Screen Digest back issues from March 2008:
Worldview.(Insight)
Mar 01, 2008 ... The effects are still being felt in the aftermath of the collapse of HD DVD as a contender in the high-definition video stakes. The coup de grace has been administered by Toshiba, the format's principal manufacturing proponent, which has ceased to make and ship any more players (85b1) ....
United under the Blu-ray banner: single hi-def format changes early hi-def market development.(Focus)
Mar 01, 2008 ... [Video] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] * Format war has encouraged the rapid decline in hi-def hardware prices * HD DVD withdrawal raises the price of entry-level players * Evolving and differing BD 'profiles' may make PS3 the BD player of choice among ...
Rapid on-demand growth in Europe: increased availability of content has altered the PPV landscape.(Focus)
Mar 01, 2008 ... [Television][Wired media][Satellite] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] * Total PPV revenues in Europe reached over 1bn [euro] in 2007 * Blockbuster films dominate PPV currently, though the long tail effect will see their market share diminish * VoD will ...
Nascent digital 3d screen base: European interest in 3D exhibition picks up pace.(Focus)
Mar 01, 2008 ... [Film][Cinema] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] * The number of screens with digital 3D capability increased five-fold in 2007 * Among equipment manufacturers RealD retains an overwhelming market share * Disney is the leading studio for 3D releases but ...
European pay TV giants hold sway: key DTH groups face continuing challenges for pay TV rights.(Focus)
Mar 01, 2008 ... [Television] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] * All pay TV platforms are trying to widen their range of services as subscriber growth starts to level off * BSkyB reported a second half loss, whilst Sky Italia moved into operating profit for the first time ...
DSL broadband in Europe's big five: local loop unbundlers begin to erode incumbents' market share.(Focus)
Mar 01, 2008 ... [Wired media] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] * Further acquisitions in the UK, Germany, Spain in 2007 lead to consolidation of the Big Five markets * BT and Deutsche Telekom's domestic retail broadband market shares increased; Telecom Italia's fell * ...
Campaign changes views on piracy: survey shows shift in public perception of copyright theft.(Focus)
Mar 01, 2008 ... [Video][Piracy] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] * More than a third of consumers considered the purchase of illegal DVDs to be embarrassing * The proportion of respondents purchasing or borrowing illegal DVDs has declined since May 2007 * More than half ...
Mobile world congress feedback: mobile industry still fixated on delivery technology.(Focus)
Mar 01, 2008 ... [Wireless media] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] * New delivery technologies (WiMAX, LTE and femtocells) are on show and the handset landscape changes: * Microsoft buys Danger, touch screen phones arrive en masse, prototypes of Google Android devices shown ...
EA bids cash to acquire take-two: evidence of continuing consolidation in the games industry.(Focus)
Mar 01, 2008 ... [Games] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] * EA takeover is good fit and a way forward for the financially challenged Take-Two * EA will gain access to hit franchise Grand Theft Auto and both can share development tools * The games industry will continue ...
Cable networks in China: building a national backbone from a dominant position.(Profile)
Mar 01, 2008 ... MARKET SIZE Launched in 1973 and popularised during the 1980s, cable TV in China has developed rapidly in the past decade to reach 142m subscribers at the end of 2007. China started to trial digital TV services in 1997 and at the end of 2007 had 26m digital cable homes, still ...
Effects of writers' strike will hit DVD sales.(GENERAL)
Mar 01, 2008 ... [Video] After 14 weeks of strike action in the US from November 2007 the Writers Guild of America strike finally ended in February 2008. The back-to-work order came after a deal was struck with studios, doubling the home video rate for digital retail (also known as electronic ...
Canadian digital screen pilot chooses e-cinema.(GENERAL)(Canada. National Film Board of Canada)(Qube Cinema)(Brief article)
Mar 01, 2008 ... [Cinema][E-cinema] National Film Board has established a digital cinema project in Canada, choosing an Indian server company as key technology partners. The project, in association with the University of Moncton and using an e-cinema standard, has chosen Qube Cinema, a subsidiary of Indian ...
Indian group to digitise Malaysian cinemas.(GENERAL)
Mar 01, 2008 ... [Cinema][E-cinema] Indian entertainment group Pyramid Saimira will convert its cinema chain in Malaysia to digital cinema capabilities in 2008. The move is part of a wider expansion plan to upgrade its entertainment complexes by adding hotels. It plans to convert each of its 51 screens in ...
