Technicolor collaborates with Intel for next generation smart set-top boxes

Technicolor announced that it is collaborating with Intel on its latest system on a chip, the Intel® Atom™ processor CE4200, formerly code-named Groveland.

The strategic collaboration will fuel Technicolor's plan to drive into the market a new generation of integrated broadcast and IP set-top boxes, enabling service providers to create exciting new multi-screen, 3D, games and online video user experiences in the home.

The collaboration agreement with Intel has allowed Technicolor to test early prototype silicon, provide technical recommendations to Intel, and prove new STB designs. Technicolor has developed an early 3D Multiview Coding (MVC) and video transcoding demonstration of the chipset capabilities to illustrate its potential in delivering the next generation TV experience. The first devices from Technicolor are expected to be in production early in 2011.

Verizon FiOS Scores First NFL Game on 3D TV

Verizon is kicking off the football season with the production and broadcast of the first National Football League game in 3D on television for the company's FiOS TV customers in parts of New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Rhode Island for the Sept. 2 preseason match-up between the New York Giants and the New England Patriots.

Verizon FiOS1 is producing the 3D broadcast, which will be shown on FiOS Channel 834 for FiOS TV subscribers. Similar to previously offered 3D programming from Verizon, customers must have 3D TV sets, 3D glasses and a high-definition set-top box to view the broadcast.

The broadcast marks Verizon's third major 3D initiative this summer. On July 10 and 11, the company broadcast the first Major League Baseball games in 3D, between the New York Yankees and the Seattle Mariners. And on July 15, Verizon announced that it will carry 3D programming on FiOS TV Video on Demand from WealthTV.

For the more information, click here.

RoxioNow Platform to Power Instant Access to Hollywood Movies on New Range of Connected HDTVs and Blu-ray Disc Players

Sonic Solutions announced that Haier, one of the world's largest home appliances and consumer electronics manufacturers, has chosen the RoxioNow platform to provide its customers convenient, trouble-free access to a broad library of Hollywood entertainment. As part of the agreement, entertainment services powered by the RoxioNow platform will deliver movies and TV shows over the web to a new line of Haier-branded Blu-ray Disc players and HDTVs.

The RoxioNow platform serves a broad range of premium content, including new movies and next-day TV programs, to a growing, multi-manufacturer ecosystem of home and mobile electronics including PCs, connected TVs, set-top DVRs, Blu-ray Disc players, smartphones, and mobile media devices. The platform enables retailers and consumer electronics companies to participate in the entertainment supply chain, add value to product offerings and form ongoing relationships with customers.

RoxioNow powers digital entertainment delivery for a range of companies including Best Buy, Blockbuster, Dell, HP, Kmart, Lionsgate, and Sears, and is available on a broad variety of consumer electronics devices.

Consumer Subsidized TV: The Role of More Open Standards

The era of the dedicated set-top box (STB) for each service to a TV is definitely coming to an end. What is emerging is a picture that involves a series of platforms that can support service specific applications or widgets selected and managed by the consumer. These platforms may themselves be based around standards such that service operators can create the applications that engage the consumer.

In certain kinds of systems, for instance the DirecTV view of the home media server, standards are only necessary to be able to share the content, they are not necessary to manage the device itself. That device, therefore, can be a completely proprietary system that is wholly owned and subsided by the network or system operator. It is most likely produced exclusively for that network operator, just like traditional STBs have been.

IP-based standards in such platforms also allows operators to cost-effectively deploy a security system and business rules that can satisfy all demands of content owners while creating the transparent usage model that consumers demand.

We believe that IP and the sophisticated protocols built on IP are the common building blocks to make digital convergence happen inside the home.

One such standards activity is the Open IPTV Forum – a cooperative of technology companies that is seeking to create an end to end platform for the delivery of IP video services. Another recent initiative is Project Canvas propelled by the BBC in the UK. A standard becomes important like this when it can enable multi-vendor participation.

