|
|
.IPTV
- a different television |
Source: European
Broadcasting Union
By Franc Kozamernik, Senior Engineer, EBU Technical Department
IPTV will change television - viewers will
decide when, where and how to enjoy it
IPTV is a relatively recent buzzword
having emerged only three or four years ago. In a nutshell, it means
the delivery of television over Internet Protocol (IP) networks.
But for the telecommunication industry, which drives it to the market,
IPTV means much more. For them, IPTV is an entirely new multimedia
experience extending the borders of conventional broadcast
television; it is an integrated, all-embracing media
platform offering a bundle of diverse content and communication
services from a single provider over a single network to a single
user device all with a single payment.
IPTV deployments
Currently, the
size of the IPTV market is still relatively small compared to
the broadcast market. The total number of IPTV subscribers worldwide
is currently estimated at around two million, with Korea, Hong
Kong and Japan as the main markets. Subject to realistic market
predictions, by 2010 IPTV could reach 34 million households (3).
The leading country in Europe in rolling out IPTV services is
France. At the end of 2005, 281,000 subscribers to the three main
IPTV services (Maligne, Free and Neuf) were registered.
The Free IPTV service
in France is an example of a successful IPTV service. It began
in December 2003 and is a subsidiary of the Iliad Group. It currently
offers a wide choice of broadcast and telecom services bundled
together: 200 television channels (including EPG and pay bouquets),
30 radio channels, video on demand, HDTV, multi-post
viewing, mediacentre with the FreePlayer, telephone services and
broadband internet. It is interesting that the Free set-top box
includes a DTT tuner to allow for reception of content available
on the Digital Terrestrial Television platform from M6 and TF1,
which are not available on Free IPTV platform. Up until March
2005, about 200,000 Free boxes were distributed. Subscribers only
pay for phone and internet charges (€29.99/month) while the
basic IPTV service (including the Free box) is free of charge.
Another successful
project is Fastweb in Italy. Italy is a country with practically
no cable TV, so IPTV found fertile ground. Fastweb is the first
triple play operator in Italy and is operated by e.Biscom. Video
on Demand (VoD) trials started from 2000 onwards, jointly operated
by e.BisMedia and RAI Click. In August 2003, multicast TV broadcasting
started, providing several football (calcio) channels to some
60,000 subscribers. Today, IPTV services are available in 250,000
homes and the total number of Fastweb customers is more than half
a million in eight major Italian cities: Bari, Bologna, Turin,
Genoa, Rome, Naples, Milan and Venice. Both fibre-to-the-home
(FTTH) and ADSL are used. The former accounts for 20% of customers
and the latter, 80%. The commercial service offer is very diverse
and includes triple play. Phoning between Fastweb clients is free
of charge. Fast Internet has a speed of 10 Mbit/s if a fibre connection
is available. Live television channels (4 Mbit/s) include all
the national channels (RAI, Mediaset, MTV, La7) and a selection
of thematic and international channels (e.g. Music Box, Bloomberg,
RaiNews 24, RaiSatSport, BBC World, TVE Internacional, TV 5 Europe,
Disney, CNN and Cartoon Network). Pay-TV options include Cinema
Sky, Sport Sky and Calcio Sky. Due to the huge popularity of football
in Italy, there are thematic channels dedicated to three famous
Italian football clubs: Milan, Inter and Roma (each costing €8
per month).
Since 2002, Fastweb
has been offering VoD services with over 5000 titles. The OnTV
on-demand service contains family-type programmes covering films,
sports, childrens programmes, music, lifestyle and documentaries,
as well as games, T-commerce, interactive areas and interactive
advertising. Another on-demand service is Rai Click. The EPG service
offers a picture-in-picture preview and scheduling information.
Some interactive TV services are also included: GiveMe5 Quiz game,
Mini BMW and interactive films.
Fastweb uses extensive
customer profiling services such as targeted banners and videos.
Detailed data reports on service usage are obtained in order to
design a better product. Fastweb has also created a customer care
online service. Among the Fastweb communications services, we
should mention TVcam, multi-party video conferencing, video messages,
video galleries and chat & forums.
The above two examples show that IPTV is more than just conventional
linear television. It may be an attractive package of very diverse
innovative services likely to appeal to users.
