cannibalising traditional TV.(Focus)
Dec 01, 2007 ... [On-line][Television] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] * User-generated sites dominate the online video space but broadcasters struggle for audience share * Majority of user-generated video viewers are men whilst women watch more content from broadcasters ...
Activision meets Vivendi Games: very sound strategic fit could shake up games industry.(Focus)
Dec 01, 2007 ... [Games] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] * The proposed merger of Activision and Vivendi Games' Blizzard Entertainment is a perfect marriage between old and new games sectors * Activision is strong in console games, Vivendi in high-margin online and mobile games ...
DVD release rate fell during year: fewer titles appeared across all genres, including music and TV.(Focus)(Video recording review)
Dec 01, 2007 ... [Video] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] * DVD releases in the US are down 16 per cent year-to-date in 2007 * The main losses have been in the non-critical music and specialist interest categories . . . * ... although TV series and theatrical film ...
European split over digital cinema: Budapest conference votes on underlying principles.(Focus)(Conference news)
Dec 01, 2007 ... [Cinema][E-cinema] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] * Does not affect the existing business relationship between exhibition and distribution: 10 per cent agree * Do not want to see closure of cinemas due to introduction of digital: 75 per cent agree * ...
The business of football on TV: rights are now being split up to avoid monolithic operators.(Focus)
Dec 01, 2007 ... [Television][Wired media][Satellite] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] * France is selling off its forthcoming rights in 12 separate lots for different media * European Commission's competition rules favour the break-up of rights into smaller bundles * In ...
Prospects for growth of mobile TV: analysis of business models and structure of the value chain.(Profile)
Dec 01, 2007 ... 1 BUSINESS MODELS Operators have experimented with a variety of business models. TV on mobile can be paid per day, per week, per month, per megabyte, per minute, per channel and per package. Technology limitations, the pre-pay and contract subscriber base, usage patterns and ...
HD VMD players shipping in CE Europe and US.(GENERAL)
Dec 01, 2007 ... [Video] New Medium Enterprises (NME), the company behind third hi-def video format HD VMD, has started shipping HD VMD players in Central-Eastern Europe and the US through its local distribution arms. Slovakian consumer electronics (CE) company FKH Electronics (FKHE)--which NME acquired in ...
AccessIT launches second digital roll-out phase.(GENERAL)
Dec 01, 2007 ... US digital cinema facilitator AccessIT has officially launched a second phase of its North American roll-out on a further 10,000 screens. The roll-out will begin in first quarter 2008, with a time frame of three years and is based on the VPF model that they pioneered. It is finalising its ...
Fox re-introduces DVD rental window in UK.(GENERAL)
Dec 01, 2007 ... [Video] Twentieth Century-Fox Home Entertainment will re-introduce a rental window on a number of selected titles through 2008. The idea has been trialed with the release of Pathe's Black Christmas with a four-week rental window and a clear indication on the box that the title was rental ...
Arts Alliance signs up first exhibitor to EuroVPF.(GENERAL)
Dec 01, 2007 ... [Cinema] [E-cinema] UK digital distribution company Arts Alliance Media (AAM) has signed up the first exhibitor to its studio-backed Virtual Print Fee (VPF) roll-out plan for 7,000 screens in Europe. AAM has also signed a non-exclusive deal with Sony Pictures to supply films in digital ....
TDC signs three US exhibitors to digital network.(GENERAL)
Dec 01, 2007 ... [Cinema] [E-cinema] Technicolor Digital Cinema, a unit of Thomson media group, has signed three new exhibitors to its d-cinema scheme in North America: Clearview Cinemas, iPic Entertainment and Cinemaworld. Of these, Clearview Cinemas is the largest, within the top 20 cinema chains in the ...
Beowulf sustains 3D's superior returns.(GENERAL)
Dec 01, 2007 ... [Cinema] [E-cinema] Paramount's Beowulf, the fifth title to be released in the digital 3D cinema format, grossed a total of $27.5m in its opening weekend in the US market, of which approximately $11.5m--over 40 per cent--was attributed to 3D screenings. Screens using the RealD system (742 ...
US indie cinema grouping makes digital advance.(GENERAL)
Dec 01, 2007 ... [Cinema] [E-cinema] Cinema Buying Group, semi-autonomous digital cinema buying programme of National Assocation of Theater Owners (NATO), has selected four companies for the conversion of nearly 9,000 screens owned by members of CBG: AccessIT, Arts Alliance Media, Kodak and Digeserv. In ...
