Screen Digest back issues from December 2008:
Worldview.(Insight)
Dec 01, 2008 ... The economic downturn only adds uncertainty to the turbulence of radical shifts in media market forces. The first casualties of recession and changing times include the home entertainment wholesaler Entertainment UK (EUK) and its sister company, the general retailer Woolworths (founded as ...
UK supermarkets play games card: loss-leader strategy challenges specialists and independents.(Focus)
Dec 01, 2008 ... Territories UK Sectors Games Source Screen Digest * Supermarkets are selling top titles at below cost to drive store traffic * Involvement of non-traditional outlets is crowding the marketplace * ...
Cinema screens at risk from digital: where is the model for Europe's independent cinemas?(Focus)
Dec 01, 2008 ... Territories Europe Sectors Cinema Source Screen Digest [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] * There are 8,074 single screen cinemas in Western and Eastern Europe--25.6 per cent of all screens * Over half of Eastern Europe's screens (54.7 per cent) ...
Ruling on UK online TV project: Competition Commission's arguments miss the point.(Focus)
Dec 01, 2008 ... Territories UK Sectors Television, Broadband Source Screen DIgest; includes data from ComScore [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] * UK's main free-to-air broadcaster--BBC, ITV and Channel Four--plan an online ...
Home entertainment:retail burden: retailers must bear the brunt of falling video prices.(Focus)
Dec 01, 2008 ... Territories UK Sectors Video Source Screen Digest Video Intelligence [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] * Unlike other forms of entertainment the consumer price of home video continues to fall * The introduction of Blu-ray Disc may help to stem ...
Handset makers push mobile music: MP3 mobile phone handsets outnumber MP3 players three to one.(Focus)
Dec 01, 2008 ... Territories World Sectors Mobile media Source Screen Digest [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] * Handset makers Nokia and Sony Ericsson are revitalising mobile music with bundled music services * Sony Ericsson plays safe, placing the operator at ...
UK TV shows exports up by a quarter: boosted by US market, UK sales outpace France and Spain.(Focus)
Dec 01, 2008 ... Territories UK, France, Spain Sectors Television Source Screen Digest [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] * US accounted for 44 per cent of total UK television programme exports in 2007 * UK sales were up 23 per cent overall, with formats and DVD ...
Olympics boost China's ad markets: online and out-of-home sectors are taking market share from TV.(Focus)(advertising)(Statistical table)
Dec 01, 2008 ... Territories China Sectors Television, Online Source Screen Digest [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] * As prime time slots reaching a plateau, other slots start to drive total advertising revenues * CCTV's advertising revenue to rise 60 per cent ...
Argentina tops Latin cable markets: Argentina leads cable TV penetration in Latin America.(Focus)
Dec 01, 2008 ... Territories Argentina Sectors Cable television, Satellite Source Screen Digest Television Intelligence [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] * Out of 2,000 cable operators in Argentina, four account for nearly two-thirds of connections * Previously ...
Pure-play ISP business under threat: marketplace competition and rising data costs crush margins.(Profile)
Dec 01, 2008 ... KEY POINTS IN THIS REPORT * Price rivalry will continue to erode broadband access average revenue per user (ARPU). In Western Europe this is predicted to fall from 21 [euro] in 2007 to 17 [euro] by 2012, more sharply than in North America, where it will see a marginal drop from ...
JVC finally stops making VHS VCRs.(GENERAL)
Dec 01, 2008 ... JVC, the Japanese electronics manufacturer that created the format (see 1977/126a3), has stopped producing VHS videocassette recorders. It was the last Japanese company to produce VHS VCRs and global sales will end when inventories run out. However, JVC will continue to manufacture players ...
Google abandons Lively virtual world.(GENERAL)(Brief article)
Dec 01, 2008 ... Google's virtual world Lively, launched in July, is to close at end 2008. A browser-based environment, this online social space featured compatibility with other networks, such as Facebook and MySpace, plus Google properties Picasa and YouTube. Google's stated intention is to re-focus its ...
Netflix no longer selling ex-rental DVDs.(GENERAL)(Brief article)
Dec 01, 2008 ... US online DVD rental giant has stopped selling ex-rental DVDs directly to customers, as of 30 November 2008. Netflix will instead sell ex-rental discs on to re-sellers and wholesalers while its website will focus on its core businesses of video rental and streaming (see Netflix video ...