To read the full
article:
click
here
|
|
.Club
of Amsterdam blog |
|
|
Club
of Amsterdam blog
http://clubofamsterdam.blogspot.com
August
16 :
Q&A
with Igor van Gemert
June 19:
The
Innovation Manifesto
May
18:
Europe in 2020. Towards a new golden century, a silver century, and
back to the middle ages
April 11:
Participatory
Democracy - A plea for intelligent rule setting
|
|
.News
about Cross Media |
|
|
|
|
|
Future
of Media Report 2006
by Future Exploration Network
Five ideas transforming media:
Shifting
Media in every form will be shifted by users
to suit them. For example, video-on-demand (or mobile video) is transforming
the way people watch TV much in the same way that podcasting is changing
the way that people listen to radio. Both put the audience squarely
in charge of programming. In the future people will seek to watch,
read and listen to what they want, when they want, on any device they
want.
Time compression
One of the most powerful trends today is that
people are busier and have less time. They are increasingly stressed
and sleep deprived. If you want to connect with people you need to
make it easy and make it fast. This does not necessarily mean the
death of the two-hour movie or the 120-page magazine, but it will
have to be good.
Infinite content
The supply of content will become effectively
infinite. The million channel universe will include not
just traditional media delivery and the Internet, but also a whole
set of new devices and delivery platforms. Production tools in the
hands of the masses will tap new talent and lack of talent.
It will be increasingly challenging to attract audiences attention
and build brand loyalty against infinite choice.
Generational change
The media is run by ageing baby boomers that
still think wearing a pair of Levi 501s is cool. Many of these traditional
media companies will fi nd it difficult to adjust to the new media
landscape of mobile platforms and customer created content due to
their investments in old-media infrastructure and business models.
Most innovation will therefore come from the outside, either from
young people, or from companies outside the existing media establishment.
Media is everywhere
In the future everything from walls and table-tops
to cereal packets and clothes will be screens and video will be everywhere.
E-paper will add video and audio functionality to the formerly static
pages of newspapers, and books will play commercials for the authors
latest novel. If the advertisers have their way, there will be no
respite outside your front door.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Best
Practices: Media, Broadcast & Entertainment
A collection of White Papers & Case
Studies
"2006 will go down in streaming media
history as the year that broadband entertainment entered the mainstream.
That's due in large part to the kinds of products and services described
in Best Practices: Media, Broadcast & Entertainment, which make
it easier than ever to publish, deliver, track, and - most importantly
- monetize audio and video content on the internet.
From content delivery networks to ad insertion technology, from full-screen
video players to multilingual translation services, the vendors presented
here offer practical solutions for the online media and entertainment
space. Whether you've got downloadable music, streaming movies, or
interactive online games, these solutions can help you turn your content
into profitable product."
|
|
|
|
.News
about the Future |
|
|
|
|
|
Invasion
of the clones
by Kerstin Bergman, a researcher at Lund University,
Sweden
She discusses how positive images of human clones are infiltrating
our entertainment media and slowly shifting our perception.
"After the birth of Dolly the sheep in 1997, however, cloning
people became, once again, a distinct possibility. In parallel, films
and novels about clones began to multiply, and today critics speak
about "clone lit" as a well-established genre. Renowned
recent examples include Kazuo Ishiguro's novel Never Let Me Go (2005),
Kevin Guilfoile's novel Cast of Shadows (2005), and Michael Bay's
film The Island (2005). [...]
What consequences will these contemporary fictional depictions have
for the future of human cloning? Surveying the historical evolution
of cloning in 2000, Peter N. Poon concluded that "Science fiction
and science nonfiction have increasingly become one and the same."
According to Poon, science and fiction influence each other when it
comes to both technological developments and attitudes towards cloning
people. From this, it follows that contemporary clone fiction will
both predict and inspire future scientific developments."
|
|
|
|
|
|
Research
and Development Leading to a Revolution in Technology and Industry
by
NNI (National Nanotechnology Initiative) Annual Report Highlights
Programs and Activities
This report, Research and Development Leading to a Revolution in
Technology and Industry, provides information on the collaborations
and work in nanotechnology of the 25 participating Federal agencies.