HD DVD to live on in China.(GENERAL)
Mar 01, 2008 ... [Video] DVD Forum has ratified new review and approval rules for modifications to C-HD DVD, the China-only incarnation of the HD DVD format (see 2007/118a2). Changes to, or the creation of, specifications for C-HD DVD remain the responsibility of the China High Definition DVD Industry ...
Toshiba spurs quick exit from HD DVD.(GENERAL)
Mar 01, 2008 ... [Video] Following the withdrawal of support for HD DVD by both Warner and Wal-Mart last month (see 2008/56a2), Toshiba has ceased the manufacture of HD DVD players and recorders and shipments to retail channels, in order to end HD DVD video operations by the end of this month (March) ....
Mobile TV becomes a reality in China.(GENERAL)
Mar 01, 2008 ... [Wireless media][Television] During last month's World Mobile Congress, fabless semiconductor company Telegent Systems signed a deal with Chinese handset manufacturer Konka to embed its latest mobile TV receiver chip in Konka's handsets (see also Focus, page 74). Telegent Systems' single ...
ProSiebenSat.1 drops HD channels.(GENERAL)
Mar 01, 2008 ... [Television] ProSiebenSat.1 is to scrap its two HDTV simulcast channels, ProSieben HD and Sat.1 HD, dealing a blow to the development of HDTV in Germany. The surprise decision led to an immediate outcry among German platform operators as the move leaves just one free-to-air HD channel in ...
UK operators co-operate for mobile TV trial.(GENERAL)
Mar 01, 2008 ... [Wireless media][Television] Two leading UK mobile operators are to participate in a mobile TV trial in the west of London for six months starting this summer. Mobile multimedia technology company Next-Wave Wireless will provide infrastructure and software components necessary to deploy ...
Ukraine sets date for analogue switch-off.(REGULATION)
Mar 01, 2008 ... [Television] Ukraine has set 2012--the year it will co-host the European football championships with Poland--as its deadline for analogue TV switch-off. Digital terrestrial television (DTT) tests are to start by April 2008, in the cities of Odessa and Sumy, as well as the Zakarpatsky ...
AOL to acquire Bebo social network.(BUSINESS)(America Online Inc.)
Mar 01, 2008 ... [On-line] AOL is to acquire social network Bebo for $850m (546m [euro]). Bebo has 40m members worldwide and is the fourth most popular social network in the US. The companies have been in talks since September 2007. The deal is subject to US and EU anti-trust approval. According to web ...
Broadcom acquisition may reduce Blu-ray costs.(BUSINESS)
Mar 01, 2008 ... [Video] Broadcom, a key supplier of chipsets for hi-def video players, has acquired Sunext Design, the US arm of Taiwanese Sunext Technology and specialist in chips and architecture for optical drives. The $48m purchase included a capital stock buy-out and entitlement to Sunext Design's ...
Disney signs up for European digital cinema.(BUSINESS)
Mar 01, 2008 ... [Cinema][E-cinema] Walt Disney has signed up with digital services provider Arts Alliance Media (AAM) for its d-cinema roll-out programme in Europe, becoming the fifth major studio to join. Under the terms of the non-exclusive deal, Disney will supply its movies in digital content, but it ...
Blockbuster's streamlining activity pays off.(BUSINESS)
Mar 01, 2008 ... [Video] Video rental giant Blockbuster has revealed that its fourth quarter earnings quadrupled year-on-year in 2007. The rentailer's performance in the last three months of the year boosted overall results, with full-year revenue steady at $5.5bn. By closing less profitable stores, ...
Exhibitor concentration continues in Poland.(BUSINESS)(ITI Holdings S.A.)(Silver Screen)(Brief article)
Mar 01, 2008 ... [Cinema] Polish media and entertainment group, ITI Holdings, which operates the MultiKino cinema chain in Poland, has reached an agreement to merge the assets of Silver Screen cinemas into its multiplex network. As a result, MultiKino will now control a total of 19 sites with 174 screens ...
Battle for DVD rental kiosks heating up in US.(BUSINESS)
Mar 01, 2008 ... [Video] The DVD rental vending machine market is heating up in the US, with all three key players announcing ambitious expansion strategies. * US market leader Redbox has extended its deal with pharmacy chain Walgreens. The latter already hosts 250 Redbox kiosks and will add a ...