Korean screen count rises in time of gloom.(GENERAL)
Dec 01, 2008 ... Korean cinema screen total rose in 2007, although the number of sites is dropping. There were 1,957 cinema screens in 314 sites in 2007, a screen rise of five per cent from 2006. The number of sites fell by seven from a year earlier. Latest data from the Korean Film Council (KOFIC) shows ...
Lusomundo circuit signs up for full conversion.(GENERAL)(Zon Lusomundo)(XDC)(Brief article)
Dec 01, 2008 ... Zon Lusomundo, Portugal's largest cinema circuit has signed an exclusive agreement with pan-European dcinema services provider XDC for digital deployment. The agreement includes an initial contract for 100 digital systems during 2009, although full conversion of Lusomundo's 180 total ...
More 3D movie releases on Imax platform.(GENERAL)
Dec 01, 2008 ... Disney has become the latest studio to sign a multi-feature deal for release of 3D movies on the Imax platform simultaneous with regular digital 3D cinemas. First Disney title under the agreement will be A Christmas Carol in 3-D, to be released in November 2009, followed by a further four, ...
FCC rules to open up TV spectrum.(REGULATION)
Dec 01, 2008 ... On 4 November 2008, the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approved a measure to open national 'white space', the signal area scattered around and between terrestrial television. Due to the nature of US network transmission, locally there tend to be a number of 'free' channel slots ...
Shorter film-to-video French windows mooted.(REGULATION)
Dec 01, 2008 ... The time between a title's theatrical release and its release on video and video-on-demand (VoD) in France are being reviewed by the industry and are expected to be revised. The industry has until 31 March 2009 to reach agreement. The French video association, Syndicat de l'Edition Video ...
Chinese pirates sell physical Blu-ray copies.(REGULATION)
Dec 01, 2008 ... Pirated Blu-ray Discs (BD) were discovered during an anti-piracy raid in southern China last month (November). Over 800 discs, which the Motion Picture Association (MPA) regards as the first pirated Blu-ray movie discs, bearing counterfeit BD holograms, were seized. The discs, created from ...
Arts Alliance Media closes film download net.(BUSINESS)
Dec 01, 2008 ... Arts Alliance Media (AAM) is to close its Vizumi movie download network by end February 2009. The company began selling movie downloads in 2005 through its then subsidiary Lovefilm and has been operating digital stores for a range of companies including The Guardian and Tiscali in addition ...
Blyk raises funds and seeks Euro partnerships.(BUSINESS)
Dec 01, 2008 ... Blyk, the Finnish ad-funded mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), closed a 40m [euro] third round of funding from existing investors, including Goldman Sachs and Sofinnova. Blyk also took 'steps to cut costs and streamline' its operations to reflect the current market conditions ....
British STB firm buys Swedish business.(BUSINESS)
Dec 01, 2008 ... British IPTV set-top box (STB) specialist Amino is to purchase Swedish manufacturer Tilgin's IPTV STB business. The deal will cost Amino around 2.9m [euro], paid for with its cash reserves, and was expected to be completed on 1 December 2008. Traditionally, Amino has produced STBs only for ...
Motorola sets up as IPTV systems integrator.(BUSINESS)
Dec 01, 2008 ... Motorola has launched an IPTV ecosystem integration and support service, after announcing a slew of reseller agreements for IPTV conditional access and middleware products. The company launched this service after completing an integration project with US-based fibre-optic services provider ...
Samsung reduces flat TV production.(BUSINESS)
Dec 01, 2008 ... Samsung has cut production of flat TV displays by around five per cent, reflecting a fall in demand. The market leader is also considering a reduction in investment in 2009 as it expects consumer spending on flat TVs to fall next year. Samsung's announcement comes as no ...
Sky and Virgin Media resolve channels dispute.(BUSINESS)
Dec 01, 2008 ... Key recent development for Virgin Media has been the revised agreement with satellite provider BSkyB regarding the transmission of each party's channels on their respective platforms. Sky's channels, withdrawn from Virgin's platform in 2007 after the two companies failed to reach terms for ...
