Satnews

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50+ network RLTV announced redesign

Michelle Clancy | 16-10-2012

RLTV, a cable net in the United States targeting adults 50+, is switching up its brand identity with a new logo, graphics package and color palette for on-air, online and print.

Also included is a new music signature and branded voiceover talent for the network. It also has unveiled at new tagline, Experience Matters, and a core group of 'R' words (redefined, relevant, resonate, redesign and realistic), and imagery that reflects RLTV's mission and target audience aspirations and experiences.

"Our redefined brand, RLTV: Experience Matters, celebrates the extraordinary experiences of this powerful 100 million and growing population of boomers and seniors with television and online content that is relevant to their life stage," said Paul FitzPatrick, RLTV's president and CEO. "They've told us that they very much want a content experience that matters to them, one that is inspiring, informative, engaging and, yes, realistic."

He cited a 2012 Nielsen study on boomers which included a 'Happier with Age' analysis from The Economist magazine, finding that starting at age 50 and into their '80s, Generation 50+ is increasingly happier with age.

"One of our core redesign objectives was to align the RLTV mission with a visual and aural experience that would resonate with the Generation 50+ audience--voice, tone, talent, music and pacing, graphics, colors," added EJ Conlin, senior vice president of marketing and communications at RLTV. "But we also focused on establishing a brand tagline that would succinctly reflect two goals: describe the essence and value of our audience, and invite marketers and distributors to embrace this unique and powerful segment. Indeed their experience does matter, [and] this experienced and discerning consumer group does and will increasingly make a difference to [marketers'] business objectives."

RLTV created its rebranding strategy after conducting consumer research earlier this year evaluating audience and brand attributes and expectations. The network developed the rebrand in conjunction with Agency Five0, an agency of top creative talent that specializes in the 50+ demographic.

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HBO GO adds Hawaiian Telcom to its pay-TV roster

Michelle Clancy | 16-10-2012

Hawaiian Telcom has become the latest pay-TV operator to sign on for HBO GO (and sister app MAX GO), the premium cable net's TV Everywhere service.

Hawaiian Telcom TV customers who subscribe to HBO and/or Cinemax will now have free, unlimited access to streaming services via any computer in the U.S. with a broadband connection as well as iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, Kindle Fire, certain Android smartphones and platforms such as Xbox 360, Samsung Smart TVs and Roku.

"Hawaiian Telcom is committed to providing customers with Hawaii's best, most innovative TV experience, and mobility is a perfect complement to the high-quality video content enjoyed at home," said Brad Fisher, senior vice president of strategy and marketing at the carrier. "With HBO GO and MAX GO, our customers can watch their favorite programming anywhere and anytime it fits into their active lifestyle."

HBO GO offers more than 1,400 titles, covering every episode of every season of the best HBO shows, including current series like Game of Thrones, True Blood and Boardwalk Empire, classics like The Sopranos, Sex and the City and Deadwood, plus HBO original films, miniseries, sports, documentaries, and specials as well as a wide selection of blockbuster theatricals.

MAX GO adds more than 400 titles of Cinemax programming online, providing instant access to hundreds of Hollywood hit movies, indies, cult favorites, the MAX After Dark series as well as new drama series like Strike Back, specifically created for the channel.

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FOX expa$$$ digital rights, in 8-year NASCAR broadcast deal

Michelle Clancy | 16-10-2012

Fox Sports Media Group has signed an eight-year multiplatform broadcast rights deal with NASCAR, which keeps NASCAR on FOX in the United States through 2022.

The new deal is an extension of the existing contract, and expa$$$ digital rights to include TV Everywhere live race streaming of its portion of the season beginning in 2013, before the full contract kicks in.

FOX retains the TV rights to 13 consecutive NASCAR Sprint Cup Series points races, including the Daytona 500. It also retains the rights to the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, the Daytona Shootout, the Duel at Daytona, the entire NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season and practice and qualifying for both the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races that FSMG broadcasts.

"We're extremely happy to have worked closely with Brian and his team at NASCAR over the last few months to expand and extend our relationship for what is without question the most popular motorsport in the country," said FSMG co-presidents and CEOs, Eric Shanks and Randy Freer, in a statement. "NASCAR has been a staple at FOX for more than a decade, and we consider it one of the signature sports we cover. With our commitment renewed, we look forward to presenting NASCAR thoroughly, professionally and creatively for many years to come."

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JD Power: Premium TV subs are more loyal

Michelle Clancy | 16-10-2012

Premium television package subscribers are more loyal and more likely to purchase additional products from their television provider than are subscribers with basic and expanded basic programming packages, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2012 U.S. Residential Television Service Provider Satisfaction Study.