League restricts baseball content online.(BUSINESS)
Mar 01, 2008 ... [Television][??] Major League Baseball (MLB) has issued a new set of restrictions governing the usage of online footage from the League's games. Limitations include: * game highlights can be shown only by services that have a separate rights deal with MLB's ...
Investment in Indian media markets goes global.(BUSINESS)(Brief article)
Mar 01, 2008 ... [Cinema][Video][Wireless media][Television] Indian motion picture and media markets are in an expansion phase, and this has attracted the attentions of major global investors, not least the US studios (see 2007/312b3). Two new deals confirm that India is one of the key media markets in the ...
News Corporation increases stake in Premiere.(BUSINESS)
Mar 01, 2008 ... [Television] News Corporation has further increased its stake in German satellite operation Premiere, raising its shareholding from 14.6 per cent to 19.9 per cent. News Corporation acquired the 14.6 per cent stake from cable operator Unity Media in January 2008, after the TV company was ...
Polish ISP Netia acquires competitor.(BUSINESS)
Mar 01, 2008 ... [Wired media][On-line] Netia, the fixed-line telecoms operator in Poland, has acquired internet service provider (ISP) Punkt for 5.1m zloty (1.4m [euro]). Punkt provides broadband access using Ethernet cables that form local area networks (LAN) in residential blocks in the town of Opole in ...
RealNetworks buys failing Macrovision unit.(BUSINESS)(Brief article)
Mar 01, 2008 ... [Games] Macrovision has sold its games digital distribution subsidiary, Trymedia, to RealNetworks for an undisclosed price, widely thought to be in the region of $4m. Macrovision acquired Trymedia in July 2005 for $34m. This follows annual losses in excess of $10m at the subsidiary. ...
Exclusive distribution window for Blockbuster.(BUSINESS)
Mar 01, 2008 ... [Video] Blockbuster has agreed a two-year distribution deal with independent film distributor IFC Entertainment. Blockbuster will be granted an exclusive 60-day window to promote IFC titles before they are made available for sale on DVD. Blockbuster and IFC will share the revenues ...
Viaccess to acquire IPTV specialist.(BUSINESS)
Mar 01, 2008 ... [On-line][Television] Viaccess, the content protection firm and France Telecom subsidiary, is to acquire IPTV middleware specialist Orca Interactive for approximately 14m [euro]. The acquisition will be subject to shareholder approval, but as Viaccess will be paying significantly more than ...
T-Mobile and Yahoo in Euro mobile search deal.(BUSINESS)
Mar 01, 2008 ... [Wireless media] Yahoo has concluded a strategic partnership with mobile operator T-Mobile to become the exclusive mobile search provider for European customers, starting this month (March). The companies plan further collaboration in work on a specific 'oneSearch' experience and on ...
Canal Plus counts mobile TV subscribers.(MARKETS)
Mar 01, 2008 ... [Wireless media][Television] French pay TV operator Canal Plus has more than 250,000 subscribers to its mobile TV service currently accessible through local mobile operators SFR and Bouygues Telecom. The subscriber base has grown by 225 per cent between 2006 and 2007 mainly because of the ...
Concert movie in 3D most popular in Ireland.(MARKETS)
Mar 01, 2008 ... [Cinema] In Ireland, 3D concert movie U23D grossed a total of 89,538 [euro] (67,492 [pounds sterling]) from just eight screens in its opening weekend. The average revenue per screen equated to 11,192 [euro] (8,436 [pounds sterling]) and ranked as the highest per-screen average that ...
Doordarshan slashes carriage fees.(MARKETS)(Brief article)
Mar 01, 2008 ... [Television] India state broadcaster Doodarshan (DD) has reduced its carriage fees for satellite channels from the current Rs10m ($0.24m) a year to Rs 2.5m ($0.06m) for local channels and Rs 5m ($0.18m) for foreign channels. The move is part of the broadcaster's strategy to build its ...
Portugal Telecom misses Meo target.(MARKETS)
Mar 01, 2008 ... [On-line][Television] Portugal Telecom (PT) has missed its year-end target for the Meo IPTV service, taking 30 per cent fewer customers than it predicted. The year-end results of 21,000 IPTV subscribers were in line with Screen Digest forecasts, but lower than PT's 30,000 target. PT signed ...
