1 May 2007
The BBC Executive today welcomed the BBC Trust’s decision to approve new on-demand services, subject to certain conditions, following a Public Value Test.
Mark Thompson, the BBC’s Director-General, said: “We are delighted with the BBC Trust’s decision to approve our on-demand proposals. “The first Public Value Test has been an extremely rigorous and exhaustive process. This is a significant decision as the new on-demand proposals are at the heart of the BBC’s Creative Future.
“However, we disagree with the Trust’s decision to exclude classical music podcasts from the proposal: our research suggests that classical music audiences would wish to download classical music programmes from the BBC and to listen to them on their terms, free at the point of use.”
Ashley Highfield, the BBC’s Director of Future Media & Technology, said: “We are facing unprecedented rates of change in technology and audience expectations. “BBC iPlayer responds to a need for greater control and flexibility over how and when audiences access BBC content. It is a critical part of the BBC’s strategy to maintain impact and relevance in a world where viewing and listening habits are shifting from linear to on-demand. In its initial release, BBC iPlayer will make BBC Television programmes available for download, free for UK licence fee payers, at high quality, with no advertising, for up to a week after transmission.”
The proposed launch date for BBC iPlayer will be announced in due course.
1 May 2007
Vizrt, a leading provider of real-time, integrated broadcast graphics software, announces significant enhances to its Viz|Artist 3.0 design software. Among them: RTT Advanced Materials plug-ins for photo-realistic rendering of 3D objects and materials, a database within Viz|Artist for the storage of the complex materials associated with the RTT shaders, the entire Vizrt product line is now fully Viz|Artist compliant, new Visual Data Tools (VDT) plug-ins for increased financial and statistic database functionality, and enhanced interactivity with touch screen devices.
At the recent NAB convention in Las Vegas, Vizrt demoed new RTT Advanced Materials plug-ins for Viz|Artist for the first time. RTT AG is a Munich-based provider of real-time visualization technologies and services. This exclusive package of RTT shaders allows Vizrt users to visualize 3D objects and surfaces in cutting-edge photorealistic quality. With the new shaders, graphic artists now have a wide selection of new background materials, computer-generated objects, and animation to create photo-realistic graphics.
The integration of RTT’s leading-edge visualization know-how with Vizrt’s 3D real-time design application represents an important step forward for broadcast-oriented photorealistic real-time rendering, said Christian Huber, Director of Operations, Vizrt. This plug-in package offers broadcasters more choice in visual quality and photorealism than has ever been possible before. RTT plug-ins will be the tool kit of choice to achieve the ultimate in realism, particularly when working in HD resolution.
The plug-in package provides Vizrt users with an extensive selection of materials including carbon, lacquered wood, metal, glass, bump maps and many more effects. The RTT shaders react to light sources, basis textures, settings and materials specific to Viz|Artist 3.0, such as color, shininess and opacity. In addition, the user can draw on a wide selection of presets, such as ready-made wood alternatives. To better manage the RTT Advanced Material shaders, there is a new object type in Viz|Artist that enables the user to store complex material consisting of the basic color settings, textures and shaders into the Viz|Artist database.
Vizrt plans to expand upon the “RTT Advanced Materials” package systematically in the future.
Additionally, the entire Vizrt product line is fully Viz|Artist 3.0 compliant. Viz|Artist is now supported from Viz|Trio CG, Viz|Content Pilot content management, Viz|Ticker, and Viz|NLE plug-ins. All products can utilize the enhanced feature set of Viz|Artist 3.0.
Also new to Viz|Artist 3.0, Visual Data Tools (VDT) plug-ins for Viz|Artist 3.0 can be used to display any type of statistic or financial data. VDT plug-ins enable the creation of charts and diagrams. It also includes plug-ins for modifying, importing, exporting and storing data from databases such as Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Access, etc. Viz|Artist 3.0 now supports multi-touch devices, such as when multiple users simultaneously interact with graphics on a touch screen for sports results or stock prices, for example. This interactivity was also shown within Vizrts NAB booth. Another new plug-in called Action Model, created in collaboration between Vizrt and Media Seasons, was shown for the first time at NAB. This plug-in is designed to animate complex 3D models and characters, such as animated football players, horses in motion, etc.
1 May 2007
The BBC has today been given approval by the BBC Trust to launch a nationally available free-to-view satellite proposition as a joint venture with ITV. “Freesat”, as it is currently known, will provide a Standard and High Definition (SD and HD) enabled digital satellite proposition with launch anticipated for Spring 2008. Consumers will be offered up to 200 channels plus full digital satellite interactivity and high definition capability, without the need to pay a subscription. Consumers will also have a choice of equipment (including both SD and HD receivers, an HD personal video recorder and an integrated digital television), together with a range of installation options.
