Connected TV

Ericsson on Tuesday launched the Ericsson Media Delivery Network (MDN), which it bills as a complete solution for the delivery of video over IP. According to the company, the Ericsson MDN is designed to allow operators to deploy solutions that overcome issues caused by increasing video traffic on their networks, and supports multichannel TV, VOD and OTT content from the same core infrastructure. By combining a content distribution network with Ericsson's broader TV portfolio, the new solution will, the company says, also enable operators and broadcasters to drive new revenues from the growth in video traffic, without increasing network costs.

Here is a round-up of some other recent interactive TV-related stories that we didn't have room for in this issue:

Due to the large volume of interactive TV-related news generated over the past few days by the IFA and the run-up to the IBC, we are covering stories in this issue in round-up format. We anticipate that it will take a couple of days for us to catch up with all the recent news: so if your company has sent us a press release or briefed us on an announcement, and you don't yet see your news covered in this issue, please bear with us. Our regular news coverage will return shortly.

Due to the large volume of interactive TV-related news generated over the past few days by the IFA and the run-up to the IBC, we are covering stories in this issue in round-up format. We anticipate that it will take a couple of days for us to catch up with all the recent news: so if your company has sent us a press release or briefed us on an announcement, and you don't yet see your news covered in this issue, please bear with us. Our regular news coverage will return shortly.

Due to the large volume of interactive TV-related news generated over the past few days by the IFA and the run-up to the IBC, we are covering stories in this issue in round-up format. We anticipate that it will take a couple of days for us to catch up with all the recent news: so if your company has sent us a press release or briefed us on an announcement, and you don't yet see your news covered in this issue, please bear with us. Our regular news coverage will return shortly.

Due to the large volume of interactive TV-related news generated over the past few days by the IFA and the run-up to the IBC, we are covering stories in this issue in round-up format. We anticipate that it will take a couple of days for us to catch up with all the recent news: so if your company has sent us a press release or briefed us on an announcement, and you don't yet see your news covered in this issue, please bear with us. Our regular news coverage will return shortly.

Due to the large volume of interactive TV-related news generated over the past few days by the IFA and the run-up to the IBC, we are covering stories in this issue in round-up format. We anticipate that it will take a couple of days for us to catch up with all the recent news: so if your company has sent us a press release or briefed us on an announcement, and you don't yet see your news covered in this issue, please bear with us. Our regular news coverage will return shortly.

As expected, Apple on Wednesday unveiled a new version of its Apple TV platform (which, perhaps not surprisingly, in light of the trademark problems such a brand would have entailed, will not--as had been widely reported--be branded as the "iTV") at an event in San Francisco. According to the company, the new Apple TV (which, like the rival Roku platform and soon-to-be-launched Boxee Box, and unlike the old version of the Apple TV, does not offer local storage, other than flash memory for buffering):

Online music pioneer, Napster, on Wednesday unveiled an interactive TV application for Samsung's Samsung Apps platform (note: for more on the latter, which is available on a number of Samsung's connected TV's, Blu-ray players and Blu-ray home theater systems, see the article published on itvt.com, September 1st). Napster tapped Accedo Broadband, a Stockholm-based provider of interactive TV applications and content for IPTV and broadband-connected consumer electronics devices, to help it develop, test and launch the new app.

Content protection and video optimization specialist, Widevine, said Tuesday that electronics retailer, Best Buy, has tapped it to be a "preferred" provider of adaptive streaming, virtual DVD-like controls and digital rights management (DRM) for its Insignia-branded connected-TV devices, which include television sets, Blu-ray players and media players. According to the company, its video optimization and DRM technologies will enable content owners and service providers to deliver content directly to Insignia devices in an over-the-top or TV Everywhere environment. "The amount of content being delivered over-the-top directly to connected consumer devices is increasing every day," Widevine CEO, Brian Baker, said in a prepared statement.

In a posting Wednesday on the BBC Backstage blog (not

In a posting on the company's blog, Wednesday, OTT specialist Boxee's VP of marketing, Andrew Kippen, revealed that Boxee has begun "adding the foundations of a new Movie Library" that will complement a TV Show Library that it rolled out in January as part of its Boxee Beta launch (note: the TV Show Library is designed to allow Boxee users to browse and search for full-length TV shows from major networks across the Web).

Remote control specialist, Universal Electronics, contacted [itvt] Wednesday to let us know that it plans to demo at next month's IBC a "point-and-click" universal remote, called the Dolphin, which it bills as "ideal for subscription broadcast operators looking to provide subscribers with advanced, Web-connected content options and an immersive 3D viewing experience."

Metrological Media Innovations said Tuesday that it is collaborating with its partners 2L Alliance, Prodrive, Softkinetic and Optrima to launch "a new and unique Internet-enabled television experience" at the IBC in Amsterdam next month (The Connected World, Hall 9, Booth IP361-364 and IP461, 462-464).

The blog, StuffWeLike, has shot and published a video of a demonstration of the new Google TV platform--working in tandem with DISH Network's pay-TV service--that the search giant gave at Comic-Con in San Diego last month (note: for more on Google TV, see the article published on itvt.com, May 24th). The demo showcases, among other things, the Android-based platform's Universal Search experience, its bookmarking feature, its integration of YouTube, and its Google Queue menu (which is notable for the way in which it appears to make podcasts seamlessly accessible to viewers in the living room, alongside DVR content). The video is embedded above.