Focus: Broadcasting

Mergers and acquisitions constantly reshape various sectors of the industry as well as the show floor at IBC. Ericsson’s acquisition of Tandberg Television and SES’s takeover of ND SatCom are the most notable booth transitions at the show, but where the companies really want to make their respective marks is by changing the fundamental nature...

HBO Central Europe signed a deal with Spacecom to expand HBO’s channel bouquet on the Amos satellites, Spacecom announced.       Under the 10-year agreement, HBO initially will launch three new high-definition (HD) channels targeting markets in Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The channels previously had been distributed only in standard definition. The three...

Nagravision will supply a conditional access system for Iraqi satellite network Alsumaria TV, Nagravision announced.      Alsumaria transmits on both Nilesat and Arabsat, and Alsumaria’s Mobision mobile TV service is the first Middle East Mobile TV DVB-H bouquet to use Nagravision’s microSD cards with embedded security. The cards allow Alsumaria TV to offer services to...

Irdeto has expanded a set-top box license agreement with Cisco Systems, enabling Cisco to integrate Irdeto’s conditional access solution with its set-top boxes.      As result of this agreement, Cisco has introduced a hybrid high-definition (HD) interactive personal video recorder (PVR) set-top box in the Netherlands. The digital receiver enables consumers to view programs in...

Microsoft Corp. has unveiled its Mediaroom Advertising Platform, which will allow broadband service providers deploying the Microsoft Mediaroom IPTV software platform to offer targeted, measurable and interactive advertising spots from a single platform, the company said.      The platform, based on online advertising systems, also lets advertisers and their agencies adjust advertising campaigns in a...

Eric Cooney, head of TV solutions at Ericsson, wants to expand the Ericsson brand name into the satellite community. Cooney, the CEO of Tandberg Television when it was acquired by Ericsson in February 2007, has been tasked with developing the IPTV market for Ericsson, but he believes the company also can grow the already large...

DataPath Inc. has formed a strategic partnership with Metracom to provide sales and integration support for the MaxView network management system in Europe, DataPath announced.       Metracom, a French company specializing in support services for satellite communications, is targeting sales of the MaxView software product line to the European government, broadcast and satellite operator market...

I’m generally cynical when it comes to hearing about the promise of new satellite services and how a market is set to become hot at any second. It probably comes from years of hearing how services such as HDTV or broadband or commercial imagery or any other number of services were set to bring in...

Cybernet has implemented a next-generation IP network built on iDirect’s Evolution DVB-S2 product line with adaptive coding and modulation, iDirect announced.      Cybernet will use the network to provide broadband connectivity to the banking sector, connecting remote offices with enterprise applications and allowing banks to extend access to ATMs and online banking to customers. The...

Thomson is one of the key technology vendors to satellite pay-TV operators world-wide, and its technology will be key in helping satellite pay-TV operators stay ahead of cable and IPTV competition. The IBC e-Daily spoke to Georges Laplanche, senior vice president, Thomson Premises Systems, about the technologies Thomson is showcasing at IBC and the types...