Author Topic: Satnews (Read 11174 times)

Lujdzo · « **Reply #495 on:** February 05, 2013, 01:02:29 PM »

HD+ misses 2012 year-end target

JÃ¶rn Krieger | 05-02-2013
HD+ reached the milestone of one million paying customers in January 2013, indicating that the encrypted platform on which Astra satellite operator SES distributes the HD versions of commercial free-to-air channels for DTH households in Germany has seen slower growth than expected.
Originally, HD+ wanted to reach the one million customer mark before the end of 2012, however, on 31 December 2012 the offering only reached 944,993 paying households.
In Q4 2012, 183,537 customers were added. The 12-month free-of-charge period was used by 1.9 million households at the end of 2012. In total, with paying customers and those using the free period, HD+ reached 2.9 million households at the end of 2012. This correspo$$$ with a 25% growth compared with 2011 (31.12.2011: 2.3 million households). In 2013, HD+ is aiming to increase its customer base by 25% again.
The platform, which launched on 1 November 2009 for DTH satellite households in Germany on Astra (19.2Â° East), currently contains 15 HD channels including those operated by Germany's two large commercial TV groups RTL and ProSiebenSat.1. Reception costs â‚¬50 per year, with the first 12 months being free-of-charge. In standard definition, the same channels can be received without fees or encryption on Astra.

Lujdzo · « **Reply #496 on:** February 05, 2013, 01:05:45 PM »

ORS to launch DVB-T2 package simpliTV in Austria

JÃ¶rn Krieger | 05-02-2013
Technical services provider ORS is to launch a new digital terrestrial TV platform (DTT) in Austria.
The offering, dubbed simpliTV, will contain around 40 TV channels of which 20-30% will be in high definition, ORS spokesman Michael Weber told Rapid TV News.
On board will be channels of all major German language public and commercial TV broadcasters, although the final line-up hasn't been fixed yet. As transmission standard, DVB-T successor DVB-T2 will be used to enable more channels, including HDTV, and better picture quality. However, viewers need new reception devices as the currently used DVB-T receivers are not suitable for DVB-T2.
According to Weber, the whole package will be encrypted and offered to consumers for a fee. The monthly subscription price has not been finalised yet, but it's thought to be around â‚¬10. For encryption, ORS will use a software-based solution without smartcards provided by technology company $$$$$$ with whom ORS already collaborates for it DTH satellite platform on Astra (19.2Â° East).
For reception, viewers require a DVB-T2 receiver which will be available in retail stores or a flat-screen TV set with an integrated DVB-T2 tuner and a CI+ interface into which a simpliTV conditional access module has to be inserted. For technology and sales, ORS has arranged partnerships with Kathrein and HB Austria.
"With simpliTV, we want to make digital terrestrial television more competitive," said Weber, adding that DTT would currently only offer eight to ten TV channels in Austria and therefore considerably lag behind the variety provided by satellite, cable and IPTV. "This is not really attractive."
ORS will give further details of participating channels, coverage and technical aspects in March 2013. The free-of-charge current DTT line-up will continue to be offered by the technical services subsidiary of public broadcaster ORF in parallel with simpliTV.

Lujdzo · « **Reply #497 on:** February 05, 2013, 01:07:29 PM »

AXTEL rolls out hybrid IPTV in Mexico

Michelle Clancy | 05-02-2013
Mexican TV operator AXTEL is rolling out an IPTV service as part of a triple-play offering with voice and broadband, and a range of advanced features.
AXTEL's service will combine IPTV broadcast channels with multiscreen video-on-demand, a network-based personal video recorder and interactive content via IP, along with access to free-to-air DTT broadcasts channels.
The launch is being supported by technology from Ericsson and mirada.
AXTEL and Ericsson have said that the time is right for deployment. According to Ericsson ConsumerLab's annual study, one quarter (24%) of Mexican consumers say they have expanded their TV subscriptions, largely due to new features like interactivity. NicolÃ¡s Brancoli, vice president of Ericsson Latin America and Caribbean, said that AXTEL is looking to "meet consumers' growing demand for TV services that offer greater control and interactivity."
Ericsson will deploy and integrate an end-to-end next generation TV platform which will include the MPEG-4 AVC headend for linear and on-demand standard definition (SD) and high definition (HD) TV channels, and the Ericsson Multiscreen TV Solution. It will also manage the service with Network Operations Centre (NOC) and video management infrastructure to help mitigate operational complexities and risks.
"We rely on Ericsson's leadership in TV and managed services as we embark on this very important initiative," said Jenaro MartÃnez, AXTEL TV project director. "We are pleased to have Ericsson as our solutions provider and partner in providing our users with interactive and innovative TV services."
AXTEL TV is also using Navi, mirada's content navigation tool, which will be used for discovery across linear and time-shifted TV; Ericsson implementing the solution.
"The launch of AXTEL TV marks AXTELÂ´s first steps in the pay-TV market, and we are confident that with our investment in miradaÂ´s novel hybrid services, AXTEL will quickly become one of the leaders of the Mexican digital television market," said MartÃnez. Our customers can now access their favourite programmes with an easy-to-use and intuitive user interface."
According to mirada CEO JosÃ© Luis VÃ¡zquez, this is mirada's second live service under partnership with Ericsson, after Brazil's GVT.
"We wish to continue expanding our activities throughout Latin America, a key growth market for mirada," he said. To date, our work here has been extremely successful in cementing our product offering and we are confident that the region will play a key role in mirada's future success."