Microsoft cuts Xbox 360 price.(PRODUCTS)
Mar 01, 2008 ... [Games] Microsoft is cutting the price of Xbox 360 console hardware across EMEA territories (Europe, Middle East and Africa). The changes in recommended console prices came into effect on 10 March 2008 as follows: Xbox 360 Elite (120 GB HDD) down from 449 [euro] to 369 [euro]/299 [pounds ...
BBC Worldwide shows added to iTunes Store.(PRODUCTS)
Mar 01, 2008 ... [Television][On-line] BBC Worldwide, commercial arm of the UK public broadcaster, has made a selection of programming available for download-to-own (DTO) from the iTunes Store (iTS) in the UK only. Nine shows are currently being offered on iTS, including Torchwood, Life on Mars, Little ...
BSky to extend HD channel line-up.(PRODUCTS)
Mar 01, 2008 ... [Television] BSkyB will introduce three more HD channels in spring 2008--Sky Sports HD 3, Sky Movies Premiere HD and FX HD--bringing the total HD line-up to 17 feeds. * Sky Sports HD 3 will feature European PGA Tour golf and, for the first time, wrestling. Sky said that it now ...
LinkedIn lastest social network to go mobile.(PRODUCTS)(Brief article)
Mar 01, 2008 ... [On-line][Wireless media] LinkedIn launched the mobile version of its professional networking site, allowing its 19m members to access the service through Blackberry devices, iPhones and other internet-ready mobile handsets. Founded in 2003, LinkedIn has also participated since November ...
Microsoft adds games to Zune player.(PRODUCTS)
Mar 01, 2008 ... [Games] Microsoft has added simple gaming functionality to its portable media player Zune. Zune is compatible with titles made in Microsoft's XNA games development environment and toolset. XNA games may be submitted to Xbox Live Community Games for distribution via Xbox Live. Games may ...
Microsoft adds Paramount movies to Xbox store.(PRODUCTS)
Mar 01, 2008 ... [Games][Film] Microsoft has added movies from Paramount Pictures to its Xbox Live Video Marketplace in the UK and Ireland. A total of 19 movies are being rolled out on the service from mid February, including new releases such as Transformers and Disturbiaz and a selection of ...
Nokia includes Google in its search client.(PRODUCTS)
Mar 01, 2008 ... [Wireless media][On-line] Nokia has added Google to the search services provided in its Nokia Search application, which already features MSN and Yahoo search. The integration will begin with a selection of handsets and territories, expanding over the year to 100 countries and over 40 ...
Omnifone launches pre-licensed music phone.(PRODUCTS)
Mar 01, 2008 ... [Wireless media][Audio] Omnifone has revealed plans to release mobile handsets bundled with free music. Purchasers of the optimised devices will have access to a service called MusicStation Max, which is in essence unlimited access to Omnifone's MusicStation. MusicStation currently has a ...
Play.com launches DRM-free music service.(PRODUCTS)(Brief article)
Mar 01, 2008 ... [On-line][Audio] Online retailer Play.com has launched a DRM-free music download service in the UK. The store will offer MP3 tracks released by EMI and independent labels, priced on average at 0.70 [pounds sterling], with top-selling tracks at 0.65 [pounds sterling]. [??] ...
Sony launches next-gen Blu-ray Disc players.(PRODUCTS)
Mar 01, 2008 ... [Video] Sony is to launch two new Blu-ray Disc (BD) players. The BDS350 and the BD-S550 are due to arrive in the US by summer 2008 and autumn 2008 respectively. Both will be capable of accessing the advanced interactivity introduced by BD Profile 1.1 (Bonus View)--notably ...
Yahoo shifts online music service to Rhapsody.(PRODUCTS)
Mar 01, 2008 ... [On-line][Audio] Internet portal giant Yahoo is replacing its Yahoo Music Unlimited subscription-based music rental service with Rhapsody, managed by Rhapsody America, the company jointly owned by Viacom's MTV Networks (49 per cent) and Real Networks (51 per cent). Music Unlimited ...
French TV advertising to shrink next year.(ADVERTISING)
Mar 01, 2008 ... [Television] French TV advertising market will shrink in 2008-09 as a result of the termination of advertising in the public sector. French President Nicolas Sarkozy took everybody (including his own government) by surprise in a January speech (see 2008/23a2)by saying that advertising ...