The study fi$$$ that 31% of premium package subscribers say they "definitely will not" switch providers, compared with subscribers of expanded basic (22%) and basic (20%) programming packages. Additionally, premium package subscribers serve as brand advocates more often, as 26% say they "definitely will" recommend their provider, compared with subscribers of expanded basic (16%) and basic (14%) packages.

Overall customer satisfaction with residential television service directly correlates with a household's programming package. Premium package subscribers are most satisfied with their television service, reflected in an index score of 716 (on a 1,000-point scale). Satisfaction is significantly lower among expanded basic subscribers (677) and basic subscribers (656). Although having the highest satisfaction, premium package subscribers account for the fewest number of subscribers (13%), compared with expanded basic (38%) and basic (49%) subscribers.

"After several years of declining subscription to premium programming packages associated with the economic downturn and the introduction of attractive over-the-top alternatives, it appears premium programming is making a comeback," said Frank Perazzini, director of telecommunications at J.D. Power and Associates. "Premium package subscribers have proven to be better brand advocates. Television providers catering to these high-value subscribers with video-on-demand and mobile applications will be well positioned to keep these customers and grow their relationship, moving forward."

Although premium packages cost more than expanded basic and basic programming, satisfaction with cost of service is higher among premium package subscribers (633), than among expanded basic (588) and basic (567) subscribers. In fact, premium package subscribers are more willing to pay for even more video content, as 42 percent of these customers say they are likely to order video-on-demand programs in the next six months, which is significantly higher than among both expanded basic and basic cable subscribers (37% and 27%, respectively).

The study measures customer satisfaction with cable, satellite and Internet protocol (IPTV) television providers in four regional segments: North Central, East, West and South. Six factors are measured to determine overall customer satisfaction: programming; performance and reliability; customer service; cost of service; billing; and offerings and promotions.

In the East region, Verizon FiOS ranks highest with a score of 728, followed by DISH Network (719) and DirecTV (711). In the South, DirecTV ranks highest (729), followed closely by AT&T U-verse with a score of 728. Verizon FiOS ranks third with a score of 714. In the North-Central region, WOW! (a.k.a. Wide Open West) ranks highest, with a score of 711, closely followed by AT&T U-verse (710) and DIRECTV (705). In the West, DISH Network ranks highest with a score of 713. AT&T U-verse and DirecTV follow in a tie with a score of 708 each.

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Humax Freesat+ box with goes on sale


The first next generation Freesat+ box with free time, the Humax HDR-1000S, will appear in UK stores this week. Delivering the new smart on-screen TV guide, the HDR-1000S allows users to move effortlessly between live digital channels and on demand programmes from BBC iPlayer and ITV Player.

Available to buy from John Lewis, Currys, Comet, Argos, Euronics and a range of other independent electrical retailers, the Humax HDR-1000S Freesat+ box will be priced at around £279. It will deliver the new free time service, which offers the following features in a single guide, all subscription-free:

- A backwards TV guide to watch programmes that have already been on
- An ‘at a glance’ Now & Next view to show you what’s on the minute you sit down
- A new Showcase section with recommendations on what programmes to watch now, in the future and on demand

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LG U+ to launch Google TV STB powered by Marvell

Michelle Clancy | 18-10-2012

South Korean service provider LG U+ has selected the Marvell ARMADA 1500 SoC platform (88DE3100) to power its new u+tv G IPTV Google TV set-top-box (STB), scheduled for deployment in the homes of LG U+ customers throughout South Korea. It will be the first operator-distributed Google TV STB deployed.

"The u+tv G brings users more entertainment and better ways to find it, and is the first of its kind as an integrated IPTV set-top-box with Google TV," said Mickey Kim, Head of Asia Pacific partnerships at Google TV. "Marvell's technology helps Google TV and LG U+ bring this device to market with the right performance and price for our users."

The Marvell ARMADA 1500 Series contains a high-performing ARM compatible dual-core CPU and is designed to enable PC-like processing power to support robust web browsing with support for Flash and other key technologies. Qdeo video processing enables an immersive HD and 3D video experience, including scaling, noise reduction, de-interlacing, low bit-rate Internet video enhancement and FRC.

"I believe the LG U+ set-top-box serves as a powerful digital command center in the home, with the ability to deliver immersive entertainment and home-automation experiences to connected devices ranging from mobile phones and tablets to information appliances for 'smart furnishings,'" said Weili Dai, co-founder of Marvell. "Our collaboration will enable LG U+ customers to experience our shared vision of the always-on, always-connected lifestyle."

