Great things to read about British TV from March 2008 to today

BBC NEWS | Technology | Ofcom knocks back BBC DRM plans

It has written to the BBC asking for more information about what the benefits would be for consumers. Initially it looked as if Ofcom would approve the plans but, during its two week consultation, it has received many responses opposing the plan. Under original plans submitted to Ofcom, the broadcaster had requested that it be allowed to encrypt certain information on set-top boxes, using a method known as Huffman compression. - news.bbc.co.uk

news.bbc.co.uk

Murdoch may sue BBC over copyright |Media |guardian.co.uk

It gets a further 775m from its commercial activities, 294m from government grants and 41m from other income, such as providing content to overseas broadcasters and concert ticket sales. To find out more information about driving traffic to your content or to place this widget on your site, visit outbrain.com. We welcome your feedback at userhelpguardian.co.uk or feedbackoutbrain.com. - guardian.co.uk

Oh dear, now Ive upset the DAB radio-loving DRDB |Technology |guardian.co.uk

I certainly don't expect them to enjoy their marketing being undermined by an independent journalist, but you have to wonder why they can't manage to retain at least a dignified faade. Of course, they could have informed the trade that pays them that I am much more in favour of digital radio's development than they seem to be, despite their name. I want it to develop into DAB as soon as possible, rather than hang on to creaky old DAB. - guardian.co.uk

What Sky knows about you, and what they can do about it | BitterWallet

For example, do we ever consider there are companies that aggregate our information in order to profile us All very sinister and paranoid, but then Sky isnt making any bones about what theyre up to. Yesterday customers received an email about changes to the Sky Player terms and conditions the changes primarily focused on a new contextual advertising system called AdSmart, which was announced in September with little fanfare. - bitterwallet.com

www.bitterwallet.com

Monday 09 November 2009, PM

UK product placement consultation launched |Media |guardian.co.uk

The government has launched a consultation looking at how product placement could work on UK television, with a view to restricting the promotion of alcohol, junk food and gambling. Ofcom has estimated that within five years of it launching, product placement could make UK broadcasters as a whole 25m to 35m a year. The consultation is calling for responses on whether to ban or restrict placement of products from the alcohol and gambling industries as well as food high in fat, salt and sugar. - guardian.co.uk

BBCs plea for anti-piracy measures on Freeview is turned down |Media |guardian.co.uk

The BBC is trying to change the Freeview multiplex licence to allow copy protection technology so shows on its HD channel, which will be rolled out nationally from next month, do not become the target of pirates. To contact the MediaGuardian news desk email editormediaguardian.co.uk or phone 020 3353 3857. For all other inquiries please call the main Guardian switchboard on 020 3353 2000. - guardian.co.uk

Ofcom holds on HD licence change | Broadband TV News

In his letter Harrison has asked the BBC how it proposes to address the potential disadvantages to consumers within the market and to set out possible alternatives. Should Huffman be introduced it should be done so without the need for a licence. In the meantime the corporation has been instructed to continue in transmitting the data in the clear. - broadbandtvnews.com

www.broadbandtvnews.com

Freeview expands early access to HD

Monday 09 November 2009, AM

BBC - BBC Internet Blog: BBC HD: Interview with Danielle Nagler on Points of View

Among the topics covered was picture quality which has provoked a lively discussion on Danielle's previous posts. The interview with Danielle is the first item. There are discussions about the programme on the Points of View message board, Digital Spy and a post on Radio and Telly. - bbc.co.uk

New chair Lord Burns means business at Channel 4 |Media |The Guardian

After a career mostly spent in academia and government, Lord Terry Burns was very much the businessman rather than the showman when his appointment as chairman was confirmed last week. And, more importantly, where will he take an advertising-supported company that has flirted with public funding and private takeover A former permanent secretary at the Treasury who once chaired Marks Spencer and now chairs Abbey National, Burns is a liberal economist who believes firmly in competition. - guardian.co.uk