France Telecom likely to miss FTTH target.(BUSINESS)
Dec 01, 2008 ... French incumbent telco France Telecom is expected to fall well short of its target for connecting FTTH (fibre-to-the-home) customers. Initial projections had aimed to activate 40,000 FTTH customers by end 2007 and 180,000 by end 2008. The telco's third quarter 2008 results claim 17,000 ...
Optical disc replicator suffers loss.(BUSINESS)
Dec 01, 2008 ... Cinram International, the Canadian optical disc replicator, reported a net loss of US$8.8m over the first three quarters of 2008. Although the third quarter contributed net income of $1.5m, this represented a decline of 95 per cent, compared with the same period 2007. Total revenue ...
De Agostini targets double growth of TV arm.(BUSINESS)
Dec 01, 2008 ... Italian conglomerate De Agostini Group has consolidated its TV production and distribution companies under the banner of Zodiak Entertainment. The new company, with forecast sales of 400m [euro] this year, has the ambition to become one of the key international players in the TV content ...
Entertainment UK in administration.(BUSINESS)(Deloitte Public Relations )(Brief article)
Dec 01, 2008 ... UK high-street retail chain Woolworths and home entertainment wholesaler Entertainment UK (EUK) went into administration on 27 November 2008. The boards of both Woolworths and EUK concluded that neither business was in a position to operate as an ongoing concern. Parent company Woolworths ...
Premiere retains Bundesliga pay TV rights.(BUSINESS)
Dec 01, 2008 ... German pay TV operator Premiere has retained live pay TV rights to the top two divisions of the Bundesliga, the German football league championship. The new deal runs from next season (2009/10) for four years to 2012/13, with Premiere securing live rights for cable, satellite and broadband ...
Koei and Tecmo merger takes shape.(BUSINESS)
Dec 01, 2008 ... The merger between Japanese games publishing and development houses Koei and Tecmo, first announced at the beginning of September, has been finalised and detailed. Koei will take over Tecmo via a [yen] 20bn stock agreement, which is roughly double the estimated offer made by Square Enix ...
PeerApp funding reflects ISP interest in caching.(BUSINESS)
Dec 01, 2008 ... PeerApp, which provides media caching services to ISPs, has raised $8m from Pilot House Ventures, Cedar Fund and Evergreen Venture Partners in its second round of venture capital funding. The money will be used to expand sales and marketing operations internationally. ISPs typically ...
Canal Plus steps up online competition.(BUSINESS)
Dec 01, 2008 ... French pay TV operator Canal Plus has announced additional services to help keep content consumption habits inside its business model. CanalSat subscribers can now use an online catch-up service, which supports side-loading onto devices such as Sony's PSP and true VoD to TV screens with an ...
EA Mobile achieves record sales.(BUSINESS)(Financial report)
Dec 01, 2008 ... EA Mobile posted record sales of $47m in third quarter 2008, 24 per cent up on 2007. For the first time in 18 months EA's mobile games outperformed the Nintendo DS and Sony PSP and now account for five per cent of EA's total sales, which jumped 40 per cent to $894m for the quarter. That ...
BBC iPlayer serves 250m videos since launch.(MARKETS)
Dec 01, 2008 ... Since the launch of the BBC iPlayer in December 2007 nearly 250m videos have been accessed through the BBC's catch-up video service to date. Of this total, 199m streams and downloads have been served through the online platform, according to the Corporation's Director of Future Media and ...
Mamma Mia tops UK week-one DVD sales record.(MARKETS)
Dec 01, 2008 ... Universal Pictures' musical Mamma Mia--The Movie, released on DVD 24 November 2008, has become the fastest-selling DVD of all time in the UK, selling 1.6m units on the day of release and 3.1m units in its first week, according to the Official Charts Company (OCC). The record was previously ...
YouTube to stream full-length content from MGM.(PRODUCTS)(Brief article)
Dec 01, 2008 ... Google-owned online video platform YouTube has inked a deal with MGM to offer a selection of library movie titles and TV shows for full-length ad-supported streaming. The deal also includes clips from other MGM movies. As part of the agreement, MGM will be able to use YouTube's content ...
