AETN
Grammy Awards 2009
US Olympic Committee
KTLA-TV
San Francisco Ballet
National Mobile TV
WMAL
Rockwell Collins
KSNT-TV
CBS Radio
Metro-North Railroad
KTVL-News 10
Gillette Music Copyrights
US Navy – Urubio Mario
Nike Tech Tennis Clinics

Back by Popular Demand - Linear Acoustic Myth Busters Tour.

Digital television loudness control and upmixing solutions company, Linear Acoustic has announced that its Myth Busters Tour will be back by popular demand throughout 2009. Since hitting the road in June last year, the Tour has been met with great success as broadcast stations prepare for the DTV transition and address program loudness issues. Presented at local Society of Broadcast Engineers (SBE) chapter meetings across the U.S., the popular tour features audio experts addressing common misconceptions about the role of audio processing. Among the myths that the Tour addresses are the notions that DTV audio processing is unnecessary and that outdated radio equipment or recording studio gear can meet the needs of DTV. By presenting highly integrated professional processing solutions, Linear Acoustic also challenges the myth that many different pieces of gear are required to handle audio, metadata, and encoding. “The Myth Busters Tour has been an incredible success in its first six months, which speaks volumes to the struggles that broadcast stations are having with the quality of DTV audio,” said Christina Carroll, vice president of sales and marketing at Linear Acoustic. “Overwhelmed by complaints, broadcasters are looking for solutions to maintain their viewer base as they make the DTV transition. The Myth Busters Tour provides an invaluable tool in helping them understand the benefits of audio processing, and to see how comprehensive solutions can easily fit into their operations.” For more information, or to find a tour location near you, check out:
http://www.linearacoustic.com/mythbusters.htm.

Dan Rather Reports - Broadcasting Legend Reports in HD with Markertek !

East Windsor, CT. - For more than 20 years, Markertek has been the broadcast industry super source providing technology solutions to all levels of journalists and commentators. We recently provided cabling solutions to legendary journalist, Dan Rather at his production location in East Windsor, Connecticut. Enjoying a career that has lasted for more than 50 years, Dan Rather is one of the world’s most famous and recognizable broadcasting journalists. Mr. Rather is presently the managing editor and anchor of the television news magazine, Dan Rather Reports, which airs on the first all-high definition national television network, HDnet. Rather has been long admired by the American public due to his hard stance and vigor in reporting coverage of all his news stories. He worked as a news anchorman on CBS News for 24 full years, the longest tenure of anyone in American television history. For a short time after, he continued to work as a correspondent for 60 Minutes. Mr. Rather continues to speak strongly about consistent journalist ethics within the broadcasting/news reporting industry and its relationship with political ties and corporate sponsors. Markertek is very proud to serve such a seasoned professional as Dan Rather and salute his stellar career in broadcasting that has given billions of viewers the opportunity to witness history and news as it happens.

3-D TV Commercials to Air During Super Bowl.

During the NFL Championship game on Sunday (Feb. 1), a new 3DTV format that renders colors more accurately will be broadcast during two 3-D commercials. Using amber-blue lenses instead of the traditional red-cyan 3-D glasses, the new technology developed by ColorCode 3-D Center of Denmark uses a new anaglyph format that enables any TV to render accurate 3-D colors with greater color accuracy. Traditional anaglyphs using red-cyan glasses work well for black and white images, since the brain averages the red and blue in images to a neutral gray. When used with color images, accuracy is sacrificed in order to keep the left and right images at roughly the same brightness. According to the company, ColorCode uses a very light amber lens paired with a dark blue lens, essentially diverting all color information into the left eye. All depth information is diverted to the right eye. As a result, the brain perceives the colors more accurately, but must average the brightness levels in order to discern depth, reducing the overall perception of 3-D compared to traditional red-cyan anaglyphs. The glasses required to view the new 3-D content are available free of charge from Intel, and are available nationwide at Safeway, Vons, K-Mart, Ralphs, Kroger, A&P, Frys, Supervalue, Food Lion, Pathmark, Coburn, Fairway, Fresh Brands, Hy Vee, Nash Finch, Dollar General and Winn Dixie stores. On Monday, (Feb. 2) NBC will broadcast DreamWorks' "Monsters versus Aliens" in the new 3DTV format.

Western's Big Green Drive.

Hard drive manufacturer, Western Digital has announced the world's first 2 terabyte (TB) hard drive. Based on the company's 500 GB/platter (400 Gb/in2 areal density) Caviar Green family, the new 3.5-inch drive features a 32 MB cache and a number of advanced technologies which enable improved speed, capacity and performance. According to Western, the drive uses 36% less power when reading and writing compared to previous models, while cutting power consumption by nearly 50% while sitting idle. "Saving power without sacrificing storage capacity is what consumers want, and what many businesses are requiring today. With the launch of the new WD Caviar Green 2 TB hard drive, customers receive the additional capacities needed to operate today's highly advanced programs and high-resolution digital files while using less power than typical drives with similar performance and capacities," said Jim Morris, WD senior vice president and general manager of client systems. The Caviar Green 2 TB hard drive is expected to be available this month with a street price of $299 USD.

Congress Fails to Pass DTV Transition Delay Bill.

The DTV transition delay bill S.328, which proposed moving the DTV transition date to June 12, 2009 and easily passed Senate approval, has failed to pass in the House. With just three weeks to go before the February 17 transition date, and in an effort to expedite the bill's approval, it was voted by Congress on suspension, meaning it received limited debate, no amendments, and required a 2/3 majority for approval. In a vote of 258-168 in favor of delaying the transition date, the bill failed to reach the 2/3 majority support needed. The bill, a compromise of an earlier bill by Senator Jay Rockefeller, aims to delay the transition date by four months to allow for further public education, but more importantly, to allow time to free up money needed to fund the DTV converter box coupon program. The vouchers are good for $40 against the cost of a converter box purchase. The box allows over-the-air viewers with analog televisions to receive the new all-digital signal after Feb. 17. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration, which runs the coupon program, reports that nearly 2.6 million households are on a waiting list for the converter box coupons, and will not receive the vouchers before the transition date. This means millions of viewers could be left without regular programming, including weather and emergency broadcast information. With time running short, Congress could bring the bill up again for a regular floor vote, which would only require majority support to pass, or support legislation sponsored by Sen. Joe Barton which aims to fix the coupon program without delaying next month's transition. The Nielsen Company estimates more than 6.5 million U.S. households that rely on analog television sets to pick up over-the-air broadcast signals still are not prepared for the transition. People who subscribe to cable or satellite TV or have a newer TV with a digital tuner will not be affected.

Markertek Welcomes to the Family this Week:

Clair Global
Fox Carolina
NBC Universal Networks LLC
Totaladventures.com
Broadcasting Concepts
Cal State Long Beach
PSL Films
WGBC
EcoTV18
Internet Sports
WEIU
Depauw University
WAVM
Gulf Coast Cable
Verge Networks

Frito Lay North America - America's Leading Snack Maker Has it in the Bag with Markertek !

Plano, TX. - Known worldwide for our connectivity solutions, Markertek continues to be the industry super source for providing technology to numerous industries, including the corporate food industry. We just shipped Balun solutions from Mux Labs products to Frito Lay North America at its location in Plano, Texas. One of the USA’s leading snack food brands, Frito Lay has supplied its popular (and tasty…) products to snackers of all ages for almost 80 years. Under the Pepsico umbrella, Frito Lay enjoys a legacy that has brought products to the American marketplace by utilizing a combination of strong promotion and advertising campaign tactics. This forward marketing approach employs the Internet and commercial spot industry, broadcasting product reinforcement to a huge audience - reaping billions in revenue annually. Markertek is honored in its role to serve the corporate advertising industry with connectivity solutions that enable progress and new media to a massive consumer base.

Hawaii Makes the Switch to DTV.

At 12 noon yesterday, January 15, Hawaii became the first state in the Union to make the full transition to digital television. With the shut down of the analog broadcast signals, the message "All full-power Hawaii TV stations are now digital," appeared on analog sets throughout the state's islands. State government officials and broadcasters estimate 20,000 households in Hawaii still get their TV signals over the air. For those viewers, a digital converter box or television with a digital tuner is now needed to receive programming. For those who have not installed a converter box or new TV, an analog signal 'night light' is now currently broadcasting a looping seven minute announcement informing viewers what to do. DTV help center phone lines set up by the Federal Communication Commission reported a moderate volume of incoming calls on Thursday. "No matter how many commercials we run, there will always be a certain part of the population that doesn't get the message," said Chris Leonard, president of the Hawaii Association of Broadcasters, who was helping out at the call center. Teams of volunteers and contractors are making house calls to help residents who were having difficulties with the converter boxes. Some viewers, even with the use of a converter box or digital TV will not receive some of the channels that they did before the switch because the digital signals may not necessarily reach all the places hit by analog broadcasts. The state of Hawaii made the DTV switch a month earlier than the rest of the nation to avoid interference with the mating season of an endangered bird, the Hawaiian dark-rumped petrel. The transition date for the rest of the country is Feb. 17 2009. This date, however, may be moved back due to a lack of funds for DTV converter box coupons, and additional time needed for viewer education. The new transition date could be as late as sometime this June.

AT&T to Beam Television to Vehicles.

Last week, at this year's Consumer Electronics Show, communications companies AT&T and RaySat Broadcasting Corp unveiled what the companies call a "Total In-Car entertainment service." Dubbed CruiseCast, the technology utilizes a low-profile antenna for use on cars, trucks and SUVs, which allows families, commuters and mobile professionals to watch a lineup of 22 satellite video channels and listen to 20 satellite radio channels anywhere in the country while overcoming traditional line-of-sight obstacles such as overpasses, buildings, trees or tunnels. The service was developed in collaboration between RaySat, a manufacturer and supplier for the mass market of low-profile satellite antennas that enable mobile communication, and AT&T. The companies claim CruiseCast is made "consumer-friendly" by the unique scaling down of satellite technology into the small pod-like antenna that affixes to the roof of vehicles. The antenna is paired with a receiver that is mounted in the vehicle and provides all video and audio connections to the appropriate vehicle systems. According to AT&T, the satellite beaming signals for the CruiseCast cover the entire continental United States. Also, by utilizing Video Service Continuity (VSC), vehicles will not experience loss of video reception due to line-of-site blockages, except in cases where the current topography causes an extended period of blockage (3 minutes or more). CruiseCast, which was a "Best of CES" award winner for the Car Tech category, is expected to be available this spring with a MSRP of $1,299 and a required monthly subscription fee of approximately $27.95.

DTV Transition Hard Date Goes Soft.