As members of both the Open IPTV Forum and Digital TV (DTG), among several other standards consortiums, we are seeing the central role that IP-based technologies are taking. However, we feel that a key component to these specifications is the ability to generate revenue. Creating the right experience that consumers are willing to pay for will most certainly generate continued innovation.

We are watching Project Canvas and others like HbbTV closely, like the rest of the industry.

Blog posting material submitted by Verimatrix.

The Latest OTT Opportunity: Connected TV

Of all the new Internet TV delivery options, the connected TV is especially interesting to service operators: It’s already front and center in the living room, there is perhaps no expensive STB required, it features an already integrated remote control and has the potential for high-quality presentation without distortion or noise from connecting cables.

On the other hand, today’s connected TVs are fundamentally constrained by proprietary interfaces, wholly proprietary aggregation portals and simplistic navigational schemes. Limited or no storage means streaming-only presentation of content.

Our current feeling is that the Internet-connected TVs are primarily an aspect of a features game in a highly competitive consumer electronics market and is one of the options least likely to be exploited for premium video delivery services. The more likely scenario will be facilitated via connected devices such as Blu-ray players game consoles and last but not least via STBs, although these may take on a new identities such as whole home DVRs, media gateways, etc.

It is possible that connectivity may be used to blend the TV and Web experiences together. Operators can choose to make this happen on a TV using overlay or screen sharing applications, such as calling up an actor’s Twitter feed while watching his performance.

But given that living room viewing is a shared experience, it may be more realistic to see TV supplemented by other more personal phone or pad devices with better user input capabilities to provide such interactivity. I can attest with my own family’s habits, that it has become more normal for viewers to watch TV while working on their connected laptop!

I presented last week at the TV 3.0 – Future of TV conference (co-located with @DisplayWeek) . I was surprised to hear that nearly 20% of TVs shipped in 2010 will be network‐enabled, which is projected to reach about 60% in 2013!

And we are experiencing some interest from CE manufacturers to embed software-based security technology directly into these next-generation TVs.

Nonetheless, I came back with the opinion that STBs are not going away anytime soon. The issue (and cost) of customer support needs to rest with the operator who ultimately owns the quality of experience.

Submitted from Steve Oetegenn, Verimatrix.

Service providers must adjust strategies as consumers turn to alternate sources for video & online media

Key industry executives will address recent shifts in consumer video and online viewing habits at CONNECTIONS™: The Digital Living Conference & Showcase. These changes in consumer behavior are forcing service providers to expand and enhance their business strategies for connected CE, online video, and other value-added services.

Nearly 20% of U.S. broadband households have a PC-to-TV connection, and the vast majority is using this DIY solution to stream online video.

Over one-half of U.S. households don’t know their broadband speed. Broadband has become a commodity, and service providers are in a position where they have to talk about additional services, including TV Everywhere and tech support. It can be a difficult transition, but they are in an excellent position to leverage their existing customer relationships and take the lead in the digital living ecosystem.

CONNECTIONS™ is the premier event for research and analysis of connected home technologies and digital living solutions, including multiple speakers and attendees representing service providers and their partners.

The conference features sessions on evolving carrier strategies and service and partnership opportunities in response to new consumer behaviors and connected CE:

Expanding Consumers’ Digital Media Choices

Monetizing Connected CE

TV and Online Video Advertising Metrics

Trends in User Interfaces

3DTV

Service Provider Innovation

The Future of the Set-top Box

TV Everywhere and Online Video

For more information about the CONNECTIONS Conference, visit www.connectionsus.com.

Latens sponsors CONNECTIONS Europe

Parks Associates welcome Latens as the newest Advisory Sponsor for the upcoming CONNECTIONS Europe Summit in Amsterdam on April 27th.

