Recent News
Five Hollywood studios have agreed to help pay for a $1 billion-plus rollout of digital technology on about 20,000 movie screens in North America, a precursor to showing movies in 3-D. Digital Cinema Implementation Partners, a consortium of major theater chains, announced the deal last Wednesday. The rollout in the U.S. and Canada, covering about half of all screens, is planned to start early next year. To help offset the consortium costs — about $70,000 per screen — the studios plan to pay the consortium slightly under $1,000 per movie per screen, roughly the same amount it costs them to print and ship a celluloid film copy. Adding digital equipment is the critical first step in the technological upgrade to being able to show 3-D movies. More than 20 of which are set to hit theaters through 2010, but only 873 locations in the U.S. and Canada, with 1,264 3-D screens, are available now, according to The Walt Disney Co., a signatory to the digital rollout. Disney plans to release five 3-D movies next year, including a Jonas Brothers concert movie in February. The digital expansion will help convert more screens to show 3-D movies, which have packed theaters and commanded higher ticket prices than their 2-D counterparts. The studios in the deal include The Walt Disney Co., Viacom Inc.'s Paramount Pictures, News Corp.'s Twentieth Century Fox, General Electric Co.'s Universal Pictures, and Lions Gate Entertainment Corp. JPMorgan Chase & Co. and the Blackstone Group are leading the financing, but will have to tap the turbulent credit markets in the fourth quarter. The rollout will take about three years to complete.
Nintendo has revealed their upcoming portable gaming console, the DSi, which will eventually replace the Company's very popular DS and DSlite game units. The new device packs TWO 0.3-megapixel cameras (one is for shooting outwards, one inwards), it has a larger screen, Wi-Fi web browsing (which is also highly appealing for game downloads), all within a thin form factor. There's a SD card memory card slot, but don't expect to be able to play your GameBoy games with the DSi... that cartridge slot has been removed. This new unit will be available in Europe early during 2009. The DS continues strong sales, especially in the U.K., but with sales slowing in Japan, Nintendo believes the time is correct for the new unit as well as a way in which the company can offer an alternative to Apple's iPhone and the iPod.
Those in need of a video encoding resource will receive a boost with the launch of Moving Media’s innovative, new website which includes features designed to actively assist allows visitors to see for themselves the difference that video encoding can make and then compare the relative quality of digital video encoded at benchmark bitrates using technologies such as Flash, MPEG 2 and H.264 AVC (MP4). The FAQ page on the site offers straightforward information regarding a range of issues relevant to video encoding demystifying what can be a complex area with explanations of de-Interlacing, blocking and other compression artifacts, plus an introduction into technical settings highlighting the most important settings for any online video. Finally, the new Moving Media website offers a quick quote form, which allows prospective customers to enter details of the quantity, format, duration and target platform for their video, to receive a quote for encoding work, which is provided without obligation, all within 24 hours.
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Nero creates Liquid Media technology and the Company has announced new software offerings that will allow content to be easily created and distributed anytime, anywhere, and on any device.L There are two new additions to its product portfolio: Nero Move it and Nero LiquidTV™ | TiVo® PC. In addition, Nero launches Nero 9, the latest version of the world-renowned digital media suite. All three solutions build on Nero’s established technology and let users easily create, edit, transfer, share and enjoy their digital content from anywhere via the web, their PC and portable devices. These new solutions make content liquidity a reality for non-technical consumers otherwise tethered to specific format types. The new Nero offerings are:
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eMedia Music Corp. and iZotope, Inc. will collaborate with eMedia to distribute iZotope’s new iDrum® Version 1.7 Virtual Drum Machine software. iDrum expands eMedia’s growing catalog of products such as Finale, Band-in-a-Box, Guitar Pro and EarMaster into the Pro Audio and Recording category.
iDrum Version 1.7 is a customizable, expandable virtual drum machine. It includes a sound library and allows you to add your own sounds. iDrum can be used on its own or seamlessly with GarageBand®, Logic®, Abelton® Live™, Pro Tools®, SONAR™, Cubase®, Digital Performer® and other host programs. New for version 1.7 of iDrum is the ability to create rhythms in different time signatures – 4/4, 3/4, 5/4, 6/8, 9/8 and beyond. You can even share your sounds and beats with iDrum Editions for iPhone® and iPod® touch. iDrum Version 1.7 will be released in October. The CD-ROM is a hybrid for both Windows (XP/Vista) and Macintosh (OS X 10.4 or later).
