Satnews

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Virgin TiVo first port of call for BBC Connected Red Button

Editor    | 05-12-2012


In what it calls a reinvention of its interactive service, the BBC has launched Connected Red Button, a move that it says will “effortlessly” bring TV, radio and online content together in “the simplest possible way.”
The essence of the enhancement, says the BBC, is to seamlessly bring the Internet together with live TV, while making the technology completely invisible. In fact the corporation goes as far as calling the move the beginning of the exciting future of television.
The new service is claimed to enhance traditional Red Button functionality by allowing users to discover more shows on a channel or station, for example by being able to watch programmes from BBC Three, BBC Four, CBBC or CBeebies day or night even when they are off air. It will also enable access to live events, highlights and headlines. The product was engineered using BDD (behaviour-driven development) and TDD (test-driven development) encouraging close collaboration between product-owners, testers, software engineers and designers.
Connected Red Button is launching first on Virgin Media’s growing TiVo service as part of the innovation partnership agreed between the two organisations that saw the cable MSO be the first to embed the BBC iPlayer into its on-demand TV offerings. Connected Red Button will be rolled out to other connected TV platforms over the coming months. However, the BBC assures that the launch does not signal the demise of traditional BBC Red Button.
“The BBC understa$$$ as passionately as we do how important connected television is for home entertainment,” commented Cindy Rose, Virgin Media executive director of digital entertainment. “We’re delighted the BBC is working with us to launch another milestone in interactive services. Our commitment to this partnership of innovation means Virgin Media TiVo customers are the first to experience the latest interactive services at the press of a button.”
Added Victoria Jaye, head of IPTV & TV online content: “With BBC Connected Red Button, we’re starting with the TV audience who love our broadcast output and we’re curating online content on the big screen in ways that add value to their TV viewing. The audience can sit back and relax â€" the Internet just made TV better.”

[Lujdzo]

Dolby joins Arab HDTV Group

Louise Duffy    | 05-12-2012


Dolby Laboratories has joined the Arab HDTV Group, founded by the Arab State Broadcasting Union (ASBU), which promotes the introduction of HDTV services in the Arab world and coordinates collaboration among broadcasters.
Andreas Spechtler, EMEA regional vice president, Dolby Laboratories, said: “We are proud to become a member of the Arab HDTV Group by contributing to the industry in this region and sharing best practice. This is a key milestone for Dolby led by our regional team in the Middle East."
Dr Riyadh Najm, vice president of ASBU, chairman of Arab HDTV Group and Deputy Minister of Information Affairs at Saudi MOCI, added: “We welcome Dolby on board as the leader in audio technologies. Our mission is to recommend the most appropriate standards and coordinate the efforts for HDTV introduction in this region; we encourage broadcasters, manufactures, vendors and everyone in this industry to join us in achieving our goal.”

[Lujdzo]

iMing Corp prepares to enter STB market in China

Louise Duffy    | 05-12-2012


iMing Corp, until recently known as China Career Builder Corp, is preparing to enter the Internet TV and set-top box (STB) markets in China.
China is set to become the fastest growing STB market in the world as major manufactures of STBs have set a target of moving from terrestrial television to digital cable transmission in the country by 2015.
iMing anticipates that China's Internet population will hit 718 million by 2013, accounting for 52.7% of the total population. It plans to manufacture an affordable STB that targets both the domestic market of Internet users as well as the CATV users who have access to the Internet by providing a cost effective means of access to television, sports, entertainment and full-length movies online through the company's HD STB products.