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Harmonic launches transmitters for squeezing more TV out of fibre

Michelle Clancy | 18-10-2012

Harmonic has launched a new family of compact transmitter modules to resolve key issues facing operators today â€" head-end real estate, power consumption and fibre availability. The goal is to make it easier for an operator to deliver high-speed data, IP video, high-definition video and time-shifted TV from a cable operator's existing fibre infrastructure.

"Harmonic's new optical transmitters allow cable operators to do more with less by saving precious rack space, optimising fibre usage, increasing operational efficiency and reducing overall expenditures as they continue to roll out bandwidth-demanding services," said Gil Katz, vice president of the Edge and Access business unit at Harmonic. "The transmitters also complement our recently announced NSG Pro Converged Cable Access Platform system by extending benefits such as high density and power efficiency to optical devices in the cable head-end."

The SUPRALink SPL 7210S DWDM and PWRLink 4200S DFB transmitters feature ultra-high-density optics and a compact design. They can support up to 20 transmitters in 3-RU, effectively doubling the amount of transmitters that can be added to the given rack space, resulting in a significant reduction in power consumption and enabling cost-effective delivery of additional high-quality, bandwidth-intensive services.

Designed as a universal replacement transmitter, the SUPRALink SPL 7210S DWDM offers a 40% deeper fiber reach than standard 1310-nm systems at a comparable price point, Harmonic said.

Up to 20 SUPRALink SPL 7210S or PWRLink 4200S modules can be mounted in the 3-RU Harmonic HLP 4800 broadband platform, thus reducing space, power and cooling requirements, thereby lowering an operator's operational expenses.

The transmitters can be combined with Harmonic's edgeQAM and node family. Harmonic is demonstrating both at the SCTE Cable-Tec Expo.

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Roomlinx brings Starz to hotel-room iTV

Michelle Clancy | 18-10-2012

Roomlinx already offers Starz premium channels and on-demand content for a deployment with Hyatt, but now Starz will promote its products and services through the Roomlinx iTV system, generating incremental revenues for hotel owners.

"The Roomlinx iTV platform allows us to target ads to users we know are interested in our various linear, on demand, HD and online services," said Tom Gove, vice president of sales and marketing for Starz. "Giving them a quality media experience in the hotel roomâ€"where they're removed from the distractions of everyday lifeâ€"will put us in a stronger position to earn their business, both in the hotel and at home. Interactive ads, placed strategically throughout the Hyatt Roomlinx system, will also help build the STARZ brand."

Roomlinx CEO Michael Wasik said that the agreement "elevates revenue for our hotel partners beyond the usual guest usage packages and reduce operating expenses, adding value to our iTV platform. They also provide a solid differentiator from the typical VOD providers whose financial model is at the mercy of consumer tre$$$ and occupancy fluctuations."

Wasik also said Roomlinx is pursuing additional marketing partnerships with major players in the hospitality and media industries. "It's all part of our strategy to grow profitably by offering property owners new ways to increase revenues, demonstrate differentiation and strengthen guest loyalty."

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Disney plans 3D home entertainment push

Michelle Clancy | 18-10-2012

Disney is focusing on 3D content on the home entertainment front for the holidays, with Blu-ray Disc 3D (BD3D) releases planned for Tinker Bell and the Pixar blockbuster Brave, both 2012 titles.

The studio is also planning a BD3D release of Up (2009) and a re-issue of the classic Finding Nemo on BD3D, which recently swam its way into theatres in a new 3D print.

Meanwhile, the studio has scented the connected television opportunity, and has partnered up with consumer electronics giant LG to offer 3D movie rentals within the LG 3D World App, which comes embedded on connected LG Smart TVs.

Disney's 3D movie rentals on the LG app will only be available to U.S. consumers, at a price between $4 and $8 per movie, and films must be viewed within two days of purchase. As part of a limited offer running through the end of the year, LG is offering a $50 credit for Disney rentals with select 3D-enabled Smart TVs.

The titles on offer will be a diverse lot, including The Avengers, Brave and Toy Story, Disney's John Carter, G-Force and Tangled. And, Disney is leveraging other properties, like ESPN: consumers will also be able to view a range of free 3D content of various non-movie genres, including 3D documentaries and 3D sports.

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Comcast licences next-gen STB kit to Pace

Michelle Clancy | 18-10-2012

Comcast is licencing its Reference Development Kit (RDK) to set-top box (STB) specialist Pace. The RDK, which provides a common framework for powering tru2way, IP or hybrid set-top boxes and video gateway devices, which will let Pace accelerate its set-top box and gateway development cycle for next-gen functionalities.

