comScore Releases January 2010 U.S. Online Video Rankings.
Tuesday, March 09, 2010

According to the latest data from digital marketing intelligence and measurement company comScore, U.S. Internet users watched 32.4 billion videos in January with Google Sites ranking as the top U.S. video property with 12.8 billion videos. YouTube.com accounted for nearly 99 percent of all videos viewed at the property. Hulu ranked second with 903.1 million videos, or 2.8 percent of the all online videos viewed. Microsoft Sites ranked third with 491.8 million (1.5 percent), followed by Yahoo! Sites with 435.5 million (1.3 percent) and Viacom Digital with 361.2 million (1.1 percent). More than 173 million viewers watched an average of 187 videos per viewer during the month of January. Google Sites attracted 136.5 million unique viewers during the month (93.9 videos per viewer), followed by Yahoo! Sites with 51.5 million viewers (8.5 videos per viewer) and CBS Interactive with 41.2 million viewers, (5.3 videos per viewer). The average Hulu viewer watched 23.5 videos during the month, representing an all-time high for the property. In January, Tremor Media ranked as the top video ad network with a potential reach of 86 million viewers, or 49.6 percent of the total viewing audience. BBE ranked second with a potential reach of 78.3 million viewers (45.2 percent penetration) closely followed by Advertising.com Video Network with 77.9 million viewers (45.0 percent). comScore also noted that the top video ad networks in terms of their actual reach delivered were: BrightRoll Video Network with 27.2 percent penetration of online video viewers, SpotXchange Video Ad Network with 19.8 percent, and Tremor Media Video Network with 16.6 percent. 135.4 million viewers watched 12.7 billion videos on YouTube.com (93.4 videos per viewer) while the average Hulu viewer watched 23.5 videos, totaling 2.3 hours of videos per viewer. The company also noted that the duration of the average online video across all properties was 4.1 minutes.

Blu-ray Patent Licensing Program Announced by Four Companies.
Monday, March 08, 2010

The Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, Thomson Licensing, Toshiba Corporation and Warner Bros. Home Entertainment have announced that the companies have commenced a worldwide joint licensing program. Known as the BD4C Licensing Group, which begun on March 1, 2010, the group will offer licensing for Blu-ray ("BD") and DVD patents essential for BD decoders, BD encoders, BD players, BD read-only discs, BD recordable discs, BD drives, BD/DVD hybrid discs and BD recorders ("BD Products"), including BD Products that incorporate DVD functionality. According to BD4C, potential licensees will benefit from one-stop shopping for the essential patents owned or controlled by the four companies, which will facilitate the development of the BD market. The license portfolio consists of BD and DVD patents, owned or controlled by the four companies, that are essential for BD Products. Licenses for the portfolio will be available for products that comply with the specifications for the BD formats promulgated by the Blu-ray Disc Association. The group said interested parties are also free to negotiate separate license agreements, rather than taking a single portfolio license, with each of the four companies, which have committed to provide such licenses for their respective essential patents under fair, reasonable and nondiscriminatory terms and conditions. The companies have authorized Toshiba to act as licensor for the BD4C Licensing Group in licensing their essential BD patents for this joint licensing program. Royalties under the terms of the portfolio license will be as follows:

* BD-Video Disc --- $0.04 per disc
* BD-ROM Disc --- $0.04 per disc
* BD-R Disc --- $0.065 per disc
* BD-RE Disc --- $0.09 per disc
* BD/DVD Hybrid Disc (including BD/DVD Hybrid ROM Discs and BD/DVD Hybrid Video Discs) --- $0.08 per disc
* BD Decoder --- $1.00 per decoder, with an annual cap of
$10,000,000
* BD Encoder --- $1.50 per encoder, with an annual cap of
$15,000,000
* BD-Video Player --- $4.50 per player
* BD-Video Combo Player --- $6.00 per player
* BD Video Recorder --- $7.00 per recorder
* BD-Video Combo Recorder --- $6.00 per recorder
* BD-ROM Drive --- $4.00 per drive
* BD Recordable Disc Drive --- $6.00 per drive
* BD-ROM Combo Drive --- $5.00 per drive
* BD Combo Recordable Disc Drive --- $5.00 per drive

HDMI Releases Specification for 3D Broadcast Content.
Friday, March 05, 2010

HDMI Licensing, LLC, the agent responsible for licensing the High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) specification, this week announced, on behalf of the HDMI Founders, the release of HDMI Specification Version 1.4a featuring key enhancements for 3D applications including the addition of mandatory 3D formats for broadcast content as well as the addition of the 3D format referred to as Top-and-Bottom. The latest HDMI Specification adds key enhancements to support the market requirements for bringing broadcast 3D content into the home including the addition of Top-and-Bottom to the Specification as well as the addition Side-by-Side Horizontal and Top-and-Bottom mandatory formats for broadcast content. According to HDMI with the addition of these two mandatory formats, the HDMI Specification Version 1.4a provides a level of interoperability for devices designed to deliver 3D content over the HDMI connection allowing devices to speak a common 3D language when transmitting and receiving 3D content. The complete HDMI Specification Version 1.4a, along with the 1.4a version of the Compliance Test Specification (CTS), is available to Adopters on the HDMI Adopter Extranet. An extraction of the 3D portion of Specification Version 1.4a is available for public download on the HDMI Web site. The purpose of the extraction document is to provide public access to the 3D portion of the HDMI Specification for those companies and organizations that are not HDMI Adopters but require access to this portion of the Specification. "We published these latest enhancements to support the market need for broadcast 3D content," said Steve Venuti, president of HDMI Licensing, LLC. "When we launched 1.4 in June of 2009, we deferred the selection of mandatory 3D format(s) for broadcast content until the market direction was more clearly defined. The market has spoken and the HDMI Consortium has listened and responded to accommodate those market needs." HDMI Adopters will have 90 days from the publication of the Specification Version 1.4a to build and sell products that are compliant with 1.4a as well as pass the CTS Version 1.4a. This also applies to legacy set-top boxes that may have upgraded to use Specification Version 1.4 signaling.

Apple Sues HTC for Patent Infringement.
Thursday, March 04, 2010

Cupertino, California based Apple Inc. this week filed a lawsuit against fellow consumer electronics and smartphone maker High Tech Computer (HTC), for infringing on what Apple calls 20 patents related to the iPhone's user interface, underlying architecture and hardware. The lawsuit was filed concurrently with the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) and in U.S. District Court in Delaware. "We can sit by and watch competitors steal our patented inventions, or we can do something about it. We've decided to do something about it," said Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO. "We think competition is healthy, but competitors should create their own original technology, not steal ours." According to HTC, the Taiwanese company, the world’s largest maker of smartphones that use Google’s Android mobile operating system, including the Nexus One, has been building mobile devices including smartphones for 13 years, “and so HTC is not only a mobile technology innovator, [we] also hold a large number of patents,” the company said in a filing to the Taiwan Stock Exchange. Apple’s filing includes smartphones from HTC that use Google’s Android OS as well as some that run Microsoft’s Windows Mobile OS. HTC will work with the U.S. justice system to protect its own innovations and rights, it said, adding that it does not believe the Apple lawsuit poses a threat to its business in the short-term. Apple is credited with having reinvented the mobile phone in 2007 with its revolutionary iPhone, and again in 2008 with its pioneering App Store, which now offers more than 150,000 mobile applications in over 90 countries. Over 40 million iPhones have been sold worldwide. It is not unusual however, for technology companies to file lawsuits against each other. As popularity of smartphones increase, smartphone vendors have been actively filing lawsuits. Sometimes for legitimate claims and sometimes as a ploy to harm a rival’s business. Nokia, the world’s largest mobile phone vendor, sued Apple last October over the alleged infringement of 10 patents. Apple turned around and sued Nokia over claims of its own.

Online Film Demand Declines.
Wednesday, March 03, 2010

Hollywood's hopes for a future built on digital film downloads have been severely undermined by new research showing cooling consumer demand for movies online. The film industry was banking on digital distribution eventually replacing the income it generates from sales of DVDs, which have been in steep decline for the past two years. But while sales of digital films rose sharply in 2007 and 2008 growth stuttered in 2009, according to a recent report by Screen Digest. The media research group had forecast total online movie sales in the US of $360m for 2009, based on the sharp growth of 2007 and a near doubling of sales in 2008 to $219m. Yet after a slowdown in the second half of the year, US revenues for 2009 were substantially lower than forecast at $291m. "The market just cooled off," said Arash Amel, a research director with Screen Digest. "This wasn't caused by economic factors . . . the level of interest in digital downloads just isn't there." He believes consumers have been deterred by an array of competing online platforms that prevent viewers from watching digitally downloaded films on the devices of their choice. A consumer buying a film from Apple's iTunes store is unable to watch it on their Microsoft Xbox console, for example. "Digital downloading is characterised by its restrictions – it's all about what viewers can't do, rather than what they can do,"added Mr Amel. Hollywood has moved to address problems associated with digital distribution yet the industry is divided on the best way forward. Disney has created Keychest, which it describes as "enabling technology" that allows consumers to buy a film once and watch it anywhere. But the rest of the industry is supporting the rival Digital Entertainment Content Ecosystem coalition, which is backed by Sony Pictures. With no immediate solution in sight, the Screen Digest report is likely to make grim reading in Hollywood. The private equity and hedge fund money that poured into the industry fuelling a production boom has evaporated following the financial crisis, leaving the studios desperate for new revenue sources. While studios have made efforts to cut the pay offered to top stars, the number of films going into production in 2009 fell almost 20 per cent to 520 and is forecast to fall again this year. Screen Digest has slashed its growth forecasts for digital film sales by 30 per cent after the smaller-than-expected rise last year. 

Samsung Begins Mass Producing Super-wide LCD Panels.
Tuesday, March 02, 2010

South Korean giant, Samsung Electronics this week announced it has begun mass producing a super-wide LCD panel for out-of-home advertising and informational displays. The new 43-inch LCD panel produces images with a panoramic aspect ratio of 4:1, compared to conventional standard (4:3) or widescreen (16:9) panels. Featuring Full HD-ready (1920x480 resolution), this new super-wide panel can be utilized in subway stations, airports, shopping malls and schools, where existing standard panels are unable to effectively deliver information. In addition, the Samsung super-wide digital information display (DID) panel allows for effective delivery of related information in various formats through split screens. With the capability to run three VGA (640x480) screens at once or individually, the panel can present different combinations of video and text in contiguous displays. According to Samung, the company has already converted some of its facilities to mass-produce the super-wide LCD panels. It expects to produce 12 super-wide LCD panels per substrate on its 7th generation production line. According to DisplaySearch, a global market research firm, the market for DID LCD panels is expected to grow from 1.33 million in 2010 to 6.57 million units in 2015. It is also projected that LCD panels will account for nearly 90 percent of the DID market in 2015.

Most Americans Using Multiple Platforms for News.
Monday, March 01, 2010

According to a new survey conducted jointly by the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project and Project for Excellence in Journalism, the overwhelming majority of Americans (92%) currently use multiple platforms to get their daily news. The internet is now the third most-popular news platform, behind local and national television news and ahead of national print newspapers, local print newspapers and radio. Getting news online fits into a broad pattern of news consumption by Americans; six in ten (59%) get news from a combination of online and offline sources on a typical day. The internet and mobile technologies are key in understanding how people’s relationship to news is changing. According to the report, in today’s new multi-platform media environment, news is becoming portable, personalized, and participatory:

• Portable: 33% of cell phone owners now access news on their cell phones.

•Personalized: 28% of internet users have customized their home page to include news from sources and on topics that particularly interest them.

•Participatory: 37% of internet users have contributed to the creation of news, commented about it, or disseminated it via postings on social media sites like Facebook or Twitter.

In addition, people use their social networks and social networking technology to filter, assess, and react to news. And they use traditional email and other tools to swap stories and comment on them. Among those who get news online, 75% get news forwarded through email or posts on social networking sites and 52% share links to news with others via those means. Despite all of this online activity, the typical online news consumer routinely uses just a handful of news sites and does not have a particular favorite. However, Americans have mixed feelings about this “new” news environment. Over half (55%) say it is easier to keep up with news and information today than it was five years ago, but 70% feel the amount of news and information available from different sources is overwhelming. Report results were based on data from telephone interviews conducted by Princeton Survey Research International between December 28, 2009 and January 19, 2010, among a sample of 2,259 adults, 18 and older. Margin of error is 2.7 percentage points.

FCC Reaffirms Rules and Policies of Video Relay Service.
Friday, February 26, 2010

In a step toward comprehensive reform of Video Relay Service (VRS), the Federal Communications Commission’s Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau issued a Declaratory Ruling to reaffirm the FCC’s rules and policies concerning VRS reimbursement and calling practices, and maximize efficiency and effectiveness of this program to ensure that the communications needs of deaf and hard-of-hearing consumers are met. VRS is a form of Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) that enables deaf and hard-of hearing persons who use American Sign Language (ASL) to communicate with voice telephone users through video equipment, rather than through typed text. Video equipment links the VRS user with an operator who understands ASL and can serve as an intermediary between a person using ASL and a hearing person using his or her voice. Because the conversation between the VRS user and the operator flows much more quickly than with a text-based TRS call, VRS has become an enormously popular form of TRS. However, the Commission also recognizes that VRS is vulnerable to both fraud and abuse. As the Commission moves forward with VRS reform to address these issues, it emphasizes that the Commission is committed to ensuring that VRS continues to be readily available in accordance with the Act for those who depend upon it to access the nation’s telephone system. Bureau Chief Joel Gurin said: “Today’s action is a first step in fixing a system that is broken. It is essential to keep VRS on a sound footing. Consumers who are deaf or hard of hearing have come to rely on VRS as a service that lets them communicate easily, fluently, and expressively. The Telecommunications Relay Service Fund was established to support exactly that kind of communication. But the Fund can’t be used to support practices that are designed only to increase payments to VRS providers, rather than providing a necessary service for people who need it. We’re taking a strong first step today to stop these practices and ensure that the Fund is always used to benefit the deaf and hard-of-hearing consumers it was designed to help.” In the Declaratory Ruling, the Bureau addressed three specific reimbursement and calling practices. Specifically, the Bureau emphasized that:

• Calls made by or to employees of VRS providers and their subcontractors are not eligible for compensation from the TRS Fund on a per-minute basis. Instead, costs of these calls are compensable as a business expense – and only if the VRS provider can demonstrate that they are legitimate business calls. In the past, some providers sought compensation for these costs twice, both at the per-minute rate and as business expenses
submitted to the Fund administrator. The ruling emphasizes that these costs are compensable only as business expenses, that the expenses must be justified, and that the costs cannot be recovered twice.

• VRS Voice Carry Over (or VCO) is a service that allows a person who is deaf or hard of hearing to use his or her own voice to speak to a hearing party on a VRS call. The VRS
operator will then translate the hearing person’s response into ASL for the deaf person on the call. It is possible to abuse VCO to make free long distance calls between two
people using their voices. The ruling states that such calls cannot be paid for by the Fund.

• VRS calls that both originate and terminate outside of the United States are not compensable from the Fund.

The Commission first established the compensability of VRS from the Fund in 2000, persons who are deaf or hard of hearing and communicate in ASL have been able to make a telephone
call by connecting to a VRS provider over the Internet. This ability to make or receive a telephone call while communicating in ASL has revolutionized TRS, and, in turn, the lives of many persons who are deaf or hard of hearing. The United States is currently the second country after Sweden to federally subsidize VRS nationwide.

Cablevision to Trial 'Personal TV Channel'.
Thursday, February 25, 2010

New York based, Cablevision Systems Corp. this week announced the development of what the company calls a new, first-of-its-kind service, named PC to TV Media Relay, that will allow its digital cable customers to relay whatever information or images currently appear on their computer screen to their television in real-time, without any additional equipment in the home. Cablevision says the service will enable the customer to securely send information on their PC in real-time through Cablevision's network facilities to a dedicated channel viewable only by that customer. The service eliminates the need to change input settings on the TV, or the need to purchase and install additional equipment. A simple one-time software download to the computer will enable the PC to TV Media Relay service. According to the company, some example uses of the new service include:

• Personal stored media such as photos, home videos and
music
• Internet content including streaming video sites and audio such as Internet radio
• Some productivity applications including email, documents and spreadsheets
• And, other Desktop applications such as widgets

"With our PC to TV Media Relay service, we are putting an end to the need for families to huddle around their laptops or PCs to watch content together. This new service will make it easy for our television customers to take broadband services including Internet video, as well as family photos or anything else displayed on a computer screen and move it to the television with the click of the mouse," said Tom Rutledge, Cablevision's Chief Operating Officer. "Cablevision has always provided our customers with advanced and easy-to-use services that leverage the power of our fiber-rich network to deliver the best possible experience." Cablevision also says PC to TV Media Relay service may also be extended to other consumer devices in the home including handheld devices running applications and connected to in-home wireless networks and that the service is also in development for Mac OS. Cablevision plans to begin a technical trial of PC to TV Media Relay for the PC by June 2010.