Lujdzo · « **Reply #498 on:** February 05, 2013, 01:09:00 PM »

Espial completes ANT acquisition in bid for HTML5 dominance

Michelle Clancy | 05-02-2013
Canadian video-on-demand enabler Espial has completed its previously announced Â£5 million acquisition of UK-based ANT, in a gambit to build an HTML5 leadership role.
Espial believes the combined company operations will provide it with strong synergies such as an increased revenue and customer base, increased scale and resources to deliver rich HTML5 user experiences and integrated clients across set-top boxes and multiscreen devices. It will also give Espial an expanded customer footprint in Europe, North America, and Asia, including major TV operators, set-top box manufacturers, and smart TV manufacturers, all of whom are the key customers of ANT's technology. ANT is also a founding member of the HbbTV HTML5-based hybrid broadcast broadband TV standard.
After initially entering into a cooperation agreement with ANT on 30 November 2012, Espial has purchased all of the outstanding shares of ANT in exchange for all cash consideration of Â£0.205 per outstanding share.
"Delivering a high quality user experience across set-top boxes, smart TVs, tablets and smartphones is crucial to the success of today's TV service providers," said Jaison Dolvane, CEO of Espial. "The ANT acquisition further strengthens Espial's position as an HTML5 market leader to help to accelerate TV service providers' transition to IP video delivery."

Lujdzo · « **Reply #499 on:** February 05, 2013, 01:10:21 PM »

Megogo.net gets 300-hour BBC Worldwide programme package

Editor | 05-02-2013
Aiming to satisfy the demand for such content in its home region, Megogo.net has signed its first ever deal with BBC Worldwide for a selection of top British programming.
The ad-funded free-of-charge platform available online in 15 of the former Soviet countries contains a library currently comprising over 20 thousand hours of content including feature films, series, animation, programmes and shows, and boasts over 13 million unique users per month. The service runs on a number of connected devices including the Apple iPad and iPhone, Android phones and tablets, LG, Samsung and Sony smart TVs, as well as the Dune HD and Aura HD media consoles through specially developed applications.
Megogo.net has high expectations for the BBC content in terms of both popularity and interest of users. "No doubt, for our online service it is the strategic decision. We are aware of the level of importance of such content for our audience, especially with a high quality of video we offer," said Megogo.net CEO Vladimir Borovyk.
Under the terms of the new agreement, BBC Worldwide will supply 300 hours of programming spanning drama, comedy, science, cookery, documentary, natural history and children's content. These will include Human Planet and the Sir David Attenborough-narrated series Frozen Planet, along with dramas Luther, Sherlock and The Fade.
Adding her take on what she thought the deal would provide, Linda Passey, senior publishing manager CEEMEA digital, sales & distribution, BBC Worldwide said: "There is an ever-growing demand for great British content in Central and Eastern Europe so it is fantastic to be working with Megogo.net for the first time and making more of our world class programming available to audiences through the region."

Lujdzo · « **Reply #500 on:** February 05, 2013, 01:11:41 PM »