February 17, 2009 - the date that was set by Congress in 2005 to be the hard date for the transition to digital television - may not be the date after all. Next month, all U.S. broadcast stations are scheduled to begin broadcasting an exclusively digital signal, forcing millions of over-the-air analog viewers to purchase converter boxes for the new digital signal. According to the FCC, about 70 million U.S. TV sets depend on over-the-air signals. The cost of the converter boxes which is typically $50 - $70 was to be offset by a $40 coupon program administered by the National Telecommunications & Information Administration (NTIA). Last week, however, the NTIA ran into an accounting problem associated with its funding ceiling of $1.34 billion and stopped sending out the $40 coupons resulting in a waiting list of almost 2 million requests. Initially, a bill drafted by House Energy & Commerce member Ed Markey (D-Mass.) to free up money for DTV-to-analog converter box coupons was proposed. Now, having concluded that there is not enough time to free up coupon distribution sufficiently, the committee is working on legislation to free up more money for the program and move back the date as well. President-elect Barack Obama called for moving back the DTV transition date last week, citing the coupon box waiting list and a general lack of funds for DTV education. While millions of dollars have been spent in educating the public on the Feb. 17 transition date, and million more will be spent educating the same public on the new date, the call has been supported by several of the major television networks. Tom Wheeler, who has been heading up the Obama transition team's government agencies recommended that the DTV transition date be moved. "Congress passed the law [in 2005] saying that you will go to digital television and cut all analog signals...and in the intervening three-plus years, the groundwork hasn't been laid," wheeler said. FCC Chairman Kevin Martin,who's last day as Chairman is Jan. 20, thought that the coupon box problem could be fixed relatively quickly, and without moving the date, but also admitted the odds are about 50/50 that the Feb. 17 transition date will move.

Markertek Welcomes to the Family this Week:

USS Essex
Lawrence Livermore Ntl Labs
Oceanwatch
Associated Press
Museum Of Outdoor Arts
WHUS Radio
US Dept of Health
Blab Tv
Best Buy Corporation
Iowa National Guard
Minnesota Power
Silvercup East
FDNY EMS Training Dept
IWT TV Inc.
Cable One Advertising

Joe Gibbs Racing - Leading NASCAR Team Speeds to the Finish with Markertek !

Huntersville, NC. - In addition to the broadcast industry, Markertek is the connectivity technology leader that provides digital solutions to many others including the global racing industry. We just shipped Canare digital cable to Joe Gibbs Racing at its location in Huntersville, NC. With drivers Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch and Joe Logano, Joe Gibbs Racing is one of the USA's leading drive teams in NASCAR. Off the track, Joe Gibbs, the man, is a legendary coach from the NFL, who, after a little time off decided to start his own racing team in 1991. Since then, Joe Gibbs Racing has managed to become a successful two-time NASCAR champion winner. As technology continues evolving within the public event and broadcast spectrum, it requires digital signal implementation and updated solutions for display and transmission. Markertek is proud in serving the racing industry by providing these connectivity solutions to a huge broadcast audience. Go Joe!

JVC's New Camera Makes the Final Cut.

Following the growing trend in the professional video market to record directly from camera to solid state memory, Victor Company of Japan, Ltd. (JVC) further expands its ProHD camcorder line-up by introducing the GY-HM100 3-CCD camera. The new camera is the industry's first professional solid state camcorder to store files in the native Quicktime format for Apple's Final Cut Pro onto SDHC media cards. According to JVC, the current leading solutions have made the workflow quite expensive for most users, relying on proprietary media and file formats. In addition, compatibility with major non-linear editing (NLE) systems requires codec converting or re-wrapping format files, a process that significantly slows down the post production process. The camcorder records 35Mbps high definition video and uncompressed audio directly to ordinary SDHC media cards in the native Quicktime format used by Apple Final Cut Pro. Video clips can be dragged directly from the storage media onto the non-linear editor's timeline, eliminating the need for transcoding that can consume excessive time and disk space while maintaining original first generation image quality. The camera features three newly developed 1/4inch progressive scan CCDs, and a high definition lens by Fujinon with three aspherical elements. The camera provides two memory card slots, for a total of up to 64GB of on board storage - enough for up to 6 hours of continuous HD (1920 x 1080) recording. JVC states, by using SDHC memory, unlike other professional solid state media, the per minute cost of SDHC memory is comparable to professional video tape. "We are pleased to support a seamless experience for professional videographers working with Final Cut Studio 2," said Hiroyuki Takekura, Managing Director of JVC's Professional Systems Division. "We expect that pro video users will find huge workflow benefits as this optimized workflow bridges the gap between production and post production tasks." The GY-HM100 is scheduled for delivery in April 2009, with a list price under $4,000.

Apple Drops DRM - Adjusts iTunes Price Point.

At this year's Macworld Expo, computer and digital media giant, Apple Inc. announced big changes for its iTunes store. Beginning immediately, music from all four major music labels—Universal Music Group, Sony BMG, Warner Music Group and EMI, along with thousands of independent labels, is available in a DRM-free format with a higher-quality 256 kbps AAC encoding. According to Apple, the improved AAC format offers "audio quality virtually indistinguishable from the original recordings." Dubbed iTunes Plus, the redesigned store now features 8 million songs DRM-free with another two million protection free songs to be available by the end of the first quarter of 2009. The company also announced a new price point for music downloads. Beginning in April, based on what the music labels charge Apple, songs on iTunes will be available at one of three price points: 69 cents, 99 cents and $1.29, with most albums still priced at $9.99. Additionally, iTunes users can upgrade their entire library of previously purchased songs to the higher quality DRM-free iTunes Plus format for 30 cents per song or 30 percent of the album price. iPhone 3G users will also be able to purchase music and videos right from their phone from iTunes Plus. "We are thrilled to be able to offer our iTunes customers DRM-free iTunes Plus songs in high quality audio and our iPhone 3G customers the ability to download music from iTunes anytime, anywhere over their 3G network at the same price as downloading to your computer or via Wi-Fi," said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. Macworld Expo 2009 runs January 5-9 in San Francisco, California.

PBS is Number 1 Online for 2008.

PBS.org surged significantly ahead of the six leading commercial broadcast network Web sites in 2008, according to newly released data from Internet measurement service Hitwise.
Using Hitwise's weekly traffic data from the entire year, PBS.org received a larger percentage share of U.S. visits more often than any commercial broadcast network Web site, ranking #1 amongst those sites for 19 weeks in 2008. The Hitwise weekly data also show PBS.org was either in first or second place among the broadcast network sites for 35 weeks in 2008 -- more than half the year - and 11 weeks ahead of NBC, the closest commercial network. The dramatic 2008 increases in traffic to PBS.org, which was already one of the most trafficked dot org sites on the Web, indicate that PBS is serving not only larger audiences than ever online, but younger audiences as well. According to Comscore MediaMetrix, forty-six percent of the PBS.org audience is under 35. "We're incredibly proud of the remarkable growth PBS Interactive has achieved, leveraging the investment that PBS and our local stations have made in this area," said Paula Kerger, PBS' President and CEO. Jason Seiken, Senior Vice President, PBS Interactive, said the traffic gains were driven by search engine optimization and the launch of new products. "Last year was just the beginning of our major drive to attract new audiences," Seiken said. &"Starting in early 2009, we'll launch a series of exciting initiatives, including a complete redesign of pbs.org, a new video player with full episodes from across our programming universe, as well as major product launches on pbskids.org and pbsparents.org."

Markertek Welcomes to the Family this Week:

Pricesmart Foods
US Control Group
Marrs Entertainment
Sound Audio Technologies
Doggicam
Red Rocks Studios
New York City Ballet
Euro RSCG Worldwide
WVEA-TV
US Fish and Wildlife Services
Television Engineering Corp.
Joe Gibbs Racing
WOUB
Oregon State Police
Dickinson College

FCC Gets Transition Help from Grassroots Organizations.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced it has selected 12 grassroots organizations and local agencies to help over the air viewers prepare for the digital transition. The Commission sought proposals to conduct outreach in all parts of the country, with a particular focus on the 82 markets with the highest over the air television populations. In particular, the FCC selected organizations dedicated to serving across the country populations most at risk in the digital transition including senior citizens, people with disabilities and Spanish-speaking households. Specifically, the FCC sought the assistance of local, regional and national organizations with converter box procurement and installation, establishment and staffing of local call centers, educating consumers about the transition and other local grass roots efforts. On September 15, the FCC initiated a broad public request for proposals to conduct community-based grassroots outreach work for the digital television transition. The Commission sent copies of the procurement documents to dozens of organizations, who could potentially assist over the air viewers in getting ready for the digital television transition. Additionally, the Commission’s Consumer Advisory Committee worked to ensure that all of the potentially impacted communities were aware of the request for proposals. Groups selected across the country to help with the outreach include AARP, Communication Service for the Deaf, the Hispanic Information and Telecommunication Network as well as the Iowa Public Broadcasting Board and Wisconsin Public Television. Last September, as part of the Continuing Resolution for Fiscal Year 2009, Congress appropriated $20 million to the FCC to help fund its digital television outreach efforts. According to the Commission, the grassroots selections are worth up to $8.4 million and are the culmination of a full and open procurement process.

About.com - Information Super Highway Leader Answers to HD with Markertek !

Pflugerville, TX. - Markertek is the industry leader in immediate technology solutions to the Internet innovation industry. We just shipped HD testing equipment to About.com at its location in Pflugerville, TX. About.com is among the USA’s top 15 Web sites and is the online source for information and advice. According to web traffic analysis service Compete.com, the domain about.com attracted at least 448 million visitors during 2008. The site consists of articles or commentaries written by authors - called Guides - as well as providing links to pertinent web sites related to their topic. Some linked sites have dictionaries, how-to lessons, and free e-Courses. As the Internet progresses by the minute, so does need for media products and diagnostic supplies. Markertek is proud in serving technology companies, such as About.com with the latest and most advanced tools to bring HD content to the planet and beyond.

Intel & Adobe to Extend Flash Platform to TV.