Global LCD TV Shipments Grow Faster Than Expected.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010

At the end of 2008, the outlook for 2009 TV sales worldwide was radically scaled back after the global economy suffered a massive setback. The expected downturn in consumer demand seemed likely to make 2009 a bleak year for TV shipments. However, shipments far exceeded initial expectations as consumers snapped up discounted products. According to a recent report from DisplaySearch, global TV shipments grew 2% overall to 211 million units, and flat panel TV technologies like LCD enjoyed better growth in 2009 on a unit basis than during 2008, rising 37% vs. 34%, respectively. The final quarter of 2009 showed even stronger year-over-year (Y/Y) unit shipment growth, rising 17% Y/Y overall with LCD TVs climbing 50% Y/Y, the strongest growth in LCD TV units since Q4’07, although Q4’08 was very weak. Strong flat panel TV shipment growth in emerging markets like China (more than 100% Y/Y) led the flat panel share of total annual TV shipments to pass 75% for the first time, with more than 90% of all TV revenues. One of the key drivers of growth was the acceleration of average selling price erosion driven by cost reductions at the component level, but also by decreasing margins at the brand and retail level. Coupled with greater consumer price sensitivity that resulted in much slower average screen size growth, the global volume-weighted ASP declined more than 8% worldwide and fell as much as 24% Y/Y for LCD TVs, the largest decline since DisplaySearch began tracking the TV marketplace. “The better-than-expected 2009 results clearly demonstrate that consumers still have a strong desire to purchase flat panel TVs, but at the same time are willing to shift their buying behavior to match their budget in a recession-plagued year,” noted Paul Gagnon, Director of North America TV Market Research for DisplaySearch. “We saw a lot more compromise on size and features in 2009, with a greater number of consumers perhaps opting to upgrade smaller secondary sets and postpone getting a larger living room set than we would have seen in a normal economy.” Samsung achieved their highest revenue share ever, reaching a record 23.6% of global TV revenues in Q4’09. This high revenue share is the result of being the global leader in units as well as having a strong mix of larger screen sizes as well as leading positions in advanced technologies like LED backlit and high frame rate LCD TVs, all of which support higher average prices. Samsung has been #1 in both TV units and revenues worldwide every quarter for more than three years now, achieving a 22.6% share of 2009 full year TV revenues. LGE was the #2 brand worldwide in TV shipment revenues and demonstrated the strongest annual growth among the top five brands, an indicator of the aggressive market share growth campaign the brand undertook in 2009. Sony was #3 in global TV revenues during Q4’09 at 11.5%, up sharply from 9.9% in Q4’09, as sales for Sony surged during the holidays, typically a strong quarter for the company. Sony had the largest Q/Q shipment growth among the top five in Q4’09. However, Sony’s full year 2009 total TV revenue share was down almost 2 percentage points from 2008, to 11.5%, and is at the lowest level since 2005 when it last led the overall TV market. Panasonic and Sharp ranked fourth and fifth for global revenue, respectively.

Wal-Mart to Buy Vudu.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Retail giant, Walmart announced this week a definitive agreement to acquire VUDU, Inc., instant access provider of digital movies and TV shows directly through broadband connected televisions, Blu-ray players and set top boxes. Currently, VUDU has licensing agreements with almost every major movie studio and dozens of independent and international distributors to offer approximately 16,000 movies, including the largest 1080p library of available video on-demand movies. According to VUDU, the company will continue developing entertainment and information delivery solutions such as VUDU Apps, a platform that delivers hundreds of streaming Internet applications and services to TVs and Blu-ray players with built-in Internet connectivity. Since its founding in 2004, the company has partnered with some of the biggest names in Internet and media entertainment to offer applications on its platform including Facebook, Flickr, Twitter, The New York Times and The Associated Press. "We are excited about the opportunity to take our company's vision to the next level," said Edward Lichty, VUDU executive vice president. "VUDU's services and Apps platform will give Walmart a powerful new vehicle to offer customers the content they want in a way that expands the frontier of quality, value and convenience." VUDU, based in Santa Clara, Calif., will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Walmart. The company is not disclosing financial terms of the agreement as the acquisition is not material to its first quarter earnings for fiscal year 2011. The deal is expected to close within the next few weeks.

NAB Show Introduces Destination Broadband.
Monday, February 22, 2010

The National Association of Broadcasters has announced the 2010 NAB Show will debut Destination Broadband, a dynamic new exhibit area focusing on advances and applications for broadband technology. Featuring more than 50 leading-edge companies and a presentation theater, Destination Broadband will examine the entire online video experience within the broadband ecosystem from back end infrastructure to revolutionary technologies for the home. According to NAB, a pavilion within Destination Broadband will feature three specialized areas - Broadband Innovations, Mobile Solutions and Broadband Lifestyles, a living room-like setting for consumer products and services. The pavilion will comprise more than 25 companies showcasing the latest in content delivery network solutions, online video, IPTV, video streaming and advertising and monetization platforms enabled by broadband. "The ability of broadband technology to increase audience reach across multiple platforms, expand monetization options and make anytime, anywhere content a reality will profoundly impact the future of media and entertainment," said NAB Executive Vice President of Conventions and Business Operations Chris Brown. "We are excited to present Destination Broadband as a showcase for the companies that are leading innovation in this important area."

Some of the companies featured in Destination Broadband include:

AdJuggler, Inc.
Level-3 Communications
Ankeena Networks
Limelight Networks
AT&T
Opera Software
Backchannelmedia
MobiClip
Brightcove
Neulion
Cisco
TVUNetworks
Digisoft tv
Vericorder Technology
Internap
Verizon Wireless

Also located within Destination Broadband, the Destination Broadband Theater, sponsored by Ambrado, Inc., will offer informative discussions, case studies, research and top level insights on delivering and monetizing broadband content. The power panels featuring "Bits and Bytes" segments will also address how the evolution of broadband is changing traditional content distribution. The Destination Broadband Theater is co-produced by the Society of Satellite Professionals International, World Teleport Association, VideoNuze, Interactive Television Alliance (ITA) and other industry experts. "It's terrific to see the NAB Show stepping up to meet the challenges brought by the digital revolution. Not only is the venerable show adapting, it's aggressively pursuing innovations on the floor and in the conference," said ITA President Ben Mendelson. "Clearly, the NAB Show intends to expand its relevance within the 21st Century television and media landscape." The NAB Show will take place 10-15 April, 2010 in Las Vegas (exhibits open 12 April).

iPhone and Competitive Products to Spur NAND Flash Undersupply in 2010.
Friday, February 19, 2010

Thanks to its huge sales and high memory usage, Apple Inc.’s iPhone is expected to generate insatiable demand for NAND-type flash memory in 2010, helping to strain supplies for the year, according to market intelligence company iSuppli Corp. Partly owing to demand driven by the iPhone and competitive products, global NAND flash revenue will rise to $18.1 billion in 2010, up 34 percent from $13.5 billion in 2009, according to a preliminary forecast. This compares to a 14.8 percent increase in 2009. “An average of 35.2Gbytes of NAND will be used in each iPhone sold in 2010, iSuppli estimates,” said Michael Yang, senior analyst for memory and storage at iSuppli. “Furthermore, iPhone shipments are set to rise to 33 million in 2010, up 31.5 percent from 25.1 million in 2009. With the iPhone already the largest application for NAND, this huge growth is likely to lead to some periods of undersupply for the year.” Beyond the smart-phone segment, a number of other new products are driving the NAND market in 2010, including eBooks and tablet PCs. However, while eBooks such as the Amazon Kindle may follow a similar growth path as Apple’s iPods, they don’t use nearly as much NAND flash memory. eBooks contain a mere 512MBytes to 2GBytes of embedded NAND included in each device. And although density will no doubt grow in the coming years as wireless Internet enables more features and functionality, NAND usage in eBooks will remain low in 2010, iSuppli predicts.

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment and Redbox Announce a Multi-year Distribution Agreement.
Thursday, February 18, 2010

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Group and redbox today announced a new multi-year distribution agreement that will make Warner Bros. new release DVD and Blu-ray titles available to redbox customers after a 28-day window. The agreement also marks the end of the lawsuit that redbox filed against Warner Home Video in August 2009. According to redbox, the new arrangement provides the company with reduced product costs, sufficient quantities of product and optimal stock levels four weeks after street date as well as extends redbox’s access to Blu-ray titles, which redbox is currently testing in select markets. The agreement also provides Warner Bros. the opportunity to maximize the sales of new release titles as well as video on demand and other forms of digital distribution. “This agreement enables redbox to fulfill our commitment to providing consumers affordable and convenient home entertainment,” said Mitch Lowe, president, redbox. “By agreeing to a delayed release date, redbox can now acquire Warner Home Video titles at a reduced product cost, preserving value for our consumers and increasing customer access to Warner titles at redbox locations nationwide.” Warner Home Video and redbox will be implementing delayed availability during the month of March and will reach a four-week window by March 23, 2010. The new agreement will run through January 31, 2012. Redbox has also agreed to destroy Warner Home Video content following its life span in kiosks.

FCC Issues Order Promoting Competition in the Video Distribution Market.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010

The Federal Communications Commission has made what the agency calls an important step toward promoting competition and innovation in the video distribution market by establishing a process for considering, on a case-by-case basis, complaints about the availability of terrestrially delivered, cable- affiliated programming, addressing what is commonly referred to as the “terrestrial loophole.” These new rules allow DBS providers, telcos and other competitors to obtain more of the “must have” programming they need to offer viable alternative video packages to consumers and an opportunity to file complaints if the programming is withheld. The Order promotes competition, fosters innovation and empowers consumers, all while creating a fair process for the Commission to handle pending and new claims in a speedy and just manner. The Order concludes the Commission has authority under Section 628(b) of the Communications Act to take action if a cable operator engages in unfair acts with respect to terrestrially delivered, cable- affiliated programming that significantly hinder a multichannel video programming distributor from providing satellite cable programming to consumers. The Commission adopts a rebuttable presumption that an unfair act involving a terrestrially delivered, cable-affiliated regional sports network has the purpose or effect set forth in Section 628(b). The Order adopts rules permitting complainants to pursue program access claims similar to the claims they may pursue involving satellite-delivered, cable-affiliated programming. Because the claims involving terrestrial programming require an additional factual inquiry regarding whether the unfair act significantly hinders the complainant from providing satellite cable programming to consumers, additional time will be given to present rebuttal information. The Commission has before it a number of specific complaints alleging that cable operators have significantly hindered competition by withholding from their rivals terrestrially delivered regional sports networks. The Order does not decide those complaints but describes how they can be handled going forward. It provides that complainants may continue to pursue their complaints as filed. If, instead, a complainant wants a currently pending complaint to be considered under the new rules, it may submit a supplemental filing alleging that the defendant has engaged in an unfair act after the effective date of the rules. The Order also establishes procedures for the Commission’s consideration of requests for a temporary standstill of the price, terms, and other conditions of an existing programming contract by a program access complainant seeking renewal of such a contract. "Today’s action represents a major step toward realizing the promise of a competitive marketplace for video services -- while also supporting innovation in the video marketplace. Our new rules are structured to preserve incentives for cable operators to develop innovative programming such as local news networks. The new rules also create a fair process for the Commission to adjudicate claims" said FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski in an official statement.

DISH Network Introduces Tetris TV.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Satellite pay-TV provider, DISH Network along with Oberon Media and The Tetris Company, this week announced the launch of Tetris TV, a new interactive TV game service. According to DISH, Tetris TV features two popular Tetris games: Marathon and 40-Lines. Marathon has 15 challenging levels of game play, and 40-Lines is a race to clear 40 lines in as fast a time as possible. With a 25 year history, the Tetris game continues to be one of the most widely recognized video games of all time. According to some researchers, the game is an excellent tool for neuroscience research and has been used in over 30 scientific studies. Research published in 2009 in BMC Research Notes found that study participants who played Tetris showed increased brain efficiency and, relative to controls, an increase in brain tissue. "Working with Oberon Media to release Tetris TV allows us to reach millions of our fans in yet another way," said Henk Rogers, CEO of Blue Planet Software, the company that manages the exclusive licensing rights to the Tetris game. "Interactive TV is an exciting venture for us, as we're always hoping to give Tetris players a unique way to enjoy the game on their own and while interacting with each other. What's better, a study published this year by BMC Research Notes showed how playing Tetris can create positive changes in our brains--so we're happy to say that now, with the release of the Tetris TV service, TV could be good for you!" DISH said future releases of the Tetris TV service will allow subscribers to be able to compete with other DISH Network subscribers by posting their names and scores to national leader boards managed by Oberon Media's iTV community as well as tournaments and prizes for top players. Tetris TV is currently available to all North American DISH Network customers for $2.99 per month. Oberon said it is planning to roll out the service with additional partners worldwide.

Fujitsu Develops World's Highest Efficiency A/D Converter.
Monday, February 15, 2010

As mobile phones and digital devices have become higher-performance and continuously feature higher functionality in recent years, there has been demand for A/D converters that are concurrently compact and more power-efficient. In digital equipment, the A/D converter often accounts for a large share of the equipment's total power consumption, making it an obvious target for technologies that can reduce power consumption. Most A/D converters used in digital devices and mobile phones today are pipelined A/D converters used to amplify signals. Fujitsu Laboratories Ltd. last week announced the development of a successive-approximation-register (SAR) analog-to-digital converter (A/D converter) that detects variations in electronic characteristics and automatically compensates for them, achieving performance on par with existing pipelined A/D converters, while reducing both the size and power consumption by 90% or one-tenth (1/10) that of previously-developed A/D converters. Smaller, more efficient A/D converters have ramifications beyond the performance of the A/D converter itself. The system LSI device that the A/D converter is a part of can also be made smaller and more power-efficient, having a significant effect on the power efficiency of the device overall. According to the company, the new SAR A/D converter features 10-bit resolution and a 50 megasamples-per-second (MS/s) conversion rate. This attained the lowest power consumption (highest power efficiency) of any A/D converter in this class of 820 µW. Fujitsu said it will proceed to further develop this technology for application in digital home appliances, mobile phones and digital TV tuners and will also work on adapting the technology to further miniaturization processes, and plans to use the technology in various other analog circuits as well. Details of this technology were presented at the IEEE International Solid-State Circuits Conference 2010 (ISSCC 2010) being held in San Francisco from February 7-11.

Online Video Not Yet A Threat to Pay TV.
Friday, February 12, 2010

Despite the growing amount of video available online, less than 8% of U.S. broadband households are considering canceling their pay-TV services in favor of online video, according to a recent report from research and analysis firm Parks Associates. According to Parks, the results from the report, All Eyes on Video are in line with previous Parks Associates studies, which do not show an appreciable likelihood of subscriber churn in favor of online video services. A 2008 study reported 11% of U.S. broadband households were considering canceling pay-TV services, and in an earlier 2009 survey, the number was 10%. The report found approximately 5.5 million homes would be open to canceling pay TV due in part to the availability of online video. At the same time, one-half of these households are also considering a switch to a new pay-TV provider, indicating the primary threats to companies such as Verizon, Comcast, DirecTV, and Cablevision are still their traditional competitors. The households likely to switch or cancel their services watch a whopping 10 hours of online video each week, much higher than typical video consumers. They express strong interest in having online access to pay-TV channels (e.g., TV Everywhere), which highlights an opportunity for traditional pay-TV providers to solidify their base through the deployment of such features. Offline video consumption is also higher. Their median number of DVD rentals from the last six months is 18, compared to two rentals among other households. "The threat of cannibalization is real but misunderstood," said John Barrett, director, research, Parks Associates. "Nobody is going to rely on online video alone—households likely to cancel their TV services are going to use a mixture of online video, free-to-air broadcasts, and DVDs, including rental services such as Netflix and redbox." Barrett also discounted the immediate threat of migration to online video. "Very few households have made the switch, a sign that the alternative is not yet compelling. Just 0.5% of broadband households (350,000 homes) had pay TV, cancelled it, and now watch five or more hours of online video per week. People who have made the switch to online video are few in number, and they don’t watch much TV anyway." All Eyes on Video surveyed U.S. and Canadian broadband households to gauge current consumer usage and attitudes for advanced video devices and services. Parks Associates will release results and analysis of the Canadian survey late February 2010.