Pace already has been instrumental in the development of the RDK by helping Comcast launch its first RDK-based product â€" the XG1 multi-tuner video gateway, which is part of the cableco's X1, cloud-based service, which is in trials.

"We value Pace's participation in this cooperative endeavour as a trusted partner that delivers advanced products quickly and efficiently in support of today's rapidly changing environment," said Steve Reynolds, senior vice president of customer premise equipment for Comcast Cable.

Comcast licenses the RDK to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), semiconductor manufacturers, software vendors, software integrators and multichannel video programming distributors (MVPDs) to create a community of focused on bringing rich, multi-screen TV home entertainment experiences to consumers faster.

"Pace's product development teams consistently create game changing products for the cable industry," said Pace America's senior vice president of engineering, Bruce Gureck. "The RDK is a critical tool in our continuing commitment to software platform flexibility and industry leading wideband connectivity for next generation services."

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Motorola Mobility deploys SCDMA with Cablevision Mexico

Gabriel Miramar-Garcia | 18-10-2012

Motorola Mobility has announced its first successful deployment of the DOCSIS Synchronous Code Division Multiple Access (SCDMA) technology at Cablevision Mexico. It also announced that it is in the final stages of testing at Norwood Light Broadband in North America.

DOCSIS SCDMA technology allows cable operators to extend the spectrum used for the limited upstream portion of the HFC network, thus enhancing broadband service offerings.

Motorola's SCDMA solution, the BSR 64000 Cable Modem Termination System/Edge Router and its high-density RX48 Decoupled Upstream Module, is a standardised specification designed to optimise the 5 MHz to 42 MHz of the DOCSIS and EuroDOCSIS 5 MHz to 65 MHz upstream portion of the RF spectrum. Motorola's SCDMA technology addresses a common challenge for many cable operators that occurs when excess impulse and ingress noise impacts throughput performance on high speed DOCSIS broadband networks. By enabling SCDMA, cable operators can gain back once unusable or low performing upstream spectrum below 20 Mhz and above 40Mhz for DOCSIS, Motorola says.

"Although at a slower rate of growth than downstream broadband, demand for upstream capacity continues to increase at a rate of approximately 1.3x annually," said Sean Welch, vice president of network infrastructure at Motorola Mobility. "With SCDMA activated, operators can easily establish higher tier upstream services by simply leveraging once unusable portions of the existing upstream RF spectrum."

By doing so, cable operators worldwide can maximise investments in their current broadband infrastructure efficiently and cost-effectively boost cable upstream speeds, which support symmetrical business services, video conferencing, and cloud based services, Motorola noted.

"These SCDMA deployments â€" an industry first â€" reinforce Motorola's vision of responsible network evolution that provides our customers' confidence that we continue to innovate and offer the most cost-effective approaches to maximize their investments," said Welch.

DOCSIS SCDMA was first introduced in the DOCSIS 2.0 standards. It was often trialed, but initial growth in upstream bandwidth was easily handled within the 20MHx to 40 MHz portion of the upstream RF spectrum. Now, the demand for upstream bandwidth is now exceeding the 20MHz to 40Mhz throughput capacity and the need to find new upstream capacity.

"DOCSIS SCDMA is one of the best kept secrets in the myriad of DOCSIS 2.0 and 3.0 features and applications. Motorola's expertise in network characterization and SCDMA demonstrates Motorola's ongoing commitment to innovate and support the ever changing needs of cable operators," said Israel Madiedo, CTO of Cablevision SA de CV. "People are naturally consuming more bandwidth as new devices, such as smartphones and tablets, continue to proliferate. Motorola's SCDMA solution enables us to address the growing strain these connected devices, cloud-based services and Internet traffic place on the return path."

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Cedar Cove heads to TV on the Hallmark Channel

Michelle Clancy | 18-10-2012

The best-selling Cedar Cove book series from author Debbie Macomber is coming to the United States' Hallmark Channel in the spring of 2013â€"the cable net's first primetime series.

The show, which stars Andie MacDowell, is heading into production in Vancouver with veteran show runner Carl Binder at the helm. Binder is best known for many successful seasons of SGU Stargate Universe, Stargate Atlantis, and Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, as well as being one of the writers of the Disney animated classic, Pocahontas.

"If ever there was a recipe for series success, Cedar Cove is it," said Michelle Vicary, executive vice president of programming at the Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movie Channel.

"Start with internationally-acclaimed actor Andie MacDowell, add seasoned co-star Dylan Neal, Debbie Macomber's bestselling stories, the consistency of a world-class show runner and one of the most successful producing teams in television, and you'll see why we think the outcome will be irresistible â€" Cedar Cove will be the place we all want to call home," Vicary added.