These agencies are maximizing individual and joint investments by
participating in the NNI collaboration, now in its sixth year.
|
|
|
|
.Next
Event |
|
|
Cross
Media CEO Breakfast
September 27,
2006, 08:30 - 10:00
Location: Westergasfabriek, Room Openbare Verlichting, Haarlemmerweg
8-10, 1014 BE Amsterdam
With: Wendy
L. Bernfeld,
Madanmohan
Rao, Sylvia Paull,
Igor van Gemert,
Arnold Smeulders, Simon Jones
and
more.
Moderated by Bob Stumpel
For decision makers in industry, government, science and education.
There is only a limited amount of seats available. |
|
|
|
.Picks
from the Summit for the Future |
|
|
|
|
|
Elisabet
Sahtouris,
Evolution Biologist, Futurist, Living Systems Design
The Biology of Business: Key to a Sustainable Future
The way we do business is closely related to
our scientific/cultural understanding of an inevitable Darwinian struggle
in scarcity. Historical perspective, however shows that this theory
was rooted more in the political economy of Darwin's day than in scientific
observation. An updated scientific story of evolution shows this mode
to be obsolete, inefficient, expensive and dangerous. The biology
of sustainable natural systems, from our bodies to rainforests, has
direct application to governance systems and how business will function
in the future to everyone's benefit.
You can listen to her presentation
and download it as an mp3 file in our
Jukebox
|
|
|
|
|
|
Chris
De Bruijn, Chairman,
Foundation, International Molecular Medicine Forum - IMMF
"My Genes, My Health"
This approach combines the analysis of genetic
predisposition by means of gene variant testing ("genotyping")
with an in depth analysis of the functioning of the immune system
/ brain network and metabolic profiles ("phenotyping").
This approach allows the establishment of an integral picture of an
individual´s personal health situation and makes it possible
to - on the molecular level - design a personalised anti-aging and
wellness strategy.
You
can listen to his presentation and download it as an mp3 file in our
Jukebox
|
|
|
|
.Recommended
Book |
|
|
|
|
|
Turning
the Future Into Revenue: What Business and Individuals Need to Know
to Shape Their Futures
by Glen Hiemstra
With the world running out of oil, what new business opportunities
will arise to fill the world’s energy needs? As the world heads into
population decline, how will business be affected when there are fewer
customers every year? In Turning the Future into Revenue, Glen Hiemstra,
founder of Futurist.com and noted expert on the future of business,
explores how our changing world will change business and how individual
people can take advantage of these changes to create new business
opportunities. This book reframes the great challenges the world faces
as individual and business opportunities, and looks at what people
can do to shape the future they want.
Glen Hiemstra is the founder of Futurist.com, an Internationally respected
consultant, and a speaker for business, government, and professional
associations. A former award winning educator, he is now a full time
futurist, and a Visiting Scholar at the Human Interface Technology
Lab at the University of Washington. His past and present clients
include Microsoft, Adobe Systems, Boeing, Northern Telecom, and Apax
Partners. |
|
|
|
.European
Bioplastics |
|
Bioplastics
at a Glance
Bioplastics represent a relatively new class
of materials which have much in common with conventional plastics.
What differentiates them is
a) the use of renewable resources in their manufacture and
b) the biodegradability and compostability of many bioplastics products.
Environmental Aspects
Plastics in general can be considered to perform
well with respect to their environmental impact: These light weight
materials make efficient use of resources and energy during their
manufacture, transport and application. After use they provide a
high energy that can be exploited in thermal recovery. Other recovery
options can be applied too.
Bioplastics have the additional advantage of using renewable resources.
This does not necessarily go along with an advantage over conventional
plastics, but it has often proven advantageous when the criterias
"consumption of fossil resources" and "reduction
of CO2 emissions" are being assessed.
Using agricultural resources also allows a regional closed loop
management. The environmental performance however should be proven
by standardised assessment criteria.
Especially in countries with lack of humus (arid-zones) the compostability
of many of the products offers an additional advantage. They allow
the production of compost, which can be used as fertiliser and substrate
to improve the soil quality.
Even if many bioplastics are biodegradable they are not intended
to be disposed of in nature. They must be recovered in a controlled
and eco-efficient way. European Bioplastics has a clear anti-littering
position.