Google to Launch Experimental Fiber Network.
Thursday, February 11, 2010

Everything giant, Google has announced this week that the company is planning to build and test its own ultra high-speed broadband networks in a small number of trial locations across the United States. At a speed of 1 gigabit per second, the fiber-to-the-home connections from Google will deliver Internet connectivity nearly 100 times faster than what most Americans have access to today. According to Google, its goal is to experiment with new ways to help make Internet access better and faster for everyone. The company has urged the FCC to look at new and creative ways to get there in its National Broadband Plan. Here are some specific things Google has in mind:

Next generation apps - We want to see what developers and users can do with ultra high-speeds, whether it's creating new bandwidth-intensive "killer apps" and services, or other uses we can't yet imagine.

New deployment techniques - We'll test new ways to build fiber networks, and to help inform and support deployments elsewhere, we'll share key lessons learned with the world.

Openness and choice - We'll operate an "open access" network, giving users the choice of multiple service providers. And consistent with our past advocacy, we'll manage our network in an open, non-discriminatory and transparent way.

Google says it will offer the service at a competitive price to at least 50,000 and potentially up to 500,000 people. From now until March 26th, the company is asking interested municipalities to provide it with information about their communities through a Request For Information (RFI), which will be used to determine where to build the new network. The new networks are expected to begin service later this year.

Netflix Headed to Nintendo’s Wii Console This Spring.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Nintendo of America Inc. and Netflix, Inc. have announced an agreement that will allow Netflix members who are also owners of Nintendo’s Wii home console to instantly watch thousands of movies and TV episodes streamed from Netflix directly to their televisions. The partnership between the two companies will extend the reach of content streamed from Netflix farther than ever before, thanks to the mainstream popularity of the Wii console. Wii remains the fastest-selling home console in history, and according to Netflix, reaches more consumers than any other device that currently supports streaming movies from the company. In December 2009, Nintendo sold well in excess of 3 million Wii consoles in the United States. "Our research shows that 86 percent of all U.S. Wii consoles are located in the living room," said Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime. "The Wii console is the social hub around which friends and family members gather to play games and have fun. Soon both new and longtime Wii owners will enjoy the benefits of Netflix – and a variety of informational and entertainment options – by being Netflix members and connecting their consoles to the Internet." To enable their systems to stream content from Netflix, Wii owners will need a Netflix instant-streaming disc for the Wii console, which will be available at no additional cost to Netflix subscribers. The free disc looks and operates the same as a disc-based Wii game, and the entire user experience and is intended to feel natural and intuitive to Wii console owners. Using the Wii Remote controller, members will be able to choose a movie or TV episode to watch from their instant Queues or pick one directly from any of the lists. They will also have the ability to read synopses and rate movies, and will have the option of fast-forwarding and rewinding their selection. While no exact date was mentioned, Netflix said it is scheduled to go live on the Wii console this spring in the United States at no additional cost to Netflix members who have a plan starting at $8.99 a month, a Wii console and a broadband Internet connection.

Sharp and Samsung Settle LCD Patent Disputes.
Tuesday, February 09, 2010

This week, Sharp Corporation and Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. signed a settlement agreement to end ongoing patent infringement disputes over LCD panels and modules. Since 2007, each company had brought lawsuits against the other in the U.S., Japan, Korea, and Europe, alleging that each company infringes on the other's patents for LCD panels and modules. In March 2008, the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) instituted an investigation based on a complaint filed by Sharp. Sharp's complaint alleged violations of its LCD patents and was seeking to ban the imports of certain liquid crystal display devices and products produced by Samsung into the United States. The Commission later announced in favor of Sharp. As a result, the Commission banned the unlicensed entry of Samsung's LCD devices, including specific display panels and modules and products to the U.S.. Samsung was also not allowed to advertise and distribute products that infringe Sharp's patents. The latest lawsuits were filed against Sharp for "infringing 3 patents related to liquid crystal technology," with Samsung not willing to disclose more details. However, based on this settlement, all lawsuits will be promptly withdrawn, bringing an end to all patent infringement litigation between the two companies. According to Sharp, this settlement will allow the two companies to mutually utilize the disputed patents relating to LCD panels and modules, owned worldwide by each company. The company said it will continue to further strive for innovation in the field of advanced LCD displays to meet market demand.

Sony Develops Wireless Intra-Connection Technology.
Monday, February 08, 2010

Tokyo based Sony Corporation today announced the development of millimeter-wave wireless intra-connection technology that realizes high speed wireless data transfer inside electronic products such as television sets. By replacing complicated wires and internal circuitry with wireless connections, this technology enables a reduction in the size and cost of the IC and other components used in electronics products, delivering advantages such as size and cost-reduction and enhanced reliability of the final product. The advancing functionality of today's electronics products requires ever increasing quantities of internal data transfer. Once wired connections approach the limit of their data capacity, additional circuitry is required to facilitate larger data transfers, however this leads to the issue of increasingly complicated IC packages, intricately printed circuit boards, and larger IC sizes. According to Sony, this new wireless intra-connection system is based on millimeter-wave wireless data transfer technology. Millimeter-wave refers to electromagnetic waves with a frequency of 30GHz to 300GHz, and wavelength between 1mm to 10mm. With their high frequency, millimeter-waves are suited to ultra high speed data transfer, while a further advantage is their ability to transfer data using only very small antennas. The high frequency technologies used in this system also draw on the company's years of experience in the field of wireless communications and broadcast products. Specifically, Sony has integrated highly energy efficient millimeter-wave circuits on 40nm-CMOS-LSIs (with an active footprint of just 0.13mm2 including both the transmitter and receiver), to realize high speed, 11Gbps data transfer over a distance of 14mm using antennas approximately 1mm in size. By replacing physical circuitry in electronics products with high speed wireless connections, this new data transfer technology reduces the number of wired connections and minimizes IC use, to simplify the IC package and printed circuit board. Furthermore, because the data transfer occurs without contact, this enhances the reliability of movable and detachable parts within the product. Sony said it will proceed with efforts to adopt this technology in a range of electronics products, while continuing its development to meet ever-increasing data-rate requirements. The new technology will be presented at ISSCC 2010, to be held in San Francisco, California from February 7th - 11th 2010.

IBM Scientists Demonstrate World's Fastest Graphene Transistor.
Friday, February 05, 2010

In a just-published paper in the magazine Science, IBM researchers demonstrated a radio-frequency graphene transistor with the highest cut-off frequency achieved so far for any graphene device - 100 billion cycles/second (100 GigaHertz). This accomplishment is a key milestone for the Carbon Electronics for RF Applications (CERA) program funded by DARPA, in an effort to develop next-generation communication devices. The high frequency record was achieved using wafer-scale, epitaxially grown graphene using processing technology compatible to that used in advanced silicon device fabrication. "A key advantage of graphene lies in the very high speeds in which electrons propagate, which is essential for achieving high-speed, high-performance next generation transistors," said Dr. T.C. Chen, vice president, Science and Technology, IBM Research. "The breakthrough we are announcing demonstrates clearly that graphene can be utilized to produce high performance devices and integrated circuits." Graphene is a single atom-thick layer of carbon atoms bonded in a hexagonal honeycomb-like arrangement. This two-dimensional form of carbon has unique electrical, optical, mechanical and thermal properties and its technological applications are being explored intensely. Uniform and high-quality graphene wafers were synthesized by thermal decomposition of a silicon carbide (SiC) substrate. The graphene transistor itself utilized a metal top-gate architecture and a novel gate insulator stack involving a polymer and a high dielectric constant oxide. The gate length was modest, 240 nanometers, leaving plenty of space for further optimization of its performance by scaling down the gate length. It is noteworthy that the frequency performance of the graphene device already exceeds the cut-off frequency of state-of-the-art silicon transistors of the same gate length (~ 40 GigaHertz). Similar performance was obtained from devices based on graphene obtained from natural graphite, proving that high performance can be obtained from graphene of different origins. Previously, the team had demonstrated graphene transistors with a cut-off frequency of 26 GigaHertz using graphene flakes extracted from natural graphite.

3D Outdoor Advertising Arrives at New York's Grand Central Station.
Thursday, February 04, 2010

Outdoor advertising firm, CBS Outdoor and 3D display and visualization product maker N4D have teamed up to launch Grand Central Station's first 3D digital signage campaign. A first in digital outdoor advertising, the centerpiece of the campaign is a 14 foot screen displaying commercials in physiologically correct 3D. According to CBS Outdoor, brand ambassadors will be distributing special 3D glasses to the approximately 70,000 commuters that pass by the display every day. N4D estimates that over 1,000,000 viewers will see the 3D spots, which feature a voice-over performance by Academy Award-winning actor Morgan Freeman. To develop the famous Manhattan terminal's 3D display, N4D partnered with digital projection experts Christie and Lightspeed Design Inc's DepthQ. Christie is providing a true high definition 3D active stereo projector, the Christie Mirage HD6. CEO of N4D, Clif Parker explained "N4D's goal is to change the way the world views information. N4D's 20 years of research offer a new paradigm - 3D for extended daily use. This 3D technology provides CBS Outdoor with a definite edge in the signage industry. It also ensures that their customers and viewers of the 3D advertisements will enjoy the world's most comfortable 3D experience." There will also be 3D dioramas scattered throughout the station that will be running throughout the day and appear dimensional to the naked eye, giving the impression you can see around certain elements of the creative. The campaign, which will span the entire month of February, includes more than 100 pieces of client media elements throughout the station. The 3D commercials will be shown daily from 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM while other broadcast commercials will be shown at all other times.

Panasonic Establishes First Blu-ray 3D Authoring Facility.
Wednesday, February 03, 2010

Following on the announcement of a broad range of Full HD 3D TV products, from VIERA consumer 3D TVs to a Prosumer Full HD 3D camcorder, at the recently concluded Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Panasonic this week announced the opening of its fully operational Blu-ray 3D Advanced Authoring Center located at Panasonic’s R&D facility, Panasonic Hollywood Laboratory. The Advanced Authoring Center was recently upgraded and equipped with the latest 3D technological innovations, based on standards developed by the Blu-ray Disc Association. The Center now offers studios and filmmakers Blu-ray 3D image processing, interactive programming, as well as authoring and disc certification services, which are capable of making Blu-ray 3D Discs. According to the company, before the Blu-ray 3D specifications were finalized within the Blu-ray Disc Association, Panasonic Hollywood Laboratory collaborated with studios and the creative community in Hollywood to conduct Blu-ray 3D encoding as well as menu and subtitle authoring trials. This type of early collaboration and research, Panasonic says, has given the Advanced Authoring Center expertise in guiding and advising companies during the key early planning stages of a Blu-ray 3D title. "Given Panasonic Hollywood Laboratory’s vast experience with HD image processing, we are confident that we lead the industry with MPEG-4 MVC (Multiview Video Coding) 3D image compression technology," said Jeannine Patton, Vice President & General Manager of the Advanced Authoring Center. "This laboratory, located as we are in the world’s entertainment capital, is proud to offer the filmmaking community the industry’s first complete, end-to-end Blu-ray 3D encoding and authoring facility. Blu-ray 3D is an exciting new space for the home entertainment industry and our early research and collaboration was extremely helpful in determining what will provide the most compelling experience and optimum performance when designing for Blu-ray 3D." Panasonic said the facility will have Blu-ray 3D Discs commercially available as early as Spring 2010.

FCC Budget Proposed for Fiscal Year 2011.
Tuesday, February 02, 2010

The Federal Communications Commission has announced the President has submitted a budget to Congress that proposes fiscal year 2011 funding for the FCC of $352.5 million. According to the buget, the requested FY 2011 funding level would include monies to implement the National Broadband Plan; continue to manage the nation’s spectrum use; overhaul the Commission’s data systems and processes; continue to improve the FCC’s operations using improved technology; support the Commission’s public safety and cyber-security role; strengthen the Commission’s consumer information programs; and enhance the FCC’s role as a strong advocate for U.S. interests internationally. "With the President’s proposed budget, the FCC can continue its important work of supporting and enhancing the nation’s economic growth by promoting innovation and investment throughout the telecommunications and information technology industries," said Steven VanRoekel, Managing Director of the FCC.
The FY 2011 budget proposal includes these initiatives:

- Continuing the work of the National Broadband Plan and broadband map;
- Implementation of a spectrum inventory initiative and emergency response interoperability
center;
- State-of-the-art consumer information programs, seizing the opportunities provided by new
media and advanced information technology;
- New investment in the people and technology necessary to overhaul the agency’s antiquated
systems for data collection, processing, analysis, and dissemination;
- New expertise and new tools required to ensure that the FCC is able to be a model of excellence, openness, and transparency domestically and internationally.

The request would also provide funds to cover mandatory increases in salaries and benefits and inflationary increases for contractual services. The complete copy of the Commission’s FY 2011 budget submission is available on the FCC’s Web site at: www.fcc.gov.

NAB Unveils Redesigned NAB.org.
Monday, February 01, 2010

The National Association of Broadcasters today unveiled a redesigned Web site featuring improved navigation, integrated issue pages, and increased multimedia resources. The online overhaul encompasses both NAB.org and NABEF.org, the Web site for the NAB Education Foundation. Key features for the new Web sites include:

Improved navigation - The NAB.org redesign boasts improved navigation that helps users find content faster, including new Radio and Television pages accessible from the main navigation bar.
Legislative and regulatory issues pages - An online Advocacy section, featuring an overview of key regulatory and legislative issues, is now accessible from the main navigation bar. Updated content from the NAB.org Newsroom, including news releases and position statements, is seamlessly integrated into each issue page.
Newsroom upgrade - News releases, position statements and multimedia resources, including high-resolution photographs, are accessible in the NAB.org newsroom. New to the online newsroom is a filter function that allows visitors to view news releases related to a specific topic or issue. Visitors can also subscribe to a RSS feed for updated NAB news releases and legal filings.
NAB member offerings - NAB members will be given password-protected access to exclusive member-only content, including newsletters and counsel memos.

According to the association, these latest changes are just a few of the significant enhancements it has planned for the site, and there are plenty more coming in the next few weeks. In the meantime, the NAB asks that you please feel free to share your comments, suggestions and questions by emailing them at nab@nab.org.

U.S. Team Assesses Haiti's Communications Needs.
Friday, January 29, 2010

A U.S. team is on-the-ground in Haiti evaluating the status of the country’s communications infrastructure and services following the devastating earthquake that struck Haiti on January 12th. The team was deployed in response to a request from Director General Montàigne Marcelin of Conseil National des Télécommunications (Conatel), the communications agency in Haiti, in coordination with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). "The resilience of the Haitian people through this devastating disaster has been remarkable," said USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah, M.D. "The ability for the government, small businesses, medical providers, relief workers and families to communicate easily is essential going forward. We appreciate the generosity of the FCC to immediately lend its expertise in assessing the damage and working alongside the Haitians to accelerate the rebuilding." FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski said, "I am grateful that the FCC can lend a helping hand in the Haitian relief effort by providing on-the-ground support and expertise. The FCC team, led by International Bureau Chief Mindel De La Torre, will continue to work with Conatel and local Haitian telecommunications providers to come up with practical and sound options for restoring communications services to the people of Haiti." Speaking from Port-au-Prince, Ms. De La Torre said, "After seeing the destruction of the country, and particularly the telecommunications infrastructure, I have a much better understanding of the monumental task to keep communications up and running in such a difficult environment. What is clear is that the communications sector is making a huge difference on a day-to-day basis for Haitians struggling with tremendous personal and property losses. We are honored to be working hand-in-hand with Conatel on the critical task of restoring communications services to our neighbors in Haiti and to all sectors of the country’s economy." International Bureau Chief De La Torre, along with Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau (PSHSB) Chief Engineer, William Lane, Ph.D., is working closely with Conatel to identify the communications needs and priorities of the Haitian government, to assess damage to key communications facilities and services, and to evaluate options for restoration of services. In addition to the IB Chief and PSHSB Chief Engineer, the FCC team includes three staff who initially deployed to Haiti days after the earthquake to support a FEMA Mobile Emergency Response Team, two additional FCC engineers, and two industry experts. Combined, the communications sector assessment team brings decades of technical, regulatory and disaster- recovery experience across the communications sector to the people of Haiti. The FCC will provide periodic updates on the team’s activities on the "Helping Haiti" blog at www.fcc.gov/blog.