It has finally been done — Mobile Satellite Ventures and Satellite Mutual Aid Radio Talkgroups created a way for mutual aid radio talk groups to communicate across the country and a number of U.S. territories.
Mobile Satellite Ventures (MSV) has completed a nationwide network of nine-regionally managed Satellite Mutual Aid Radio Talkgroups (SMART(TM)) enabling interoperable communications among law enforcement and public safety organizations across the country and a number of U.S. territories.
In conjunction with the Connecticut Department of Public Safety, Division of State Police, MSV is launching the Northeast Satellite Mutual Aid Radio Talkgroup (NE-SMART) operating on the MSV satellite communications network. Working with MSV, the Connecticut State Police (CSP) will manage and approve NE-SMART participation by federal, state, local and tribal public safety agencies, and appropriate private sector users with a public safety mission, located in Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont.
"The launch of NE-SMART with the Connecticut Sate Police fulfills MSV's vision of a nationwide network of regionally-focused talkgroups developed to enhance communications interoperability for public safety organizations,” said Susan Miller, senior vice president for satellite services for Mobile Satellite Ventures. "MSV's SMART program, now operational in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, provides the public safety community an additional communications tool for multi-agency response to emergencies and to facilitate daily operations.”
The new NE-SMART talkgroup completes MSV's nationwide network of nine regionally-focused and managed SMART talkgroups. NE-SMART is a tool for enabling critical and interoperable communications at all levels of public safety agencies and facilities in the 10-state northeast region. These talkgroups represent a major step forward in public safety communications and interoperability, particularly when terrestrial networks are damaged or congested.
All public safety organizations with active accounts on the MSV network are eligible and encouraged to join NE-SMART at no charge by way of application to the Connecticut State Police. A copy of the Standard Operating Procedures and application are available from: NESMART@po.state.ct.us or by calling (860) 685-8280.
Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE: A) and Altair Semiconductor will collaborate to accelerate the development of Mobile WiMAX devices. The companies plan to optimize the calibration and verification of Altair's Mobile WiMAX chipset using Agilent's Wireless Networking Test Set. As a result, handheld-device manufacturers implementing Altair's Mobile WiMAX chipset will be able to quickly and efficiently test and verify their Mobile WiMAX devices. The Agilent N8300A is a wireless networking test set and OFDMA measurement application software, forming a complete one-box transmitter and receiver test solution for Mobile WiMAX devices. With its specs and fast manufacturing test time, this solution meets the needs of cell phone, ODM, and CM manufacturing engineers testing WiMAX mobile subscriber devices or modules that use IEEE 802.16e-2005. Altair's ALT2150 is the industry's smallest and lowest-power-consumption Mobile WiMAX baseband processor and measures 7x7-mm, consuming below 100mW in a 5Mbit/sec download scenario.
Stantron will show their range of equipment racks and accessories for broadcast, cable, and satellite facilities at the upcoming SATCON show (Jacob Javits Center, October 15-16, Booth 610). This will be the public debut of the Stantron GHR rack, a compact, sturdy rack designed to fit into existing infrastructures that is similar in design to their Broadcast E-Rack. The GHR matches up with other manufacturers’ racks and provides a hole pattern that allows direct baying to other racks in existing facilities. The Company will also showcase its Broadcast E-Rack family, a series of customizable racks available in a variety of heights and depths. The Broadcast E-Rack, featuring several new and innovative features, is ideal for managing and dressing cables efficiently. An open frame design allows for straight cable runs from top-to-bottom without kinks or bends to maintain optimal signal quality. Professional cable management is enabled through a series of horizontal mounting bars, vertical lacing rails, and optional T-Hook lacing panels that eliminate tedious threading of tie straps through small lacing holes.The Stantron Broadcast E-Rack also features a variety of sturdy cantilevered shelves, clamp shelves, and drawers for housing and protecting mission-critical equipment. Other products on display include their Lacing Options, PowerOptions, Lighting Options and Cooling Options, to help manage, protect and secure equipment while making it easy to use and maintain a professional appearance.