Verizon partners Velocix to launch CDN.(PRODUCTS)
Dec 01, 2008 ... US incumbent telco Verizon has partnered Velocix, a UK content delivery network (CDN) operator, to launch video distribution services under its own brand. Verizon will target rights holders (movie studios, broadcasters, cable TV networks) and online video service providers to deliver ...
Netflix video streaming added to TiVo boxes.(PRODUCTS)
Dec 01, 2008 ... Netflix is to stream movies and TV shows to TiVo's Series 3, HD and HD XL set-top boxes STBs). Netflix's catalogue of over 12,000 videos is being made available initially through TiVo to a few thousand households before a full launch, scheduled for later this month (December). TiVo ...
Blockbuster partners 2Wire to launch set-top box.(PRODUCTS)
Dec 01, 2008 ... Video rental service Blockbuster has launched a broadband set-top box (STB) proposition, currently limited to the US. The MediaPoint STB comes at $99, which includes 25 pre-paid movie rentals from the Blockbuster Ondemand service. Additional movies can be rented, starting at $1.99 per ...
BT Vision adds ITV catch-up.(PRODUCTS)
Dec 01, 2008 ... BT Vision is to add library and catch-up content from ITV, the UK's largest free-to-air commercial broadcaster to its IPTV service. Programmes will be available on demand for seven days after broadcast as part of BT's replay-TV package (3 [pounds sterling] a month), while library content ...
Buongiorno strikes UK operator deal.(PRODUCTS)
Dec 01, 2008 ... Italian mobile content provider Buongiorno has signed a deal with network operator 3 UK to develop and manage its mobile games portal for the UK and Ireland. The store, accessible by WAP and web, will include games from a range of major publishers. Buongiorno will introduce bundled games, ...
Sony leads Blu-ray Disc roll-out in China.(PRODUCTS)
Dec 01, 2008 ... Sony Pictures became the first Hollywood studio to distribute Blu-ray Discs (BD) in China from 21 November 2008. Sony's initial release slate of over 30 titles includes Hancock, the Spider-Man trilogy and Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Priced at RMB 205 ($30), the discs will initially ...
France launches free HD over DTT.(PRODUCTS)
Dec 01, 2008 ... TF1 HD, France 2 HD, M6 HD and Arte HD start broadcasting on DTT on 30 October 2008. They joined Canal Plus HD, which launched in August. TF1, France 2 and M6 initially broadcast their HD stream over multiplex R5, a new MPEG-4 DVB-T multiplex with 27 transmitters covering 40 per cent of ...
Tesco launches online video store.(PRODUCTS)
Dec 01, 2008 ... Tesco has launched a digital video store selling movies and TV shows from Sony Pictures Television International and Warner Bros. The store, currently in beta, sells newrelease digital retail movies for 10.97 [pounds sterling] and older titles for 6.97 [pounds sterling]. TV shows can be ...
Microsoft movie downloads for Spain and Italy.(PRODUCTS)
Dec 01, 2008 ... Microsoft has launched online movie rentals through the Xbox360 in Italy and Spain as part of its New Xbox Experience. Console owners in both countries can rent movies from MGM, Paramount Pictures and Warner Bros. Warner will make 100 titles available in each country at launch. ...
National Geographic launches gaming brand.(PRODUCTS)
Dec 01, 2008 ... National Geographic is launching an in-house video game label, National Geographic Games, that will publish and develop software for consoles, handhelds and mobile devices. One title, Herod's Lost Tomb, has already been released, while National Geographic: Panda is due from Namco Bandai ...
Youth social networks target for 3 UK.(PRODUCTS)
Dec 01, 2008 ... Hutchinson Whampoa subsidary INQ has revealed the INQ1, a handset with a specific focus on mobile social networking. Dubbed the 'Facebook phone', INQ's first device offers one-click access to Facebook and live updates on the front of the screen. INQ1 is to be offered exclusively by 3 UK ...
Adobe Flash to be optimised for mobile.(TECHNOLOGY)
Dec 01, 2008 ... Popular online multimedia format Adobe Flash has gained important backing from chip designer ARM, which has confirmed the optimisation of Flash player for mobile devices built around future ARM chipsets. Because of their low power consumption ARM chips are currently widely used in mobile ...