Tuning-In for the Big Commercials.
Thursday, January 28, 2010

The majority of Super Bowl viewers enjoy the game’s ads more than the action on the field, according to results of a survey released by the Nielsen Company. Fifty-one percent of those questioned said they most enjoy the commercials that air throughout the game when compared to the Super Bowl game itself. Forty-nine percent said that they enjoy the game more than the ads. The poll was one of many new findings Nielsen released in a comprehensive study of the trends and effectiveness of paid Super Bowl advertising. Other Super Bowl insights uncovered by Nielsen include:

• Ads that run early in the game are better remembered and better liked than those airing later in the game.
• A "winning" spot can vary depending on an advertiser’s goals and target demographics.
• Traffic to advertiser Web sites spiked on the day after last year’s Super Bowl.
• In the last five years, the biggest Super Bowl advertiser is Anheuser-Busch, which spent over $100 million on its Bud and Bud Light brands alone.

"This survey reinforces the value of the Super Bowl as a marketing bonanza, featuring one of the most receptive TV audiences in the world," said Randall Beard, executive vice president of Nielsen IAG. "With so many viewers waiting for the pitch, the pressure is on advertisers to create and place ads that will have a lasting impact." According to Nielsen, results were based on a sample of over 25,000 households in Nielsen’s Homescan panel. This year's big game (and commercials) airs Sunday, February 7, 2010.

Samsung Electronics to Begin Mass Producing 3D TV Panels.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Korean electronics and appliance maker Samsung has announced it has become the first company to commence mass production of panels for 3D LED TVs and 3D LCD TVs. The company began producing LED and LCD compatible panels for 40-inch, 46-inch and 55-inch full-HD 3D TVs using ‘3D Active Glasses’ this month, employing Samsung’s exclusive true 240Hz technology. According to the Samsung, by incorporating true 240Hz technology, operating at 240 frames per second, Samsung’s panels deliver a more lifelike picture with alternating left and right eye images through the use of 3D Active Glasses technology. Samsung has reduced the response time of its LCD and LED panels by 20 percent to less than four milliseconds, eliminating any interference between left and right eye images. With this improved response time, Samsung is able to achieve natural 3D images and also deliver 2D pictures capturing rapid movement with exceptional clarity. Samsung’s new 3D Active Glasses technology first blocks the left and then right lens, causing a momentary lag when images are shown to each eye to achieve more lifelike 3D images. The term, ‘3D Active Glasses,’ was selected as an official term by the Glasses Standardization Working Group of the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) earlier this year. The polarized glass method previously used in 3D glasses produced separate images for the left and right eyes, resulting in half the resolution of two-dimensional pictures as only half of the screen can be viewed through each polarized filter. Brightness was also lowered because of the polarized filter. "Recently, 3D displays have captured the industry spotlight," said Wonkie Chang, president of the LCD Business at Samsung Electronics. "Samsung Electronics aims to lead the global 3D TV panel market in pioneering panel mass production for 3D LED and LCD TVs." According to a market research firm, DisplaySearch, the 3D display market is expected to grow from $902 million in 2008 to $22 billion in 2018. The 3D TV market is expected to expand to a $17-billion market, with sales increasing from 200,000 units in 2009 to 64 million units in 2018.

Fujifilm and IBM Set New Record in Magnetic Tape Data Density.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010

FUJIFILM Canada, Inc. this week announced that in cooperation with IBM, they have demonstrated a world record in data density on linear magnetic tape - a density of 29.5 billion bits per square inch with magnetic tape media developed using the BaFe particle. The demonstration points to the possibility of developing a single tape cartridge capable of holding 35 terabytes of uncompressed data - at least 44 times the amount of data that the current Generation 4 LTO Ultrium data cartridge holds. According to the company, dramatic increases in the volume of data that enterprises generate, transfer and store today has driven the need for increased, reliable storage media. In order to further expand the storage capacity of tape media, it has become necessary to increase recording density by using smaller and smaller metal particles. “This process of metal particle micrification becomes challenging because of the risks of losing the high coercivity that is essential for high recording density,” said Norio Shibata, President & CEO, Fujifilm Recording Media USA, Inc. “Fujifilm is the first media manufacturer to overcome this challenge of maintaining high coercivity with the development of its micrified BaFe particle, which delivers superior storage with lower noise and higher frequency characteristics than other metal particles.” Fujifilm first demonstrated the technology’s superiority with IBM in its 2006 demonstration achieving a world record in data density on linear magnetic tape. Employing its advanced NANOCUBIC technology, Fujifilm succeeded in micro-particulation of the BaFe particle to 1600nm³, the equivalent of one-third of the current metal particle volume, uniformly dispersed and coated on a super smooth thin magnetic layer. This next generation version of Nanocubic technology uses a new ultra-fine, perpendicularly-oriented barium-ferrite magnetic medium that enables high-density data recording without using expensive metal sputtering or evaporation coating methods. Because Fujifilm’s new technology orients the particles in a perpendicular fashion and controls disposition at nanometer levels, it has also improved the tape’s running stability. Together with IBM’s new servo format pattern, new signal processing technology, and low-friction head technology, Fujifim’s technology improved areal density dramatically, and achieved a density of 29.5 billion bits per square inch. "This exciting achievement shows that tape storage is alive and strong and will continue to provide users reliable data protection, while maintaining a cost advantage over other storage technologies, including hard disk drives and flash,” said Cindy Grossman, Vice President, IBM Tape and Archive Storage Systems. According to Grossman, on a per gigabyte basis, tape-based storage systems can cost a fraction of what comparable hard disk storage systems cost and unlike disks which typically spin continuously, tape cartridges in a library slot or on a shelf do not consume energy, which can make tape systems a highly energy efficient solution.

AOL Acquires StudioNow Online Video Platform.
Monday, January 25, 2010

AOL Inc. today announced that it has acquired video creation and distribution company StudioNow Inc. According to the company, the acquisition will allow AOL to integrate a fully functional video creation platform into its newly-launched content management system, Seed.com. StudioNow will also continue to develop its existing business as a provider of online video creation, management, storage and syndication services to commercial companies. Founded in January 2007 with headquarters in Nashville, TN, StudioNow partners with blue chip, mid-sized and local companies to create, store, and manage content and syndicate it to online video channels and portals. The company connects clients with its more than 3,000 freelance filmmakers, editors, animators, voice talent and writers/producers to create quality, professional video at an affordable price. In 2009, StudioNow was selected for inclusion on the AlwaysOn Global 250 Top Private Companies List, which honors private, emerging technology companies that create new business opportunities in high-growth markets. AOL also expects to leverage StudioNow's technology and resources to complement the ongoing work of its in-house studios, both for AOL productions, which creates original video programming such as AOL Sessions, Unscripted, Moviefone Minute and the Engadget Show, and for its branded advertising and content partners. “The distributed production capabilities offered by StudioNow, combined with our in-house production studio and video resources, help position AOL to capitalize even more fully on the projected growth of video as it establishes itself as a key form of brand advertising in the digital space,” said Tim Armstrong, AOL CEO and Chairman. The acquisition of StudioNow closed on January 22 and was valued at $36.5 million in cash and stock with a portion of the cash paid out over multiple years.

YouTube Announces HTML5 Supported Videos.
Friday, January 22, 2010

Video sharing giant YouTube has announced the release of an experimental version of an HTML5-supported player. According to the company's official blog, HTML5 is a new web standard that is gaining popularity rapidly and adds many new features to the web experience. Most notably for YouTube users, HTML5 includes support for video and audio playback. This means that users with an HTML5 compatible browser, and support for the proper audio and video codecs can watch a video without needing to download a browser plugin. YouTube says support for HTML5 is an early experiment, and there are some limitations. HTML5 on YouTube doesn't support videos with ads, captions, or annotations and it requires a browser that supports both the video tag and h.264 encoded video (currently that means Chrome, Safari, and ChromeFrame on Internet Explorer). To try it out, go to the HTML5 page via TestTube or visit this page and join the experiment. This will enable HTML5 video for your browser, provided that it's one of the browsers mentioned above and fits in with the parameters referenced. (If you've opted in to other experiments, you may not get the HTML5 player.) You can also enable Feather watch along with HTML5 video for an even faster YouTube experience. The company also said that it will be expanding the capabilities of the player in the future, and improved versions are expected in the months to come.

3D-Capable TVs to Achieve More Than 1.2M Shipments in 2010.
Thursday, January 21, 2010

Closing out on a year in which average selling prices for TVs are expected to fall for the first time since the flat panel TV transition began, TV manufacturers are building new combinations to re-value their products and retain consumer interest. In the newly launched Quarterly TV Design and Features Report, DisplaySearch research indicates that LED backlighting and 240 Hz LCDs will serve as enabling technologies for new feature developments in TVs in 2010, specifically for 3D TVs, an area of intense interest to TV manufacturers. DisplaySearch forecasts 3D-ready TVs will grow from 0.2 million units in 2009 to 64 million units in 2018. “We have passed the first hurdle,” said Paul Gray, DisplaySearch Director of TV Electronics Research. “The critical Blu-ray 3D specification is written, but now comes the hard work of securing interoperability. Consumers will want reassurance that such things as 3D glasses will interoperate between brands. Retailers will also have the same demand to allow a thriving accessory market to develop. The next stage is less glamorous but vital to secure 3D’s long-term value. We have seen 3D crazes before, and sustained attention to detail is important to prevent disillusionment from starting. The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) demonstrated that Internet-connected TVs have finally come of age,” Gray added. “While in the past connected TV sets have seemed to be a solution in search of a problem, compelling new capabilities such as family video calling not only reinforce the TV’s central position in the home, but also represent a bold move to reclaim some of the tasks swallowed by the PC.” DisplaySearch forecasts that over 70 million connected TVs will be shipped in 2012—up from around 15 million in 2009.

Less than 10% of IPv4 Addresses Remain.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Amsterdam based, Number Resource Organization (NRO), the official representative of the five Regional Internet Registries (RIRs) that oversee the allocation of all Internet number resources, announced this week that less than 10 percent of available IPv4 addresses remain unallocated. This small pool of existing IP addresses marks a critical moment in IPv4 address exhaustion, ultimately impacting the future network operations of all businesses and organizations around the globe. Internet Protocol is a set of technical rules that defines how devices communicate over a network. There are currently two versions of IP, IPv4 and IPv6. IPv6 includes a modern numbering system that provides a much larger address pool than IPv4. With so few IPv4 addresses remaining, the NRO is urging all Internet stakeholders to take immediate action by planning for the necessary investments required to deploy IPv6. "Many decision makers don’t realize how many devices require IP addresses - mobile phones, laptops, servers, routers, the list goes on,” said Raul Echeberria, Secretary of the NRO. "The number of available IPv4 addresses is shrinking rapidly, and if the global Internet community fails to recognize this, it will face grave consequences in the very near future. As such, the NRO is working to educate everyone, from network operators to top executives and government representatives, about the importance of IPv6 adoption,” added Echeberria. The NRO’s current campaign to promote the next generation of Internet Protocol continues to positively impact the Internet community. IPv6 allocations increased by nearly 30% in 2009, as community members continued to recognize the benefits of IPv6. IP addresses are allocated by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA), a contract operated by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). IANA distributes IP addresses to RIRs, who in turn issue them to users in their respective regions. "This is the time for the Internet community to act,” said Rod Beckstrom, ICANN’s President and Chief Executive Officer. "For the global Internet to grow and prosper without limitation, we need to encourage the rapid widespread adoption of the IPv6 protocol.”

FCC Clears 700 MHz Frequency.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010

The Federal Communications Commission has adopted an Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking prohibiting the further distribution and sale of devices that operate in the 700 MHz frequency. According to the FCC, this action helps complete an important component of the DTV Transition by clearing the 700 MHz band to enable the rollout of communications services for public safety and the deployment of next generation 4G wireless devices for consumers. The order will primarily impact the use of wireless microphone systems that currently operate in the 700 MHz band. These unlicensed devices cannot continue to operate in this band because they may cause harmful interference to public safety entities and next generation consumers devices that will be utilizing the 700 MHz frequency. Thus, the Commission is making clear that no devices utilizing this frequency may be sold or distributed. In order to ensure that individuals and groups currently using unauthorized devices in this band have ample time to transition to appropriate frequencies, the FCC is providing a sunset period until June 12, 2010, one year from the DTV Transition. The Commission is also unveiling an aggressive consumer outreach plan in order to assist consumers who have previously purchased wireless microphone systems and other related devices that utilized the 700 MHz band. Through the Commission’s website, www.fcc.gov/cgb/wirelessmicrophones, consumers can learn whether their wireless device is currently operating in the prohibited band and whether their devices may be returned to operate on another band. Consumers may also call 1-800-CALL-FCC to ask questions regarding this transition.

comScore Releases December 2009 U.S. Search Engine Rankings.
Monday, January 18, 2010

According to the monthly qSearch analysis of the U.S. search marketplace from digital measurements company comScore, in December 2009 Americans conducted 14.7 billion searches - up 2 percent from November. Google Sites led the U.S. core search market in December with 65.7 percent (nearly 9.7 billion searches) of the searches conducted, followed by Yahoo! Sites - 17.3 percent (2.5 billion), and Microsoft Sites - 10.7 percent (1.6 billion). Ask Network captured 3.7 (5645 million) percent of the search market, followed by AOL LLC with 2.6 percent (383 million). While Google remained virtually unchanged from its 65.6 percent in November, Microsoft Sites however were up 0.4 percentage points versus the previous month. In the December analysis of the top properties where search activity is observed, Google Sites led the search market with more than 14.0 billion search queries, followed by Yahoo! Sites with 2.6 billion queries and Microsoft Sites with 1.6 billion searches. Bing experienced large growth during the month with a 6-percent increase in query volume to nearly 1.4 billion searches. eBay and Amazon Sites experienced gains in December as retail search activity picked up during the holiday season.

comScore's qSearch analysis is based on the five major search engines including partner searches and cross-channel searches. Searches for mapping, local directory, and user-generated video sites that are not on the core domain of the five search engines are not included in the core search numbers.

Kodak Alleges Patent Infringement by Apple and RIM.
Friday, January 15, 2010

The Eastman Kodak Company announced today that it has filed lawsuits against Apple Inc. and Research In Motion Limited (RIM) alleging the infringement of Kodak digital imaging technology. The Kodak complaint, filed with the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC), specifically claims that Apple’s iPhones and RIM’s camera-enabled BlackBerry devices infringe a Kodak patent that covers technology related to a method for previewing images. Separately, Kodak filed two suits today against Apple in U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York that claim the infringement of patents related to digital cameras and certain computer processes. "Kodak has a long history of digital imaging innovation and we have invested hundreds of millions of dollars creating our industry-leading patent portfolio,” said Laura G. Quatela, Chief Intellectual Property Officer, and Vice President, Eastman Kodak Company. "In the case of Apple and RIM, we’ve had discussions for years with both companies in an attempt to resolve this issue amicably, and we have not been able to reach a satisfactory agreement. In light of that, we are taking this action to ensure that we protect the interests of our shareholders and the existing licensees of our technology. On Dec. 17, in an action involving Samsung and Kodak, an ITC Administrative Law Judge issued a ruling declaring that the Kodak patent covering color image preview (No. 6,292,218) was valid and enforceable, and that Samsung’s camera-enabled mobile devices infringed upon that Kodak patent. In the complaint against Apple and RIM, Kodak is seeking from the ITC a limited exclusion order preventing the importation of infringing devices, including certain mobile telephones and wireless communication devices featuring digital cameras. "Our primary interest is not to disrupt the availability of any product but to obtain fair compensation for the use of our technology,” Quatela said. "There’s a basic issue of fairness that needs to be addressed. Those devices use Kodak technology, and we are merely seeking compensation for the use of our technology in their products.” Kodak has licensed digital imaging technology to approximately 30 companies, including such leading mobile-device companies as LG, Motorola, Nokia, Samsung, and Sony Ericsson, all of which are royalty bearing to Kodak.