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Wegener Corporation will exhibit at the SATCON Conference and Expo—a Communications Industry event focused on content delivery over satellite, fiber and hybrid networks—being held October 15-16, 2008 at the Javits Convention Center, in New York, New York. WEGENER’s product line includes: iPump® 6400, iPump 6420 and iPump® 562 media servers; COMPEL® Network Control and COMPEL® Conditional Access for dynamic command, monitoring and addressing of multi-site video, audio, and data networks; and the Unity® 552 and Unity 4600 satellite media receivers, which now supports nexgen DVB-S2 satellite demodulation as a standard feature. Among its recent announcements, WEGENER reported receiving a US$2.1 million order from Dial Global for its iPump® 6420 media servers for file-based radio broadcasting, and that it received a US$1.2 million order to deploy its new iPump® 562 enterprise media server for a digital signage network serving hundreds of branches at a large bank. Additionally, WEGENER recently expanded its longstanding business relationship with Muzak, which bases its satellite music distribution service on WEGENER technology.
Aruba has announced their new Adaptive Radio Management (ARM) 2.0 software, the first ever product to use infrastructure-based controls to manage Wi-Fi client behavior. Leveraging information from Aruba’s centrally-managed WLAN infrastructure, ARM 2.0 automatically adjusts how Wi-Fi clients interact and ensures that data, voice, and video applications have sufficient network resources, including airtime, to operate properly. ARM 2.0 works with all Wi-Fi clients, so no new client software is required — it is compatible with 802.11 standards and works with existing network infrastructure — no new hardware is required — ARM 2.0 can be used in all existing and new Aruba deployments and is free to all Aruba customers with a current support agreement. The efficacy of ARM 2.0 was validated in recent tests conducted at the University of Washington in conjunction with software providers Classroom Presenter, DyKnow®, ExamSoft Worldwide, and VideoFurnace. In the tests, ARM 2.0 increased 802.11n throughput by more than 200 percent in a mixed-client network. ARM 2.0 also enabled a single 802.11n access point to reliably deliver multi-media lectures to 101 concurrently running 802.11a/b/g/n laptops. The test results are available in a Farpoint Group white paper titled Advances in Wireless Infrastructure Control: Optimizing Client Behavior for Improved Network Performance.
New market research conducted by Globo reveals that 65 percent of European business users of mobile phones aren't ready to replace their handsets 'just to have access to emails'. The research highlighted that, although almost half (47 percent) of the sample surveyed wanted Internet access through their mobile phones, the majority weren’t willing to replace their phones just to obtain this feature. The Globo research was conducted on the habits of business and corporate users in 49 companies in different markets, including the retail, distribution and transport sectors. According to the findings, despite users ranking access to emails and the Internet via their mobile phones as a top priority of usage, 65 percent of them were not ready to replace their handsets just to have access to emails, the Internet, synchronized calendars, contacts, and so on. The study also found that only nine percent of the people surveyed used their phones to access their emails and only 17 percent used them to surf the Internet. The research found that only 8.6 percent were interested in the technical aspects, capabilities and functionality of a mobile device. The majority were simply concerned about the handset's user-interface, price, its battery life, and network coverage.