In an effort to provide consumers with richer and more seamless Web-based and video viewing experiences through advanced set-top boxes, Blu-ray Disc players, digital TVs and retail connected AV devices, Adobe Systems Incorporated and the Intel Corporation have announced plans to collaborate on the development to port and optimize Adobe Flash technology for Intel's Media Processor CE 3100. According to Intel, the high-definition capabilities of its new, CE 3100 media processor - the first in a new family of purpose-built Intel System on Chips (SoCs) for CE devices - creates a robust entertainment hub when combined with the high-definition capabilities of the Adobe Flash Platform. The two companies are working together to optimize both Adobe's Flash Player and Flash Lite to provide content across PCs, laptops, netbooks, mobile Internet devices (MIDs) and televisions. "The Intel Media Processor CE 3100 is a highly integrated solution that provides a powerful, yet flexible technology foundation that will bring to life the high-definition capabilities of Adobe Flash," said William O. Leszinske Jr., general manager of Intel's Digital Home Group. "Our effort with Adobe is poised to accelerate a rich, yet relevant Internet experience on the TV that will provide consumers with access to a growing number of Flash based applications that will ultimately be enjoyed across a number of screens seamlessly, from the laptop to a MID and now the TV." Intel plans to ship the first CE3100 with support for an optimized implementation of Adobe Flash Lite before mid-2009.

Time Warner Cable, Viacom Reach Agreement.

Time Warner Cable and Viacom have jointly announced that the companies have reached an agreement in principle to renew carriage for Viacom's MTV Networks including Nickelodeon, MTV, Comedy Central, VH1 and 15 other networks owned by the company. Viacom's networks were set to go dark on Time Warner Cable systems at midnight Wednesday, December 31, as part of a license agreement renewal dispute between the two companies. According to Viacom, its channels have been undervalued by Time Warner Cable for some time now. The dispute asked for an increase of roughly 25 cents per month, per subscriber, adding up a 10% increase over last year for MTV Networks' channels. "We make this request because TWC has so greatly undervalued our channels for so long. Americans spend more than 20% of their TV viewing time watching our networks, yet our fees amount to less than 2.5% of what Time Warner generates from their average customer." Time Warner said Viacom's demands would have cost the cable operator roughly $39 million more annually. The agreement, which was reached just after midnight Eastern Time, is expected to be finalized over the next few days. Philippe Dauman, President and CEO of Viacom said, "We've been partners with Time Warner Cable for a long time, and we're happy to be renewing that partnership for the benefit of their customers and our loyal viewers. It's gratifying that we could reach an agreement that benefits not only our audiences but that is also in the best interest of both of our companies."

Markertek Welcomes to the Family this Week:

Vox Network Solutions
Audiotek Corp
American Forces Network
Florida Atlantic University
IRMCO
Todd Rundgren
City Of Fort Wayne
Commworx
Food and Drug Administration
University Of Missouri
WNTK Radio
Meritronics
Mindsmack.tv
US District Court
Naval Undersea Warfare Center

Sunkist - Citrus Industry Giant Goes to Market with Markertek !

Fontana, CA - Markertek is the industry leader in providing technology solutions for the agriculture and food processing industry. We just shipped out an order of media protection products to Sunkist Growers at its main location in Fontana, California. Sunkist Inc. serves the world by providing citrus and vegetable products to the food and consumer industries. The billion dollar a year, non-profit company is the oldest continually operating citrus cooperative in America. The company also remains the largest marketing cooperative in the world's fruit and vegetable industry. An intricate media and marketing plan is required to keep Sunkist’s advertising and products actively targeted to the public forefront. Markertek is honored to serve the agricultural industry in providing media marketing and equipment needs to a world base of consumers.

Wireless Power Consortium Pursues Global Standard.

In an effort to generate a wireless power standard aimed at driving development and convenience in electronics charging, an international consortium has launched a new global initiative at the first Wireless Power Consortium conference in Hong Kong. The Consortium, whose eight members include ConvenientPower Limited, Fulton Innovation LLC, Logitech SA, National Semiconductor Corporation, Royal Philips Electronics N.V., Sanyo Electric Co. Ltd., Shenzhen Sang Fei Consumer Communications Co. Ltd. and Texas Instruments Incorporated, aims to eliminate the multitude of different chargers, and resulting tangle of wires which according to the group are "ugly, frustrating and inconvenient to use." While wire-free and wireless technologies for transfer of electric power currently exist, for example in electric toothbrushes, the current charging technology prevents different brands of power sources from charging the same portable device or different portable devices from being charged by a common power source. With a universal wireless power charging standard, electronic products and charging stations using the same standard will recognize each other and charge. Different brands and different devices can then re-charge using the same battery and charging station. The group also points out the environmental benefits of a new standard which works on the principle of magnetic induction, a method the group believes to be the most efficient, safest and reliable method of transfer. "The universal wireless power charging standard has the potential to eliminate the last wire to billions of battery operated devices, thereby increasing consumer convenience and saving our planet's resources," added Jon Kiachian, director of the portable mobile devices segment at National Semiconductor. The consortium plans to first establish a standard for low-power electronic devices using five watts and below, such as mobile phones, music and video players, and computer/game accessories, before turning its attention to higher power portable electronics and electrical equipment. Membership of the wireless power consortium is open for every company. The standard and logo will be available for all companies on non-discriminatory conditions.

LG's Sunny New Display.

South Korean manufacturer, LG Display Company has developed a 14.1-inch LCD panel for notebook computers which is illuminated by sunlight instead of the unit's backlight when used outdoors. According to the company, the new panel is the first LCD panel designed to allow users to easily switch from backlight use (transmissive mode) to outdoor reflective mode. When used outdoors, the display's energy consumption is claimed to fall to one fourth the level of indoor energy consumption, providing a significant increase in battery life. The backlight units in conventional notebooks account for more than 75% of the total energy consumption used in the portable LCD panels. Additionally, the panel resolves visibility issues with a contrast ratio exceeding 9:1 when used outdoors in reflective mode, and a contrast ratio that ranges from just 2:1 to 3:1 when used outdoors. According to LG, the new display is scheduled to be available early 2009.

FCC Maps Show DTV Station Coverage Area Gaps.

The Federal Communications Commission has released two reports that show changes in the coverage of the nation’s full-power television stations as they prepare to transition from analog to digital broadcasting on February 17, 2009. According to the FCC, the Commission initiated this side-by-side comparison to identify the changes associated with the switch to digital broadcasting by TV stations and share the information with viewers throughout the country. The first report provides maps showing the analog and digital coverage areas for each of the 1749 full-power TV stations in the United States. The vast majority of TV stations
throughout the country will experience a significant increase in the population that can receive their signals. Some stations, however, are expected to experience some losses in the population that will be served by digital service as compared to their existing analog service. The second report includes two maps and two associated population lists for each of the 319 stations where more than two percent of the population covered by their analog service will not be covered by their digital service. The first map shows the station’s predicted population coverage gains and losses due to a change
in the service area. The maps illustrate situations in which the station has shifted its coverage, either by a change in the transmitter location, antenna pattern, power, or some combination of these factors. Approximately 11 percent (or 196) stations are predicted to experience some existing population coverage loss of two percent or more as a result of changes in their service area. “It is critical that broadcasters use the information in these reports to inform their viewers about how changes in their coverage may affect them,” stated Chairman Martin. “We expect broadcasters to make this information readily available and include it in all of their DTV
educational materials” said FCC Chairman Kevin Martin. See the full reports and maps here.

Markertek Welcomes to the Family this Week:

NSW Police Training
KFOX TV Channel 14
North American Software
Chumash Casino Resort
Sterling Sound
EMF Broadcasting
Cal Tech
Florentine Opera Company
American Conservatory Theater
Schwing America
Washington Nationals
KCTC / ESPN
Food & Drug Administration
Maine Air National Guard
Le Moyne College

Ernie Ball Strings - Music Industry Icon gets Tuned-Up with Markertek !

Coachella, CA. - Markertek is the digital technology supersource for providing connectivity solutions to the audio and music industry. We just shipped TecNec HDMI cables to the Ernie Ball company headquarters in Coachella, CA. Ernie Ball is world renown for its guitar strings and audio products. Started in in the 1950's the company's namesake and founder, Ernie Ball, focused on producing the best guitar strings for the small but developing pop music industry. In the 1960's when rock and roll artists started demanding superior performance from their instruments, Ernie answered the call with his "Slinky" brand strings and soon became a household name for the rock elite such as Paul McCartney, Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton, BB King, Stevie Ray Vaughan and hundreds of others. This innovation and forward motion changed the landscape of music and provided a path for new artists to keep the legacy alive. Markertek is honored to serve innovators of the craft and assist them in getting the technology needed to produce viable and revolutionary audio solutions.

Panasonic to Acquire Sanyo Electric.

The Panasonic Corporation and Sanyo Electric Co. of Japan have announced that the companies have entered into a $9 billion Capital and Business Alliance Agreement. The deal, which has been given the green light by top shareholders, including Goldman Sachs, Daiwa Securities SMBC and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp., would create one of the world's biggest electronics companies and allow Panasonic to add Sanyo's strengths in green energy - solar panels and rechargeable batteries - to its already sprawling product lineup. "The synergies are there in the long run," said Kazumasa Kubota, analyst with Okasan Securities Co. in Tokyo, "The solar business is a definite positive for Panasonic, and it can also hope to gain all the patents Sanyo has in rechargeable batteries." In addition to gaining solar and battery technologies, Panasonic also expects its experience in reducing company-wide procurement costs in areas such as materials purchasing as well as reductions in logistics-related costs will help make Sanyo more profitable. Panasonic President Fumio Ohtsubo and Sanyo president Seiichiro Sano agreed that acquiring Sanyo will provide an opportunity for both companies to become more competitive and ride out a worsening global downturn. "The alliance is opening a way to fight these tough times that come only once in a 100 years," said Sano. Sanyo Electric, which was founded in 1947 by a brother-in-law of Panasonic founder Konosuke Matsushita, saw its July-September profit dwindle to about a third of what it was a year earlier to 4.4 billion yen ($49 million) as a stronger Japanese currency, rising raw material costs and declining electronics prices hurt earnings. Panasonic's quarterly profit declined 16 percent to 55.5 billion yen ($624 million) for the same period. According to the companies, the deal is expected to be complete by February 2009.

House Passes 30-Day Extension Act.

The U.S. House of Representatives has unanimously passed an act which directs the FCC to lay out a plan for broadcasters to transmit emergency and DTV transition information for another month after the official Feb. 17, 2009 shutdown. Act S.3663, Short-term Analog Flash and Emergency Readiness Act was initiated and is sponsored by Sen. John D. Rockefeller of West Virginia and Sen. Byron L. Dorgan of North Dakota. According to the bill, "the Federal Communications Commission shall, not later than January 15, 2009, develop and implement a program to encourage and permit, to the extent technically feasible and subject to such limitations as the Commission finds to be consistent with the public interest and the requirements of this Act, the broadcasting in the analog television service of only the public safety information and digital transition information specified in subsection during the 30-day period beginning on the day after the date established by law under section 3002 of the Digital Television Transition and Public Safety Act of 2005 for termination of all licenses for full-power television stations in the analog television service and the cessation of broadcasting by full-power stations in the analog television service." The extension is not compulsory, and not every station will be able to keep transmitting in analog as some stations are flash-cutting on the same frequency, while others are handing over analog frequencies to other stations for digital assignments. The Senate passed the bill in late November, it now awaits the President’s signature.