UK cinema circuits set up new screen ad venture.(ADVERTISING)
Mar 01, 2008 ... [Cinema] It looks like the end of the road for UK cinema screen advertiser Carlton Screen Advertising (CSA), following a sell-off to a new venture established by two major UK cinema circuits. Odeon and Cineworld have joined forces to launch Digital Cinema Media (DCM), a new company based ...
Mergers, takeovers and investments.(Business)
Mar 01, 2008 ... <Pre> Mergers, takeovers and investments AFM Cinemas The majority 51.9 per cent stake in Turkey: +90/212 252 11 11 the leading Turkish cinema chain has www.afm.com.tr been acquired by A1 Limited, the key ...
On the money markets.(Business)
Mar 01, 2008 ... <Pre> On the money markets Global Entertainment Group Asia-focused media company has UK; +44/20 7073 7888raised 1.3m [pounds sterling] www.gegasia.com ($2.54m) in a share placing in London, to be used to acquire a ...
Content deals.(Business)(Table)(Brief article)
Mar 01, 2008 ... <Pre> Content deals Abbey Home Media Group UK children's TV, audio and video UK; +44/20 7563 3910distributor has signed a dis- www.abbeyhomemedia.com tribution deal with non-profit educational organisation Sesame ...
Technology deals.(Business)(briefs)
Mar 01, 2008 ... <Pre> Technology deals Ballantyne of Omaha US projector and lighting equipment USA; +1/402 453 4444company, through its subsidiary www.ballantyne-omaha.comStrong Screen Systems/MDI, has agreed a long-term supply deal with ...
Events diary.(Calendar)
Mar 01, 2008 ... Screen Digest event [SD] [Pub] PEVE Digital Entertainment 2008 Paris, 17-18 April 2008; Screen Digest; t +44/20 7424 2888; f +44/20 7424 2838; e peve@screendigest.com; www.peve.screendigest.com Markets & exhibitions Convergence India 2008 New Delhi, 1921 ...
AOL.(For the record)
Mar 01, 2008 ... AOL has shut down its AOL Film Downloads platform in the UK. The service offered paid downloads of movies from two major Hollywood studios--Universal and Sony--in addition to a small selection of free and low-priced short films. Notification of the ...
DivX.(For the record)
Mar 01, 2008 ... DivX, the digital media company behind the widely popular DivX video codec, has shut down its video-sharing site Stage6.com. Divx is working with select content publishers to migrate content to alternative web distribution platforms. More details of the closure will be released in the ...
GameStop.(For the record)
Mar 01, 2008 ... GameStop, the US video games retailer (USA; +1/817 424 2000; www.gamestop.com), has entered the video business with its new MovieStop chain. The retailer ...
iTunes Store.(For the record)
Mar 01, 2008 ... iTunes Store has become the number two music retailer in the US in 2007, behind WalMart, based on data from market research firm NPD Group. NPD's survey captures consumer-reported unit purchases, considers one CD ...
MediaMotion.(For the record)
Mar 01, 2008 ... MediaMotion, Dutch CD and DVD replicator, has filed for bankruptcy and an administrator was appointed by a Dutch court 26 February 2008 ....
TeliaSonera.(For the record)
Mar 01, 2008 ... TeliaSonera's IPTV service reached 305,000 customers at end 2007, in line with Screen Digest forecasts of 300,000 subscribers for the Scandinavian telco. TeliaSonera (Sweden; +46/8 724 43 43; www.teliasonera.com) ...
Warner Bros Entertainment.(For the record)
Mar 01, 2008 ... Warner Bros Entertainment has opened a new research centre, Warner Bros MediaLab (USA; +1/212 484 8000; www.warnerbros.com), to explore new media consumer engagement. Using lab media bays, respondents test content using delivered using ...
Nothing but Blu skies.(Insight: PERSPECTIVE)
Mar 01, 2008 ... Reports that Blu-ray Disc (BD) was the 'consumer choice' have been widely exaggerated. Thanks to the PS3, sales of BD hardware were vastly superior to HD DVD devices but software sales were by no means conclusive in key markets. Make no mistake; the format war was ended by key players in ...
Forced onto the back foot.(Insight: PERSPECTIVE)
Mar 01, 2008 ... An international cricket match can take five days to play and still end in a draw. For its fans, that fact encapsulates much of the sport's appeal; or at least, the lack of an end result doesn't make a match any less compelling. But even the most diehard cricket fan recognises that many ...