Row looms over free-to-air shakeup for TV sport |Television radio |The Guardian

The Epsom Derby and the rugby league cup final are expected to be dropped from the list, which could reduce their chances of attracting sponsorship and maintaining their visibility beyond core fans. Governing bodies are preparing to go on the attack, arguing the new rules will severely damage their ability to fund grassroots sport. The England and Wales Cricket Board has argued that the 300m Sky pays for exclusive rights has enabled a huge investment programme in state schools, community clubs and the women's game. - guardian.co.uk

Sunday 08 November 2009, PM

Digital switch brings last minute surge

news.bbc.co.uk

Sunday 08 November 2009, AM

Greg Dyke thinks the unthinkable on the BBC licence fee |Media |The Observer

The BBC, of course, sees the licence fee as its badge of independence. Technology is taking us near to the end of the line already and Greg is a moving, not static, target. To find out more information about driving traffic to your content or to place this widget on your site, visit outbrain.com. - guardian.co.uk

Saturday 07 November 2009, AM

Innovate within the mainstream, documentary makers are told |Media |guardian.co.uk

That was the question at the heart of a session at the Sheffield Documentary Festival today that was packed with independent producers eager to find out how and where best to pitch their film ideas to broadcasters. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the commissioners professed to be interested in programmes that would enhance their reputation as well as ratings. ITV was looking for three or four signature documentaries by top-end producers as well as cheap half-hour programmes to run against Eastenders at 7pm, she said. - guardian.co.uk

Switching off and switching over

Friday 06 November 2009, PM

Project canvas: an interview with Richard Halton

Richard Halton We talk about Canvas 'democratising' access to the living room. If you want to be on a tv set at the moment, you have to be a big broadcaster with Freeview or Sky. The great thing about IPTV is that it will allow different forms of content, like video on demand or web services, to get to the tv screen. - bbc.co.uk

Humax will fix Freeview set top boxes

It is over a month since the infamous digital retune took place and for most owners of Freeview set top boxes the whole experience went off without a hitch. However, for some owners of Humax set top boxes the retune has meant a poor quality of service or in some cases no digital TV service at all. Finally, the company has decided to do something about this issue and provided that the set top box is still within its two warranty period. - techwatch.co.uk

www.techwatch.co.uk

Elgato EyeTV DTT Deluxe review | Electricpig

Its a beautifully tiny bit of kit, but can it live up to expectations Its tinier than a 10p coin, and it could be argued there was never any need to make a TV adapter this miniscule. The fact that Elgato have managed it, however, is testament to its ingenuity. - electricpig.co.uk

www.electricpig.co.uk

Sony brings HD recording to the PS3 | News | TechRadar UK

Sony has released the 1.21 firmware update to PlayTV, allowing it to record free to air HD channels. Sony has also promised better upscaling from standard definition broadcasts, meaning that if you're watching a programme in non-HD quality PlayTV will bust its little guts to polish it up before it gets to your eyeballs. Tweaked As part of the update, Sony says it has tweaked the interface slightly for mobile phones too, so users can watch the content more easily on a smaller screen. - techradar.com

www.techradar.com

Friday 06 November 2009, AM

STV to launch GBP35m action against ITV - and press ahead with Taggart |Media |guardian.co.uk

The company also reported that it expects national television ad revenues to be up 2 in the fourth quarter with November up 3 and December up 5. In the Scottish TV ad market, fourth quarter revenue will be flat, with October down 13, November down 5 and December even. STV said that the failure to secure a recommission of Taggart across the ITV network this year meant that the company will take a 2m hit in earnings - analysts had estimated that the failure to strike a deal would cost 3m. - guardian.co.uk

Single frequency interference | ukfree.tv - independent digital TV + switchover advice, since 2002