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YuMe mobile video advertising grows strongly across Europe

Editor    | 05-12-2012


Digital video brand advertising software and services provider YuMe has revealed what it calls “significant growth milestones” in mobile video advertising in the UK, alongside its momentum in Europe.
YuMe says that it has completed more than 300 mobile campaigns for over 140 publishers in 2012, delivering over 1.2 billion mobile brand advertising impressions between March and September 2012. It also completed mobile campaigns with more than 80 leading bra$$$, growing mobile advertising revenue for YuMe in the UK by 580% over the last 12 months. By volume and revenue, YuMe claims to be the market leader for mobile video in the UK and France. Mobile advertising revenue for YuMe in France has grown 450% over last six months.
"A long list of our clients have worked with YuMe from our entertainment clients to travel, autos to FMCG bra$$$, and now have YuMe’s mobile video as a regular part of their digital plans," commented George Dixon, mobile manager, Mediacom UK. "YuMe has established itself as a market leader in mobile video and has consistently delivered excellent results again and again."
"With the strong growth in mobile video advertising, it is extremely important for YuMe to be present in both the UK, and now France and beyond, to engage with and sign new regional publishers and advertisers to help them monetise their inventory," added Owen Hanks, general manager, Europe, YuMe. "We also offer an advantage to US publishers and advertisers wanting to extend their global presence, while working with a single partner, YuMe."

[Lujdzo]

Sky Deutschland upgrades service procedure

Jörn Krieger    | 05-12-2012



German pay-TV broadcaster Sky Deutschland has selected international B2B service providers S3 Group and Teleplan to deliver a suite of products and services targeted at increasing the quality of experience for its subscribers.
The end-to-end solution - which incorporates a number features such as catching faulty set-top-boxes in automated device-testing procedures, as well as return logistics, repair, refurbishment and spare parts management - will be deployed across the engineering, product support and supply chain departments. By utilising a single integrated solution throughout its operations, Sky Deutschland expects to see significant quality improvements, cost savings and customer satisfaction in the service being delivered to its three million plus subscribers.
"Powered by our partners Teleplan and S3 Group and in cooperation with our core suppliers Humax and Pace as well as our strategic logistics service partner Loxxess, the solution will cover the full life-cycle of all set-top boxes, PVRs and hard disc drives," Sebastian Hauptmann, vice-president supply chain at Sky Deutschland, said in Munich. "In this way, we expect to reduce total cost of ownership and further improve the quality of the Sky consumer premises equipment," he added.

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Synacor, Zynga team up to enable premium pay-TV gaming currency

Editor    | 05-12-2012


In the latest move toward bringing games to the pay-TV environment, TV Everywhere solutions firm Synacor has entered into a partnership with social game services provider Zynga.
Under the terms of the partnership, Synacor will contribute technology that will make Zynga game currency available to pay-TV and high-speed Internet providers as part of its consumer bundles, enabling MVPDs to deliver online products and services, in addition to TV Everywhere, to their pay-TV subscribers. Through Synacor's first-ever partnership with Zynga, as a part of their subscription, pay-TV subscribers of participating MVPDs will be able to receive in-game currency each month that can be redeemed in the Zynga games.
"TV Everywhere is raising awareness of the value of authentication. It facilitates an evolving definition of the breadth of offerings MVPDs are capable of delivering to their consumers. Games are an important extension, and Zynga's leadership in social games makes it an ideal partner,” explained Ron Frankel, Synacor CEO. “[We are] delighted to be working with Zynga, and this partnership will build upon an ecosystem that continues to expand the definition of the bundle for our customers … Partnerships such as these, where pay-TV subscribers get even more benefits and entertainment from their subscriptions, are redefining the bundle, and we are confident the foremost programmers and content providers will see value in this subscriber-friendly approach."
"Zynga is always looking for innovative opportunities to deliver the best value in entertainment for its new and existing players," added Barry Cottle, chief revenue officer for Zynga. "Our partnership with Synacor will enable us to offer additional value to premium pay-TV subscribers with in-game currency while providing easy navigation to their favourite Zynga games directly from their PC home screens."