Liberty launches Virgin Media bid

Editor | 05-02-2013
UK incumbent cableco Virgin Media has revealed that it is in discussions with Liberty Global with regards to a possible transaction.
In a very brief statement confirming the move, Virgin Media acknowledged that talks about a deal were indeed taking place and noted that any such transaction would be subject to regulatory and other conditions. It added that a further announcement "will be made in due course."
The buy-out would considerably shake up not only the UK's but the European pay-TV arena where Liberty through its UPC and Unitymedia concerns is a major player. Analysts believe that despite projected falls in absolute subscriber numbers, Liberty will emerge over the next few years or so as the European pay-TV leader. In its most recent European Pay TV Operator Forecasts report, published before news of any bid for Virgin emerged, Digital TV Research predicts that even though its subs will likely fall from 15.08 million in 2011 to 14.5 million by 2017, Liberty will still have around three million more customers than its arch rival BSkyB which will remain as revenue top dog.
As shown by the launch of its Horizon connected home digital cable TV play in September 2012, which is now being offered by Liberty subsidiaries across continental Europe and Ireland, Liberty's strategy is to upsell existing customer assets. Acquiring Virgin would be a good fit for this plan as it would add precisely such high value customers.
With its fiscal end of year results due imminently, in its last posting for the three-month period ended 30 September 2012, Virgin reported Q3 revenue of Â£1.028 billion consistent with a nine-month trend that led to a total of Â£3.061 billion, 3.1% up on the figure for the first three-quarters of 2011. Operating income was Â£491 million for the nine months and Â£180 million for Q3 and net income was Â£196 million for the nine months and Â£124 million for the quarter.
Significantly, and perhaps not lost on Liberty, Virgin's cable ARPU was up 1.8% to Â£48.73 in the quarter with not only the pay-TV base increasing by 52,200 subscribers but with growth driven by TiVo-based services which increased from 205,900 to 1.14 million and which accounted for 30% of the Virgin cable TV base by the end of the trading period. Virgin is also set to launch its own TV anywhere service to compete with the likes of Sky Go.

Lujdzo · « **Reply #501 on:** February 05, 2013, 01:13:07 PM »

Endemol enhances Asia ops with new MD

Editor | 05-02-2013
Furthering its recent management reorganisation as it transitions towards more corporate stability and increasingly seeks out opportunities in the region, Endemol has appointed a new managing director of Asian operations.
Fotini Paraskakisn will take up the role at the leading independent TV and digital media production company and will be responsible for creative, production and format sales activities across Asia on a day-to-day basis, including the company's joint venture with Astro in Malaysia. She will report to Asian operations CEO Arjen van Mierlo who will also increasingly focus on exploring new opportunities for the company to expand in the region.
Indeed Endemol lays claim to a number of recent successes in Asia including a first series of Fear Factor for Astro in Malaysia, which was shot in South Africa and co-produced by Endemol Malaysia and Endemol South Africa. The Money Drop has also returned for a second season on Astro Malaysia, and in China Endemol will now offer Your Face Sou$$$ Familiar on Hunan Satellite TV. In the Philippines Deal or no Deal has returned on ABS-CBN and The Money Drop has launched on ABC's TV5. The first season of Your Face Sou$$$ is also playing on Vietnam's VTV3 while Step Right Up is said to be performing strongly on Channel 9 in Thailand.
Having started her career with BBC Drama in the UK and being based in Asia since 1995, prior to joining Endemol Paraskakisn was director of content for FremantleMedia Asia where among other responsibilities she managed the creative, production and content for all the company's formats in the region including Idols, Got Talent and X Factor, and supervising over 1,000 prime time hours since taking the role in 2005. She has also produced and managed major projects for leading networks across Asia and the UK, including Star TV, Disney, ESPN, Channel 4, BBC and MTV.
Commenting on the new appointment, van Mierlo said: "Having someone of Fotini's calibre helping to lead our business in Asia places us in a strong position to pursue further growth here. She has an extraordinary wealth of experience and will be a valuable asset to our operations across the region."
Paraskakis added: "Endemol is a creative powerhouse with great prospects for further growth in Asia. The industry here is hungry for ideas and Endemol's shows have already proven to be enormously popular with audiences throughout the region. I'm thrilled to be part of the team and I'm enormously looking forward to the challenges ahead."

Lujdzo · « **Reply #502 on:** February 05, 2013, 01:14:10 PM »

Liverpool nets new TV and digital media chief

Editor | 05-02-2013
Aiming to maximise the potential of a brand which has few equals in world football, Liverpool FC has appointed Matthew Baxter to head up its digital media and TV operations.
The new chief media officer at England's most successful football club - which has recently made huge strides in the social media space, outscoring even Lionel Messi's Barcelona on Twitter, for example - will have global responsibility for establishing a world class television and digital media business by further developing Liverpool's digital platforms domestically and internationally. Liverpool also claims to be the first football club to launch an official page on the iTunes platform enabling fans to download video content to Apple devices.
Before signing for the Reds, Baxter was senior vice president of MGM Networks where he worked across the commercial spectrum, with an emphasis on sales and marketing, creating and launching TV channels and global MGM businesses. Prior to that he held senior positions in leading TV businesses including Warner Bros International Television and Walt Disney, and was part of the Fox Kids launch team in Europe.
Describing it as a real honour to join an organisation that is steeped in history and has enormous global appeal, Baxter said: ""There is a real opportunity to build on the existing platforms and develop the club's digital and TV strategy to further modernise this hugely potential asset."
Ian Ayre, managing director, Liverpool Football Club, added: "Our digital media and television operations are a crucial component of the club's future brand and commercial development. This is a key appointment in our digital strategy to create further engaging content for our growing global fan base."