What to do when several channels are missing, but they are all on the same 'multiplex'Published on 30th September 2007 at 1409 by Brian Butterworth There are several different type of interference that cause problems. This page deals with the situation where Freeview reception is perfect or near-perfect most of the time Several channels are missing, but they are all on the same 'multiplex' There are two main causes of this type of intermitted interference The current Freeview mulitplexes are shown in this diagram. See, for example, How do I change the RF output channel on a Sky Digibox - ukfree.tv

www.ukfree.tv

Flogging a DAB horse |Technology |guardian.co.uk

One of the prime quotes is used as a headline Let us get on this horse or get off it. It is currently costing us over 100,000 a year and we get absolutely nothing back from it . Therefore, our proposition to Carter's Review was let us get on this horse or get off it. - guardian.co.uk

www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk

Thursday 05 November 2009, PM

Media Talk: Lord Burns confirmed as Channel 4's new chairman

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Terry Burns appointed Chairman of Channel 4 | Ofcom

Independent regulator and competition authority for the UK communications industries. 4G auction bidders announced December 20, 2012 Ofcom has today announced the bidders in the forthcoming 4G mobile spectrum auction the largest ever sale of mobile airwaves in the UK. npower fined for making abandoned calls December 6, 2012 The conclusion of an Ofcom investigation has today found npower, the gas and electricity supplier, to be in breach of rules on abandoned calls. - ofcom.org.uk

www.ofcom.org.uk

Switchover put viewers out of the picture - News - Manchester Evening News

Around 250 people contacted a special helpline to complain that yesterday's digital switchover had left them watching the wrong regional channels. Problems arose for Freeview customers after they retuned their sets following the digital switchover and were left receiving signals from transmitters outside the North West broadcasting programming from Wales and the Midlands. They added that viewers should resume watching BBC programming from the North West today. - manchestereveningnews.co.uk

Technisat Freesat PVR update released

Long Mountain switchover underway

Digital television switchover is underway in parts of east and central Wales, bringing Freeview coverage to 24,000 households for the first time. Shortly after midnight on 4th November all TV services were temporarily switched off at the Long Mountain transmitter group. A new digital signal is being made available from Long Mountain and its relays, broadcasting the full range of BBC channels in digital form. - dtg.org.uk

www.dtg.org.uk

Thursday 05 November 2009, AM

ITV: ad revenue up next month |Media |guardian.co.uk

ITV promised to break an almost 18-month run of sinking revenue figures today, reporting that its TV advertising revenues will be up by 4 year on year in December and flat across the fourth quarter. The broadcaster, which controls more than 40 of UK TV advertising across its channels, said that the ad market was stabilising. It predicted that total TV ad revenue would be down 12 for the full year, and said that it expected to trade ahead of the market. - guardian.co.uk

Wednesday 04 November 2009, PM

Rise in dumped TVs due to digital switchover, figures show |Environment |guardian.co.uk

The number of TVs thown away in Cumbria has risen by 70 in the past year. Figures from Cumbria county council, which administers a region of nearly half a million people, show that the number of TVs dumped at waste and recycling sites has risen by 70 in the past year. This year, the council has recycled 50,000 analogue TVs thrown away by households, of which 30,000 could have been upgraded to receive digital TV signals with a simple 20 set-top box. - guardian.co.uk

Humax makes Freeview retune pledge | Electricpig

Humax has pledged to fix faulty Freeview boxes effected by the recent retune, as long as theyre within their two year warranty and cant be brought back to life by their own telephone support staff. Speaking to us after we reported faults which were still occurring a month after the retune, Humax said customers with boxes that arent working should contact them for guidance. In a statement, a Humax spokesperson told us, Humax will repair or replace any faulty products if they are within the warranty period. - electricpig.co.uk

www.electricpig.co.uk

BBC Media Show: Reporting drugs and comedy and offence - 04/11/09

downloads.bbc.co.uk

informitv - Freesat gets iPlayer without waiting for Canvas

The BBC iPlayer online video service will soon be available to Freesat viewers over broadband. A trial service on the subscription-free satellite platform will launch before the end of November. It calls into question the need for the proposed Canvas approach. - informitv.com