NewSight Unveils World's First 3D LED Display.

3D display and signage company, NewSight Corporation, has unveiled the world's first 3D LED display. Featuring a 180-inch screen with a width of 3.84m, the "3D LED Video Wall" is not only the world's first 3D LED display, but is also one of the world's largest 3D displays. According to the company, the new display realizes 3D representation (sans the funny glasses) with what is called the parallax barrier method - the same method as the company's LCD 3D displays. Arranged at a pitch of 6mm, the individual LEDs work like the pixels of an LCD panel making it possible to use 3D content already produced for current, 3D LCD displays. The Wall, which is best viewed at a distance of about 15 feet away, has an LED life warranty of 20,000 hours and can be combined with three other units for a total screen size of 360 inches. NewSight said the unit is available now, with pricing to be determined based on the individual order.

The New Direction of Audio.

A group of researchers at the Helsinki University of Technology (TKK) have announced the development of a new audio technology dubbed Directional Audio Coding (DirAC). According to the University, the new technique is based on Spatial Impulse Response Rendering (SIRR), and aims to produce the best possible sound for the listener regardless of how many speakers the sound system has or where the speakers are located. Working on the same principles, and partly on the same methods as SIRR, a remote control is used to measure and determine what kind of speaker setup surrounds the listener. By transmitting audio and metadata (recordings hold 1-3 channels of audio and metadata) between the microphone, the audio system and the speakers, the system then produces optimal audio quality for the listener. The technology is said to be equally suitable for teleconferencing by reproducing only the sound coming from the direction of speech source and reducing SNR from 0 to -25dB. Although studies are still continuing, the TKK researchers said DirAC could become the industry standard for audio reproduction. TKK has sold the protecting patents to German research organization Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft which will continue to work on DirAC with the team at the Helsinki University of Technology.

Ernie Ball Strings - Music Industry Icon gets Tuned-Up with Markertek !

Coachella, CA. - Markertek is the digital technology supersource for providing connectivity solutions to the audio and music industry. We just shipped TecNec HDMI cables to the Ernie Ball company headquarters in Coachella, CA. Ernie Ball is world renown for its guitar strings and audio products. Started in in the 1950's the company's namesake and founder, Ernie Ball, focused on producing the best guitar strings for the small but developing pop music industry. In the 1960's when rock and roll artists started demanding superior performance from their instruments, Ernie answered the call with his "Slinky" brand strings and soon became a household name for the rock elite such as Paul McCartney, Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton, BB King, Stevie Ray Vaughan and hundreds of others. This innovation and forward motion changed the landscape of music and provided a path for new artists to keep the legacy alive. Markertek is honored to serve innovators of the craft and assist them in getting the technology needed to produce viable and revolutionary audio solutions.

Panasonic to Acquire Sanyo Electric.

The Panasonic Corporation and Sanyo Electric Co. of Japan have announced that the companies have entered into a $9 billion Capital and Business Alliance Agreement. The deal, which has been given the green light by top shareholders, including Goldman Sachs, Daiwa Securities SMBC and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp., would create one of the world's biggest electronics companies and allow Panasonic to add Sanyo's strengths in green energy - solar panels and rechargeable batteries - to its already sprawling product lineup. "The synergies are there in the long run," said Kazumasa Kubota, analyst with Okasan Securities Co. in Tokyo, "The solar business is a definite positive for Panasonic, and it can also hope to gain all the patents Sanyo has in rechargeable batteries." In addition to gaining solar and battery technologies, Panasonic also expects its experience in reducing company-wide procurement costs in areas such as materials purchasing as well as reductions in logistics-related costs will help make Sanyo more profitable. Panasonic President Fumio Ohtsubo and Sanyo president Seiichiro Sano agreed that acquiring Sanyo will provide an opportunity for both companies to become more competitive and ride out a worsening global downturn. "The alliance is opening a way to fight these tough times that come only once in a 100 years," said Sano. Sanyo Electric, which was founded in 1947 by a brother-in-law of Panasonic founder Konosuke Matsushita, saw its July-September profit dwindle to about a third of what it was a year earlier to 4.4 billion yen ($49 million) as a stronger Japanese currency, rising raw material costs and declining electronics prices hurt earnings. Panasonic's quarterly profit declined 16 percent to 55.5 billion yen ($624 million) for the same period. According to the companies, the deal is expected to be complete by February 2009.

House Passes 30-Day Extension Act.

The U.S. House of Representatives has unanimously passed an act which directs the FCC to lay out a plan for broadcasters to transmit emergency and DTV transition information for another month after the official Feb. 17, 2009 shutdown. Act S.3663, Short-term Analog Flash and Emergency Readiness Act was initiated and is sponsored by Sen. John D. Rockefeller of West Virginia and Sen. Byron L. Dorgan of North Dakota. According to the bill, "the Federal Communications Commission shall, not later than January 15, 2009, develop and implement a program to encourage and permit, to the extent technically feasible and subject to such limitations as the Commission finds to be consistent with the public interest and the requirements of this Act, the broadcasting in the analog television service of only the public safety information and digital transition information specified in subsection during the 30-day period beginning on the day after the date established by law under section 3002 of the Digital Television Transition and Public Safety Act of 2005 for termination of all licenses for full-power television stations in the analog television service and the cessation of broadcasting by full-power stations in the analog television service." The extension is not compulsory, and not every station will be able to keep transmitting in analog as some stations are flash-cutting on the same frequency, while others are handing over analog frequencies to other stations for digital assignments. The Senate passed the bill in late November, it now awaits the President’s signature.

NewSight Unveils World's First 3D LED Display.

3D display and signage company, NewSight Corporation, has unveiled the world's first 3D LED display. Featuring a 180-inch screen with a width of 3.84m, the "3D LED Video Wall" is not only the world's first 3D LED display, but is also one of the world's largest 3D displays. According to the company, the new display realizes 3D representation (sans the funny glasses) with what is called the parallax barrier method - the same method as the company's LCD 3D displays. Arranged at a pitch of 6mm, the individual LEDs work like the pixels of an LCD panel making it possible to use 3D content already produced for current, 3D LCD displays. The Wall, which is best viewed at a distance of about 15 feet away, has an LED life warranty of 20,000 hours and can be combined with three other units for a total screen size of 360 inches. NewSight said the unit is available now, with pricing to be determined based on the individual order.

The New Direction of Audio.

A group of researchers at the Helsinki University of Technology (TKK) have announced the development of a new audio technology dubbed Directional Audio Coding (DirAC). According to the University, the new technique is based on Spatial Impulse Response Rendering (SIRR), and aims to produce the best possible sound for the listener regardless of how many speakers the sound system has or where the speakers are located. Working on the same principles, and partly on the same methods as SIRR, a remote control is used to measure and determine what kind of speaker setup surrounds the listener. By transmitting audio and metadata (recordings hold 1-3 channels of audio and metadata) between the microphone, the audio system and the speakers, the system then produces optimal audio quality for the listener. The technology is said to be equally suitable for teleconferencing by reproducing only the sound coming from the direction of speech source and reducing SNR from 0 to -25dB. Although studies are still continuing, the TKK researchers said DirAC could become the industry standard for audio reproduction. TKK has sold the protecting patents to German research organization Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft which will continue to work on DirAC with the team at the Helsinki University of Technology.

Markertek Welcomes to the Family this Week:

Arbitron
Crosscreek Television Productions
Access San Francisco
Loyola College
WBIR-TV
Glaxo Smith Kline
John Marshall Sound
Aaron Davis Hall
Gettysburg College
Pendragon Film
KGW-TV Belo
University Of Miami
UMass Lowell
WNBC
Golden State Foods

U.S. Geological Survey - Monitoring Agency Wires the Earth with Markertek !

Seattle, WA. - Markertek is the connectivity technology leader in providing instant solutions for scientific government agencies. We just shipped Belden Cable products to the U.S. Geological Survey at it’s headquarters in Seattle, WA. The USGS serves the country by providing reliable scientific information to describe and understand the Earth; minimize loss of life and property from natural disasters; manage water, biological, energy, and mineral resources; while also working to enhance and protect our quality of life. The need for advances in cable media technology drives the sciences to process and produce data that serves as an important survival tool for mankind and the environment. Markertek is honored to serve all government agencies that assist in keeping our nation safe with the highest form of technologies available.

Sony Realigns to Improve Profitability.

In response to the sudden and rapid changes in the global economic environment, the Sony Group has launched a series of measures to strengthen its corporate structure and bolster the company's profitability. According to Sony, through measures including the realignment of its manufacturing sites, a review of its development and design structure, and the streamlining of its sales and administrative functions, Sony will implement a company-wide rationalization. The electronics giant intends to reallocate and optimize its workforce through programs including work reassignments and outplacement. As a result, by March 31, 2010, Sony plans to reduce headcount in its electronics business worldwide by approximately 8,000, out of approximately 160,000 as of September 30, 2008. At the same time, Sony plans to reduce headcount in its seasonal and temporary workforces. Additionally, by March 31, 2010, the company plans to reduce the total number of manufacturing sites by approximately 10%, from the current total of 57. This includes plans to cease production at two overseas manufacturing sites, including Sony Dax Technology Center in France, which manufactures tape and other recording media, by the end of the current fiscal year. Sony plans to outline the anticipated impact of these measures, including anticipated expenses related to their implementation, in Sony's updated forecast of financial results for the current fiscal year to be included in its third quarter earnings announcement, scheduled for January 2009.

Netflix Offers $1 Million Prize for System Improvement.

In an effort to improve the overall user experience of online movie rental service Netflix, or more specifically its movie recommendation system, the company has established a $1 million prize for any individual or team who can improve upon the system by 10 percent. The second annual competition, which just recently concluded, yielded no millionaires. It did however, award a $50,000 Progress Prize to the team which came closest at 9.44 percent improvement. The team "BellKor in BigChaos" won the 2008 Progress Prize with a 9.44% improvement in the Netflix recommendation system. The team, a combination of two teams that previously competed against each other in their efforts to outpace more than 35,000 other teams from 180 countries vying for the $1 million grand prize, won the $50,000 progress prize last year with an overall improvement of 8.43 percent. The Netflix recommendation engine spans the 100,000 DVD titles in the Netflix catalog and is an essential element of the company's movie subscription service. Members rate movies on a one to five star scale. Netflix then combines those individual ratings into a database of more than two billion movie ratings and employs proprietary algorithms and software to identify movies that tend to be rated highly (or lowly) by people with similar tastes. The accuracy of this software has been praised by movie critics and members alike. When Netflix launched the Netflix Prize in October 2006 it made available to contestants 100 million anonymous movie ratings ranging from one to five stars, the largest such data set ever released. All personal information identifying individual Netflix customers was removed from the prize data, which contains only movie titles, star ratings and dates but no text reviews. "Every day computer scientists and machine learning experts from around the world deploy creative and innovative strategies trying to pass the ten percent mark and win the Netflix Prize," said Netflix Chief Product Officer Neil Hunt. "This demonstrates just how tough this challenge is," added Dr. Hunt. Complete details for registering and competing for the Netflix Prize are available at http://www.netflixprize.com.