Lujdzo · « **Reply #503 on:** February 05, 2013, 01:15:11 PM »

Taco Bell tops the list of most engaged Super Bowl ads

Michelle Clancy | 05-02-2013
TiVo has tapped the information of 30 thousand set-top boxes (STBs) to rank the top ten engaging Super Bowl commercials across the United States. The winner? Taco Bell.
Taco Bell's Viva Young, featuring a group of rest home denizens out for a night on the town, was the most re-watched ad by TiVo viewers.
Doritos scored with user-generated ads, with the crowd-sourced Goat For Sale and Fashionista Daddy commanding second and fourth place, respectively. Audi of America's Prom, which came in ninth place, was also crowd-source: fans voted for the ending.
Notably missing from the top ten list was Chrysler, with both of its ads which paid homage to veterans and farmers, but lacked humour.
The Top ten ads garnering multiple views on TiVo were:
Taco Bell, Viva Young
Doritos, Goat For Sale
Hyundai Santa Fe, Pick Your Team
Doritos, Fashionista Daddy
GoDaddy.com, Perfect Date
M&Ms, Anything for Love
Sketchers, Man vs. Cheetah
Pepsi Next, Pepsi Next Drink it to Believe It
Audi, Prom
Volkswagen, Get In. Get Happy
TiVo ranked the most engaging ads by looking for spots with the biggest bump in viewership relative to the surrounding 15 minutes of programming, offering a reflection of change in viewership, or, re-watching.

Lujdzo · « **Reply #504 on:** February 05, 2013, 01:16:28 PM »

Dutch digital homes reach 76%
February 5, 2013 09.21 Europe/London By Robert Briel

TV familieDutch homes are becoming increasingly digital, according to the latest Media Standard Survey 2012 (MSS), carried out by TNS-NIPO among 6,190 households.

According to the survey, the number of digital TV homes was 76% at the end of December, 2012, up from 71% at the end of 2011. Growth was mainly attributed to the rise in IPTV subscriptions and further digitization of the cable.

This figure compares with the 71%, which the Dutch institute of statistics CBS noted at the end of 2012.

According to the MSS figures, 11% of all TV sets in the country are connected to the internet, up from 7% the previous year. This figure compares with the 20% that CBS has noted for connected sets. This discrepancy can be attributed to the definition of connected TV (e.g. is it a smart TV or is the TV connected via a separate device?)

Bas de Vos (Director SKO) said in a statement: â€œThe digitization is reflected in the way people are watching television. Only a quarter of all viewing is done on analogue. Three quarters of all viewing time is now digital. Time-shifted watching in 2012 grows by about 10%, identical with the growing penetration of hard disk recorders.â€

Lujdzo · « **Reply #505 on:** February 05, 2013, 01:22:37 PM »

ESPN, Brand USA promote US tourism throughout Europe

Michelle Clancy | 05-02-2013
ESPN has signed a deal with Brand USA, the tourism marketing body for the United States, to deliver advertising and special interest content to sports fans across the UK and Europe.
The initiative kicks off with the United States of Sport, housed online at ESPNAmerica.com and on an ESPN-branded section within DiscoverAmerica.com â€“ Brand USA's consumer-facing Website. It includes specially-produced branded online video and rich media features on each state, which focus on sports and recreational tourism opportunities rooted in each state's distinct sporting heritage and made possible by each destination's unique la$$$cape and culture. The branded features will run online, as well as on ESPN's TV networks across Europe. United States of Sport also includes a range of information and background about recreational opportunities available across the United States, as well as each state's sporting teams and venues.
DiscoverAmerica.com will also sponsor a range of programming through ESPN's TV networks across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, including a season-long sponsorship of the football debate show ESPN FC Press Pass in the UK and Ireland, and season-long sponsorships of MLS and MLB programming.
And finally, the US Sports Team Picker gives sports fans a chance to find out more about US sports and sports tourism in the US. A bespoke online tool housed online at ESPNAmerica.com and on an ESPN-branded section withinDiscoverAmerica.com, it lets fans find out which sporting team in the USA they should support by inputting their sporting passions and personal interests, plus other information, such as the US state they plan to holiday in. The game will provide them the closest match to their set of circumstances, across American football, baseball or basketball.