Panasonic reveals Blu-ray 3D proposal.(TECHNOLOGY)
Dec 01, 2008 ... Panasonic has submitted a proposal for 3D video specifications to the Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA). The BDA is one of several industry groups looking into potential standards for the distribution of 3D in the home (see 2008/284a2). Reports indicate that members of the BDA will convene ...
Mergers, takeovers and investments.(Business)
Dec 01, 2008 ... <Pre> Mergers, takeovers and investments Akamai Content delivery network (CDN) is to USA; +1/877 425 2624 acquire Acerno, an online ad targeting www.akamai.com firm, for $95m in cash. Acerno pools...
Events diary.(Calendar)
Dec 01, 2008 ... Markets & exhibitions CES 2009 Las Vegas, 8-11 January; CEA; t +1/301 694 5243; e CESreg@CE.org; www.cesweb.org Midem 2009 Cannes, 18-21 January; Reed Midem Organisation; e info. midem@reedmidem.com; www.midem.com TVoverBroadband 2009 Paris, 20-23 January; ...
AcessIT.(For the record)
Dec 01, 2008 ... AccessIT, US digital cinema services company leading the US digital roll-out, has changed its name ...
BBC.(For the record)(British Broadcasting Corp.)(Brief article)
Dec 01, 2008 ... BBC began linear simulcasts of BBC One and BBC Two channels online. The two channels join BBC Three, BBC Four, BBC News, CBBC and CBeebies already available on ...
Circuit City.(For the record)
Dec 01, 2008 ... Circuit City, US electronics retailer, has filed for Chapter 11 bankrupcy protection for both its domestic and Canadian operations, following significant decreases in consumer spending, blamed on the credit crisis. Circuit City (USA; +1/ 804 486 6403; ...
Gowell Electronics.(For the record)
Dec 01, 2008 ... Gowell Electronics, a Chinese consumer electronics manufacturer, has been served a permanent injunction by the US District Court for the Central District of California prohibiting violation ...
LoveFilm International.(For the record)(Brief article)
Dec 01, 2008 ... LoveFilm International, European online rental company (UK; +44/20 8896 8000; www.lovefilm.com), expects its customer base to have increased by 70 per cent in 2008 ....
Microsoft.(For the record)
Dec 01, 2008 ... Microsoft has extended its music subscription proposition Zune Pass to include permanent downloads. Previously, Zune Pass offered access to a 4m-track catalogue on a rental basis at $14.99 a month. A book-club element has now been added to this ...
NBC Universal.(For the record)
Dec 01, 2008 ... NBC Universal, US media conglomerate (USA; +1/212 664 6999; www.nbcuni.com) has re-assumed video game publishing rights to its Heroes TV series ...
Netflix.(For the record)
Dec 01, 2008 ... Netflix 'Watch Instantly' service is now compatible with Apple Mac OS X. Online video-on-demand (VoD) function available to DVD rental service ...
Sony DADC.(For the record)
Dec 01, 2008 ... Sony DADC has completed further investment in its Blu-ray Disc authoring and mastering facility in London (UK; +44/1403 739772; ...
Sony Music Entertainment.(For the record)
Dec 01, 2008 ... Sony Music Entertainment will launch a new audio CD format in Japan that uses Blu-ray manufacturing specifications to create red laser CD-format that, it is claimed, will provide higher-quality audio output. Unlike DVD-based audio formats SACD and DVDA (see 1999/68b3, 2001/267b3), which ...
Wal-Mart.(For the record)
Dec 01, 2008 ... Wal-Mart has relaunched its online music store. Accessible in the US, it now offers DRM-free catalogue of over 3m tracks from all four majors and a host of independent labels. Tracks are priced at $0.94 ...
Warner Bros.(For the record)
Dec 01, 2008 ... Warner Bros has opted to close down its entire home video and DVD business South Korea, as expected, with effect from 31 December 2008. This follows the announcement in October 2008 that Warner (USA; +1/818 954 6000; ...
Correction.(For the record)(Correction notice)
Dec 01, 2008 ... On page 330 of the November issue, the last sentence of the second paragraph should have read: 'By comparison, based on our analysis of current studio strategies, digital delivery of movies is ...