21 February 2012
euronews, the international news channel, today announced its launch on the Roku streaming platform in the U.S., in the UK and in Ireland. Roku streaming players connect to most television sets and enable them to stream online video, music and gaming content without a PC. Roku customers can find and add euronews’ channel application in the Roku Channel Store.
euronews’ flagships programmes are available to Roku customers in English, French, German, Italian and Spanish. Programmes can be watched instantly and easily on demand, and include the latest news bulletin as well as the lifestyle magazines “cinema” and “le mag”.
In addition, viewers can enjoy the award-winning “No Comment” section, one of euronews’ best known programmes, thanks to its originality and innovative concept of unedited striking images and sounds from around the world.
“We are delighted to offer our programmes to Roku’s customers and increase again our reach in the US, where we observe a strong interest for euronews’ perspective on world events. euronews is reinforcing its non-linear distribution globally, transforming itself into a news hub accessible from anywhere and on any device. Roku’s decision to enter the European market is definitely a very good news for the consumer but also for the industry and we are happy to support this move”, said Walid Chamak, Marketing Manager of euronews.
21 February 2012
The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has called upon the worlds nations to take necessary actions to stop intentional interference with satellite transmissions.
The change in ITU regulations, which was approved at the just-concluded World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC-12) in Geneva, Switzerland, came after numerous complaints that international satellite TV programs in Persian and Arabic were suffering from deliberate interference, known as jamming.
Two satellite operators that have been targeted, Eutelsat and Arabsat, said the interfering signals originated from Iran and Syria.
We are gratified to see the World Radiocommunication Conference take a position on this vital issue, said Richard M. Lobo, Director of the United States International Broadcasting Bureau.
Of course, it remains to be seen whether Iran, Syria and other countries which interfere with international satellite communications will change their practices. Jamming is a fundamental violation, not only of international regulations and norms, but of the right of people everywhere to receive and impart information, Lobo said.
The interference, which has increased since September, 2011, affected broadcasts of the British Broadcasting Corporation, Broadcasting Board of Governors , Audiovisuel extérieur de la France RFI and France 24 TV, Deutsche Welle, and RFE/RL, Inc.s Radio Farda. Joining in backing the ITW rule change were Radio Netherlands Worldwide and the European Broadcasting Union.
The change in the regulation came after hours of discussion and debate, both in small groups and on the floor of the WRC. A report by the ITUs Radio Regulations Board noted the persistent character of the harmful interference and the fact that in some cases, the administrations involved have not responded
and appear to take no action to resolve the interference.
The revised language says administrations shall ascertain the facts and take the necessary actions when they encounter jamming.
Prior to the WRC action, the Directors-General of five major international broadcasters charged that jamming is a violation of Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Reporters Without Borders called for nations to firmly condemn countries that do not respect the fundamental principles of the free flow of information, adding, the ITU must not be the accomplice of regimes that obstruct the flow of news and information on their telecommunications networks.
The International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran termed satellite jamming part of a broader effort. The Iranian government is also engaged in comprehensive attempts to take complete control of online access to the internet as well as restricting mobile voice and data communications, the group said in a statement urging the WRC to address the jamming issue.
15 February 2012
“Any Time, Any Screen, Anywhere” will be the theme as GlobeCast spotlights multiplatform delivery at the 2012 NAB Show, at booth SU 812. In addition to announcing the launch of a new over-the-top (OTT) platform in the Americas, GlobeCast will display a streaming Web TV service and highlight its solutions for global satellite and fiber delivery. The company will also highlight the expansion of its commercial footprint in the Americas, with a dedicated Latin American sales team now in place. GlobeCast will exhibit alongside its sister company, NETIA.
Launch of OTT product in the Americas
On Tuesday, April 17, GlobeCast will announce the launch of an OTT product for the international broadcast community in the Americas. More details will follow in the days leading up to the show.
Any Time, Anywhere, Any Device
GlobeCast will also be demonstrating a streaming product called GlobeCast Multiscreen, which allows broadcast clients around the world to stream their content to any Internet-connected device. At the 2012 NAB Show, representatives will be on hand to demonstrate the new solution.
Expansion in the Americas
There will be a perceptible Latin American accent to GlobeCast’s participation at NAB this year, as it has maximized its commercial footprint in the Americas, including the creation of a dedicated Latin American sales team and a refocusing and strengthening of ad hoc services in North America for the broadcast of major events. Already present with a major technical facility in South Florida and with extensive satellite coverage of the entire Latin American region, GlobeCast last year extended its fiber network to Buenos Aires and São Paulo.