ATSC Approves Mobile & Handheld Candidate Standard.

The Advanced Television Systems Committee, Inc. (ATSC) has elevated its specification for Mobile Digital Television to Candidate Standard status. The new Mobile DTV Candidate Standard which provides the technical capabilities necessary for broadcasters’ to provide new services to mobile and handheld devices using their digital television transmissions, includes a highly robust transmission system based on vestigial sideband (VSB) modulation coupled with a flexible and extensible IP based transport, efficient MPEG AVC (H.264) video and HE AAC v2 audio (ISO/IEC 14496-3) coding. According to the Committee, in addition to live television, the new standard provides a flexible Application Framework for running software on receivers. Receivers that make use of an optional internet connection will enable new interactive television services, ranging from simple audience voting to the integration of internet-based applications and transactions with television content. The Candidate Standard also enables broadcasters to deploy new “data broadcasting” services such as providing real-time navigation data for in-vehicle use and providing news and sports highlights for “on-demand” use by consumers, while maintaining backward compatibility with legacy DTV receivers. Glenn Reitmeier, Chairman of the ATSC Board of Directors said "Our efforts to develop ATSC Mobile DTV are a part of a strategy to provide the broadcast industry with the technical ability to deliver content to consumers on the move" Mr. Reitmeier added, "The architecture of the Candidate Standard will make terrestrial broadcasting an important segment of the internet." The Candidate Standard stage of ATSC standards development is an explicit call for implementation and technical feedback. ATSC Candidate Standards are available at www.atsc.org.

Black Friday Good for Blu.

According to a new report from market research company, DisplaySearch, sales of standalone Blu-ray players were up 300 percent year on year for the week of Thanksgiving including Black Friday. The report shows consumers purchased 147,000 stand-alone Blu-ray disc players during the week of Thanksgiving, generating $30 Million in revenue for an average of a just a little more than $200 per player. Fueled by electronics giants Sony and Samsung's decision to drop the price of their entry-level players, this year's price, according to Paul Erickson, director of DVD and HD market research at DisplaySearch, which is less than half of what consumers paid last year for the players is the driving force behind the new numbers. "Blu-ray had a pretty good Black Friday, this is primarily due to one factor: sub-$200 pricing." Additionally, 25% of all optical disc players purchased were of the Blu-ray format, up 6% from a year ago. By the end of the shopping season, it is estimated that manufacturers will ship 911,000 Blu-ray Disc players during the fourth quarter, for a total of 2.2 Million players on the year. DisplaySearch noted that the reported numbers do not include the Sony PS3, which continues to be one of the most popular Blu-ray Disc players on the market.

Markertek Welcomes to the Family this Week:

Editgods – Hollywood
Denver 8 TV
KMGH
NFL Field Operations
Columbus State Univ.
Airfield Technology Inc.
Boston Light & Sound
Nevada Policy Research Inc.
Trificient Broadband Technologies
Carolina Uplink
Long Island Expressway - Media
CBS News Marketing
Groove New York
Horseauctions.com
Carnegie Mellon University

Intel - World's Largest Semi-Conductor Company Captures HD with Markertek !

El Dorado Hills, CA. - Markertek is the high definition technology leader in providing solutions for the computing development industry. This week, we shipped some Black Magic Design products to the Intel Corporation at its headquarters in El Dorado Hills, CA. One of the world's leading semi-conductor manufacturing companies, Intel has revolutionized the world’s computer processing platforms of enterprise, digital home, digital health, and mobility. The Intel Corporation is a global company that is involved in the development and implementation of standards that have a consistent positive impact in computing and consumer electronics platforms. With its present inclusion in most Windows, Linux and Mac based computers, the Intel brand has become a household word. Markertek is proud to supply high definition technology to companies like Intel who keep our electronics and data moving at the highest resolution possible.

TZero Introduces HD without Wires.

California based wireless technology company, TZero has announced that its ZeroWire Ultra Wideband (UWB) HDMI solution has passed regulatory compliance testing in the United States, Europe, and Japan. ZeroWire, the new HDMI solution wirelessly transmits Full HD (1080p) content at 60 frames per second from Blu-ray players and other HD devices to displays at distances of up to 65 feet. According to the company, ZeroWire supports wired-quality video and 7.1 digital surround audio at a range greater than typical HDMI cables, yet is immune to noise and interference created by nearby wireless devices such as cordless phones, Wi-Fi networks, and cellular phones. With 480 Mbit bandwidth, TZero’s solution is WiMedia Alliance compliant, HDMI Form compliant, and DCP certified for "Hollywood Approved" wireless content transmission. Rajeev Krishnamoorthy, CEO of TZero Technologies said "These certifications are a testament not only to TZero’s superior radio performance, but also to the potential that our chipsets have in changing how consumers will use Ultra Wideband technology across a variety of wireless consumer electronics applications." The new product is scheduled to target the Japanese market first with Europe and the U.S. to follow. No details of pricing have been released.

Full 1080 HDTV goes Mobile with Renesas.

With mobile phone component manufacturers showing a growing interest in HD video processing, which is quickly becoming a standard capability of TVs, HDD recorders and camcorders, Renesas Technology Corp will announce an application processor that enables mobile phones to process 1920 x 1080 (1080p) resolution 30fps full HDTV video at ISSCC 2009. Several overseas semiconductor manufacturers have already announced their application processors for HDTV processing. Broadcom Corp announced it in October 2007, so did NVIDIA Corp and Texas Instruments Inc (TI) in February 2008. However, all these manufacturers' processors encode and decode 1280 x 720 resolution HD video at 30fps (720p). The new chop from Renesas will be the first 1080p mobile processor. The 6.4 x 6.5mm chip was manufactured using 65nm CMOS technology. Its power consumption is 342mW when it is processing full HDTV video in real time via 166MHz 64-bit DDR-SDRAM. The processor's CPU core has the maximum operating frequency of 500MHz. It supports MPEG-4AVC/H.264, MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 video formats. ISSCC 2009, takes place in San Francisco, California, from Feb. 8 to 12, 2009.

LCD TV Shipments Continue to Grow.

In light of the current economic and financial situation, iSuppli Corp. has trimmed its forecast for LCD-TV shipments, but still anticipates growth in 2008 and 2009. The market analysis company now forecasts global LCD TV shipments will amount to 93.4 million units in 2008, down nearly 6% from its previous prediction of 99 million. iSuppli also reduced its previous forecast of 124 million units for 2009 to 112.6 million units for the year. Despite this more subdued outlook, worldwide LCD TV shipments still will rise 18.9% in 2008 and by 20.5% in 2009. "The economic downturn in the US and Europe has had a knock-on effect on global economies, spurring a slowdown in gross domestic product (GDP) growth, an increase in inflation and a deceleration in consumer spending around the world," said Riddhi Patel, principal analyst, Television Systems, iSuppli. However, this slowdown won't be sufficient to cause an annual decrease in unit shipments in 2008 or 2009. "LCD TV shipments will continue to rise due to strong consumer interest and declining average selling prices (ASP) for sets," Patel noted. "Furthermore, iSuppli expects the major brands' marketing and promotional efforts will fuel demand." iSuppli's updated forecast for LCD TV shipments in 2009 has been reduced by 10%, given that the economic recovery will take longer than expected. "Starting in 2010, the market will bounce back and the demand for LCD TVs will pick up," Patel added.

NASA Uses iTunes to Share Development Progress of Ares Rocket.

The Ares Projects team at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center has announced that quarterly video progress reports of its newest family of exploration vehicles -- the Ares I crew launch vehicle and Ares V heavy cargo launch vehicle are now available on iTunes. The video progress reports, which have been produced quarterly beginning in August 2006, have been used to visually share progress with the NASA team at all levels and to record the historical work being completed on America's newest fleet of spacecraft for future generations. Now, in an effort to share the Ares development with a broader audience, NASA is posting the full library of reports on iTunes. The programs range in length from 5-15 minutes, and offer viewers a rare glimpse at the on-going development work of the next-generation launch vehicles that will take explorers to the moon and beyond in coming decades. Beginning in 2015, the Ares I rocket will launch the Orion crew capsule, carrying astronauts and payloads to the International Space Station. The 10 quarterly reports produced to date spotlight the detailed evolution of the Ares vehicles, from earliest conception through various design phases and the most recent testing. For additional interactive features and podcasts about NASA, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia

Dreamworks Animation - CG Animation Leader Connects with Markertek !

Glendale, CA. - Markertek is the leading technology supply source for the Hollywood film and media industry. We just shipped cable and connectivity products to Dreamworks Animation at its feature animation studio in Glendale, CA. Dreamworks Animation is one of the world's leading computer generated (CG) development and creation film companies, releasing numerous blockbuster films such as Shrek, Madagascar, The Bee Movie and their newest hit, Kung Fu Panda. Dreamworks has revolutionized the look of CG media with the newest in digital computer imagery and colorization methods. Markertek salutes this innovation and technology that has brought film and media into a bright new era for motion pictures.

LIFE Releases 10 Million Images.

America's largest magazine publisher, Time Inc. has announced that access to LIFE's Photo Archive -- over 10 million images in total -- will soon be available on a new hosted image service from Google. Ninety-seven percent of the LIFE photographs have never been seen by the public. Among the largest professional photography collections on the Web, the collection contains some of the most iconic images of the 20th century, including works from great photojournalists Alfred Eisenstaedt, Margaret Bourke-White, Gordon Parks, and W. Eugene Smith, and will be one of the largest scanning projects ever undertaken. Millions of images have been scanned and made available on Google Image Search, with all 10 million images to be available in the coming months. "For 70 years, LIFE has been about one thing, and that's the power of photography to tell a story," says Andy Blau, LIFE's President. "LIFE will now reach a broader audience and engage them online with the incredible depth and breadth of the LIFE Photo Archive from serious world events, to Hollywood celebrities to whimsical photographs." Images can be found when conducting a search on Google.com or on Google Image Search. Users can also search through the LIFE Collection directly by visiting http://images.google.com/hosted/life. LIFE's Photo Archive is free for personal and research purposes. Copyright and ownership of all images remain with Time Inc.