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| Digital Cinema Rollout + Expansion Commitment By Hollywooders... | October 03, 2008 |
| DSi Pops Up On Nintendo's Release Schedule... | October 03, 2008 |
| Learn All About The Mysteries Of Video Encoding... | October 03, 2008 |
| Nero Burns In New Digital Media Suite... | October 03, 2008 |
- Nero Move it: Built for media lovers and consumers on-the-go, Nero Move it allows users to quickly and easily convert music, videos, and photos from one file format to another for use across a broad range of portable and mobile devices. More importantly, it empowers users to take control of their content libraries with only a very basic PC understanding required. Nero Move it automatically and intuitively transcodes files to the desired format without hassle, even when transferring directly from one device to another
- Nero LiquidTV™ | TiVo® PC: Working in close partnership with TiVo®, Nero has merged the TV and PC to give consumers the same TV experience on their PCs and portable devices that they enjoy in their living rooms. Nero LiquidTV | TiVo PC is TiVo content on any device, allowing users to share the TiVo experience throughout their digital home, as well as while on the road
- Nero 9: Building on Nero’s history of award-winning digital software solutions, Nero 9 offers the latest in cutting-edge, multimedia technology in the most user-friendly version available. Nero 9 gives consumers a virtual toolbox to easily create, edit, rip, copy, backup, and convert and share music, videos and photos within the connected digital home, on online communities or portable devices. Customized applications and enhanced capabilities for playback, audio and video editing, burning and sharing are just a few of the latest developments in Nero’s world-renowned suite
| digiBITZ | October 03, 2008 |
- BUSINESS — DG FastChannel, Inc. (NASDAQ: DGIT) provides digital media services to the advertising and broadcast industries and the Company has completed their acquisition of Enliven Marketing Technologies Corporation (NASDAQ: ENLV). Valued at approximately $71 million, inclusive of approximately $5.0 million of debt, the Company merged with Enliven in a stock-for-stock transaction.
- AWARD — Newtec, who produces broadcast, telecom and IP applications over satellite, has announced the Company has won the Award for The Most Technologically Innovative Company. The firm was selected from those participating in the National “Open Company Day” initiative, supported by the Flemish Government and by Agoria, which is Belgium's largest Employers' Organization and Trade Association. The “Open Company Day” is an annual event in Belgium wherein companies open their doors to the general public. The aim is to bring the public and companies closer together. The “Open Company Day” attracts more than 800,000 people visiting over 430 companies. Newtec was presented with this prestigious Award on September 30th.
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BUSINESS — In its first major deal since acquiring MovieBeam, Mumbai-based Valuable Group has reinvigorated MovieBeam’s relationship with Nagravision, a Kudelski Group company (SWX:KUD.VX). The new agreement will provide state-of-the-art, secure conditional access for MovieBeam’s STBs. Nagravision uses the most efficient encryption technologies to provide groundbreaking content security, ensuring that the contents of a MovieBeam STB is protected from illegal use or piracy. Headquartered in Switzerland, Nagravision maintains partnerships with more than 120 leading Pay-TV operators worldwide securing content delivered to over 92 million active smart card and devices.
- BUSINESS — Remote Knowledge, Inc. (Pink Sheets:RKNW) has signed a Development and Equipment Sales Agreement with Hughes Network Systems, LLC (HUGHES). Hughes will develop and supply a broadband satellite communications system for the marine market.
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DELIVERY — Telenor Satellite Broadcasting (TSBc) has announced that BBC HD is set to commence broadcasts in the Nordic region starting December 8th on the THOR 5 satellite located at 1° W. This is TSBc’s latest high powered satellite and will effectively reach audiences across the Nordic region, distributing BBC HD to viewers via Canal Digital’s standard family package. Beyond of its home territory in the U.K., the Nordic region is one of the first to broadcast the commercial version of the BBC HD channel from this platform.
| eMedia Keeps Life from Being Hum Drum with iZotope iDrum | October 02, 2008 |
iDrum Version 1.7 is a customizable, expandable virtual drum machine. It includes a sound library and allows you to add your own sounds. iDrum can be used on its own or seamlessly with GarageBand®, Logic®, Abelton® Live™, Pro Tools®, SONAR™, Cubase®, Digital Performer® and other host programs. New for version 1.7 of iDrum is the ability to create rhythms in different time signatures – 4/4, 3/4, 5/4, 6/8, 9/8 and beyond. You can even share your sounds and beats with iDrum Editions for iPhone® and iPod® touch. iDrum Version 1.7 will be released in October. The CD-ROM is a hybrid for both Windows (XP/Vista) and Macintosh (OS X 10.4 or later).
| MSV Gets SMART Across America and Its Territories | October 02, 2008 |
Mobile Satellite Ventures (MSV) has completed a nationwide network of nine-regionally managed Satellite Mutual Aid Radio Talkgroups (SMART(TM)) enabling interoperable communications among law enforcement and public safety organizations across the country and a number of U.S. territories.
