5 March 2010
The AIB is in touch with 25,000 professionals in broadcasting and related industries including key players in TV, radio, satellite, online and mobile.
As a result, we have built up a huge library of information based on interviews and discussions with leading figures in broadcasters, suppliers, regulators and researchers. We are pleased to annnounce that much of this is being made available online.
The initial collection is now available in the new Resources section of the website.
While AIB members will continue to have first access to all information, and exclusive access to certain key data, we will be publishing more articles on the Resources section on a regular basis so keep a watch for the updates.
4 March 2010
GlobeCasts newly launched Content Acquisition and Distribution division has signed a VOD distribution deal with ZN Animation, one of Chinas biggest animation producers, as well as general and popular entertainment content from Shanghai Media Groups subsidiary, WingsMedia.
Under the deal, GlobeCast – the content management and delivery company and division of France Telecom, will help this top-notch content reach VOD viewers on DTH and pay-TV bouquets throughout Europe.
The contract was signed with Zhejiang Zhongnan Group Animation Video Co., Ltd. (ZN Animation) as represented by their worldwide distributor, CHINAnimax Pte Ltd in Singapore, and Shanghai Media Groups subsidiary WingsMedia.
ZN Animations popular programmes include Chinese animation hits such as RUBI, an educational and entertaining pre-school program, and Zheng Hes Voyages to the West Seas, the adventures of the great explorer, Admiral Zheng He, which won the 2009 Accolade Award of Excellence/TV/Animation and was nominated for Best Animation by The Asian TV Awards 2009.
WingsMedia is a wholly owned subsidiary of Chinas one of the biggest media groups, Shanghai Media Group (SMG). Among its hit shows are talkshow ChenChen All Star and hugely popular dramas such as Love Affairs and Burning Roses.
4 March 2010
For NAB 2010, Pharos will be demonstrating the latest version of its widely adopted Mediator broadcast workflow management platform which now includes its Playtime automation options within a highly integrated solution aimed at improving operational efficiency and driving down costs.
For its ninth year attending the event in Las Vegas, Pharos will show full integration of Playtime into Mediator 4, providing a functionally advanced broadcast automation system that helps broadcasters and service providers publish content for both traditional channels and new media. Mediator 4 now has the ability to separately manage presentation requirements and content independently based on schedule priority and media management workflows.
Additional enhancements to Mediator 4 include an advanced metadata system allowing information to be added as new delivery platforms such as On Demand, .com, podcasting and mobile are launched. Combined with detailed workflow analytics, ongoing system optimization and maintenance can finally keep pace with a constantly evolving business environment.
Over the course of NAB 2010, senior Pharos team members will be available to answer questions and conduct real-time demos exemplifying how its technology has helped international clients across 40 countries including HBO, MTV, Turner CNN, BBC World Service and Ascent Media.
As Glen Sakata, Senior VP, Pharos Americas; explains, The close integration between media asset management, workflow, playout and automation within our Mediator 4 platform is helping to reduce the complexity and costs associated with the repetition of the same tasks across multiple systems.
Pharos Mediator is built around the Enterprise Service Bus (ESB) concept to aid speedy implementation and to provide flexibility for future products and services. Key elements such as the Mediator interface, device control, workflow and messaging are designed based on the best tools for the job and include Oracle, Java, Flash and key industry standards such as MXF and BXF.
Using a Service Oriented Architecture we provide a platform that is able to grow and adapt as our clients explore new business models, processes, delivery methods and content types. This agility is vital in a production and broadcast environment that is evolving rapidly and a key differentiator that defines Pharos as a true innovator within our industry. Sakata adds.
4 March 2010
Only better content will persuade listeners to buy digital radio receivers, the RadioAsia conference in New Delhi heard today.
The real challenge for the broadcaster is to motivate the listeners to replace their analogue receivers with digital receivers, R Narasimha Swamy of Broadcast Engineering Consultants India Ltd (BECIL) said.
This can happen only if the created content be more imaginative, innovative and attractive.
On the third and final day of the conference, participants heard how digital radio technology was penetrating the Asia-Pacific region.