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Sony boosts ad engagement by embedding Ensequence software

Editor    | 05-12-2012


Sony Electronics has inked a multi-year deal to embed Ensequence's platform software on its connected TVs to offer advertisers what it says will be an easier, more scalable way to engage viewers directly with actionable content.
Ensequence's advertising software offers clickable banners, landing pages, product request forms, coupons and surveys. TV show capabilities include polls, trivia games, location-based check-in, social status updates and more. Advertisers and programmers can add their branding and content to customise the Ensequence platform, which takes care of deploying, tracking and managing it. Audiences see promotional 'bugs' on their screens that they click to launch content related to the ad or show they are watching.
Ensequence claims that research shows that by adding interactivity to TV increases programming ratings by up to 20%, brand recall by as much as 50% and intent to purchase by up to 40%. It says that, in addition, viewer interaction and repeat visit rates exceed 30% and 50% respectively. Ensequence believes that with the Sony partnership, it is poised to deliver advanced products for television across multiple platforms, including connected TVs, to help advertisers and programmers reach a critical mass of viewers with interactive content.
From the first quarter of 2013, all new Sony TVs will ship with Ensequence platform software, and the software will be available for Sony 2011-12 model connected TVs through software updates.
"Television viewers are craving and demanding more immersive and active experiences with their favourite TV programming," said Nick Colsey, vice president of Sony Electronics' business development division. "As market leaders with auto content recognition (ACR) capabilities fully integrated into its connected HDTVs, Sony is excited to deliver Ensequence's enhancements to viewers, not only unlocking new content now, but creating a viable platform for programming producers to push the envelope in viewer engagement."
"Connected TV is the next frontier for brand advertisers and TV shows producers, and Ensequence offers the most advanced products for transforming TV into a deeper, more engaging experience," added Peter Low, CEO of Ensequence. "The Ensequence partnership with Sony offers advertisers and programmers the first turnkey platform for delivering immersive, compelling experiences seamlessly and at scale to Sony connected TV viewers."

[Lujdzo]

DMAX HD rolls out to German cable

Jörn Krieger    | 05-12-2012


German cable operators Unitymedia and Kabel BW will offer free-to-air men's channel DMAX to their customers in high definition from next year.
The carriage of DMAX HD is part of a long-term partnership signed with operating company Discovery Networks Deutschland.
From January 2013, DMAX HD will be available at Unitymedia in federal states North-Rhine Westphalia and Hessen, with Kabel BW in Baden-Württemberg to follow in Q1 2013. The distribution marks DMAX HD's first cable roll-out. Since its launch on 1 May 2012, the channel has only been available via satellite on Astra platform HD+.
The agreement also includes video-on-demand (VOD) distribution. In future, cable customers will be able to access selected DMAX original productions, such as Asphalt Cowboys, through a catch-up TV service by pressing a button on the remote control.

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Univision to unveil transformed TeleFutura network

Iñaki Ferreras    | 05-12-2012



Media company Univision Communications, which serves Hispanic America, has announced the launch of UniMás, the newly transformed TeleFutura.
UniMás delivers bold content from the top Spanish-language producers in the world, including Caracol Televisión, RTI Colombia, and Televisa.
UniMás will be unveiled on-air on 7 January 2013. Previously known as TeleFutura, UniMás programming aims to super-serve its quickly growing and increasingly diverse audiences more than ever before.
"UniMás will offer the new generation of Hispanic Millennial tre$$$etters â€" the Más Generation â€" options for bolder content," said Cesar Conde, president, Univision Networks.
Programming partners for UniMás include Caracol Televisión â€" Colombia's No 1 television broadcaster and a leader in the production of alternative series such as Pablo Escobar â€" and RTI Colombia, the most successful independent production company in Colombia which produced La Reina del Sur. UniMás will also tap into the extensive content resources of Televisa, the leading creator and distributor of quality entertainment content in Spanish for all platforms.
UniMás will also significantly increase its sports offering featuring top calibre events such as games from the Mexican National Team, Liga MX, CONCACAF Gold Cup 2013, FIFA Confederations Cup 2013 and World Cup 2014. Also continuing on the network are sports shows such as Solo Boxeo, highlighting the best in professional boxing, and Contacto Deportivo, bringing viewers the latest news of the sports world seven nights a week. UniMás will also continue to show high-action, Hollywood blockbusters.
The new logo and brand identity were created in collaboration with branding agency Troika and expand on the launch of the new Univision brand logo earlier this year. As part of the campaign to announce the launch, a series of off-network marketing efforts were implemented, including: 30 spots, digital ads, print ads and outdoor advertising in New York City, Los Angeles and Miami.
The transformation to UniMás is part of Univision's expansion and investment efforts in 2012 that included the launch of four new networks â€" Univision Deportes, Univision tlnovelas, FORO TV, and UVideos, the Company's digital video network â€" as well as new brand identities for its leading networks. Earlier this year, Univision unveiled a new brand logo signifying the company's growth, transformation and celebrating its culture of innovation over its 50-year history.
In the current 2012/2013 Season, TeleFutura is outpacing all other broadcast networks in percentage growth during broadcast prime among total viewers 2+ (+46%), adults 18-49 (+36%), adults 18-34 (+43%) and persons 12-34 (+43%).
TeleFutura is currently the No 2 Spanish-language network, behind Univision, during early morning, day time, late fringe and weekend daytime with adults 18-34 and persons 12-34. Among adults 18-49, TeleFutura is the No 2 Spanish-language network in the day time and weekend day slots. Since the start of the new season, TeleFutura has out-performed Telemundo on Sunday night among adults 18-49 and is currently holding a 25% advantage in this key demographic group.