MacDowell plays Judge Olivia Lockhart, whose Cedar Cove Municipal Court is the professional milieu and social microcosm of issues the judge will face in her own day-to-day life with family and frie$$$. Neal plays Jack Griffith, the new editor of the Cedar Cove Chronicle, and Lockhart's budding love interest.

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blinkx takes on teens, tweens with Falala video search deal

Michelle Clancy | 18-10-2012

Video search engine blinkx is partnering up with Fanlala, an online lifestyle destination for teens and tweens. Blinkx will bring exclusive, fun and age-appropriate video content about the latest hit shows, music, fashion and heartthrobs to the site.

There's a revenue share agreement in the mix as well: leveraging its AdHoc platform, blinkx will place contextually relevant advertising against these videos and share resulting revenue with Fanlala.

Fanlala, which strives for exclusive access to Hollywood's biggest teen stars, offers interviews with pop stars like Justin Bieber and One Direction, and behind-the-scenes set visits to the hottest tween shows, including Nickelodeon's iCarly and Disney Channel's Good Luck Charlie. By partnering with blinkx, Fanlala's ever-growing assortment of adolescent entertainment will be easier to search and discover, allowing kids and their parents to browse the latest tween tre$$$ or search out their favorite young stars.

"Entertainment news draws in one of the largest audiences online, and these days that audience includes a growing number of Internet-savvy tween viewers," said Julia Blystone, CMO at blinkx. "Fanlala, as a leading producer of tween entertainment video content, is a perfect partner for blinkx, and the relationship enables us to expand our pop culture library, with safe, relevant content about the stars, shows and music that young people care about."

To date, blinkx has signed more than 800 partners and indexed 35 million+ hours of video and audio content to date.

"Fanlala consistently works to bring premium original content and unique user experiences to our audience in a safe and family-friendly manner," said Alan Anderson, CEO, Fanlala. "Partnering with blinkx is a wonderful opportunity to further build our online audience and, thanks to blinkx's advanced search features, make sure our fans are able to easily discover the content they want."

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Sony Pictures Television announces key Asia-Pacific appointments

Louise Duffy | 18-10-2012

Sony Pictures Television (SPT) has announced three senior executive moves within its distribution business across Asia-Pacific.

Angel Orengo has been promoted to executive vice president, distribution, Asia-Pacific, with oversight of SPT's sales efforts across the entire region; James Farrell has been promoted to senior vice president, distribution, Japan; and Mark Young has been promoted to senior vice president, distribution, Australia and New Zealand.

Orengo will oversee the distribution of SPT's catalogue of programming and formats to free TV broadcasters, basic cable channels, pay-TV platforms and new media clients across Asia-Pacific. He will continue to lead in-country sales teams in Hong Kong, Sydney, Mumbai, Beijing, Seoul and Tokyo.

Farrell will be responsible for leading all sales functions across multiple distribution platforms including free, pay, digital, online and mobile, in addition to managing format sales in Japan.

Young will manage all sales of SPT content and SPT-owned formats to networks and other partners for the Australia and New Zealand markets.

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StarHub chooses Thomson Video Networks for new channels

Louise Duffy | 18-10-2012

Singaporean information and communications company StarHub is to use new technology from Thomson Video Networks for its digital cable TV platform.

By installing systems based around Thomson's latest-generation ViBE EM4000 encoders StarHub has been able to reallocate bandwidth to accommodate extra channels, while simultaneously improving video quality.

StarHub's new infrastructure includes ViBE EM4000 HD and EM2000 SD encoders, with NetProcessor 9030/40 multiplexers and XMS management system. The extra efficiency of the new EM4000 - the only commercially available third-generation H.264 encoder - and EM2000, working in combination with the NetProcessor 9030/40 multiplexer, will allow StarHub to deliver better images to subscribers, and launch new SD and HD channels. The new infrastructure has been fully integrated with StarHub's existing installation of Thomson encoders and management system.

"This latest evolution of the ViBE encoder platform offers really significant benefits to our operation." said Bee Lian Ong, VP of interactive TV & media, StarHub.

"The pictures from the EM4000 are excellent, and the ability to add more channels to our platform means we are able to increase the attractiveness of our cable offering in both quality and quantity."

"Thomson Video Networks is leading the market with both the ViBE EM4000 and the new NetProcessor 9030/40." said Thomson's Tony Berthaud, director of sales and services, APAC.

"On its debut, this latest generation of technology introduced a big step up in efficiency, but that was just the beginning; we have already introduced enhancements that increase the performance even further, because continuing evolution and performance increases will offer broadcasters even more. We are proud to have supplied StarHub with infrastructure that will take the company a long way into the future."