2010 'Guide to Greener Electronics'.
Thursday, January 14, 2010

Environmental lobby organization Greenpeace International has released its 14th edition of the group's 'Guide to Greener Electronics'. First published in August 2006, the guide ranks the 18 top manufacturers of personal computers, mobile phones, TVs and games consoles according to their policies on toxic chemicals, recycling and climate change. The ranking criteria reflect the demands of the Toxic Tech campaign to the electronics companies. Greenpeace's three demands are that companies should:

• Clean up their products by eliminating hazardous substances.
• Take back and recycle their products responsibly once they become obsolete.
• Reduce the climate impacts of their operations and products.

A perfect score is 10.0 -The latest rankings are as follows:

Nokia (7.3)
Sony Ericsson (6.9)
Toshiba (5.3)
Philips (5.3)
Apple (5.1)
LG Electronics (5.1)
Sony (5.1)
Motorola (5.1)
Samsung (5.1)
Panasonic (4.9)
HP (4.7)
Acer (4.5)
Sharp (4.5)
Dell (3.9)
Fujitsu (3.5)
Lenovo (2.5)
Microsoft (2.4)
Nintendo (1.4)

According to Greenpeace, each score is based solely on public information on the companies website. Companies found not to be following their published policies will be deducted penalty point in future versions of the guide. The guide is updated every few months. The current edition was published on January 7, 2010. See the full report.

Prysm Announces Laser Phosphor Displays.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010

San Jose, California based Prysm Inc., today announced the public launch of its groundbreaking technology, Laser Phosphor Display (LPD). According to Prysm, LPD is a new category of large format displays, with the lowest power consumption and environmental impact along with freeform flexibility, long-lasting performance and brilliant picture quality. Images are created by using a laser engine to excite a phosphor screen while delivering up to 75 percent less power consumption than other display technologies such as plasma, LCD and OLED. The system replaces a CRT's electron beam with a directed laser beam. The phosphor-coated screen is excited by the beam to emit visible light at HD resolutions. As with CRTs, the image produced by LPDs is bright, with a high degree of contrast and none of the motion inherent to LCD displays. The company also said the lifecycle carbon footprint for LPD displays is 80 per cent lower than other display technologies. "Prysm's LPDs are made with low-impact manufacturing processes and non-toxic materials. This translates into the lowest cost of ownership and carbon footprint of any large format display. Prysm's technology addresses the key segment of large-area displays with the promise of low power operation and scalability," said Paul Semenza, Senior Vice-President at DisplaySearch, display market research firm. "This type of technology could open up new markets in consumer and professional applications." No information about availability of the new LPD displays were mentioned. Founded in 2005, Prysm, Inc. is a privately held company based in San Jose, California with operations worldwide.

Hot off the Press - Lithium Ion Batteries.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010

A Japan-based foundation, the Advanced Materials Innovation Center (AMIC) of MIE Industry and Enterprise Support Center has developed a lithium polymer battery that can be manufactured entirely through printing technology. According to AMIC, the design and production of using printing technology offers reduced thickness, increased surface areas and laminated construction. Using a roll-to-roll production, the sheet-shaped battery is being researched to be used with a flexible solar cell to be attached to a curved surface. If the battery is integrated with a solar cell formed on a flexible substrate, it is possible to build a sheet that can be used both as a power generator and as power storage. There are currently two battery prototypes. One has an output voltage of about 4V at room temperature while the other has an output voltage of about 2V. The thickness of the batteries are about 500 microns - roughly a half-millimeter. Battery capacity was not disclosed. The effort is a three-year project that will end in March 2011. During the coming year, the research group plans to improve manufacturing technologies for commercial production, determine potential applications for the battery and set out the targets such as battery capacity. The lithium polymer battery is being developed in a research project of MIE Industry and Enterprise Support Center with the partners of Toppan Printing Co Ltd., Shin-Kobe Electric Machinery Co. Ltd, Kureha Elastomer Co. Ltd., Kinsei Matec Co. Ltd., Meisei Chemical Works Ltd., MIE University, Suzuka National College of Technology and MIE Prefecture Industrial Research Institute.

VESA Introduces DisplayPort v1.2.
Monday, January 11, 2010

The Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) has formally unveiled DisplayPort Version 1.2. A comprehensive extension to the original DisplayPort standard, DisplayPort v1.2 increases performance by doubling the maximum data transfer rate from 10.8 Gbps (Giga-bits-per-second) to 21.6 Gbps, greatly increasing display resolution, color depths, refresh rates, and multiple display capabilities. Accoridng to VESA, the new standard's benefits include: double the data rate of the previous DisplayPort v1.1a standard (enabling higher performance 3D stereo displays, higher resolutions and color depths, and fastest refresh rates); multiple monitor support from a desktop or notebook computer using only one DisplayPort connector; the ability to transport USB data between a PC and Display, supporting Display USB functions such as a webcam and USB hub. DisplayPort v1.2 is backward compatible with existing DisplayPort v1.1a systems, including existing cables and the Mini DisplayPort connector. To take advantage of the new capabilities, a PC will need to be DisplayPort v1.2 enabled, however existing standard cables can still be used, including those with the new Mini-DisplayPort connector. To achieve the 21.6 Gbps rate, the per-lane data rate is doubled from 2.7 Gbps to 5.4 Gbps, over the four lanes that exist in the standard cable. For a single display, this enables up to 3840 x 2400 resolution at 60Hz, or a 3D display (120Hz) at 2560 x 1600. DisplayPort v1.2 also adds new audio enhancements including the following: -- Audio Copy Protection and category codes -- High definition audio formats such as Dolby MAT, DTS HD, all Blu-Ray formats, and the DRA standard from China -- Synchronization assist between audio and video, multiple audio channels, and multiple audio sink devices using Global Time Code (GTC). “DisplayPort is a truly open, flexible, extensible multimedia interconnect standard that is ubiquitous in the PC, notebook and display markets and is rapidly gaining traction in consumer electronics applications,” said Bill Lempesis, VESA’s executive director. “DisplayPort Version v1.2 offers a complete set of benefits and capabilities that no other standard can provide. It is completely backward compatible with DisplayPort v1.1a and requires no new cables or other equipment, making it the standard of choice across the industry.”

Skype Comes to Panasonic VIERA HDTVs.
Friday, January 08, 2010

This week at the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), electronics giant Panasonic and VoIP provider Skype announced that the companies have entered a collaboration that will enable consumers to make voice and video calls via Skype on Panasonic's line of 2010 VIERA CAST-enabled HDTVs. Skype joins a growing list of web-based offerings on Panasonic's VIERA CAST-enabled HDTVs including Amazon Video On Demand, YouTube, Picasa Web Albums, Bloomberg News and weather information. The service is accessed via a button on the television remote control and there is no fee to use the VIERA CAST functionality, however some services such as VOD do have a separate fee structure. Skype on the VIERA HDTV delivers many familiar Skype features including:

• Free Skype-to-Skype voice and video calls
• Pay Calls to landline or mobile phones
• The option to receive inbound calls via a user's online Skype number
• Skype voicemail
• Being invited to participate in voice conference calls with up to 24 other parties

To conduct a Skype video call on a VIERA CAST HDTV, a specially-designed Panasonic camera, which is sold as a separate accessory, is connected to the television. The camera includes a microphone system that can easily pick up sound from couch-distance. According to Panasonic, it will deliver up to 720p high definition video quality depending on the consumer's internet bandwidth. "The addition of Skype to our VIERA CAST offerings truly takes HDTV connectivity to a whole new level," said Bob Perry, Vice President, Panasonic Consumer Electronics Company. "VIERA CAST was created to offer Panasonic VIERA HDTV owners a new level of entertainment by giving them access to some of the most popular content-driven web sites. Panasonic VIERA HDTV owners can now not only share photos and videos online; with Skype they can also talk to family and friends from the comfort of their living room." The new televisions are expected to be available spring 2010. The International Consumer Electronics Show runs January 7-10, 2010 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

NAB Show Announces 'And I'm a Broader-caster' Competition.
Thursday, January 07, 2010

The NAB Show organizers announced this week the creation of a user-generated video competition featuring video clips that will showcase the vital role NAB Show participants play within the content community. The competition, dubbed "And I'm a Broader-caster," provides a creative outlet for NAB Show audience members to explore the impact user-generated content has on today's evolving content community. Defined as "one who creates, manages, buys or sells, distributes or delivers audio, video or filmed content for global consumption on any device-stationary or mobile," the term 'broader-caster' applies to anyone contributing to the content lifecycle. Those interested in entering the competition must submit a 60-second video clip that includes the phrase "and I'm a broader-caster." Participants must also include information in the video that explains what the term broader-caster means to them, as well as how that term applies to their role within the content creation, development and distribution process. "And I'm a Broader-caster" is free and open to everyone. The winning video will be featured onsite and streamed online during the 2010 NAB Show. Additionally, the competition winner will receive a round-trip flight to Las Vegas (available from anywhere within the continental United States), hotel accommodations for six nights and a NAB Show Conference SMART Pass registration providing free access to all sessions, conferences, luncheons and exhibits featured at the NAB Show. All submissions will be reviewed by a team of judges selected by NAB. The world's largest electronic media show covering filmed entertainment and the development, management and delivery of content across all mediums, the NAB Show will take place 10-15 April, 2010 in Las Vegas (exhibits open 12 April). Produced by the NAB Show and Reality Digital, the "and I'm a broader-caster" competition will run from January 15 to March 15, 2010. For additional competition information, visit www.nabshowcontest.com.

ESPN Announces ESPN 3D.
Wednesday, January 06, 2010

Beginning June 11, 2010 sports broadcasting will enter a new dimension...the third dimension, as ESPN will unveil the industry's first 3-D network. According to ESPN and ABC Sports president George Bodenheimer, the 3D channel will be kicking off with the first 2010 FIFA World Cup match, featuring South Africa versus Mexico. ESPN has been testing ESPN 3D for more than two years, even showing a USC-Ohio State college football game in select theaters and to 6,000 fans at the Galen Center on USC's campus. "ESPN's commitment to 3-D is a win for fans and our business partners," Bodenheimer said in a statement. "ESPN 3D marries great content with new technology to enhance the fan's viewing experience and puts ESPN at the forefront of the next big advance for TV viewing." Other events to be produced in 3-D include the 2011 BCS National Championship Game, college basketball and football contests, up to 25 World Cup matches and the Summer X Games. Additional events will be announced at a later date, however the network plans a minimum of 85 live sporting events during its first year. While it is clear that a 3D capable display will be required to view the new channel, it is unclear whether you will have to pay a premium for the channel, and whether or not your cable company will need to provide new set-top boxes or just firmware updates. "We don't have all the answers," says Chuck Pagano, ESPN's executive vice president for technology, via USA Today. "We asked the same questions back in the HD days. Is this going to be better? Is this going to be worse?" Currently, ESPN has committed to the station for the first year only, through June 2011.

Scientists Create World’s First Molecular Transistor.
Tuesday, January 05, 2010

A group of scientists from Yale University and the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology in South Korea has succeeded in creating the first transistor made from a single molecule. The team, including Mark Reed, the Harold Hodgkinson Professor of Engineering & Applied Science at Yale, showed that a benzene molecule attached to gold contacts could behave just like a silicon transistor. The researchers were able to manipulate the molecule’s different energy states depending on the voltage they applied to it through the contacts. By manipulating the energy states, they were able to control the current passing through the molecule. “It’s like rolling a ball up and over a hill, where the ball represents electrical current and the height of the hill represents the molecule’s different energy states,” Reed said. “We were able to adjust the height of the hill, allowing current to get through when it was low, and stopping the current when it was high.” In this way, the team was able to use the molecule in much the same way as regular transistors are used. The work builds on previous research Reed did in the 1990s, which demonstrated that individual molecules could be trapped between electrical contacts. Since then, he and Takhee Lee, a former Yale postdoctoral associate and now a professor at the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, developed additional techniques over the years that allowed them to “see” what was happening at the molecular level. Being able to fabricate the electrical contacts on such small scales, identifying the ideal molecules to use, and figuring out where to place them and how to connect them to the contacts were also key components of the discovery. “There were a lot of technological advances and understanding we built up over many years to make this happen,” Reed said. There is a lot of interest in using molecules in computer circuits because traditional transistors are not feasible at such small scales. But Reed stressed that this is strictly a scientific breakthrough and that practical applications such as smaller and faster “molecular computers”—if possible at all—are many decades away. “We’re not about to create the next generation of integrated circuits,” he said. “But after many years of work gearing up to this, we have fulfilled a decade-long quest and shown that molecules can act as transistors.” The researchers published their findings in the December 24 issue of the journal Nature.

VIZIO to Develop Wireless Solutions Using WirelessHD Standard.
Monday, January 04, 2010

American television and display maker VIZIO, today announced that it has chosen to add WirelessHD technology and SiBEAM 60 GHz chipsets, based on the globally available WirelessHD standard, for a new line of LCD HDTVs and wireless HDMI adapters. Already in use by Best Buy, Gefen, LG Electronics, Monster, Panasonic and Sony, SiBEAM’s new second generation transmitter and receiver chipsets employ SiBEAM’s OmniLink60 advanced adaptive beam-forming systems. According to SiBeam, these systems dynamically steer content to the specific receiving station, maintaining stable connectivity regardless of any obstacles that may obstruct its path, all while delivering the highest quality wireless high-definition A/V and data. By operating at 60 GHz, the chipsets do not interfere with Wi-Fi 802.11g, 802.11n, and cordless telephone systems operating at 2.4 and 5 GHz. All SiBEAM chipsets offer data rates 20 times faster than other available options and remain the only standards based wireless technology that can transmit A/V at 4 Gbps over the air. “Our customers seek out VIZIO products for their combination of advanced performance, function, form and most of all unequalled value,” said Matthew McRae, VIZIO VP of Products. “Working together with SiBEAM, we’re thrilled to introduce WirelessHD-based products to our customers who want a complete, high quality wireless entertainment experience with easier and faster setup. By incorporating WirelessHD into a range of new products, VIZIO will be among the first to introduce wireless solutions to the mainstream market.” The company is currently in the process of joining WirelessHD as an Adopter with the intent of incorporating WirelessHD technology into a wide range of product offerings for the consumer. VIZIO will demonstrate WirelessHD technology using chipsets from SiBEAM in its new line of XVT Pro LCD LED HDTVs this week during the 2010 International CES in Las Vegas, Nevada. VIZIO’s first WirelessHD-based products are expected to be available to consumers later this year.

LED-Backlit LCD-TV Shipments to Rise in 2010.
Thursday, December 31, 2009

According to a recent report from market analysis company iSuppli Corp Light Emitting Diode (LED)-backlit Liquid Crystal Display-Televisions (LCD-TVs) will gain considerable momentum in 2010 and beyond because of the increasing commitments from various parts of the TV supply chain, consumer demand and a higher focus on green technologies. iSuppli forecasts that global shipments LED-backlit LCD-TV 40-inches and larger in size will expand to 112.1 million units by 2013, rising at a whopping Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 405 percent from a mere 34,000 units in 2008. In 2010 alone, shipments of LED-backlit LCD TVs 40-inches in size and larger will rise by a factor of nearly eight, reaching 18.8 million units, up from 2.5 million in 2009. By 2013, 83.2 percent of 40-inch and larger LCD TVs shipped will use LED backlights, up from just 0.1 percent in 2008 and 6 percent in 2009. “Panel makers have been investing heavily in LED chipset makers or have been developing their own internal technologies in order to take advantage of what they believe LED-backlit LCD-TVs bring to the table: differentiation, innovation, low power consumption and, of course, the potential to reap the benefits of higher revenue,” said Riddhi Patel, principal analyst for television systems at iSuppli. While the benefits of LED-backlit LCD-TVs including thinner form factors, improved picture quality, including better color saturation, power savings and other attributes are apparent, the challenges are as well. The cost of LED backlights remains too high for mass consumer adoption at this point. The TV sets that utilize LEDs now are priced far more than standard CCFL-based LCD-TVs. Other challenges include an inadequate component supply, a fragmented supply chain, short LED lifetimes and thermal issues. However, LEDs have an ace in the hole: Increasingly stringent government policies are forcing television manufacturers to shift their backlighting to environmentally friendly technologies that consume less electricity, especially at the larger TV sizes where power is a major concern. “Obviously for brands, LED backlighting represents a huge opportunity in a market segment already brimming with potential. LEDs also help to differentiate products from others on store shelves. This will be even more important as the LCD-TV market begins to saturate and the replacement cycle occurring in the United States and elsewhere nears its conclusion.” added Patel.