Korean exhibitors team up for digitisation.(GENERAL)
Dec 01, 2007 ... [Cinema] [E-cinema] A halted cinema digitisation process in Korea has been resolved, with two leading exhibitors establishing a joint-venture digital cinema facilitator for the Korean market. D-Cinema Korea is a joint vrnture between CJ CGV and Lotte Cinema, which own and control 36.4 per ...
Broadcasters fear mobile interference threat.(REGULATION)
Dec 01, 2007 ... [Television] [Wireless media] Governments have agreed a global frequency plan to allow for the development of new mobile and wireless communications services amid fears that some new services may conflict with digital terrestrial television (DTT). The International Telecommunications Union ...
EU and US mull international pact on piracy.(REGULATION)
Dec 01, 2007 ... [Piracy] [Video] Members of the European Union and the US are to enter negotiations on an international Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA). The treaty aims to create a high-level international framework, within which intellectual property protection and enforcement will be improved ...
France fights piracy with rights holders and ISPs.(REGULATION)
Dec 01, 2007 ... [Video] [Piracy] French authorities, together with ISPs and music and video rights holders, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to form an independent body with the power to suspend or terminate internet access of users persistently downloading content illegally. To create the body, ...
French regulator calls for mobile TV licensees.(REGULATION)
Dec 01, 2007 ... [Television] [Wireless media] French media regulator Conseil Superieur de l'Audiovisuel (CSA) has issued a call for applications for mobile TV service licences. A total of 16 licences are to be awarded. Already three licences have been reserved by public broadcaster France Televisions, ...
New law paves way for Czech DTT.(REGULATION)
Dec 01, 2007 ... [Television] A new law on digital terrestrial television (DTT) has been passed by the Czech Republic, paving the way for the launch of eight new national TV channels and setting a date for analogue switch-off in 2010. The law will come into force in January. Six new channels--Febio TV, TV ...
Google unveils mobile market plans.(BUSINESS)
Dec 01, 2007 ... [Wireless media] Thirty-four companies have unveiled plans to develop a new mobile platform under the Open Handset Alliance (OHA). Led by Google, the alliance is overseeing the development of the Android mobile operating system (OS). The platform will be available under version 2 of the ...
Bebo opens network to video content owners.(BUSINESS)
Dec 01, 2007 ... [On-line] [Video] Bebo, the largest social network in the UK and third largest in the US, has launched an initiative called Open Media, which allows content owners to distribute video using the site. Rights holders can sign up at no cost and, importantly, can integrate their own players ...
French league launches new rights tender.(BUSINESS)(Ligue de football professionel)(Brief article)
Dec 01, 2007 ... [Television] [Sport] France's Ligue de football professionel (LFP) has launched a new tender for the rights to Ligue 1, which come up for renewal from next season. Rights will be sold for four years 2008-2012 and have been offered in 12 packages. Previously rights were offered for three ...
Italy launches TV frequency tender process.(BUSINESS)(Brief article)
Dec 01, 2007 ... [Television] Italian government has launched a licensing process for terrestrial television which will be the first formal procedure of its kind. A statement by the Ministry of Communications, which announced the process on 16 November, said the aim was to end 'the Wild West situation of ...
US rental kiosks outnumber Blockbuster stores.(BUSINESS)
Dec 01, 2007 ... [Video] DVD rental vending service Redbox, a joint venture between the McDonald's restaurant chain and US manufacturer of vending machines Coinstar, has installed its 6,000th kiosk this month (December). The number of Redbox kiosks now exceeds that of Blockbuster rental stores in terms of ...
RTL steps further into Russia.(BUSINESS)(Brief article)
Dec 01, 2007 ... [Television] [Wired media] [Satellite] RTL Group, Europe's largest commercial broadcaster, has signed a joint venture with Luxembourg company Continental Finance Group (CFG) to set up and operate cable and satellite channels in Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). RTL ...
TDF extends reach in Euro mobile TV market.(BUSINESS)
Dec 01, 2007 ... [Wireless media] [Television] TDF is about to acquire broadcast mobile TV technology enabler and Deutsche Telekom subsidiary T-Sytems Media & Broadcast for 0.85bn [euro]. Through this acquisition, TDF will inherit control over the German mobile TV market with a newly deployed T-DMB network ...