Playout including localization/regionalization of content
GlobeCast will run video and flash animations demonstrating the company’s ability to adapt content to local markets around the world, simplifying the global distribution of content. From ad and graphic insertions to program substitution, GlobeCast can provide localized playout and origination from its strategically located centers in Florida, the U.K., Paris, and Singapore.
13 February 2012
Satellite communications specialist Newtec has taken the lead, teaming up with DVB members Arabsat, Cisco, SES and Thomson Video Networks, to get the discussion for an update to the DVB-S2 standard on the DVB agenda. Last week DVB took up the task and has already started investigating the commercial reasoning behind a specific standard for satellite broadcast contribution and high speed IP trunking and backbone links.
As a first step in extending the current DVB-S2 standard, Newtec is launching its Clean Channel Technology at the up-coming Cabsat and SATELLITE exhibition and conference. Clean Channel Technology further improves satellite efficiency for IP trunking and backhauling, but also broadcast contribution by up to 15% compared to the current DVB-S2 standard. Newtecs customers will be able to immediately benefit from Clean Channel Technology as it is available as a software field upgrade for existing Newtec equipment.
According to Newtec the time for change is now and there are a number of critical items that can be addressed in the improvement of the current DVB-S2 standard including:
an extension to guarantee interoperability and better satellite efficiency for professional satcom applications
a differentiation between contribution and distribution to make the greatest efficiency gains by making the standard aware of the application in which it is being used
an optimisation per application for ranges of typical and realistic conditions
an increased number of modulation and coding schemes and Forward Error Correction (FEC) choices providing the highest resolution for optimal modulation in all circumstances.
Additionally, adding higher modulation schemes, such as 64APSK, is useful considering the professional applications that could work with improved link budgets provided by, for example, bigger antennas and more powerful satellites. Newtec sees the 32APSK boundary being reached frequently with its FlexACM® technology. In these situations 64APSK could provide higher transmission speeds and lower operational costs.
We predict that a new DVB standard will lead to significantly more efficient solutions than any DVB-S2 based satellite equipment on the market today is capable of. This step forward is critical to ensuring the continuation of a vibrant and profitable satellite industry, Dirk Breynaert, CTO and co-founder of Newtec, said. The current DVB standard has served the industry well, but it is now more than 10 years old. We do feel that our satellite industry will benefit even more by having DVB and its members support the idea of developing an extended standard in line with todays technological advances.
13 February 2012
OASYS, the pioneering developer of IT-based automated playout solutions, is pleased to announce the appointment of Fraser Jardine as Vice President, Global Sales. As the company extends its global operations, Fraser will manage the OASYS sales team and oversee direct sales, while also building on OASYS network of global resellers to maximize sales in key regions.
Fraser brings twenty years experience in technical sales, pre-sales and business development roles. Most recently he held the role of Vice President, EMEA Partnerships at Kit Digital Inc., where he took full ownership of partners in EMEA as well as having a global remit for the broadcast industry, creating from scratch a reseller sales function in key regions. Prior to this he was Kit Digitals Head of Sales for the UK and Northern Europe.
Fraser has also held various senior roles at digital media and technology organisations including MGt, Aston Broadcasting Systems, the SOFTEL Group, Mindhouse Limited, Connexion 4, and The Fantastic Corporation. He holds an MBA from the University of Connecticut, Stamford, and an MSc (Eng) from Imperial College, University of London.
Fraser Jardine commented, “I am thrilled to be part of the OASYS team. I have known Mark and the company for a number of years and have worked on several projects with them, so I appreciate the power of the OASYS software. I am looking forward to providing these best-of-breed automated playout solutions to OASYS’ current and future customers.”
Mark Errington, CEO, OASYS, said, Frasers knowledge and experience in the global broadcast market, together with his drive and enthusiasm, make him a terrific asset for OASYS, demonstrating the continuing investment in our capabilities across the world and allowing us to be even more customer focused.
13 February 2012
FRANCE 24 has signed a new distribution agreement in the UK and will tomorrow launch on FREEVIEW, channel 110.
The French-language version of the channel will be accessible for free on the new VISION IPTV offer available through all new compliant FREEVIEW HD set-top box boxes. Some 5.2 million boxes have already been sold across the UK.
Thanks to this new agreement, FRANCE 24 will reach 5.2 million additional households in the country with an estimated 12 million viewers by the end of the year.
Available in 235 million households throughout the world, FRANCE 24 is also available in the UK on the SKY platform (English version, channel 513) and on FREESAT (English version, channel 205).