LG Launches Collaborate and Innovate Initiative.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Korean giant LG Electronics announced this week that the company is launching a corporate-level initiative of technological open innovation called Collaborate & Innovate for initiating and developing relationships with global partners "who have great ideas and technologies." According to LG, as part of this initiative, LG has set up a team responsible for managing collaboration relationships with partners. "LG highly values such partnerships and has a strategic view to see that these become long term collaborative relationships," the company said. "LG believes that the best collaborations are those that offer value to both parties and result in the most innovative results. This collaboration could take the form of licensing, funding for development, investment or acquisition," LG added. The company is looking for technological feedback in areas such as content management (platforms that offer users and developers chance to have their own input - application stores, user generated content, sharing with friends and family, social networking, etc.), elemental technologies that could help the Korean company to move beyond the current generation of user interfaces (touchless screens, proximity detection, gesture recognition, voice recognition, motion detection, location awareness etc.), Wireless & RF (new ways to send data between consumer electronics devices wirelessly, un-compressed transmissions that can be used for all sorts of data between many devices), as well as next generation display technologies from those surrounding the current trends for 3D, OLED, LED backlight, slim dimensions etc; as well as more longer term visions such as whole wall displays and ways to drive super high resolutions or scalable modular systems. "Open innovation is not about simply finding technologies and acquiring them in a transactional approach," said Dr. Woo Paik, President and Chief Technology Office at LG Electronics, whose team is responsible for the Collaborate & Innovate initiative. "It is about building mutually beneficial relationships by collaborating and innovating together towards a common goal." The Collaborate & Innovate team will be on hand at the LG stand at the 2010 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, from January 4th - 9th to meet with interested potential parties.

Goodrich Corporation - American Aerospace Leader Shoots to the Skies with Markertek !
Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Charlotte, NC - Markertek is an integral media supply source to the Aerospace and Scientific industries. We recently worked with the Goodrich Corporation supplying project support equipment at its headquarters in Charlotte, North Carolina. An American aerospace manufacturing company, Goodrich was founded in Akron, Ohio in 1870 as Goodrich, Tew & Co. by Dr. Benjamin Franklin Goodrich. Over the years, the company name has changed. First to the "B.F. Goodrich Company" in 1880, then to "B.F. Goodrich" in the 1980s, and finally to "Goodrich Corporation" in 2001. Goodrich today is dramatically different from the company created 140 years ago by Benjamin Franklin Goodrich. Once one of the world's largest and most respected manufacturers of rubber products, the company is now a global leader in the aerospace, defense and homeland security markets. And although B.F. Goodrich is still a popular brand name of tires, the Goodrich Corporation exited the tire business in 1988. A Fortune 500 company, the Goodrich Corporation has over 80 facilities across 16 countries employing more than 25,000 people worldwide with revenues of over $7.1 billion annually. Markertek is proud to serve the technical and scientific industries providing them with all the gear needed to reach the skies and beyond.

Technicolor and TL Join Forces For BD Verification Services.
Monday, December 28, 2009

Thomson through its Technicolor Business Group, and Testronic Labs have announced that theyhave teamed up to offer comprehensive Blu-ray Disc testing capabilities that combine the areas of expertise that each company offers. According to the companies, Testronic Labs’ expertise in quality testing and assurance for home video products combined with Technicolor’s in-depth knowledge and leadership of Blu-ray Disc authoring services and replication will result in a formidable force in the industry to ensure standards compliance, format integrity, and player compatibility. Customers will benefit from this new on-location offering since the total length of time to get product to replication will be reduced by one to two days. Testronic Labs was recently audited and accredited by the Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA) to provide BD-ROM Movie Player and BD-ROM PC Application Software certification services, and in September 2008, Technicolor established the first BDA-approved Blu-ray Disc Test Center for Commercial Audiovisual (AV) Content in the United States. “We are very excited to work with Testronic to offer these testing capabilities,” said Bob Michaels, vice president of worldwide compression and authoring services. “This will provide a value-added service to the industry and ultimately result in a better user experience of Blu-ray Discs.” "Earlier this year our two companies started thinking about ways we could better serve the supply chain," added Seth Hallen, president, Testronic Labs . "We are convinced that our combined expertise brings powerful testing solutions to the Blu-ray Disc industry." Since the two companies already offer comprehensive Blu-ray Disc testing capabilities, they will be ready and positioned to make the leap to offer verification and testing services for Blu-ray 3D in 2010.

Bill Passes to End Loud TV Ads.
Thursday, December 24, 2009

Blaring television advertisements took another step toward extinction this week when the U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 1084, the Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation (CALM) Act, by a voice vote. The bill will prevent television advertisements from playing at a volume noticeably above the programs during which they air. Rep. Anna G. Eshoo (D-Palo Alto) drafted the bipartisan bill and shepherded it through the House. "This problem has existed for more than 50 years, but no one has properly addressed it," Rep. Eshoo said. "Under the CALM Act, consumers will no longer have to dive for the mute button." Loud commercials have been at the top of consumer complaints to the FCC for decades. Current official FCC policy recommends that consumers "mute" commercials if they find them excessively strident. Under the CALM Act, advertisers will have one year to adopt industry technology which modulates sound levels and prevents overly loud commercials. "It's been a singular pleasure working on this legislation. The CALM Act is an easy fix for a tremendous nuisance. In my 17 years in the House of Representatives, I've never carried a bill which has been received with so much enthusiasm by people across the country," Rep. Eshoo said. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) introduced companion legislation in the Senate on December 8, 2009.

RAB & NAB Announce Expanded Relationship.
Wednesday, December 23, 2009

The Radio Advertising Bureau (RAB) and National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) this week announced an expanded partnership of communications and events, including a combined Radio convention Sept. 29-Oct. 1, 2010 in Washington, DC. According to the Associations, the extension of the relationship forged under one voice for Radio in 2007, entails a long-term program of communications and events for Radio sales and representation in Washington to coincide with The Radio Show produced by RAB and NAB. "As part of the management structure of both the NAB and RAB, I've long felt there was tremendous value in bringing both organizations closer together," said Steve Newberry, NAB Joint Board Chairman and President and CEO Commonwealth Broadcasting Corporation. "This enhanced partnership is designed to positively address the needs of our radio station members and bring about proactive change for both of our trade associations." RAB President and CEO Jeff Haley said "We're very pleased with our new partnership," said "As we further move our medium into a branded content and digital world, it is important we provide our members and clients with all the necessary touch points to see and hear how Radio is innovating for the future." In addition to a new and revised Radio Show, NAB and RAB will partner on programs such as the NAB Show in Las Vegas and other industry leadership events. More details on the fall convention will be forthcoming in early 2010.

Markertek Welcomes to the Family this Week:

Southern California Edison
Medtronic
WZZM TV 13
Focus Industries
Themusic.com
Adrenaline Films
Nowell Electric
Chicago Cubs Baseball
Indiana Purdue University
KYNG
Stowers Institute
Marathon Coach
KING-TV
Viterbo University

SANYO Becomes A Panasonic Company.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Panasonic announced this week that it has completed acquisition of a majority of the voting stock of SANYO Electric Co., Ltd. With this acquisition, SANYO has become a consolidated subsidiary of Panasonic and will continue pursuing its business as a Panasonic Group company. Upon conclusion of a Capital and Business Alliance Agreement on December 19, 2008, the two companies set up a Collaboration Committee. While working to secure approvals for the acquisition from antitrust authorities at home and abroad, they began discussing, within the framework of applicable regulations, how to manage and strengthen the merged company's business and financial positions. "The new Panasonic Group will strive to realize synergies as early as possible by bringing together the technologies and manufacturing expertise each cultivated over the years and leverage the group synergies to the fullest extent to hone the competitive edge in the global market," the company said in a statement. "Particularly in the energy business where future growth is expected globally, the Group will strive to become the No. 1 Environmental Innovation Company in the world electronics industry by 2018, when Panasonic marks its 100th anniversary. To achieve this goal, it will capitalize on its solid operating base built upon its industry-leading technologies and innovative products." Panasonic will outline business strategies for the new Panasonic Group when it unveils its new mid-term business plan in the next fiscal year.

New York Film Academy - Accredited Film School Gets Treated with Markertek !
Monday, December 21, 2009

New York, NY - Markertek is the premier supply source for the academic and scholastic media production industry. We recently supplied sound treatment materials to the New York Film Academy. Founded in 1992, New York Film Academy - School of Film and Acting is an accredited film and acting school based in New York City and Universal City, California. NYFA offers short-term filmmaking and acting courses, as well as one and two-year conservatory and Master of Fine Arts programs. NYFA offers intensive, hands-on Film Making, Producing, Screen writing, Digital Filmmaking, Computer Animation, and Film Acting Programs at various locations throughout the world. Presently, NYFA is the only film school that has the new RED high-definition video camera available for student use. The school has over 350 employees and institutes over 6,000 students per year in different curriculums. Notable guest lecturers have included: Janeane Garofalo, Kevin Kline, Ben Stiller, Dennis Hopper, Jon Voight, Joel Schumacher and many more. Markertek salutes all film education institutions that encourage and mold aspiring film makers in keeping traditional techniques and new media moving together at a fast and furious pace into the future.

Panasonic to Supply Automakers Lithium-ion Batteries.
Friday, December 18, 2009

Following its planned purchase of rechargeable-battery maker Sanyo Electric Co., Panasonic Corp. is currently in talks with about 10 automakers to supply lithium-ion batteries as demand for energy-efficient vehicles grows. The discussions include companies from the U.S., India, Europe and Japan. The world's largest plasma-television maker is set to pay 403 billion yen (US$4.6 billion) to buy control of Sanyo. The company estimates the global lithium-ion battery market will increase fivefold by 2018 from this year. “If demand continues to grow, we have concerns that production capacity might be insufficient," an increase in Japanese electric cars would “make this an issue around 2012 or 2015,” said Naoto Noguchi, president of Panasonic’s battery unit. As a result, Panasonic may expand existing plants or build new ones in conjunction with Sanyo, Noguchi said. The 91-year-old company’s newest battery factory, in Osaka, started making electrodes of lithium-ion batteries in October. The plant will produce 25 million battery cells a month from April, with capacity doubling by October 2011, it said last year. In October, Panasonic said it developed a system enabling lithium-ion batteries used in laptop computers to power electric vehicles and to store energy generated by home-use solar cells. Automakers are shifting to develop electric cars and hybrid plug-in models that use lithium-ion cells, which are lighter and more powerful than nickel-metal hydride batteries currently used in most hybrids. Electric vehicles will comprise 20 percent of the “eco- friendly” car market by 2018, Noguchi said.

Blu-ray Disc Association Announces Final 3D Specification.
Thursday, December 17, 2009

The Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA) has announced its plans for incorporating 3D into the Blu-ray Disc format. The BDA, comprised of major motion picture studio, IT and consumer electronics companies, is working on a uniform specification to ensure consistent delivery of 3D content across the Blu-ray Disc Platform. The Association is examining a number of criteria and at a minimum, the specification will require delivery of 1080p resolution to each eye and backward compatibility for both discs and players, meaning that 3D discs will also include a 2D version of the film that can be viewed on existing 2D players and 3D players will enable consumers to playback their existing libraries of 2D content. “Consumer adoption of Blu-ray continues to grow at a very steady pace,” said Bob Chapek, President, Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment. “The 3D theatrical market has been very successful this year. We are just now seeing all of the true capabilities of 3D and with Blu-ray Disc’s superior technical characteristics, as well as the broad industry support of the format, it makes it the ideal packaged media platform for 3D home entertainment.”
According to the BDA, the rapid consumer adoption of Blu-ray Disc, coupled with the format’s technical capabilities and capacity make it the ideal format for bringing a vibrant 3D experience to consumers. "The BDA intends to take full advantage of the format’s high bandwidth and capacity to achieve the very highest possible quality 3D experience,” said Victor Matsuda, Blu-ray Disc Association Global Promotions Committee Chair. “Just as Blu-ray Disc has paved the way for next generation, high definition home entertainment, it will also set the standard for 3D home viewing in the future.” The current BDA efforts provide individual companies with the technical information and guidelines necessary to develop and announce products pursuant to their own internal planning cycles and timetables.

Belden Unveils UL Type PV Solar Cables.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Cable manufacturer and transmission products giant, Belden has announced the launch of a new family of Solar Cables designed to support renewable energy initiatives. According to the company, the cables are UL Type PV approved (UL 4703 USE-2 Rated) for use as the interconnection wiring of grounded and ungrounded photovoltaic power systems (Section 630.31). Intended to link together the solar panels found on solar farms, these cables will be key to the transmission of electric energy from the solar panels to the transformers at the local energy storage substation and ultimately to the power grid and its commercial and residential electricity users. According to Frank Koditek, Belden’s Industrial Cable Product Manager, “Belden fully supports today’s clean and ‘green’ technology goals, including the goal to expand the proliferation of solar energy, wherever feasible."

Belden’s new Solar Cable family features:
• 18 to 8 AWG, single soft annealed tinned stranded copper
conductors
• XLPE insulation and sunlight-resistant Black PVC jackets
• Temperature rating from -40o C to 90o C
• Maximum Operating Voltage; 600 or 1000 VRMS (UL PV) or 1000 VRMS (CSA RW 90). Optional construction available for 2000 VRMS RHW-2
• Standard Lengths of 1000 ft (304.8 m) and 5000 ft (609.6 m)

In addition to being rated UL Type PV (photovoltaic) UL 4703 and USE-2, Belden’s new Solar Cables meet VW-1 flame test, are CE approved and RoHS compliant. "Our new line of Solar Cables is just the beginning, signaling an ongoing plan to develop and bring to market additional green technology products over the coming months. All of our alternative energy solutions will, of course, reflect Belden’s long-standing commitment to quality and consistency in product design and manufacturing.” added Koditek.