[Lujdzo]

SeaChange sees revenues, profits shaved for Q3

Joseph O'Halloran    | 05-12-2012



Even though it represents a solid performance with respect to an overall cost reduction effort, Sea Change has reported year-on-year falls in profits and revenues for its third quarter.
For the quarter ended 30 November, the global multi-screen video software firm reported revenue of $39.2 million and non-GAAP operating income of $2.9 million. This compared with $42.9 million and 5.5 million respectively for the year earlier.
SeaChange revealed that GAAP third quarter fiscal 2013 results included non-recurring charges consisting primarily of severance and restructuring charges, while the third quarter fiscal 2012 results had non-recurring charges related to professional fees associated with strategic alternatives and earn-out costs from acquisitions. For the first nine months of fiscal 2013, the company posted revenues of $112.6 million and non-GAAP operating income of $6.4 million compared with $121.5 million and $12.2 million in the same period a year earlier.
Yet despite these less than spectacular results, Raghu Rau, chief executive officer, SeaChange, said he was pleased with the quarterly posting which he said came in at the high end of its revenue guidance and “significantly exceeded” non-GAAP operating income guidance.
Looking forward, Rau added: “Based on the momentum we are seeing in our business, we are increasing our full year fiscal 2013 revenue and earnings guidance. We anticipate that our full year fiscal 2013 revenue will be in the range of $155 million.”

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Movistar Imagenio to remove ten channels

Iñaki Ferreras    | 05-12-2012


Although, in the midst of the current crisis, Spanish pay-TV is once again gaining subscribers, if slowly, not all operators are benefitting.
From 1 January 2013, the number of channels on Telefónica's pay-TV platform Movistar Imagenio will be reduced by ten, reports Neoo.es. The cull will see the elimination of channels including the Fox channels History Channel, Biography Channel and Crime & Investigation which belong to Chello Multicanal in association with A&TV Networks.
The Fox channels Spain Travel and Tourism HD will remain for now.

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Netflix beats pay-TV firms to Disney movie streaming rights

Editor    | 05-12-2012



Netflix has stolen a march on cable TV and premium TV rivals in a new multi-year licensing agreement with Walt Disney Company to make it the exclusive US subscription TV service for first-run live-action and animated feature films.
The news comes only days after Netflix secured rights with Warner Bros and effectively positions the over-the-top (OTT) leader as Disney’s premium TV partner, a role traditionally played by companies such as Starz.
Under the terms of the deal, Netflix will be able to stream in the pay-TV window on multiple platforms 2,016 theatrically released feature films from Walt Disney Animation Studios, Pixar Animation Studios, Marvel Studios and Disneynature. Also included in the agreement will be high-profile Disney direct-to-video new releases, which will be made available on Netflix starting in 2013. In a separate deal Disney and Netflix have reached agreement on a multi-year catalogue deal that today brings to US Netflix members Disney classics such as Dumbo, Pocahontas and Alice in Wonderland.
"Disney and Netflix have shared a long and mutually beneficial relationship and this deal will bring to our subscribers, in the first pay-TV window, some of the highest quality, most imaginative family films being made today," said Ted Sarandos, chief content officer at Netflix. "It's a bold leap forward for Internet television and we are incredibly pleased and proud this iconic family brand is teaming with Netflix to make it happen."
"With this cutting-edge agreement, we are thrilled to take our highly valued relationship with Netflix to the next level by adding Disney's premier films to their programming line-up," added Janice Marinelli, President, Disney-ABC Domestic Television. "Netflix continues to meet the dema$$$ of its subscribers in today's rapidly evolving digital la$$$cape, and we are delighted that they will have much earlier access to our top-quality and entertaining slate.”