The Chief Executive Officer of Commercial Radio Australia, Joan Warner, said there were now more than 55 Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB+) services on air in Australias five largest cities, covering nearly 60 percent of the population.
She said DAB+ radios could now be obtained at more than 600 retail shops.
The other technical standard gaining ground in the Asia-Pacific region is Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM). The DRM consortium was founded in 1998 as a non-commercial entity promoting the adoption of the DRM standard around 100 members including broadcasters and manufacturers.
The conference heard that All India Radio was carrying out DRM shortwave transmissions from Khampur in Delhi on an experimental basis.
RadioAsia was jointly organised by the ABU, the Asian Media Information and Communication Centre (AMIC) and Singapore Exhibition Services.
2 March 2010
GlobeCast teams are on site in Vancouver to provide service including playout, live positions and HD/SD delivery to clients from around the globe at what promise to be very exciting Winter Games.
GlobeCast is providing:
o Fiber backhaul from Vancouver to Los Angeles for a major American DBS satellite operator
o Playout services on site as well as global satellite turnaround for Chinese broadcaster Beijing TV
Several other international broadcasters have ordered significant service for the length of the games, and GlobeCast is receiving walk-in requests for ad-hoc playout and delivery from Vancouver.
GlobeCasts broadcast center is located at The Waterfall Building, 5 minutes from downtown Vancouver, in a very accessible area with striking views and no accreditation or media passes required.
Broadcasters requiring service are requested to call GlobeCasts 24/7 Bookings Hotline at 1-877-Globecast or +1 310 845 3939
2 March 2010
Vizrt Ltd., a leading provider of content production tools for the digital media industry, today announced that its Board of Directors has approved in principle the purchase of the remaining 71.01% of the issued share capital of privately held Adactus A.S. (“Adactus”). The deal values Adactus at NOK 30 million (approx. USD 5.1 M). Vizrt currently holds 28.99% of the issued share capital of Adactus, with the first investment made in September 2005 as a commitment for joint development projects.
The proposed transaction is subject to a financial, legal and commercial due diligence review to the satisfaction of Vizrt and reaching an agreed upon definitive agreement with Adactus’ shareholders. The Board of Directors of Vizrt has authorized the management of Vizrt to conclude the proposed transaction based on the above guidelines.
Adactus has developed a multimedia delivery platform based on the newly-evolving ISO standard, MPEG-21, as well as a mobile content gathering and delivery solution.
The proliferation of mobile and other content access devices, such as smart phones, tablet PCs and smart TVs, means that content has to be delivered in conformity with the different (screen)formats and capabilities of each of these devices. Adactus was founded with these requirements in mind, and the company has developed the tools that are needed to serve this fragmented market. The Company’s solutions ensure that, for instance, the video you see on your Nokia mobile is optimized for that device, and that people using the iPhone can get that same video, from the same source, in a size and quality that is optimized for their screen.
Significant resources have been spent by content providers on testing various solutions available to meet with this need to deliver content to various mobile terminals each with different specifications. Turner from the US (CNN, Cartoon Network, etc) and Norway’s NRK are two of the many companies that have selected Adactus as their video delivery platform.
Another aspect of Adactus’s business is their content gathering solution, where journalists (or private individuals) record and gather content on their mobile phone and deliver this to news organizations, enabling many exclusives and breaking news content where otherwise there would be no content.
Bjarne Berg, Vizrt’s CEO, stated, “The market for content delivery to mobile terminals is increasing in importance and is fast growing. Fully integrating this capability with Vizrt’s other content production and distribution capabilities, allows further strengthens our offering to content delivery houses. They know, as we do, that offering the best viewing experience is critical to growing market share and related revenues.”
He continues, “The decision to acquire the rest of Adactus was an easy one. We have worked with the Company for some time, already hold a significant stake and have two serving Board members. As a result, we know Adactus, its capabilities and markets well. Following satisfactory due diligence and Board approval of the take-over, we therefore anticipate a smooth integration with Vizrt’s operations.”
