9 November 2007
Starting in 2008 the Deutsche Welle Global Media Forum will take place annually in Bonn. The main agenda items will change but the event will always address ways to cope with challenges and developments whose course is largely influenced by media worldwide. The target group is both international and inter-disciplinary. Media representative from around the world, high-profile experts of inter-governmental and non-governmental organisations, politicians, artists, entrepreneurs and scientists will sit around the same table at the
DEUTSCHE WELLE GLOBAL MEDIA FORUM
2-4 JUNE, 2008, BONN / GERMANY
A simple philosophy drives the initiative: Those working on the future have to think in networks – and in global dimensions.
Today many post-conflict countries are faced with completely new challenges. Steps to establish media mustn’t shake the already rocky peace and have to achieve hasty success, while at the same time laying the foundation for fundamental reforms. Precisely these challenges are the focus of the Deutsche Welle Global Media Forum. Renowned representatives from the fields of media and politics, culture and economics, development work and science are invited to help shape new solutions for peace and conflict prevention and to turn this conference into an unforgettable exchange of ideas and into an exciting platform for networking and future-oriented problem solving.
Main Topics for the panels:
Worldwide deployment What can and must Europe do to prevent conflicts?
Crisis prevention via media intervention
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon – Economic Development, Political Stability and the role of the Media in Asia
How can the Truth Survive? In Africa Journalists are often between the fronts
Reading Between the Lies – Perception and Prejudice in the Middle East
Other subjects include the following:
Improve whats there or build from scratch?
Raison détat versus media freedom
From government-controlled to public broadcasting
Freedom of the media and expression in the socio-cultural context
Journalism training in post-conflict states
This is a conference you cannot afford to miss – so register before 31st of March 2008 to take advantage of the early bird registartion fee.
9 November 2007
Peter Jacksons Park Road Post Production, the leading New Zealand post production facility, has purchased a second Quantel Pablo 4K non-linear color correction system as well as Quantels revolutionary Genetic Engineering teamworking infrastructure. The new set-up will enable Park Road to work simultaneously on several projects, dramatically improving workflow, and deliver sparkling results to clients in much shorter timescales.
Double handling big data files is slow work and inefficient – and time equals money, says Adam Scott, Park Roads Head of DI. By installing a second Pablo and Genetic Engineering, we can share jobs between suites – perhaps conforming in one, doing the grade in the theatre then finishing back in the original suite. With Genetic Engineering, all the media is available instantly to every connected suite; its a much more elegant approach. Clients are a lot more techno-savvy nowadays and demand a better, faster and cheaper result. Thats just what were giving them.
Park Road has also purchased the Sam data server as part of the Genetic Engineering set-up, which will allow its Shake, Combustion and After Effects suites open access to all stored media, further improving workflow. We are also looking at scanning direct into the GenePool from our Spirit datacine, Scott continues, and early next year may also hook it all up to the ARRI scanner and recorders at (sister company) Weta Digital via a dark fibre link.
Park Road recently completed its first 4K project on Pablo, grading Peter Jacksons Crossing the Line short film, which was shot on the Red camera. The speed of Pablo impressed everyone. Operationally in the color grade session it could have been 2K – nobody could tell. In fact there were comments about how fast it was at 4K, recalls Scott. There really isnt anything as fast and complete as Pablo. Now with Genetic Engineering, its a no-brainer; its a great addition to our world-class DI infrastructure.
9 November 2007
Looking to help video professionals easily capture high-quality digital images from either standard- or high-definition video footage, Thomson has announced a low-cost PCI-Express card for PC workstations. The new Grass Valley Pegasus PCI-Express card offers real-time capture of SD and HD video, as well as VGA screen playback. This is made possible because for the first time the powerful Grass Valley HQ software codec from Thomson is now available as a hardware encoder, enabling HD capture to be performed in real-time.
The Pegasus card is perfect for anyone creating or repurposing high quality video content for corporate presentations, or distribution via the Internet or mobile applications. It comes complete with image capture software and a Software Developers Kit (SDK) for system integrators.
This Pegasus card offers HD quality video capture, but without the prohibitively high storage overhead, said Jeff Rosica, Senior Vice President of Thomsons Broadcast & Professional Solutions business unit. This new capture card will enable a broad range of professionals to produce the quality they need to satisfy their clients demands while allowing them to work with both SD and HD source material.
Capturing HD video is very data-intensive, requiring expensive RAID storage. The Pegasus card uses the HQ codec, with its sophisticated compression algorithms, to provide huge storage savings without sacrificing picture quality. The Pegasus PCI-Express card leverages a specially designed HQ-based hardware encoder chip to capture images natively at up to 1920 x 1080/60i and 1280 x 720/60p resolutions. It can also natively display digital signals on a PC at up to 1280 x 1024/60p without down converting the image, and capture video from HDMI, DVI, S-video, and component sources.
