Blackarrow Consulting

A quick reminder: If you're involved with or interested in professional video, the International Broadcasting Conference (IBC) starts this coming Thursday, September 9th, in Amsterdam. As with many conferences of this type, most of the new products are announced either shortly before the conference begins or the first day of the conference, in order to drive traffic to exhibitors' booths. A great way to keep track of new product announcements is a site called Virtual Press Office, or VPO. They distribute press releases and already have almost 100 press kits from exhibitors available for download. (Materials on the site will be updated throughout the show.) You don't need to be a reporter to use VPO, but you do have to register in order to get access to some of the materials.

Belgians are probably most interested in knowing whether their country will survive its strife between the French and Flemish-Dutch speaking groups, or whether it will break apart into separate nations.

Despite the independent aspect of web work, it’s typical for many of us to gather at conferences and conventions. As Dawn mentioned in a previous post, we all have different goals when attending these events. If your primary goal is to learn, then note-taking is essential, especially if you’ll be attending lectures.

Samsung is Playing for Keeps: The importance of this first TV Apps developer day was evident by the large number of TV and video crews in attendance to document this major shift in Consumer Electronics. Starting with the professional MC, Samantha Harris, from “Entertainment Tonight” to the keynote by Pandora founder Tim Westergren through the “Fireside Chat” with Steve Wozniak, it was evident that this was not your typical nerd developer meet and greet.

In what is surely an important competitive laurel, given analysts' estimates that the territory will likely account for two-thirds of global 3D demand, Samsung has captured nearly four-fifths (88%) of recent US sales of 3D TVs.

Now a mainstay for business networks and applications, the cloud looks set to do likewise in the TV world with a number of technology providers using IBC 2010 as a launch pad for new products and services.

If you work in telecoms, read this and learn. This happens if you don't pay attention to detail and just because this is an incumbent doesn't mean it won't happen at your FTTH project. Pay attention or it might cost you your FTTH-dream. 

LG has announced what it is calling a 'major breakthrough in mobile and home convergence' with the electronics giant introducing a new technology to share multimedia files from LG's new Windows Phone 7 handset the Optimus 7 to all DNLA devices.

New Technicolor spinoff Broadpeak has unveiled a suite of video delivery solutions designed to enable network service providers to deliver and scale video services such as VOD over managed IPTV networks and OTT video.

Strategy & Technology is to release a version of its popular TSBroadcaster Object/Data Carousel designed for the HbbTV standard that is gaining traction from European broadcasters, particularly in France and Germany.

Sigma Designs (Nasdaq: SIGM), a leading provider of System-on-Chip (SoC) solutions used to deliver entertainment and control throughout the home, will be showcasing to the company’s many innovations at IBC2010. Sigma Designs will be demonstrating cutting-edge technologies in media processing, home entertainment networking, and home control in its suite, located in the Balcony Suite BM24, on the Mezzanine Level, Hall 1.

UPDATED: Kabel Deutschland has released its new high definition personal video recorder that will serve as the technical platform for its new VOD service.

Philips has announced that it has now received CI Plus certification from the Dutch cabler Ziggo for 48 of its models.

Latens (IBC stand no. 4.B60), the leading provider of software security solutions for Pay-TV across all networks and Entone (IBC stand no. IP-503), the market leader in Hybrid TV and Connected Home solutions, today announced the launch of ECO UI5 middleware and its successful integration with Entone’s Amulet IPTV Receiver and Janus Media Hub. Latens ECO UI5 integrated with Entone hybrid devices delivers an advanced combination of middleware and conditional access functionality, providing operators with a high-performance, market-leading and cost-effective Hybrid TV solution.

During the second quarter of the year, the total number of Dutch digital television homes surpassed 5 million, according to research from Telecompaper. The new figures mean that 63% of all TV homes are now receiving digital signals.