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Technology brief
Watermarking gains acceptance
America’s NBC News Channel has signed a long-term agreement with Britain’s Teletrax
to watermark its news video. The Teletrax system allows the tracking of video content,
and NBC will use it to track usage of its content by local television stations and other
clients.Teletrax will provide NBCNews Channel with monitoring of more than 100 stations
in 85 key markets across the United States to provide detailed tracking and analysis.
NBC News Channel will also use Teletrax to track usage of its material in Europe.
“Teletrax is an exciting breakthrough for us,” said Bob Horner, President of NBC News
Channel. “We expect Teletrax will enable us to have a more precise understanding of
the way our video is used by our clients. Over time, this will help us shape our offerings
so that we can do an even better job for our clients.”
Teletrax’s global deployment covers television stations in countries including Great
Britain, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Sweden, Netherlands, Portugal, Belgium and
Switzerland. This is in addition to monitoring major international channels and network
affiliates in the 25 top U.S. markets, as well as recent installations in Asia and Latin
America.
“We are delighted that NBC News Channel has come on board,” said Andy Nobbs,
Managing Director of Teletrax. “For the television news industry, Teletrax helps networks
and news agencies to provide a dramatically enhanced service offering. Advertisers
and program makers alike will benefit from comprehensive data that proves exactly
when and where their advertising and sponsorship content is aired. We are looking
forward to a very positive year for Teletrax.”
Meanwhile, the European Broadcasting Union has announced that its Eurovision News
Exchanges are to begin testing Teletrax across Europe.
“Teletrax is a major technological breakthrough for the television industry,” said Tony
Naets, head of Eurovision News Services of the EBU, which operates the Eurovision
News Exchanges from its headquarters in Geneva. “The service promises us the
ability to track where and when our members’ video is televised, allowing us to monitor
usage behaviour as well as to observe any unauthorised use.”
Regular readers of
The Channel
will have read about watermarking in the last issue of
the magazine. If you would like a copy, send your postal address to
.
Interactive radio solution
Sofia Digital and Jutel are introducing
iRadio
, a new solution for interactive radio service
using the MHP, Multimedia Home Platform.
iRadio
is available for any broadcaster
transmitting radio via DVB.
By using
iRadio
, a listener can start following any programme-related information
from the screen while listening to the radio on TV. The content displayed on the TV
screen can be synchronized with the radio programme. A broadcaster can provide
viewers with a play list containing information on current and following tracks. A
broadcaster can include lyrics, images of singers, and any background information
available on the show.
Streaming radio in the living room?
Philips is to launch a device that allows users to play online music and listen to internet
radio stations away from their PC in theUK.The product is called the Streamium
MC-i200 stereo. At introduction, the ‘radio’ will require a router linked to a
broadband connection, and offer access to a limited range of online radio
stations. Later this year, a wireless version of the device will be released.
”Philips is opening up the internet to offer far more than just a PC-based
browsing experience, as it increasingly becomes an always-on broadband
medium,” said Mike Mastroyiannis, Executive Vice-President and General
Manager, Philips Audio.
With a hefty
€
600 price tag attached to it in the UK, the Streamium MC-i200
internet audio system offers CD and MP3-CD playback from both CD-R and
CD-RW discs as well as a conventional FM/AM tuner.The BBC has suggested
that other electronics manufacturers have similar products in the pipeline.
Dalet/Panasonic tie-up
Dalet and Panasonic Unveil Network DV
AIB member Dalet a.n.n. and Panasonic
Broadcast have announced a partnership
agreement on a new entry level TV
production system called network DV.The
system fully integrates Panasonic DV
camcorders with Dalet’s latest newsroom
and asset management system, which is
based on standard PCs.
Quantel wins BBC
Project Jupiter
Quantel has won the contract for the
BBC’s project to centralise its entire news
operation at its London Television Centre.
The aim is to make the BBC’s
newsgathering operation tape-less, while
integrating asset management into the
production environment.
The new technology will operate
alongside the BBC’s existing ENPS
newsroom system, while allowing
journalists to find, edit and package
material throughout Television Centre’s
automation system for transmission.
VT Merlin adds new
dimensions
AIB member VT Merlin Communications
has integrated with Vosper-Mantech to
provide a comprehensive one-stop shop
approach to the provision of critical
communications services. Vosper
Mantech brings expertise in antennas and
installation services to add to the existing
strength of VT Merlin.
VT Merlin has agreed with Norkring (part
of Norwegian telecoms operator Telenor)
on use of the four 400 kW transmitters at
Kvitsoy, Norway,to provide additional
short wave radio services to Europe,
North Africa, the Middle East and beyond.
VT Merlin is to deliver content for Family
Radio on its global short wave network.
Family Radio is a member of NASB (the
North American Association of Shortwave
Broadcasters), which is in turn an AIB
member.