In addition, because Pegasus can capture the PC screen display in HD quality, the Grass Valley Pegasus card is the perfect tool for creating training videos and instructional DVDs. The input quality is so clean that subsequent conversions to other distribution formats for example, to mobile phones or the web are cleaner too; and created much more efficiently.
9 November 2007
WORLDSPACE Satellite Radio, one of the world leaders in satellite-based digital radio services, today announced results for the third quarter of 2007 ended September 30, 2007. The Company ended the quarter with 177,644 subscribers worldwide, a loss of 12,689 from the close of the prior quarter, reflecting loss of subscribers in India and the planned cessation of marketing efforts in Europe ahead of the company’s efforts to test and subsequently commence mobile service in Europe. In India, the Company lost 8,713 net subscribers during the third quarter of 2007, reflecting reduced marketing in that region, ending the period with 164,902 subscribers in India, 19% higher than at the end of the third quarter of 2006.
As previously announced, WorldSpace and Fiat Group Automobiles signed a first ever distribution and marketing agreement for satellite radio in Europe. WorldSpace expects that, beginning in late 2008, it will offer customers in Italy, through aftermarket equipment installations available through Fiat’s vast dealership network and other outlets, a mobile satellite radio service with 40-50 channels of music, sports, news and entertainment programming. OEM or factory-installed equipment for Lancia, Fiat and Alfa Romeo models is expected to be available in late 2009. During the quarter, in order to shore up its liquidity, WorldSpace has been engaged in discussions with a variety of potential investors and partners, strategic and financial, about equity and debt financings. The Company hopes to conclude a transaction in the next few months.
WorldSpace Chairman and CEO Noah Samara stated, “We are very pleased with our continuing progress in Italy, as we have now lined up the right partners to make this launch successful, between Fiat, Telecom Italia and Fraunhofer for receiver development. We see great opportunities in this market for a robust mobile service offering, and are confident that, with our partners, we can devise a strategic course to implement our strategy and acquire the financial resources to support it.
“In India, we are operating on a restrained basis,” Samara said. “We are postponing marketing spending until we secure a repeater license that will enable us to provide seamless service to automobiles. We will then be in a position to leverage our streamlined presence in India to launch a successful mobile service there. Over all, we remain confident in the long-term viability and opportunities that our business represents and are encouraged by our initial discussions with a series of potential investors about additional financing.”
For the third quarter of 2007, WorldSpace reported revenues of approximately $3.3 million, roughly flat with revenues of approximately $3.3 million for the third quarter of 2006. Subscription revenue was approximately $1.9 million for the third quarter of 2007, up slightly from approximately $1.8 million in the third quarter of 2006. On a sequential basis, subscription revenues in the third quarter of 2007 were flat with the approximately $1.9 million recorded in the second quarter of 2007.
26 October 2007
The AIB is at India’s Satellite and Cable exhibition at the World Trade Centre in Mumbai. Exhibiting at stand D-7, the AIB is showcasing its members and the activities of the organisation to the expected 12,000 visitors to this annual event.
AIB CEO Simon Spanswick is in Mumbai and will be hosting one of the organisation’s renowned ‘Diners Pensant’ on Friday 26 October. More than 24 local media executives and AIB members will come together for an evening of off-the-record discussion and inspiring debate.
“The Indian media market is of tremendous importance and many AIB membes are keen to support and engage with it,” comments Simon Spanswick. “The AIB helps facilitate contacts and our diners pensant, which we hold in different cities around the world, help to ensure that dialogue and conversations start between the international and the local media.”
The SCaT India show opens daily between 1030 and 1830 on Friday 26 and Saturday 27 October.
26 October 2007
Teletrax, the global broadcast intelligence company, has signed a contract with Agence France-Presse (AFP), a leading global news agency, to monitor broadcast usage of AFP’s video news content by its network and station clients. The announcement was made during the News Xchange conference in Berlin.
Earlier this year, AFP announced a major strategic development of its television division and is now delivering a broader array of video features and news packages daily to subscribers worldwide. AFP will use the Teletrax comprehensive suite of video monitoring and reporting services to track broadcast usage of this news content, enabling the organisation to obtain near real-time proof of what material is being used, aiding in the planning of more effective editorial, marketing and sales initiatives.
“It is critical for us to know precisely how our clients are using our news feeds, and what portion of the segments air,” said Erik Monjalous, commercial and marketing director of AFP. “The intelligence gathered will result in greater efficiency and optimum return-on-investment.”
“We are extremely pleased to be working with such a distinguished news agency and to be recognized as a vital part of its global broadcast analysis,” said Andy Nobbs, president of Teletrax. “AFP’s reliance on our broadcast intelligence demonstrates the importance of our service and reinforces the need for news providers, and all content owners, to know exactly how their video is used around the globe.”