Faster HD Surfing from Thomson.

Global media management, delivery and high-definition set-top tuner maker, Thomson has announced new updates to the ViBE encoder that delivers high-definition channel changing 50% faster than current HD tuners. Dubbed by the company as “fast zapping solutions”, the latest advances in the encoders provide simultaneous compression and encoding of two streams of the same channel - a full resolution and a low resolution stream while also managing up to three HD sets per home. When the channel is changed, the set-top box is able to quickly decode and display the low resolution version of the channel and transition to displaying the full resolution version seamlessly without disrupting viewing. Thomson claims its advanced video compression technologies means that the transmission of the two simultaneous streams is no more bandwidth intensive than sending a regular HD or standard definition (SD) stream on its own. “A differentiator of Thomson's fast zapping solution is that there is no need for additional investments in infrastructure to be made - as competing systems on the market require the installation of a large bank of servers,” said Graham Cradock, general manager of Thomson’s video head end solutions. According to the company, fast channel change approaches “will be standardized with the relevant standards bodies during the course of 2009."

Panasonic Proposes 3D Blu-ray Standard.

As Hollywood and the industries that support it gear up for what many see as the next step in entertainment, Panasonic Corp of Japan has submitted a proposal to the Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA), for a Blu-ray Disc standard to store three-dimensional (3D) imagery formed of left-/right-eye two-channel full-High Definition (HD) images (1,920 x 1,080 pixels). The new standard which is based on technology that is currently in use, uses the two-channel encoding function implemented in Moving Picture Coding Experts Group Phase 4 Advanced Video Coding (MPEG-4 AVC) H.264. The second channel stores only the data different from channel one, holding the increase in data volume to about 1.5 times. The HDMI standard is used to transfer data from the player to the television, with left- and right-eye images alternated in single-field (single-frame) units. “All we have to do is define a flag to identify image data, equipment and other elements supporting 3D imagery. We really don’t need any other major changes,” explained Hiroshi Miyai, director, High Quality AV Development Center of Panasonic. In an effort to to prevent patent conflict related to 3D imagery standards and avoid the same sort of futile standards war that occurred between HD-DVD and Blu-ray, the company moved quickly to propose a standard ahead of other companies. “Standards wars, patent monopolies and the like would seriously interfere with the widespread adoption of any 3D image standard. We developed a standard based on existing technology, specifically designed for easy acceptance.” The BDA hopes to begin formal discussion on the standard proposal before the end of 2008, with commercial adoption possible by 2010.

Markertek Welcomes to the Family this Week:

Two Birds Films
KBWB Television
Dreamworks Animation
Directv
Access IT
Yale School of Drama
Miami Dolphins
Chicago Recording Company
Draper Laboratory
Detroit World Outreach
Peter Erskine
Taos Local Television
National Grid
American Safe and Vault
Oregon State Lottery

Goodyear Blimp Airship - Exploring New Heights with Markertek !

Gardena, CA - Markertek is the technology super source in supplying the corporate advertising industry with production and field accessories. We just shipped rack storage systems to the Goodyear Blimp Airship at its U.S.A. headquarters in Gardena, CA. Since 1925, the Goodyear blimp has adorned the skies as one of the most visible corporate icons for the world's largest tire and rubber company. Goodyear operates three airships in the United States: the Spirit of America, based in the City of Carson, California; the Spirit of Goodyear, based in Akron, Ohio; and the Spirit of Innovation, based in Pompano Beach, Florida. Media and television signals are generated through state of the art technology that enhances sporting events and large public gatherings worldwide. Markertek is honored to work with one of America's most respected point of view cameras that has brought television media to new heights for almost a century.

Major League Baseball Trades Silverlight.

Major League Baseball has announced that it has traded Microsoft's Silverlight service for Adobe's Flash to power all its video content, including the popular MLB TV. According to MLB, the two-year agreement will have Adobe's Flash Platform deliver all of its live and on-demand video offerings beginning in 2009. In addition, MLB.com will provide a downloadable rich Internet application (RIA) built using Adobe AIR, so baseball fans can access additional features outside the Web browser. Microsoft's Silverlight, which first shipped in September 2007 and was dubbed a 'Flash killer', is a browser based plug-in that supports streaming video and Rich Internet Applications (RIA). While this isn't exactly good news for Microsoft, Silverlight still has more than 150 partners, including the National Basketball Association (NBA) and CBS College Sports and also announced earlier this week that Blockbuster was giving up Flash to move to Silverlight for its MovieLink application. Since its debut on Opening Day 2003, MLB.com has streamed live every Major League spring training, regular season and postseason game, more than 2,500 annually, via its out-of-market subscription product, which has seen more than 1.5 million total subscribers representing nearly 200 million hours of participation. Bob Bowman, MLB advanced media CEO, said "We are excited about this partnership as Adobe provides the scalability, flexibility and reliability that fans expect from MLB.com in delivering them the best live streaming product possible."

Kodak vs. Samsung and LG Electronics.

Imaging innovator, Eastman Kodak Company has announced that it has filed complaints against Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics and other related entities for infringement of Kodak patents. The company filed against Samsung and LG in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York, as well as in the U.S. International Trade Commission. Kodak’s District Court complaints request compensation for damages resulting from the companies’ infringement, and both the District Court and ITC actions seek injunctions prohibiting Samsung and LG from further importation and sale of products cited in the complaints. The Kodak actions specifically allege that Samsung and LG camera phones infringe Kodak digital camera patents. The patents in question cover technology related to image capture, compression and data storage and a method for previewing motion images. “Kodak has a long history of innovation and we have invested many millions of dollars developing our digital camera technology,” said Laura G. Quatela, Chief Intellectual Property Officer, and Vice President, Eastman Kodak Company. “We’ve held discussions with both companies in an attempt to resolve this issue and have not been able to reach a satisfactory agreement. Consequently, we must take this legal action in order to ensure that we protect the interests of our shareholders and existing licensees of Kodak digital camera patents.” Kodak has licensed its imaging patents to several leading technology companies including: MEI/Panasonic, Motorola, Nokia, Olympus, Sanyo, Sharp, Sony, Sony- Ericsson and others.

Yamaha and Shure Offer Digital Sound Course.

Beginning January 2009, Yamaha Commercial Audio Training Seminars will offer Digital Sound Reinforcement 101 (DSR101) as part of the course selection offered throughout the year both regionally and at the company’s Buena Park, CA, headquarters. The two-day class, which is now in its third year, will provide complete audio system design and networking solutions, making it an ideal tool for audio engineers, system designers and technicians. Co-sponsored in part by microphone maker Shure, the seminar will focus on setup techniques ranging from microphones to large-scale speakers. Topics include gain construction, attenuator settings, SPL estimation and spec analysis. Course components include fundamental concepts such as dBSPL, dBu, dBV, microphone characteristics, how to select a microphone, wireless technology, how to maximize the benefits of wireless systems and managing frequencies. Use of Yamaha, NEXIO and Shure products will also be covered. There is no cost for attending the Digital SR System 101. Course dates and locations for 2009 are to be announced soon.

TiVo Adds Pizza to the Menu.

California based digital video recorder (DVR) pioneer, TiVo has announced that the company has teamed up with Domino's Pizza to give broadband connected TiVo subscribers the ability to order pizza for delivery or pick-up, and track delivery timing, right from their TV sets using the TiVo service. According to the company, TiVo subscribers can build their pizza order right from the television set by selecting type of crust, toppings, and sauces, and get the pizza delivered by their local Domino’s Pizza in about 30 minutes. Karen Bressner, Senior Vice President of Advertising Sales, TiVo Inc said, “Our commitment to revolutionizing interactive advertising and commerce on the television is a direct result of the innovative solutions and features we provide. TiVo’s growing list of interactive features also includes the ability to find and purchase products on Amazon.com related to a customer’s favorite TV show or the convenience of being able to search for a movie that’s playing nearby and purchase tickets through Fandango - all by using the TiVo remote.” The new service is free of charge to all broadband connected TiVo subscribers (Series 2 or later) and supports both delivery and pick-up orders.

Markertek Welcomes to the Family this Week:

Digital Keystone
WNTK Radio
Marina Beach Film
Stealthcom Solutions
Electric Boat Corporation
WUWF
Korg USA
Dawn Communications
Kamehameha Schools
Shreya Broadcasting
WGN-TV
Liberty Coach Inc.
Sony DADC
Bowie State Univ.
KULR-TV

Clarke Camera Cars - Shifting into Overdrive with Markertek !

Sarasota, FL - Markertek is the motion media solution source in supplying the video assist industry with production and field necessities. We just shipped audio support technology to Clarke Camera Cars at its U.S. production office in Sarasota, FL. CCC is a southeastern mobile support company that provides video assist vehicles for the film and media industry. CCC's work can be seen in Hollywood major motion pictures such as The Pelican Brief, True Lies and Inspector Gadget as well as in advertising, commercials while also offering private rental. All CCC drivers are members of the Extreme Stunt & Precision Driving Team, and include Stunt/Safety Coordinators & 2nd Unit Directors. Markertek is honored to work with media vehicle companies like CCC that bring motion media and excitement to the film and video industry through mobile support technology.

Tracking Flu Trends - Google Style.

Internet search giant, Google has announced the launch of its newest service, Google Flu Trends. What began as a small team of software engineers exploring whether they could go beyond simple trends and accurately model real-world phenomena using patterns in search queries, has resulted in a tool designed to identify flu-outbreak patterns through an analysis of search data. The team found that certain aggregated search queries tend to be very common during flu season each year. When these aggregated queries are compared against data provided by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), they found that there's a very close relationship between the frequency of these search queries and the number of people who are experiencing flu-like symptoms across the United States. The CDC's tracking depends on several data collection methods to build its reports. Details from doctors and state health departments assist in helping the Center determine flu levels across the country. Going back to 2004, a comparison of Google's results showing the rise and fall of flu-related activity compared to measurements taken by the CDC shows the two as virtually the same. "We shared our preliminary results with the Epidemiology and Prevention Branch of the Influenza Division at CDC throughout the 2007-2008 flu season, and together we saw that our search-based flu estimates had a consistently strong correlation with real CDC surveillance data. Our system is still very experimental, so anything is possible, but we're hoping to see similar correlations in the coming year." According to Google, while CDC's tracking will likely remain a more accurate measure of the flu's impact on a given community, making the search engine's flu estimates available each day, Google Flu Trends may provide an early-warning system for outbreaks of influenza.