Latens is leading the way in IPTV and fully DVB® compliant software Conditional Access and Middleware, enabling operators of broadcast and broadband Pay-TV networks around the world to securely deliver next generation entertainment services to set-top boxes, PCs, mobile devices and home networks. With offices in the US, UK and India Latens’ customer base stretches globally. Latens continued success has been recognised with the recent inclusion in the top 500 Fast Deloitte companies for the EMEA region.

For more information about Latens please visit www.latens.com.

World’s First End-to-End TV Solution with 3D User Interface Ready for Deployment on IP-Hybrid Networks

The world’s first end-to-end, 3D TV solution is the result of a partnership between Orca Interactive, SoftAtHome and Viaccess to develop a unique, end-to-end 3D TV experience for the digital home. It enables service providers to accelerate time to market to deliver a new TV offering with a 3D HD user interface on broadcast, IPTV or hybrid networks (DVB-S/C/T+IP).

The user interface is one of the key battlefields for service providers to maximize customer retention and increase VOD and services revenues. In order to help service providers meet this challenge, the partners set out to bring to market the first, fully integrated and ready-to-deploy TV solution for the next generation TV user experience. This unique end-to-end solution blends the core IPTV components: Orca’s service delivery platform including the COMPASS groundbreaking content discovery solution; premium set-top-box from Pace; SoftAtHome’s operating platform; and card and cardless conditional access from Viaccess.

In addition to the 3D HD user interface, the solution gives Service Providers a complete solution to quickly deploy live TV, VoD, PVR, personalization and DLNA content sharing functionality with optimal performance and content protection. It leverages the standard Open Graphics Libraries API combined with hardware accelerators to deliver high performance HD 3D experience. The solution is on display at IBC on the booths of different partners: Orca Interactive (2.B40), Pace (1.B19), SoftAtHome (Hotel Okura Amsterdam), Viaccess (1.A51), Broadcom (5.A10), Bluestreak Technology (IP 613) and httv (1.C93).

Europe and Hybrid Set-tops

The market for set-top boxes (STBs) in Europe has gotten a major boost from the transition to digital services. Terrestrial television is still a major source of video for viewers in major Western European markets, including France, Italy, Spain, and the U.K., where over 40% of television viewership rely on terrestrial services.

Healthy adoption rates of DTT (digital terrestrial television) in Europe, where Spain in particular has been at the forefront, are opening new markets for STBs. These aren’t standard STBs but hybrid receivers capable of receiving signals from multiple sources and providing access to paid content. The most popular STB version so far offers a mixture of IPTV and DTT, which European telcos have been employing to offer low-cost television service for consumers not interested in bundling pay television with other services.

As noted in the Parks Associates report Set-top Boxes: Outlook, the growing presence of the STB is an important step in the development of the digital home ecosystem, as this device is evolving into the primary point of entry for television services, and service providers worldwide are upgrading equipment within their installed bases to support advanced digital television services.

Connected consumer electronics sales to exceed 100 million units annually by 2013

Consumer demand for digital media and online content will push worldwide annual sales of connected CE to more than 100 million units by 2013, according to the new Parks Associates report Home Networks for Consumer Electronics.

The market for connected CE includes networked TVs, Blu-ray players, game consoles, home media servers, and set-top boxes. Through network and Internet connections, these devices can access and display home network content such as photos and music and retrieve online content such as widgets, games, and video from Hulu and YouTube.

Diverse user scenarios create multiple challenges for technology developers, according to Scherf, including interface design as well as connectivity.

Home Networks for Consumer Electronics covers consumer and technology trends in the connected CE market and provides forecasts for multiple connected CE product categories. For more information, visit http://www.parksassociates.com/, or contact 972-490-1113, sales@parksassociates.com.

The CONNECTIONS™ conference, June 2-4, features a Connected CE track, including the panels Extending the Reach of Wired Networks and Interfaces and Bringing “Cloud Media” to Consumer Electronics Devices. For registration, or to request a press pass, visit http://www.connectionsconference.com/.

To view the full press release, click here.