Resource:
The
Association "European Bioplastics"
is the European branch association representing industrial manufacturers,
processors and users of bioplastics and biodegradable polymers (BDP)
and their derivative products.
|
|
|
.BELUX |
BELUX
develops and produces lamps and lighting
systems, and regards light as a fundamental element of spatial
design. BELUX works closely with internationally renowned designers
and architects. The idea behind this collaboration is the development
of innovative lighting solutions and new kinds of lighting concepts.
CLOUD
is the first lamp designed for serial production by master architect
Frank O. Gehry. As both a sculptural lamp and a lamp sculpture,
CLOUD is a design concept in which the user becomes co-designer.
The design is convincing because of its uncommonly poetic and
richly associative visual language, its simple construction and
its many applications. Each lamp
has an individual note in spite of all lamps having the same structure
and the same predetermined shape. The idea is that the fold structure
of the shade, which is shaped more or less by accident during
production, can be changed by bulging it out or pressing it in.
In doing so, Gehry makes users into co-designers who can repeatedly
change the shape of the lamp if they so wish.
|
|
|
For more than 25 years, the Herzog & de Meuron architectural
firm in Basel has actively explored the potential of both everyday
and highly specialised materials, and their incorporation into
the architectural and artistic design process. Together with Herzog
& de Meuron, Belux has now made its design for the JINGZI
silicon lamp ready for serial production.
|
|
|
.Agenda |
|
Cross
Media CEO Breakfast
September 27, 2006, 08:30 - 10:00
Location: Westergasfabriek, Room Openbare Verlichting, Haarlemmerweg
8-10, 1014 BE Amsterdam
|
|
New:
Season
Event Tickets for
€ 10, 20 or
30
Our Season Events for 2006/2007 are on Thursdays:
|
the
future of Business Meetings
October 5, 2006,
18:30 - 21:15
the future of Food
Design
November 23, 2006, 18:30 - 21:15
the future of Consciousness
January 25, 2007, 18:30 - 21:15
the future
of Ambient Intelligence
February 22, 2007,
18:30 - 21:15
the future of Global Workplace
March 29, 2007,
18:30 - 21:15
the
future of Success
April 26, 2007, 18:30 - 21:15
the future of Tourism
May 31, 2007, 18:30 - 21:15
Taste
of Diversity
June 28, 2007, 18:30 - 21:15
|
|
|
.Our
News |
|
|
July 2006
The Club of Amsterdam
becomes a member of the Billion Minds Global
Alliance Program.
Billion
Minds Foundation, a first private
non-profit organization to address sustainability issues related to
globalization. Billion Minds Foundation is the only original peer-to-peer
model tailored to the changing needs of sophisticated international
families and individuals, so that they can stay ahead of the curve,
in an ever-changing world. It brings together some of the worlds
most accomplished individuals, international, families, and global
leaders, at Chairman and CEO level, as well as renowned thinkers and
luminaries, Nobel Laureates and other celebrated figures, to discuss
issues of global consequence. The foundation and its global effort
is directly linked to the thinking, network and most importantly the
spirit of the people involved."
July 2006
Felix Bopp,
Chairman of the Club of Amsterdam, has been nominated as Universal
Peace Ambassador in the Universal Ambassador Peace Circle,
Geneva, Switzerland
July 2006
Publishing of the
Summit
for the Future Report 2006
|
|
|
|
.Club
of Amsterdam Open Business Club |
|
|
Club
of Amsterdam Open Business Club
Are you interested in networking, sharing visions,
ideas about your future, the future of your industry, society, discussing
issues, which are relevant for yourself as well as for the 'global'
community? The future starts now - join our
online platform
...:
http://www.openbc.com/go/invuid/Felix_Bopp2
CIWI
- Creative Minds Worldwide
CIWI
Club of Amsterdam Forum
|
|
|
|
.Contact |
Your
comments, ideas, articles are welcome!
Please write to Felix Bopp, Editor-in-Chief:
editor@clubofamsterdam.com
|
|
.Subscribe
& Unsubscribe |
Subscription
http://www.clubofamsterdam.com/subscription.htm
To unsubscribe:
http://www.ymlp.com/unsubscribe.php?ClubofAmsterdamJournal
|
|
m |
|