HDBaseT Cross-Industry Alliance Announced.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009

LG Electronics, Samsung Electronics, Sony Pictures Entertainment and Valens Semiconductor announced today that they intend to launch a cross-industry alliance to promote and standardize the HDBaseT technology for whole-home distribution of uncompressed HD multimedia content. The HDBaseT Alliance will engage key players across the consumer electronics and the content industries. Working together, they will create a global standard for advanced digital media distribution. The Alliance’s standardization activities will cover the entire value chain of the digital media ecosystem and the various market segments: TV sets, projectors, professional AV equipment, home theater, content providers, IT companies and more. According to the companies, as the consumption of and demand for high-quality HD content increases, so does the interest of the end user in extending their entertainment experience to their entire home. Consumers are looking for a way to connect TVs and other display equipment with entertainment devices, such as a Blu-ray DVD player, for in-home converged distribution of HD multimedia content. Some of the existing technologies are limited in terms of bandwidth and cannot support uncompressed video. The demand for in-home converged distribution of HD multimedia content and the lack of adequate existing technologies are driving the industry toward an HD digital connectivity standard, such as HDBaseT, which increases distance of uncompressed HD multimedia content transfer, expands distribution, simplifies installations and lowers overall system cost. "As the demand for high-quality HD content distribution in the entire home is already huge, we are hoping that HDBaseT will play the trigger role in advancing this market, since HDBaseT enables simultaneous multi-room distribution of uncompressed HD Multimedia as well as data, control and power over a single CAT5e cable," said ByungJin Kim, research fellow, LG Electronics. “HDBaseT is an advanced solution for securely delivering high-definition video content within the home network,” said Mitch Singer, CTO, Sony Pictures Entertainment. “We firmly believe that in today’s industry a standard must have broad consensus and support from the major players in the industry. For this purpose, we are actively working with such leading companies across the value chain to assure broad support and active participation in the newly formed HDBaseT Alliance,” said Dror Jerushalmi, CEO, Valens Semiconductor. Key players in the consumer electronics industry have been introduced to HDBaseT technology, and it is expected that other global market leaders will join the HDBaseT Alliance and together work to finalize the standard. The four founding companies say that the Alliance is expected to release new details about more global leaders joining the Alliance in the upcoming weeks. The HDBaseT Alliance plans to attend the 2010 International Consumer Electronics Show held January 7-10 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

LIN Stations Pick Markertek Production Trailer for HD Sports.
Monday, December 14, 2009

Connecticut-based LIN TV ABC affiliates WTNH-DT and WCTX-DT, serving the greater Hartford/New Haven market and operating as a duopoly from the same facility, said the stations decided many months ago that covering high school sports - especially in HD - was a sound competitive move that would reap benefits in a variety of ways. After evaluating comparable systems however, budget concerns prevented the stations from obtaining a full 53-foot production trailer, prompting the stations to began to explore more efficient alternatives. According to the stations, the local broadcasters said they assembled a 20-foot Markertek VPTR-1 production trailer with uplink and microwave capabilities with the Slate 1000 from Broadcast Pix, which functions as a video switcher with file-based and network-based workflow software, and includes various aspect ratio/format conversion options. Using the Slate 1000 as the centerpiece - the LIN properties rounded out their equipment buys with three Sony HD camcorders (model PMW-EX3 XDCAM EX) and three Sony HDV/DVCAM VTRs (model HVR-1500A). “We found that renting a mobile unit-at about $12,000 per event-would be too costly, and building our own large mobile unit with a separate switcher and other dedicated gear would be cost-prohibitive,” says Jamie Holowaty, Live Broadcast Manager for WTNH and WCTX. “But because the Slate 1000 packs a control room full of gear into one low-cost, compact, energy efficient unit, it enables us to produce broadcast-quality HD shows from a small 20-foot production trailer we built for under $175,000.” According to the stations, Friday night high school football games were streamed live on the stations’ websites throughout the 2009 season, then aired in HD during primetime the following night. The stations currently cover boys’ and girls’ basketball games and are now considering expanding their coverage to swimming, baseball, and track.

FEMA and FCC Adopt Standards for Mobile Emergency Alerts.
Friday, December 11, 2009

As part of the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS), the nation’s next generation of emergency alert and warning networks, the Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) have announced the adoption of the design specifications for the development of a gateway interface that will enable wireless carriers to provide its customers with timely and accurate emergency alerts and warnings via their cell phones and other mobile devices. The Commercial Mobile Alert System (CMAS) is one of many projects within IPAWS intended to provide emergency mangers and the President of the United States a means to send alerts and warnings to the public. Specifically, CMAS provides Federal, state, territorial, tribal and local government officials the ability to send 90 character geographically targeted text messages to the public regarding emergency alert and warning of imminent threats to life and property, Amber alerts, and Presidential emergency messages. The CMAS is a combined effort of the federal government and cellular providers to define a common standard for cellular alerts. Wireless carriers who choose to participate in the CMAS will relay authorized text-based alerts to their subscribers. To ensure that persons with disabilities who subscribe to wireless services receive these emergency alerts, the FCC adopted rules in 2008 that will require participating wireless carriers to transmit messages with both vibration cadence and audio attention signals. “Today’s announcement brings us one step closer to ensuring that Americans receive critical emergency alerts and warnings to protect themselves on the go, anywhere, anytime,” said FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski. “I applaud FEMA for its leadership and look forward to working with both FEMA and the wireless industry to expedite the delivery of this important public safety service to consumers.” The announcement marks the beginning of the 28-month period, mandated by the FCC in August 2008, for commercial mobile service providers who have elected to participate in the design specifications known as CMAS to develop, test and deploy the system and deliver mobile alerts to the public by 2012.

WiGig Alliance Announces Completion of its Multi‐Gigabit Wireless Specification.
Thursday, December 10, 2009

Wireless Gigabit Alliance (WiGig), the organization advancing the adoption and widespread use of 60 GHz wireless technology worldwide, today announced the completion of its unified wireless specification. The WiGig specification enables high performance wireless display and audio and provides data transfer rates more than 10 times faster than today’s wireless LANs, extending Wi‐Fi technology while supporting backward compatibility with existing Wi‐Fi devices. The completed specification is now ready for member review and is anticipated to be made available to WiGig adopter members in Q1 2010. “When we launched the WiGig Alliance in May, we announced our plan to complete the industry’s first unified 60 GHz specification by Q4 2009, and we are proud to deliver on this promise to the industry,” said Dr. Ali Sadri, president and chairman of the Wireless Gigabit Alliance. “We’re rapidly paving the way for the introduction of the next generation of high‐performance wireless products – PCs, mobile handsets, TVs and displays, Blu‐ray disc players, digital cameras and many more.”

The WiGig version 1.0 specification includes the following key elements:

•Supports data transmission rates up to 7 Gbps – more than ten times faster than the highest 802.11n rate
•Supplements and extends the 802.11 Medium Access Control (MAC) layer and is backward compatible with the IEEE 802.11 standard
•Physical layer enables both the low power and the high performance WiGig devices, guaranteeing interoperability and communication at gigabit rates
•Protocol adaptation layers are being developed to support specific system interfaces including data buses for PC peripherals and display interfaces for HDTVs, monitors and projectors
•Support for beamforming, enabling robust communication at distances beyond 10 meters
•Widely used advanced security and power management for WiGig devices

“WiGig has reached a milestone with the completion of its specification as promised by year end, demonstrating the organization’s commitment to deliver,” said Craig Mathias, a Principal with the wireless and mobile advisory firm Farpoint Group. “By complementing Wi-Fi and enabling multi-gigabit speeds, the versatile specification is a very significant achievement on the road to the next generation of wireless LAN products.”

Sharp Develops Coating Material Using Waste Glass.
Wednesday, December 09, 2009

Global appliance and electronics maker Sharp has announced the company has developed a coating material whose weathering resistance was improved by waste glass produced during the LCD panel manufacturing process. When glass is cut into smaller pieces for use in LCD panels, waste glass is produced. The waste glass is roughly crushed and, then, finely crushed into powder (particles with a size of about 10μm). The powder is mixed with, for example, pigment to make a coating material. The material is used to coat aluminum alloy covers for street lamps (security lighting) that use LEDs as a light source. It enhances the decay resistance of the lamps, which are exposed to sunlight, wind and rain. The coating material has a high robustness, wear resistance and heat resistance that are required for LCD panels and, thus, can reduce the thickness of coating by about 40%, compared with existing coating materials. Therefore, the time spent for coating process can be reduced to 2/3. According to the company, for the future, Sharp plans to expand the application of the material to home electric appliances.

Markertek Welcomes to the Family this Week:

Northern Arizona University
KFSN-TV
Hillbank Motorsports
USAF Test School
Automationdirect.com
Natl Wild Turkey Federation
WFAA TV
Verizon Technical
Berea College
Duncan Aviation
Wilks Broadcast Group
KLAS-TV
MBUSA
Avon Products
KSBI-TV

Kodak to Sell OLED Display Business.
Tuesday, December 08, 2009

The Eastman Kodak Company announced this week that it will sell substantially all the assets associated with its OLED business to a group of LG companies. According to Kodak, the move will tighten the company's investment focus and strengthen its financial position. A pioneer in developing technology associated with OLED displays, in the 1970s, Kodak scientists developed the world's first viable OLED material. “As we said earlier this year, OLED is one of the businesses we wanted to reposition to maximize Kodak’s competitive advantage at the intersection of materials and imaging science,” said Laura G. Quatela, Kodak’s Chief Intellectual Property Officer and manager of the company’s OLED business. “This action is consistent with that strategy. Our OLED intellectual property portfolio is fundamental; however, realizing the full value of this business would have required significant investment.” Kodak said as part of the deal, it will have continuing access to its OLED technology for use in its products. Subject to customary closing conditions, the transaction is expected to close by the end of the year. Financial details were not disclosed.

Starbucks - Favorite U.S. Coffee Supplier Gets Wired with Markertek!
Monday, December 07, 2009

Seattle, Washington - Markertek continues to be the one stop supply source for corporate media operations. We recently assisted Starbucks Corporation with connectivity products at one of its media centers in Eastern Pennsylvania. Starbucks Corporation is an international coffee and coffeehouse chain based in Seattle, Washington. Started in 1971, Starbucks is the largest coffeehouse company in the world with 16,635 stores in 49 countries, including 11,068 in the United States. In the mid 1990’s many every day consumer peripherals, such as coffee, ice cream, clothing, etc. attracted to niche brands and side stepped into new markets with an ever present new audience. This forward motion marketing propelled Starbucks into a new bright market that encompassed a huge demographic of coffee lovers which has grown internationally to become one of the most recognized brands in the consumer coffee world. With competitive marketing, comes aggressive advertising and intense media support that spotlights the Starbucks brand to make it more visible to consumers without hurting it’s growth and small business mentality. Markertek is proud to serve the corporate media environment to bring the latest technology to the coffee industry one strong cup at a time!

Comcast and GE Form Joint Venture.
Friday, December 04, 2009

Comcast and General Electric announced this week that they have signed a definitive agreement to form a joint venture that will be 51 percent owned by Comcast, 49 percent owned by GE and managed by Comcast. Under the terms of the transaction, GE will contribute to the joint venture NBCU’s businesses valued at $30 billion, including its cable networks, filmed entertainment, televised entertainment, theme parks, and unconsolidated investments, subject to $9.1 billion in debt to third party lenders. Comcast will contribute its cable networks including E!, Versus and the Golf Channel, its ten regional sports networks, and certain digital media properties, collectively valued at $7.25 billion, and make a payment to GE of approximately $6.5 billion of cash subject to certain adjustments based on various events between signing and closing. Jeff Zucker, current president and CEO of NBCU, will be CEO of the new joint venture and will report to Comcast Chief Operating Officer Steve Burke. Zucker said, “Combining the assets of NBCU, ranging from our suite of cable properties and two broadcast networks to a legendary film studio and global theme park business, with the content assets and resources of Comcast, will enable us to continue to thrive in an ever-changing media landscape. Consumers of all of our products-on screens large and small-will have the benefit of enhanced content and experiences, delivered to them in new and better ways as a result of this transaction. This marks the start of a new era for NBCU, and I'm genuinely excited that I will be leading this wonderful organization, along with the Comcast team, at this important time in our history.” Headquarters for the business will remain in New York. The joint venture board will have three directors nominated by Comcast and two nominated by GE. While the transaction has been approved by the Board of Directors of GE and Comcast. It is subject to receipt of various regulatory approvals, including clearance under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act, and approvals of the Federal Communications Commission and certain international agencies. The transaction is also subject to other customary closing conditions.

LG Display Launches 3D LCDs with Full HD Resolution.
Thursday, December 03, 2009

LG Display Co Ltd has announced what the company claims is the world's first commercial launch of a 3D LCD panel boasting full HD resolution. The new product is a 23-inch 3D monitor LCD panel for use with shutter glasses that delivers full HD resolution. It offers picture quality that is almost twice that of the HD 3D displays currently available in the market. The panel adopts the company's proprietary technologies such as its high performance 3D exclusive controller, said to be capable of processing more than twice as much image data as other HD 3D LCDs, and its copper bus line, which improves the resolution and picture quality. In addition, the panel is able to reproduce both 2D and 3D images, so users can switch back and forth between 2D and 3D modes. Although full HD 3D images have been developed for content such as video games, movies and animations, 3D display products with full HD resolution have been unavailable in the market. The commercial launch of LG Display's full HD 3D LCD panel is expected to help boost development of high resolution 3D content while enabling users to view "true-to-life" 3D images. Mr. Davis Lee, LG Display’s Vice President and head of IT marketing department, noted “LG Display has made a major breakthrough in the display industry race to deliver the depth and dynamic nature of 3D images. LG Display will continue with efforts to keep pace with the fast growing 3D market with leading 3D technology and products in order to create new value for customers.” The 3D display market is expected to grow at rapid pace as the industry players are shifting their focus from two-dimensional to three-dimensional technologies. The Korea Communications Commission recently announced plans to start a trial service for the world’s first full HD 3D terrestrial broadcasting from the second half of 2010. A launch of trial services for 3D satellite broadcasts had been also announced earlier in Japan and the UK.

Michael J. Fox to Receive NAB Distinguished Service Award.
Wednesday, December 02, 2009

According to the National Association of Broadcasters, Michael J. Fox, actor, author and devoted advocate for increased funding for Parkinson's disease research, will receive the NAB Distinguished Service Award during the 2010 NAB Show. Fox will be honored for the impact his career has had on the television industry, as well as his commitment to raising awareness for Parkinson's disease through The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research. The award will be presented during the All Industry Opening Keynote address on April 12, 2010 in Las Vegas. An international film star, Fox has appeared in a variety of comedic and dramatic movie roles, including the highly successful "Back to the Future" trilogy, "The Hard Way," "Doc Hollywood," "The Secret of My Success," "Bright Lights, Big City," "Light of Day," "Teen Wolf," "Casualties of War," "Life With Mikey," "For Love or Money," "The American President," "Greedy," "The Frighteners" and "Mars Attacks!" Fox has also performed voiceovers for "Atlantis The Lost Empire," "Homeward Bound" and "Stuart Little." Also a renowned author, Fox's Always Looking Up: The Adventures of an Incurable Optimist, and his 2002 memoir, Lucky Man, were both New York Times bestsellers. Fox is currently working on a third book, titled A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Future: Life Lessons from a High School Dropout, to be published in the spring of 2010. "Michael J. Fox is a true role model in every sense of the word, using his fame and influence as a successful actor to help fund nearly $160 million dollars in Parkinson's research," said NAB President and CEO Gordon Smith. "We are proud to honor him for his tremendous contributions to both the entertainment and medical research communities." Each year the NAB Distinguished Service Award recognizes members of the broadcast community who have made significant and lasting contributions to the broadcasting industry. Previous award recipients include Mary Tyler Moore, President Ronald Reagan, Edward R. Murrow, Bob Hope, Walter Cronkite, Oprah Winfrey and Charles Osgood, among others. The NAB Show will take place 10-15 April, 2010 in Las Vegas (exhibits open 12 April).

Fisher Price -  Leading U.S. Toy Manufacturer Gets Game with Markertek !
Tuesday, December 01, 2009

East Aurora, NY - Markertek is the cutting edge technology supply leader for the corporate toy manufacturing industry. We recently supplied Fisher-Price with studio necessities at its world headquarters in East Aurora, New York. Founded in 1930, Fisher-Price today remains one of the USA’s oldest toy companies as well as one of the most respected toy companies in the world. While the company has created approximately 5,000 different toys since its inception, one of Fisher-Price’s best-known lines is Little People toys, which includes wooden and plastic people and animal figures along with various play sets and everyday life environment kits. Business wise, Fisher-Price is a part of the Mattel Company, accumulating over 2 billion dollars a year in revenue. Within this forward motion marketing, the toy industry remains extremely competitive and accounts for a huge consumer demographic that ranges from infants to teenagers as it’s prime target audience. Fisher Price is also expanding technology as the electronic age is bringing media and visuals to children in the form of screen displays and sound. Markertek is proud to serve Fisher-Price and the entire toy industry that keeps younger audiences educated and entertained with the best technology available!