In conjunction with the Connecticut Department of Public Safety, Division of State Police, MSV is launching the Northeast Satellite Mutual Aid Radio Talkgroup (NE-SMART) operating on the MSV satellite communications network. Working with MSV, the Connecticut State Police (CSP) will manage and approve NE-SMART participation by federal, state, local and tribal public safety agencies, and appropriate private sector users with a public safety mission, located in Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont.
"The launch of NE-SMART with the Connecticut Sate Police fulfills MSV's vision of a nationwide network of regionally-focused talkgroups developed to enhance communications interoperability for public safety organizations,” said Susan Miller, senior vice president for satellite services for Mobile Satellite Ventures. "MSV's SMART program, now operational in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, provides the public safety community an additional communications tool for multi-agency response to emergencies and to facilitate daily operations.”
The new NE-SMART talkgroup completes MSV's nationwide network of nine regionally-focused and managed SMART talkgroups. NE-SMART is a tool for enabling critical and interoperable communications at all levels of public safety agencies and facilities in the 10-state northeast region. These talkgroups represent a major step forward in public safety communications and interoperability, particularly when terrestrial networks are damaged or congested.
All public safety organizations with active accounts on the MSV network are eligible and encouraged to join NE-SMART at no charge by way of application to the Connecticut State Police. A copy of the Standard Operating Procedures and application are available from: NESMART@po.state.ct.us or by calling (860) 685-8280.
| WiMAX Device Development Aided By Agilent + Altair... | October 02, 2008 |
| STANTRON Presents @ SATCON... | October 02, 2008 |
| WEGENER Presents @ SATCON | October 02, 2008 |
| digiBITZ | October 02, 2008 |
- LEGAL — RealNetworks Inc. has been sued by the six major movie studios in Hollywood in an attempt to prevent the Company from distributing DVD copying software the studios said would allow consumers to "rent, rip, and return" movies. The studios stand to lose a key revenue source if consumers stop buying DVDs and copy rental discs from outlets such as Netflix and Blockbuster instead. RealNetworks' RealDVD program was released earlier this week and, according to the suit filing, illegally bypasses DVD copyright protection. The suit was filed in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles. The programs allows users to copy DVD content to as many as five hard drives or computers. RealDVD prevents those files from being transferred to other users. This is accomplished by locking the DVD copy onto the hard drive onto which the content has been copied, and directly to the program that copied the material. According to RealNetworks, this is "fair use" that is allowed by law.
- REGULATION — The Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) praised both the Senate for final approval of the “Broadband Data Improvement Act” last night and the House of Representative for its passage of the bill Monday night. TIA urges President Bush to sign the bill as soon as soon as possible. The new law will help to ensure all Americans have access to affordable and reliable broadband services by providing the means necessary to benchmark and map broadband deployment through a strategic alliance of public and private entities. The Broadband Data Improvement Act, which was sponsored by Sen. Daniel K. Inouye (D-Hawaii), chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, includes language from HR 3919, the “Broadband Census Act” sponsored by Rep. Edward J. Markey, chairman of the House Telecommunications and the Internet Subcommittee, which calls for an international comparison study comparing “data transmission speeds and price for broadband service capability” in a total of 75 communities in at least 25 countries. It also includes S. 1965, “Protecting Children in the 21st Century Act,” which the Senate passed in May.
| Aruba ARMs 802.11 Throughput... | October 01, 2008 |
| Globo Gathers Mobile Phone User Info... | October 01, 2008 |