New Polish government may scrap TV licence.(BUSINESS)
Dec 01, 2007 ... [Television] A statement that the new prime minister of Poland, Donald Tusk, would try to scrap the radio and TV licence fee, has sparked a debate not only about the fee but about the whole issue of public funding for broadcasting. Tusk's party, Platforma Obywatelska, won the general ...
Telenet expands cable reach in Flanders.(BUSINESS)
Dec 01, 2007 ... [Wired media] Belgian cable operator Telenet will become the sole operator in the Flemish region of Belgium after hammering out a deal with a rival consortium of cable networks under the Interkabel umbrella. Telenet will acquire rights to use the networks of Integan, Intermedia, PBE and ...
Tivo to enter Media Centre PC market.(BUSINESS)
Dec 01, 2007 ... [Television] [On-line] Tivo, the US-based subscription personal video recorder (PVR) service for pay TV, plans to partner Nero, a European supplier of CD/DVD writing applications for PCs. The proposed venture will result in a software version of Tivo's TV service integrated into upcoming ...
Warner signs new Chinese distribution partners.(BUSINESS)(CAV Warner Home Entertainment)(Paramount Pictures Corp.)(DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc.)
Dec 01, 2007 ... [Video] Paramount and DreamWorks Animation have entered into a distribution agreement with Warner aimed at enabling them to compete with pirated product in China. Starting on 1 November 2007 with the release of Paramount's Transformers, the studios will be selling key titles for as little ...
Price cuts and bundling offers before Christmas.(MARKETS)
Dec 01, 2007 ... [Video] Consumer electronics manufacturers, mass market retailers and both hi-def video formats' promotional groups are working together to drive Blu-ray Disc (BD) and HD DVD consumer adoption during the Christmas shopping season. * A critical consumer price point was reached ...
Sky hits million DSL broadband customers.(MARKETS)
Dec 01, 2007 ... [Satellite] [On-line] Pay TV operator BSkyB has reported 1m DSL broadband customers to its Sky Broadband offer since launching mid July 2006. Access is offered only to pay TV subscribers and is provided in areas covered by subsidiary Easynet's unbundled (LLU) network as well as in non-LLU ...
Broadcasters confirm joint online TV venture.(MARKETS)
Dec 01, 2007 ... [Television] [On-line] Channel Four, ITV and BBC Worldwide, the commercial arm of the BBC, have confirmed details of their joint online television service, first reported in June 2007. Currently named Kangaroo, the platform will contain over 10,000 hours of programming, including catch-up ...
Estonia launches third national DTT multiplex.(PRODUCTS)
Dec 01, 2007 ... [Television] Estonian TV and radio network operator Levira launched the third digital terrestrial television (DTT) multiplex on 26 November 2007. The network covers 97 per cent of the country and this will be extended to 100 per cent in the summer. Main public channel ETV will transfer to ...
Dutch video service to expand internationally.(PRODUCTS)
Dec 01, 2007 ... [Video] A Dutch version of online video service Maxdome is planned for second quarter 2008. The German version of the platform--a joint venture between ProSiebenSat.1 group and United Internet--is accessible to internet-connected PCs and STB owners. In contrast, the platform in the ...
Online video service Hulu beta launches.(PRODUCTS)
Dec 01, 2007 ... [On-line] [Video] Online video service Hulu, a joint platform set up by News Corporation and NBC Universal, has launched in private beta in US. Content is available free of charge, supported by advertising. Currently videos are viewable through the Hulu site, and the platform's content is ...
RealNetworks player allows non-DRM downloads.(PRODUCTS)
Dec 01, 2007 ... [Video] [On-line] Digital entertainment company RealNetworks will release an updated paid version of RealPlayer in UK, called RealPlayer Plus. The player enables the download of non-DRM (Digital Rights Management) protected online video content to iPods, which it is hoped will extend ...
Telefonica and Sogecable launch triple-play.(PRODUCTS)
Dec 01, 2007 ... [Television] [On-line] Telefonica, Spain's major telephone company, and pay TV operator Sogecable have launched triple-play product Trio Plus, combining the Digital Plus pay TV package with 3 Mbps broadband access and flat-rate local and national telephone calls. The offering, announced ...
Hong Kong launches 1000Mbps fibre broadband.(PRODUCTS)
Dec 01, 2007 ... [Wired media] Incumbent telco in Hong Kong, PCCW, has launched bundled IPTV, fibre and wireless broadband packages. The 1000M product, under the Netvigator brand, combines high definition IPTV services and a fibre broadband connection up to 1000 Mbps downstream, with 3G-HSDPA mobile ...