Lujdzo · « **Reply #506 on:** February 05, 2013, 01:23:55 PM »

LA Muscle inks promo deal for Active Channel with A Good Day to Die Hard

Michelle Clancy | 05-02-2013
Sports supplement company LA Muscle is partnering with Twentieth Century Fox in a brand partnership for its upcoming Bruce Willis movie, A Good Day to Die Hard.
LA Muscle's television channel, The Active Channel, which it claims is Europe's No 1 health and fitness channel, is accessed on SKY channel 281, Freesat 408 and online at You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login. LA Muscle will promote the movie across its properties, and will wrap in print advertising and social media across the UK and Western Europe.
"LA Muscle's brand image has always been exciting and cutting-edge," said the company's managing director, Feroz Sadique. "A Good Day to Die Hard shares the theme of excitement and action and is the perfect partnership for the LA Muscle Group."
To promote the new movie, LA Muscle also is giving away a holiday for two to Russia in homage to the fact that A Good Day to Die Hard is set in Moscow.
A Good Day to Die Hard will be available in UK cinemas from 14 February 2013.

Lujdzo · « **Reply #507 on:** February 05, 2013, 01:25:06 PM »

Multimedia boosts offer
February 5, 2013 09.19 Europe/London By Chris Dziadul

Multimedia PolskaThe Polish cable operator Multimedia Polska has added more channels and programme packages to its offer.

The latter now include MiniBox, SuperBox and MaxBox, with the first two being upgraded versions of existing packages with more channels and the third a completely new package.

MiniBox now offers 78 channels, six of which are in HD, for PLN49 (â‚¬11.

a month, and SuperBox 108 channels, with none in HD, for PLN59 a month.

MaxBox meanwhile provides 127 channels, 13 of which are in HD, for PLN69 a month, and in total Multimedia Polska has added 13 channels to its digital offer.

All the packages can be received as part of a triple play offer, the most comprehensive being MaxBox, a PVR, 60 Mbps internet access and telephony for PLN120 a month.

Significantly, Multimedia Polska, which is the second largest cable operator in Poland, says it will continue to offer its subscribers analogue TV services.

Lujdzo · « **Reply #508 on:** February 05, 2013, 01:26:14 PM »

Entertainment Studios signs carriage agreement with NCTC

Michelle Clancy | 05-02-2013
Entertainment Studios, an independent producer and distributor of first-run syndicated TV programming for broadcast television stations, and owner of eight 24-hour HD cable TV networks, has signed an affiliation agreement with the National Cable Television Cooperative (NCTC).
The multi-year deal includes distribution for the Entertainment Studios cable television networks by NCTC members who elect to carry the networks under the NCTC partnership.
"The NCTC plays an important role in representing independent cable operators," said Byron Allen, founder, chairman and CEO of Entertainment Studios. "Our goal and commitment has always been to make our HD networks the very best in their categories, and our new affiliation arrangement with NCTC is another big step in bringing our HD networks to more viewers. All content is originally produced in-house to insure the highest level of creative quality."
The six Entertainment Studios networks that NCTC will initially carry are Cars.tv, Comedy.tv, ES.tv, MyDestination.tv, PPets.tv and Recipe.tv.
"NCTC is pleased to announce our new relationship with Entertainment Studios Networks and provide members access to their suite of linear HD networks," said NCTC president Rich Fickle. "Byron Allen's approach to the business is unique and welcomed at a time when there are many pressure points on rising programming expenses."
In addition to its 24-hour networks portfolio, which also includes Legacy.tv and Justice Central.tv, the company produces, distributes and sells advertising for 32 television programmes.

Lujdzo · « **Reply #509 on:** February 05, 2013, 02:11:34 PM »

Gol TV goes mobile
IÃ±aki Ferreras | 05-02-2013

Spanish pay-TV football channel Gol TV is now available on mobile devices - PCs, tablets and smartphones - for subscribers to its Gol Stadium package.
Subscribers to the package will be able to watch the channel live 24 hours a day. The channel offers matches from Liga BBVA, the Europa League, the Premier League and other international leagues.
Gol Stadium has also improved its website with a new design, specially created to improve usability and ease of access to its different sections. The new website allows users access to the whole of Gol TV programming including highlights of the Liga BBVA and Liga Adelante, both in HD.

News:

Author Topic: Satnews (Read 11174 times)