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Brazil chalks up nearly 16 million pay-TV subs

Iñaki Ferreras    | 05-12-2012


According to data published by Anatel, Brazil - LATAM's largest TV market - recorded pay-TV subscription figures of 15.7 million in October, with 300,600 new additions.
The figures represent an increase of 1.95% from the previous month and 29% compared to the same period last year. Between October 2011 and October 2012 there were more than 2.95 million new subscribers, reports consultancy Dataxis LATAM.
With regard to the technology used by different operators, DTH continues to dominate the market with a penetration of 59.96% of the base, with cable reaching 39.02% of the subscribers. DTH added 256,424 new subscribers between September and October 2012 (0.2% growth), while cable added 51,456 (up 0.1%).
MMDS operators continued the trend in decline, losing 7,225 subscribers in a month (down 0.3%), taking last October's nationwide subscriber number down to 156,670.
Anatel also specifies that the operator Net/Embratel continues to lead the market for pay-TV in this country, with a total of 8,288,958 subscribers, with 121,059 new customers in September. Sky (DirecTV) is second with 4,873,519, adding 102,508 new customers in that month. Oi is third with 651,382 subscribers, 47,911 customers added, Telefónica/Vivo had 606,700 subscribers, down 8,466, and GVT was fifth with 386,197 subs, followed by Algar and ViaCabo.

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Televisa and Univision sign deal with Caracol TV

Iñaki Ferreras    | 05-12-2012



Mexico's Televisa and US company Univision Communications have signed a long-term agreement with Colombia's Caracol Television to produce and broadcast Caracol content in Mexico and the United States.
Under the agreement, UniMás - Univision's sister network - will broadcast Caracol's contents, comprising soap operas, series, telenovelas and entertainment programmes, in the US.
Through UniMás (formerly TeleFutura), Univision will broadcast a minimum amount of annual hours produced by Caracol during prime time. Televisa will have access to produce and broadcast programmes on Caracol's original broadcast signals and pay-TV in Mexico and Latin America. The agreement is effective from next January.
Gonzalo Cordoba, president of Caracol Television, said: "This agreement is one of the most important international strategic alliances Caracol has signed in its history, considering our firm commitment to globalize the content we create and further expand our reach around the world. Televisa and Univision are the ideal partners to achieve this goal."
Joseph Cane, president of content at Televisa Television Group, said: "Having content for our audiences on Caracol television and pay-television is part of the commitment of Grupo Televisa to transmit the highest quality content and more different genres."

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France 3 to launch extended nightly news edition to cut costs

Pascale Paoli-Lebailly    | 05-12-2012


Following France 2's â,¬30 million cost savings announcement, public sister channel France 3 has said that next March it will launch an extended one-hour nightly news edition, axing other programming slots and making around â,¬10 million savings.
Le Grand Soir 3 will start between 10.30pm and 11pm and include talks and debates focused around current news. Such a repositioning will lead to schedule changes over the week and above all will allow the channel to save money. Shows that usually follow the nightly news show Soir 3, will be re-scheduled or removed.
France Télévisions' president Rémy Pflmilin said that the move is part of its strategic project Info 2015, targeted at mutualising means between France 2 and France 3's Paris teams, as well as over the whole territory.
In 2013, France Télévisions must achieve â,¬130 million cost savings out of a total budget of â,¬2.5 billion.