"I'll Take Sony at CES for $500, Alex."

Sony Pictures Television (SPT) has announced that Sony will again have a major presence at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas ths January. Additionally, in celebration of the 25th Anniversary of Jeopardy!, SPT will film a total of 11 live-to-tape daily episodes of Celebrity Jeopardy! on a specially built 16,000-square-foot set on the CES show floor. The set, which will accommodate 600 audience members, in conjunction with Sony's adjacent exhibition booth will be the largest exhibition of digital entertainment in CES show history. “CES provides an unparalleled stage to demonstrate how content and devices come together to provide amazing entertainment,” said SPT president Steve Mosko. "Jeopardy! is a brand that has crossed platforms seamlessly, reaching viewers on a variety of devices, and we are thrilled to give CES attendees an up close look at one of America's favorite TV shows." Mosko also said Sony will highlight a new, interactive gaming application develped with Airplay called "Play Jeopardy Live." According to CES show owner, Consumer Electronics Assocuiation (CEA), the 2009 International CES will feature more than 2,700 exhibitors introducing the latest consumer technology products throughout 30 product categories including digital entertainment, high-performance audio, digital imaging, electronic gaming and more. For more information and to register to attend the 2009 International CES visit www.CESweb.org. The show runs January 8-11, 2009 in Las Vegas.

International LCD Cartel Fined $585 Million.

Three leading electronics manufacturers - LG Display Co. Ltd., Sharp Corp. and Chunghwa Picture Tubes Ltd. - have agreed to plead guilty and pay a total of $585 million in criminal fines for their roles in conspiracies to fix prices in the sale of liquid crystal display (LCD) panels, the Department of Justice announced. Of the $585 million in fines, LG will pay $400 million, the second highest criminal fine ever imposed by the Department’s Antitrust Division. Companies directly affected by the LCD price-fixing conspiracies are some of the largest computer, television and cellular telephone manufacturers in the world, including Apple, Dell and Motorola. According to the Justice, LG Display Co. Ltd, a South Korean corporation, and its wholly-owned subsidiary, LG Display America Inc., a California company (LG), agreed to plead guilty to participating in a conspiracy from September 2001 to June 2006 to fix the price of TFT-LCD panels sold worldwide. Sharp Corp., a Japanese consumer electronics manufacturer, has agreed to pay a $120 million fine for its participation in separate conspiracies to fix the price of TFT-LCD panels sold to Dell Inc. from April 2001 to December 2006 for use in computer monitors and laptops; to Motorola Inc. from fall 2005 to the middle of 2006 for use in Razr mobile phones; and to Apple Computer Inc. from September 2005 to December 2006 for use in iPod portable music players. Chunghwa, a Taiwanese TFT-LCD panel manufacturer, has agreed to pay a $65 million fine for its participation with LG and other unnamed co-conspirators in a conspiracy from September 2001 to December 2006 to fix the price of TFT-LCD panels sold worldwide. "These price-fixing conspiracies affected millions of American consumers who use computers, cell phones and numerous other household electronics every day," said Thomas O. Barnett, Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Department’s Antitrust Division. "These convictions, and the significant fines they carry, should send a clear message that the Antitrust Division will vigorously investigate and prosecute illegal cartels, regardless of where they are located." All three companies have agreed to cooperate with the Department’s ongoing antitrust investigation.

Lithium Batteries Get a Boost.

According to a recent report, a team of South Korean researchers have developed a new technology that makes lithium batteries 90 percent more energy efficient than current batteries. The team, led by Hanyang University professor Cho Jae-phil, replaced graphite as the main material of the negative electrode with three-dimensional porous silicon particles made of silica and hydrogen fluoride. While scientists already knew about the benefits of using the new material, they have been faced with the challenge of silicon expanding when put into contact with lithium. The research team reports that it was able to overcome this problem by using porous particles. The team has applied for four basic technology patents related to the battery in South Korea, the United States and the European Union, and commercial production could begin in four to five years, said Cho. He added that work is currently being conducted to merge the technology with solar panels, and that the new technology would also have a great impact on many other industries including mobile device and automotive makers.

Markertek Welcomes to the Family this Week:

EWTN
Echo E-Recycling
Sony Pictures Editing
Viejas Casino
MTV Networks LA
Sonicpool
Barton College
Mill Valley Film Group
KGO-TV
Pacifica Community TV
Nielsen Media Research
Iowa Events Center
Stonehill College
ATX Labs
LG Audio

World Radio Network - Global Radio Transmission Leader Goes On the Air with Markertek !

Pharr, TX. - Markertek is the leader in supplying broadcasters with solution technology and studio necessities. We have just supplied numerous on air lights to the World Radio Network at one of its U.S. transmission locations in Pharr, TX. WRN is a leading broadcast and transmission company that provides high quality, innovative and cutting edge solutions for the global media community. WRN assists world-class global radio networks with a host of specialist transmission services provided to the world's leading private and public broadcasting organizations. This includes the creation and distribution of WRN's own-branded radio channels which feature daily and weekly programs from national public broadcasters around the world that are then distributed using international satellite radio networks, internet and mobile platforms and local FM and AM affiliates. Markertek is proud of its association with broadcast companies that bring innovation technology to the planet through state of the art media transmission.

MGM to Show Full-Length Features on YouTube.

Worldwide entertainment production and distribution giant, Metro-Goldwyn Mayer (MGM) Studios has announced an agreement to provide full-length content to the popular video sharing site, YouTube. The first Hollywood studio to enter a full-length content agreement with YouTube, MGM will kick off the multiple channel commitment with two dedicated channels. The first, "Impact," is a channel dedicated to promoting MGM’s VOD action programming with classic MGM action films such as “Rocky,” “Ronin,” “Legally Blonde,” and “The Magnificent Seven." The second, “American Gladiators”, is a channel which showcases highlights and full episodes from the classic show that was popular during the 1980s and 1990s. According to MGM, the free to watch YouTube Channels will be refreshed with new videos every month and will be ad-supported. "We're looking to mine the breadth and depth of the MGM library to build out and promote branded, multiplatform opportunities on demand, online and wherever viewers consume their entertainment," said Jim Packer, co-president, MGM Worldwide Television. Earlier this year, in an effort to boost advertising revenue, YouTube signed similar agreements with CBS to run full-length archived shows such as "Star Trek" and "Beverly Hills 90210" and also with Lionsgate which provides short clips from its film and TV show archive. To entice advertisers and content providers, YouTube has moved to a more flexible revenue sharing model, and plans to provide higher quality video content and is developing video playing software that will provide clearer video images as well. "YouTube is committed to helping our community of fans discover new content and reconnect with their all-time favorite TV shows and movies,” said Jordan Hoffner, director of content partnerships for YouTube. “By partnering with MGM, YouTube is strengthening its position as an entertainment destination where Hollywood studios can reach a global audience and where our audience can watch their favorite full-length films, TV shows, and clips."

Look Out Copper - Here Comes ElectriPlast.

Bellingham, Washington based company, Integral Technologies has created a conductive polymer which will enable new wiring that is 80 percent lighter than copper, yet provides the same level of conductivity. Dubbed ElectriPlast, the material is created by blending metal coated micron-scaled fibers into a polymer matrix. The fibers, which are 7-12 microns in diameter, are coated with copper, silver or gold and are grouped into bundles that equal the equivalent traditional wire gauge. Once blended, ElectriPlast is supplied in a pellet form which can be molded or formed into any shape, including that of traditional wires, cables or even entire conductive surfaces. According to the company, the material offers a broader bandwidth than solid metal cables due to having proportionately more surface area size for size. This results in the ability for manufacturers to design and make numerous styles of light weight cables, harnesses or boards for industries such as broadcast, entertainment, aerospace, automotive and medical applications. While no pricing details have been made available at this time, Integral expects to be announcing customers and availability for the new conductive polymer by early 2009.

FCC Adopts Unlicensed White Space Rules.

In a move that disconcerted television broadcasters, churches, theatres and the entertainment industries, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has adopted a Second Report and Order that establishes rules to allow new, sophisticated wireless devices to operate in broadcast television spectrum (white spaces) on a secondary basis at locations where that spectrum is open. According to the Commission, the new rules represent a careful first step to permit the operation of unlicensed devices in the unused analog TV spectrum following the upcoming DTV transition and include numerous safeguards to protect incumbent services against harmful interference. The National Association of Broadcasters and it's members however, are concerned that operation of these unlicensed devices will in fact cause harmful interference to established devices such as TV and wireless microphones. The FCC report states current services, wireless microphones and all other devices will be protected in a variety of ways. This includes the ability of the new devices to incorporate a geo-location capability and provisions to access over the Internet a data base of the incumbent services, such as full power and low power TV stations and cable system headends, in addition to spectrum-sensing technology. This data base will tell the white space device what spectrum may be used at that location. Additionally, all white space devices will be subject to equipment certification by the FCC Laboratory. The Laboratory will request samples of the devices for testing to ensure that they meet all the pertinent requirements. In response to the FCC ruling NAB Executive Vice President Dennis Wharton issued the following statement saying, "Fortunately, today's vote is just the beginning of a fight on behalf of the 110 million households that rely on television for news, entertainment, and lifesaving emergency information. Going forward, NAB and our allies will work with policymakers to ensure that consumers can access innovative broadband applications without jeopardizing interference-free TV." Digital rights groups as well as tech companies like Google and Microsoft, have urged the FCC to allow the soon-to-be available spectrum to be used for broadband access. They argue that using white spaces for Web access will increase the availability of broadband because the white space signals transmit through walls, around corners and over large swaths of space making it easier for companies to blanket an area with wireless broadband via white spaces than using the current and less powerful Wi-Fi spectrum.

Sony Unveils Blu-spec CD Format.

Sony Music Entertainment has announced a new, high quality audio CD format. The new format, Blu-spec, uses Blu-ray laser diodes and advanced polymers during the disc manufacturing process to reduce variations (jitter) in the characteristics of the audio signal. According to the company, this results in a higher quality playback while still operating within the current Redbook CD format parameters - without the need for new equipment. The Blu-spec CD format is scheduled to launch on December 24th with 60 classical and jazz music titles, which are expected to sell for $25 - $40 a piece.

Markertek Welcomes to the Family this Week:

Walt Disney Studios Anaheim
The World Bank
Sikorsky Aircraft DFC
Blue Man Chicago
WKYX
Mass. School Of Law
Nortel
Grant Park - Chicago
City Of Baltimore
WMUK
Major League Baseball
Cincinnati Public Radio
Macy's
National Weather Service
Viejas Casino  

Nederlander Organization - Global Theater Presentation Giant Hooks Up with Markertek !