BBC Director-General, Mark Thompson, said: “The BBC’s objective in launching Freesat is to support Digital Switchover by providing another way for licence payers to receive digital television channels and radio services, subscription free from the BBC and ITV. Its primary purpose is to drive digital take-up in analogue homes, particularly in those areas which are out of digital terrestrial coverage. Freesat also offers a trusted free-to-view digital upgrade path that gives licence payers all the benefits of digital television (notably high definition capability) guaranteed free of subscription.”
ITV Executive Chairman, Michael Grade, said: “Freesat will build on the success of Freeview by offering viewers a simple and cost effective way of upgrading to digital TV. By filling in the current gaps in Freeview coverage, Freesat will ensure that a free-to-air, no strings attached option for accessing digital TV is available to the whole of the UK ahead of digital switchover. By offering HD capability we will future proof Freesat if, as expected, high definition television continues to capture the imagination of UK viewers.”
The BBC and ITV have been working with selected manufacturers, retailers and installers to develop an innovative consumer proposition. The proposal for a nationally available free satellite platform offered by the BBC working with other public service broadcasters was supported in the Government’s White Paper on the BBC Charter. It said: “The Government is keen to ensure that consumers have as wide a choice as possible of how they get digital TV. We welcome the plans being developed by the BBC and ITV for a free-to-view satellite service alongside Sky’s offering and we hope that the other public service broadcasters will join them in this endeavour. This promises to enhance further both consumer choice and competition in the television market.”
1 May 2007
Harris Corporation, an international communications and information technology company, was honoured with five prestigious industry awards at the 2007 National Association of Broadcasters (NAB2007) convention held earlier this month in Las Vegas.
Harris won TV Technology magazine’s STAR Award (Superior Technology Award Recipient) for the CENTRIO(TM) multi-image processor; Broadcast Engineering magazine’s Pick Hit award for the Harris Channel ONE(TM) integrated channel release solution; and Television Broadcast magazine’s Top Innovation Award for the OPTO Test(TM) OFI-20B optical fibre identifier.
The MPH(TM) (Mobile-Pedestrian-Handheld) in-band mobile DTV system, jointly developed by Harris Corporation and LG Electronics, was also honoured at NAB2007-winning TV Technology magazine’s STAR Award and Television Broadcast magazine’s Top Innovation Award. The MPH(TM) system provides robust DTV signals to mobile, pedestrian and handheld devices.
“At NAB, we introduced a wide range of innovative new solutions for broadcast workflows that enable broadcasters to create new revenue models, improve customer workflows and reduce the cost of operations,”
said Tim Thorsteinson, president of the Harris Broadcast Communications Division. “Winning these prestigious industry awards underscores the success of our strategy to be the ONE answer for customers across the industry.”
The TV Technology STAR Awards are designed to celebrate and showcase the pre-eminent technological innovations available to the broadcast industry. A panel of judges consisting of TV Technology editors and columnists reviewed a variety of products, examined the technical applications and their overall contribution to the industry, and then submitted their award nominees. The Broadcast Engineering Pick Hit Awards are the industry’s longest-running new technology awards. An anonymous panel of Broadcast Engineering readers who are working professionals in the broadcast, post and network and satellite industries selected the winners. Products or technologies that receive the Television Broadcast magazine’s Top Innovation Award are nominated by industry professionals and selected unanimously by the editorial team of Television Broadcast. These awards are presented in recognition of Technology Insight for the Bottom Line(TM), having combined innovative technical achievement with workflow and cost efficiencies.
Unveiled at NAB2007, CENTRIO(TM) is a breakthrough multi-image processor designed to streamline complex, large-system broadcast monitoring applications and combine an advanced graphics engine and a routing infrastructure in a single, expandable chassis. Harris Channel ONE(TM) integrates a high-quality graphics playout server, animations, live video, video clips, audio, real-time external data feeds and master control functionality in a single chassis — providing broadcasters with the necessary components to produce and air complete television channels in high definition or standard definition. The OPTO Test(TM) OFI-20B is a handheld, easy-to-use optical test instrument that identifies optical fibres by detecting the optical signals being transmitted through the fibres without having to open the fibre.
1 May 2007
The Third Al Jazeera International Documentary Film Festival concluded today after four days of screening 128 films from over 60 countries.
Winners in four categories were announced at a closing ceremony at the Sheraton Doha Resort & Convention Centre.
Meeting Resistance directed by Steve Connors and Molly Bingham won Best Film in the Long Film category. The New Horizon Category awards dedicated to fostering young emerging independent filmmakers went to Voices of Shadows directed by Ahmed Elkady (Al Jazeera Golden Award) and Road to America directed by Aloke Shetty (Jurys Award).