informitv.com

Wednesday 04 November 2009, AM

Powys starts digital switchover

Instead, a new digital signal is being made available, broadcasting the full range of BBC channels in digital form. The new digital signal means thousands of homes in the area will be able to receive digital TV through their aerial - Freeview - for the first time. Terrestrial TV services will be off air for some viewers until the first stage of switchover is completed by about midday on Wednesday. - news.bbc.co.uk

news.bbc.co.uk

Tuesday 03 November 2009, PM

Media Talk USA: A new rival for the Washington Post

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freesat iPlayer beta service imminent - Crave at CNET UK

It's the worst-kept secret in the history of mankind, but freesat is finally getting access to the BBC's iPlayer service. We've known for a very long time that the plan was to make on-demand TV available on freesat since the platform launched in May 2008. For this reason, all freesat receivers have had an Ethernet socket fitted to them from launch, which means existing owners will have no extra equipment to buy. - crave.cnet.co.uk

crave.cnet.co.uk

Changes to the Broadcasting Code rules for promotion of Premium Rate Services (PRS) | Ofcom

www.ofcom.org.uk

iPlayer on Freesat 'testing' in November

SeeSaw online TV service unveils idents |Media |guardian.co.uk

One of the symbols faces forwards, representing the VOD TV experience of today, and the other backwards representing more traditional television viewing. SeeSaw has refused to state when it intends to launch into the UK market. However, the company has recently accelerated its plans, appointing the ad agency Fallon and the media agency Vizeum to prepare a 5m campaign and preparing to launch a beta version of the service. - guardian.co.uk

Tuesday 03 November 2009, AM

Internet TV Netflix Comes to Windows Media Center in Windows 7

For Windows 7, Internet TV has been updated with enhancements to the UI and features more content from new content providers. Also now available is Netflix for Windows Media Center in Windows 7 You can watch the keynote from the event on-demand from the PressPass Windows 7 Virtual Presskit site. - windowsteamblog.com

windowsteamblog.com

Monday 02 November 2009, PM

Freeview retune: one month on, problems persist | Electricpig

Its a month since the Freeview retune caused chaos across the country and led to us receiving a raft of complaints about lost channels and failed set top boxes. It appears that in the four weeks since we reported Freeviews apology over the retune fiasco, little has been done to make amends for lost channels and broken boxes. Users are still faced with lost channels and extra costs arising from the Freeview retune. - electricpig.co.uk

www.electricpig.co.uk

BBC Unveils its Red-Button Interactive TV Schedule for Next Two Weeks | InteractiveTV Today

The feature consists of a two-minute package of highlights which is billed as featuring the day's best picture stories, and which is put together by BBC News's On Demand team. Finally, from November 8th to the 16th, digital viewers will be able to press red to view highlights from the 2009 Autumn Internationals. This coverage, and all the sports coverage listed above, is offered through the BBC Sport Multiscreen, a 24/7 red-button application that provides up to five screens of extra coverage as well as round-the-clock headlines. - itvt.com

www.itvt.com

BBC iPlayer Standard Products on TV Platforms

BBC iPlayer has been a success on television. My colleague Kerstin Mogull has recently clarified how we plan to make BBC iPlayer available to audiences on other platforms and devices. The BBC intends to develop and make available standard iPlayer products. - bbc.co.uk

Cable Forum: Third Quarter Results puts Virgin Media in Good Shape

Virgin Media reported last week that it saw a year-on-year increase in operating cash flow as it beat analysts forecasts for the third quarter, analysts had predicted OCF to be at 337m when it was actually 348m. In the third quarter, average revenue per user rose to a record 44.24 pounds from 42 pounds a year earlier. The Cable Co, sees its Broadband customer numbers increase by 39,000, VM now has 3.77 million Broadband customers. - cableforum.co.uk

www.cableforum.co.uk

Will we see Ultra HD in 2017?