Sogecable brings HDTV to Spain.(PRODUCTS)
Dec 01, 2007 ... [Television] Sogecable will introduce HDTV early next year. Canal Plus HD will debut in January 2008, on its satellite platform Digital Plus as a soft launch. Details and date of the full commercial launch are yet to be confirmed. The HD content will be available through the iPlus box, the ...
Warner rolls out branded VoD channels.(PRODUCTS)
Dec 01, 2007 ... [Television] [On-line] Warner Bros is to launch branded video-on-demand services on a variety of platforms around the world, offering its TV series direct to users on an advertising and subscription basis. Called Warner TV, the service has already launched in the UK on Virgin Media and BT ...
Chinese drive to promote local film circulation.(PRODUCTS)(Brief article)
Dec 01, 2007 ... [Film] [Cinema] Initiative has been set up by five major cinema circuits in China to screen local language films exclusively across prime screens in China. Provisionally named Chinese Film Union, the network formed by Shanghai United Circuit, Stellar Megamedia Circuit, Wanda Cinema Circuit ...
Sony launches online store for PSP games.(PRODUCTS)
Dec 01, 2007 ... [Games] [On-line] Sony has launched a version of PlayStation Store that enables PSP owners to purchase and download premium content via a PC. Previously PSP owners required a PS3 console to download PlayStation Store content to their PSPs. The service is available in all major territories ....
Blu-ray's BD+ integrity threatened.(TECHNOLOGY)
Dec 01, 2007 ... [Video] Blu-ray Disc (BD)'s additional copy protection software BD+, the DRM system finalised in June 2007, may already have been compromised. SlySoft, the company behind disc-ripping products AnyDVD and CloneDVD, has developed a new beta version of its AnyDVD HD software, which it claims ...
New chip technology for cheap hi-def players.(TECHNOLOGY)
Dec 01, 2007 ... [Video] Chip that promises lower cost combi HD DVD/Blu-ray Disc player has been announced by Horizon Semiconductors. The firm claims to have created the first 'system-on-a-chip' (SoC) technology that enables dual-channel native 1080/60p (1080p) decoding, encoding and transcoding for both ...
Mergers, takeovers and investments.(Business)
Dec 01, 2007 ... <Pre> Mergers, takeovers and investments Big Fish GamesLeading casual games developer and USA; no telephone revealeddistributor acquired Thinglefin, a www.bigfishgames.com casual massively multiplayer game ...
On the money markets.(Business)
Dec 01, 2007 ... <Pre> On the money markets DQ Entertainment Indian gaming and animation company India; +91/4023 553 726 is to float on London's Alternative www.dqentertainment.com Investment Market (AIM). It hopes ...
Contents deals.(Business)(Table)
Dec 01, 2007 ... <Pre> Contents deals Bell Canadian mobile operator has become Canada; +1/888 932 6666 the first North American operator www.bell.ca to offer album downloads as part...
Technology deals.(Business)(Table)
Dec 01, 2007 ... <Pre> Technology deals BigBand Networks Broadband infrastructure firm has USA; +1/650 995 5000 signed up five additional Chinese www.bigbandnet.comcable operators to provide its ...
Events diary.(Calendar)
Dec 01, 2007 ... Markets & exhibitions 2008 Int CES Las Vegas, 7-10 January 2008; CEA; t +1/866 233 7968; www.cesweb.org PTC'08 Honolulu, 13-16 January 2008; Pacific Telecommunications Council; t +1/808 941 3789; f +1/808 944 4874; e info@ptc.org; www.ptc.org Midem ...
On unintentionally stifling content.(Insight: PERSPECTIVE)
Dec 01, 2007 ... Tivo is to put out its PVR software in a PC version, bundled with DVD authoring software from Nero, getting TV software straight onto home PCs. Tivo operates a subscription PVR service that helps record, find and keep track of broadcast TV content on a set-top box. Currently, the installed ...
On becoming as professional as the pirates.(Insight: PERSPECTIVE)
Dec 01, 2007 ... The more time goes by, the more it looks like the movie industry is going to send itself down the same path as the record industry. Pirates have traditionally done business on market stalls, wandering around the local pub, etc. The internet changed this. The web has transformed the ...