Los Angeles, CA. - Markertek is the leader in supplying instant technology solutions to the live theater / stage presentation industry. We just supplied some Kramer equipment to the Nederlander Organization at its USA headquarters in Los Angeles, CA. Nederlander is one of the largest and most experienced operators of live theatre and music in the United States. The organization has grown to include a list of theaters across the USA including nine New York Broadway theatres such as, Gershwin, Lunt-Fontaine and Neil Simon, as well as three theaters in London, England. Popular music attractions are also presented by Nederlander and have included virtually every star from Frank Sinatra and Barbara Streisand to current pop stars such as Billy Joel, Willie Nelson, Bonnie Raitt, Paul Simon, Celine Dion, Neil Diamond, Barry Manilow, U2 and many more. Markertek is proud to supply Nederlander and the entire theater presentation industry with the gear that brings incredible visual technology and live media to an huge global audience.

JVC's Last Stand (Alone).

The Victor Company of Japan (JVC), has announced that the company's production of stand alone Video Cassette Recorders (VCRs) has officially ended. Introduced in 1975 by JVC and Panasonic, the Video Home System (VHS) format and its playback counterpart, the VCR, beat out Sony's Betamax as the format of choice for home use and video store rentals the world over for more than 30 years. While the company will still produce DVD/VHS combo players, sales of the JVC line of stand alone VCRs, - the last in the industry - will end when existing stocks are depleted. Since 1976, more than 900 million VCRs have been produced worldwide, 50 million of which were manufactured by JVC.

NAB Adopts Rockefeller-Capps Legislation.

The National Association of Broadcasters has announced that its Television Board of Directors has adopted a resolution in support of legislation that would provide stations the ability to educate viewers by broadcasting an informational message in the days following the DTV transition on February 17, 2009. Introduced by Rep. Lois Capps (D-CA) and Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) and adopted unanimously by the Television Board, the resolution reads:

RESOLVED,

By the Television Board of Directors of the National Association of Broadcasters

We support Congressional action including S. 3663 and H.R. 7013 to provide for a voluntary extension of analog broadcasting beyond the date of February 17, 2009, only to provide additional time for consumers to be educated about the DTV Transition and receive emergency information.

This voluntary commitment would apply only to stations where the continuation of the analog signal is technically feasible. The NAB will work closely with the FCC in implementing a reasonable program taking into account local stations' technology and market specifics.

OmniMount Gets the Green Lite.

Consumer and commercial A/V mounting solutions provider, OmniMount has announced an environmentally friendly line of flat panel display mounts. Dubbed the OmniLite Series, the new mounts are made from recycled materials and are designed to minimize the total number of component parts. According to the company, OmniLite mounts also reduce the overall amount of material required by 32 percent while actually increasing each mount’s overall strength – and therefore weight capacity – by 56 percent, in comparison to their current competitive models. Additionally, the line features condensed packaging made from recycled materials, no plastic bags and manuals and installation templates are printed using non-petroleum-based ink on the inside of the box eliminating the need for unnecessary paper. "As a corporation and as individuals, it is our responsibility to introduce products that meet today’s green standards,” states Alex Robertson, senior vice president of sales. “Although OmniMount has always been eco-conscious, our upcoming OmniLite Series shows our commitment to a new way of approaching sustainable product design." The OmniLite Series of VESA compliant mounts is expected to be available early 2009.

DTV Transition Early Birds.

The Hawaii Association of Broadcasters (HAB) has announced that the full power television stations in Hawaii will make the transition to digital television (DTV) approximately one month prior to the nationwide transition to DTV on February 17, 2009. The decision, which is supported by the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, the Federal Communications Commission, the National Association of Broadcasters, and the Hawaii Association of Broadcasters was prompted by consultation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service which recommended that Hawaii broadcasters deconstruct their present Maui analog facilities prior to mid- February to avoid the Hawaiian petrel breeding season in the area. The dark-rumped petrel, which lives at sea near the Hawaiian and Galapagos islands, comes ashore annually to breed. In Hawaii, the petrel has made its nesting habitat near the analog TV towers at the mountain summit of Haleakala on the island of Maui. According to the HAB, stations on the island would have to wait another year to take down the old transmitters atop Haleakala without disturbing the birds if they were to wait until the nation-wide transition deadline. Beginning at 12:00pm on January 15, 2009, Hawaii’s full power stations will broadcast only digital signals to their viewers in Hawaii County, Maui County and the City and County of Honolulu.

Markertek Welcomes to the Family this Week:

Arenanet
Intel Corporation
Wideorbit Inc.
CNN LA
Time Warner Cable - Denver
VBrick Systems Inc.
US Dept of The Interior
Tiger Sul Industries
The Onion
Stage Tech
General Projection Systems Inc.
Main Street Music Hall -MO
Kutztown University
Southern Reporting
LCBC
 

Nintendo - Video Game Innovator Gets High Score with Markertek !

Redmond, WA - Markertek is the interface leader in supplying solutions to the video game media development industry. We just supplied TecNec brand broadcast series cabling to Nintendo USA at its headquarters in Redmond, Washington. A Japanese innovation company, Nintendo was a zephyr in developing the seminal home gaming entertainment market in the early 1980's. The company produced cutting edge media technology for famous titles such as Super Mario Brothers, Donkey Kong, Tetris and hundreds of others, bringing to the home what once was only enjoyed in coin-op arcades. Today, Nintendo is still a driving force in the industry, competing with dozens of other creators evolving technology to new heights. Markertek is proud of its affiliation with creation giants such as Nintendo who bring incredible multi-media technology and fun to an ever growing audience.

OLED Market Ready for Take-Off.

One decade and billions of investment dollars later, the Organic Light Emitting Diode market is poised for take-off. A new report from industry analyst firm NanoMarkets forecasts the OLED materials market reaching $2.7 billion by 2015. According to the report, the display technology which has been used for small displays in devices such as cell phones and mp3 players, will rapidly gain a significant share of the market over LCD technology as firms capable of developing and marketing complete materials systems for OLEDs continue to rise. Sony currently offers the world's first OLED display television and Nokia has recently made announcements requiring all vendors to be capable of producing OLED displays. In other areas, when used for lighting solutions, OLEDs have been shown to exceed the efficiency of fluorescent lamps in laboratory tests. This, says NanoMarkets, that as the world becomes more energy-conservation oriented and concerned about energy costs, will drive rapid growth for the OLED lighting industry and the demand for OLED materials to as much as 90% of all OLED materials being consumed by lighting applications by 2015. OLED displays and technology offers significant benefits over LCD technologies in that OLEDs do not require a backlight to function. Thus they draw far less power and, when powered from a battery, can operate longer on the same charge. Also, because there is no need for a backlight, an OLED display can be much thinner than an LCD panel, thus increasing its potential applications.

YouTube Unveils eCommerce Platform.

Online video provider, YouTube has announced a collaboration with iTunes and Amazon.com that offers YouTube visitors to purchase and download music, games, and other products directly from the site. According to YouTube, over the coming months, the new eCommerce platform will allow partners across all industries including music, film, TV, and publishing to generate additional revenue from their content beyond the advertising currently served against the videos. Non-obtrusive retail links to buy songs from iTunes and Amazon.com will appear on the watch pages of authorized video content from companies such as EMI Music. Just as YouTube users share, favorite, comment on, and respond to videos with a single click, users will now be able to click-to-buy products -- like songs, books and movies -- related to the content they're watching on the site. Partners who use YouTube's content identification and management system can also enable retail links on claimed videos that they choose to leave up on the site, therefore generating potential income. "YouTube content partners now have the ability to promote and monetize their content in a new and exciting way and create a deeper distribution channel for their content online," said Chad Hurley, co-founder and CEO, YouTube. "Our goal is to improve the overall YouTube experience by connecting consumers with relevant information and entertaining content. The addition of retail links will enhance the viewing experience and allow people to engage more deeply with the content they want to consume."

NPR Brings Election Night Radio to the Deaf.

This November, on election night, millions of deaf and hard-of-hearing people will be able to experience live radio coverage for the first time, when NPR, Harris Corporation and Towson University simulcast the first ever live, captioned radio broadcast. Utilizing digital HD Radio technology which enables station operators to split their broadcasts up into multiple channels, a small amount of the total data capacity will be used to carry textual data that will be shown live on a screen on new versions of HD Radio receivers, essentially providing a closed-caption transcript of live broadcasts for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. NPR member station WGBH's expert "stenocaptioners" will be monitoring NPR's live coverage and feeding instantaneous speech-to-text transcriptions to the participating NPR stations. The live speech-to-text coverage will also be available on NPR's website, and the Harris Corporation site, as well. Mike Starling, chief technology officer and executive director of NPR Labs said "This presidential election will not only be historic because of its diversity of candidates, but because of the diversity of people who will be able to access radio broadcasts. The deaf and hard-of-hearing population will finally be able to enjoy NPR's extensive coverage of a presidential election."

LG Says 'Good-Bye Plasma, Hello Sunshine'.

LG Electronics has announced that the company has decided to convert its A1 plasma panel-manufacturing line in Gumi, Korea, into a solar cell production line. LG said it plans to invest KRW 220 billion (161.48 million USD) by 2010 to establish two production lines. The company expects that the first line will be able to begin mass production from the first quarter of 2010, with the second line beginning full operations in the first quarter of 2011. Both lines will manufacture crystalline silicon solar cells and modules with a capacity of 120MW each. Crystal silicon solar cells, which utilize silicon wafers to generate power, are more expensive to manufacture, but also more efficient. Thin film solar cells, which coat light absorption layers and electrodes from various materials on a substrate, are less expensive but also less efficient. According to LG, industry experts forecast that crystalline silicon solar cells are to make up 80 percent of the global solar business in the next five years "Leveraging LG’s cumulative R&D knowledge in various photovoltaic technologies for the last three years as well as our mass manufacturing expertise will allow us to quickly become a global player in the solar cell and module manufacturing business," said Kwan Shik Cho, head of the Solar Cell Business Team at LG Electronics. Currently, the global solar industry market is valued at more than USD 10 billion dollars.

Markertek Welcomes to the Family this Week:

Take A Number Inc.
World Of Wonder
WHRO
Berkeley Rep Theater
Wireless Advanced Communications
Taco Bell Arena – Boise
Alternative Cinema
Thestreet.com
Total Webcasting
Coney Island Film Festival
Village Of Sleepy Hollow
WEWS Cleveland
DVSport Inc.
Nuphysicia Inc.
Wyoming.com
 

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