Transfer of the Epson Imaging Sales Function to the Sony Group.
Monday, November 30, 2009

The Seiko Epson and Sony Corporations have announced that as of December 1, the sales function of the small- and medium-sized TFT LCD business (excluding high-temperature polysilicon TFT LCDs, etc.) of Epson Imaging Devices Corporation ("Epson Imaging") would be transferred to Sony and Sony Mobile Display Corporation ("SMD"). On June 30, 2009, Epson and Sony announced the execution of an agreement to transfer to the Sony group certain assets of the small- and medium-sized TFT LCD business operated by Epson Imaging. According to Epson, the company is placing foremost priority on the needs of its customers as it has sought to transfer the sales function of that business to the Sony group by the end of the calendar year. As preparations are now complete, the sales function of that business will be transferred to the newly established SMD sales department and Sony group overseas sales offices on December 1. In accordance with this transfer, Epson Imaging will cease worldwide sales activities on November 30, and some of the staff employed in that business will be either transferred or seconded to the Sony group. Expediting the assumption of the sales function will allow the Sony group to create a powerful small- and medium-sized TFT LCD business with a broad product lineup and a structure capable of responding even better to the needs of its customers. The Epson group will work to assure a smooth and expeditious transfer, scheduled to be carried out by April 1, 2010, of certain manufacturing-related assets of Epson Imaging for that business, and will continue to work closely with the Sony group to facilitate the further growth and success of the small- and medium-sized TFT LCD business.

HDMI Adopts New Labels for Cable Types.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009

HDMI Licensing, LLC, the agent responsible for licensing the High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) specification, this week released, on behalf of the HDMI Founders, an updated version of the HDMI Adopted Trademark and Logo Usage Guidelines. The new guidelines relate to the use of the HDMI trademark and logo placement on HDMI-compliant products and related packaging as well as web and marketing material. However, the most notable changes in the guidelines are significant restrictions on the use of version numbers and new marketing requirements for cables. Adopters will no longer be allowed to use HDMI specification version numbers in the labeling, packaging or promotion of their HDMI-compliant products. In the case of cable products, these restrictions are effective immediately. Non-cable products must comply with the new restrictions by January 1, 2012. These new requirements are designed to simplify the product selection process for consumers, enabling them to purchase an appropriate product based on features. “Instead of relying on version numbers, we believe the new trademark and logo guidelines provide our Adopters with the right tools to market products incorporating specific HDMI features,” said Steve Venuti, president of HDMI Licensing, LLC. “Gradually phasing out version numbers in CE products, eliminating them completely for cable products, and standardizing cable labeling goes a long way towards helping consumers identify the right products for their needs.” All HDMI cable products must be marketed and labeled as one of five types:

1. Standard HDMI Cable
2. Standard HDMI Cable with Ethernet
3. Standard Automotive HDMI Cable
4. High Speed HDMI Cable
5. High Speed HDMI Cable with Ethernet

For more information about the HDMI specification as well as the Compliance Test Specification or the updated Adopted Trademark and Logo Usage Guidelines please visit http://www.hdmi.org.

PHISH - World’s Favorite Jam Band Gets Funky with Markertek !
Monday, November 23, 2009

New York, NY - Markertek is the premier touring and production supply channel for all professional artist necessities. We recently supplied the audio production crew of popular rock band Phish with essential connectivity solutions. Since 1983, Phish has been one of the most famous jam bands within the genre’s touring and recording circuit. Hailing from Vermont, Bassist: Mike Gordon, Drummer: Jon Fishman, Keyboardist: Page McConnell and Guitarist,vocalist: Trey Anastasio create a unique musical formation that combines, rock, jazz and improvisational elements within their material. Phish has recorded 14 official studio releases, but are best known for their wildly popular live show repertoire. Having reformed in 2009 after an extended hiatus, the band is back on the road to perform dozens of sold out concerts nationwide. Each of the concerts is original in terms of the songs performed, the order in which they appear, and the musical structure in which they are performed. The band freely allows open air taping of their concerts and has amassed almost 1500 live concert tapes from within their fan base. Most recently, livephish.com has become a commercial avenue for the distribution of Phish soundboard concerts that can be purchased and downloaded usually within 24 hours of a concert’s performance. Phish has recorded many studio releases in our hometown of Woodstock, NY and we salute and celebrate the band and wish them continued success by bringing audio technology even further into the future to their adoring fan base.

New DVD Stores Data for 1,000 Years.
Friday, November 20, 2009

Among new research and data revealing recordable DVDs are more unreliable and unpredictable than originally thought, often failing in as few as two years, a new 1,000 year DVD made of high tech, diamond-hard stone promises to preserve irreplaceable digital files for the ages. The Cranberry DiamonDisc was designed by a team of scientists to store digital photos, movies, music, documents, and ledgers for 1,000 years or more. Unlike conventional recordable DVDs and CDs, the Cranberry DiamonDisc has no adhesive layers, dye layer or reflective layer to deteriorate - thereby avoiding the "data rot" that quickly corrodes all recordable DVDs. A high-intensity laser physically etches the information into the diamond-like surface of our synthetic stone disc. No other layer is needed. The transparent Cranberry DiamonDisc can withstand prolonged temperatures extending up to 176 degrees Fahrenheit as well as UV rays that would destroy conventional DVD disks, Cranberry claims. Researchers at Millenniata (Cranberry got an exclusive license of the technology for the consumer market) have tested the Cranberry Disc using the ECMA379 temperature and humidity (85°C / 85% RH) testing (effects of temperature and relative humidity ) as a standard to develop the most rigorous testing possible. They have combined temperature and humidity (85°C / 85% RH) tests with exposure to the full spectrum of natural light. The Cranberry Disc is the only survivor after this rigorous testing, the company claims. "Considering the combination of the Cranberry Disc's test results and its rock-like data layer, it is reasonable to conclude that the Cranberry Disc has a greater longevity and durability than other competitors media claim a 300-year shelf life," the company said. The data format is the same as any other DVD, meaning that the Cranberry DiamonDisc is fully backwards-compatible and can be read by any DVD player in any computer. Both the National Archives and the Library of Congress have alerted consumers that they shouldn't rely on home-burned DVDs to last much beyond two to five years. "Storage media such as compact discs and DVDs that were thought to last don't - they often fail within a few years," cautions the Library of Congress. David McInnis, founder of Cranberry DiamonDisc claims that has found the answer to the maladies of the digital DVD age in the low-tech Stone Age. Indeed, a dedicated group of professors at Brigham Young University developed and tested the "stone-carved" technology that McInnis licensed and is now available exclusively to consumers as the Cranberry DiamonDisc. "The Cranberry DiamonDisc is playable on most regular DVD drives today and will last as far into the future as we can imagine," McInnis says. But how can you write data on a Cranberry DiamonDisc? Specialized hardware is required to etch the diamond-like surface of a Cranberry DiamonDisc. However, the cost of this hardware puts it out of the reach of most consumers. A Cranberry Disc Writer plus 150 Blank Cranberry Discs are available for $4,995, while a single 4.7GB disc costs $34.95. For these reasons, Cranberry can etch consumers' DiamonDisc for them. After purchasing a Cranberry DiamonDisc online, consumers can upload their files through the secure online Cranberry File Uploader or send them to Cranberry by mail. Cranberry will etch the files onto the DiamonDisc and mails it back to to them. Find out more here.

Markertek Welcomes to the Family this Week:

Nissan Media Operations
American Embassy / UAE
Proximity LA
KGTV
Denver Museum Of Nature/Science
PSG Films
Universal Imaging
KPMG
American Chemical Society
Gold’s Gym Miami
Atomic Imaging
WCTV
TBS Network Intelligence
WebMD Health Corp
Lynn Television

Japanese Firms Prototype Battery-less Remote Control.
Thursday, November 19, 2009

Japanese electronics firms NEC Electronics Corp and Soundpower Corp announced November 17, that the comapanies have prototyped a remote control that does not require any batteries. Intended for home electric appliances, the remote control was realized by combining a vibration-based power generation device developed by Soundpower with NEC Electronics' microcomputer supporting RF remote controls that use radio waves with a frequency band ranging from several tens of MHz to several GHz to transmit and receive data and a power supply control technology that drives electronic circuits with a small amount of electricity. Specifically, electricity is generated by utilizing the weak vibration caused by pressing a button on the remote control. The electronic circuits of the remote control are driven by the electricity to turn on and off a TV set, adjust the sound volume and switch channels. NEC Electronics and Soundpower started the joint development of the remote control in December 2006. According to the comapnies, they plan its adoption by consumer-electronics makers sometime in 2011. The new remote control will be exhibited at Embedded Technology 2009, a trade show that will take place from Nov 18, thru 20, 2009, in Yokohama City, Japan.

The Mortician 3D -  Future Blockbuster Film Production Gets Wired with Markertek !
Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Harahan, LA - Markertek is the cutting edge technology supply leader for the film making and field production industry. We just rushed a huge order of connectivity products to the film set of The Mortician 3D that is to begin filming later this month in Harahan, Louisiana. The Mortician 3D is a redemption tale where kindness triumphs over cruelty and falls within the genres of urban noir, contemporary fairytale and psychological thriller. Starring Rap artist Method Man, last seen in The Wackness, as the mortician, he headlines along with Angelic Zambrana (Precious). Actors Tom Hardy (Bronson) and Edward Furlong (American History X) are casted as well. The film is set in the ghetto nightmare of a decaying metropolis and is based around one man's struggle through the violence and corruption of a dying city. The Mortician processes corpses with a steely regard and as a borderline autistic, he is alienated. Through his emotionless and unsympathetic actions he spreads his coldness to all he encounters. The Mortician’s attention is pricked by the tattoo of Botticelli’s ‘Birth of Venus’ on the body of a murdered young woman, Jenny. A fleeting recognition triggers a sequence of haunting dreams from his childhood. He discovers a scared child, Kane, fleeing the morgue. The danger that confronts them forces the Mortician to awake from his icy state as he is compelled to forge real emotional links with both the living and the dead. The "gritty, urban drama" was written and is being directed by Gareth Maxwell Roberts (Kill Kill Faster Faster), and is expected to be released in mid to late 2010. Markertek continues to proudly assist the film industry by providing the necessary field connectivity equipment as well as all the other gear required to take one man's idea and put it up on the silver screen for the world to experience!

Sony Unveils Plans to Strengthen PC and Digital Imaging Business.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Japan's Sony Corporation this week announced a series of organizational changes designed to strengthen its PC and digital imaging businesses. Effective as of April 1, 2010, Sony will transfer certain PC-related operations, including design operations, carried out by Sony EMCS Corporation Nagano TEC (Azumino City, Nagano Prefecture) into the VAIO Business Group, the headquarter function of Sony's PC business. Concurrently, the VAIO Business Group will be relocated to the "Nagano Business Center" of Sony, which will be newly located on the premises of Sony EMCS Corporation Nagano TEC. Following this move, Sony EMCS Corporation Nagano TEC, which is currently conducting design, manufacturing and related operations for Sony's PC business, will be dedicated solely to manufacturing operations. By centralizing all related operations of product planning, design and manufacturing for Sony's PC business at one site, Sony aims to strengthen collaboration between each operation and establish a unified business structure that further enhances efficiency and accelerates business growth. Operations relating to Sony's "alpha" digital SLR business, which have been located at Sony's Shin-Osaka Business Center in Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture, will move to Sony's Shinagawa Technology Center (Minato-ku, Tokyo). This move is scheduled to be completed by the end of March 2010. It is designed to maximize synergies with other digital imaging business groups (including video cameras and digital still cameras) in areas such as technological and product development, with the aim of further reinforcing Sony's "alpha" business and optimizing operations across Sony's digital imaging business.

FCC Announces Staff Change.
Monday, November 16, 2009

The Federal Communications Commission's Commissioner Michael J. Copps announced today that journalist Joshua Cinelli will join his office as Advisor on Media Issues. “I am so pleased to have someone of Joshua’s caliber, talent and deep sense of commitment to serve as my advisor on media issues. He arrives at a critical time for the future of our country’s media policy. He and I are both convinced that the opportunity for media reform is now. We have new leadership and a new sense of direction at the Commission plus a window of opportunity to address the gamut of pressing media issues, including too much media industry consolidation, too little diversity, and too many years of lax public interest oversight. In addition, I feel passionately about the need to confront the crisis facing broadcast journalism, with slashed news budgets jeopardizing the civic dialogue upon which our democracy relies. As a journalist who has worked in both traditional and ‘new’ media, Joshua is ideally suited to help craft innovative solutions to ensure that the interests of the American public are being served by all our media.” Mr. Cinelli has served most recently as news web editor at The New York Daily News. He has previous experience reporting for newspapers in Portland, Oregon, and New York City, and has done multimedia coverage for The Huffington Post. Cinelli also served as Legislative Director for a member of the Texas House of Representatives. He is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the City University of New York’s Graduate School of Journalism— where he was awarded the Arthur “Punch” Sulzberger Scholarship, the Time Inc. Scholarship, and the Dean’s Award for Excellence in Journalism. Mr. Cinelli replaces Jamila Bess Johnson, who has been on detail to Copps office as interim media adviser since the beginning of the year.

1080p HD Is Coming to YouTube.
Friday, November 13, 2009

According to video-sharing giant YouTube, support for watching 1080p HD videos in full resolution is on its way. Starting next week, YouTube's HD mode will add support for viewing videos in 720p or 1080p, depending on the resolution of the original source, up from the site's current maximum output of 720p. Spokesperson Chris Dale said engineers have been testing 1080p streams on the system and that the company is now not worried that there will be any infrastructure problems or higher costs for Google, YouTube's owner. "As resolution of consumer cameras increases, we want to make sure YouTube is the best home on the web to showcase your content. For viewers with big monitors and a fast computer, try switching to 1080p to get the most out of the full screen experience." The company also said that if users have already uploaded videos at 1080p, the video will be automatically re-encoded to playback at the highest quality. Videos uploaded from users will still have a 10-minute limit, although it is expected that the maximum uploaded file size will likely increase from the current limit of two gigabytes.

VESA Issues Mini DisplayPort Standard.
Thursday, November 12, 2009

The Video Electronics Standards Association (VESA) has issued its Mini DisplayPort (mDP) Connector Standard, defining the new, small connector that supports the full range of power, signaling and protocol capabilities defined in the DisplayPort Standard Version 1, Revision 1a. Originally developed by Apple for its new generation of portable PCs, Mini DisplayPort is much smaller than DVI (Digital Video Interface) or VGA connectors and enables full function display output on ultrathin notebooks and netbooks. Earlier this year, Apple agreed to license the mDP interface to VESA for inclusion in the DisplayPort standard. Mini DisplayPort meets the need for a smaller form factor connector for devices such as thin portable computers and add-in cards with multiple display interfaces. The mDP connector can be used as an alternative to the standard DisplayPort connector defined in Version 1, Rev. 1a. The mDP standard defines the mechanical dimensions of the mDP connector and the cable assemblies and adaptors that are supported. Devices using the mDP connector will meet all the electrical and protocol specifications required by DisplayPort 1.1a, and cable assemblies incorporating an mDP connector at either or both ends must meet the cable assembly electrical specifications required by the standard. VESA is finalizing DisplayPort 1.2, which incorporates mDP and doubles available bandwidth to 21.6 Gb/second. The increased bandwidth enables new capabilities such as multi-monitor support via a single output connector, higher resolutions, refresh rates and color depths, along with high performance 3D displays. The mDP standard can be downloaded from www.vesa.org or www.displayport.org

HP to Acquire 3Com for $2.7 Billion.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Palo Alto, California based Hewlett-Packard and network and IP solution provider, 3Com this week announced that the companies have entered into a definitive agreement under which HP will purchase 3Com, a provider of networking switching, routing and security solutions, at an enterprise value of approximately $2.7 billion. According to HP, the acquisition of 3Com will expand HP's Ethernet switching offerings, add routing solutions and significantly strengthen the company's position in China - one of the world's fastest-growing markets - via the H3C offerings. In addition, the combination will add a large research and development team in China that will drive the acceleration of innovations to HP's networking solutions. "Companies are looking for ways to break free from the business limitations imposed by a networking paradigm that has been dominated by a single vendor," said Dave Donatelli, executive vice president and general manager, Enterprise Servers and Networking, HP. "By acquiring 3Com, we are accelerating the execution of our Converged Infrastructure strategy and bringing disruptive change to the networking industry. By combining HP ProCurve offerings with 3Com's extensive set of solutions, we will enable customers to build a next-generation network infrastructure that supports customer needs from the edge of the network to the heart of the data center." The terms of the transaction have been approved by the HP and 3Com boards of directors, the companies said. Under the terms of the merger agreement, 3Com stockholders will receive $7.90 for each share of 3Com common stock that they hold at the closing of the merger. The acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions, including the receipt of domestic and foreign regulatory approvals and the approval of 3Com's stockholders. The transaction is expected to close in the first half of calendar 2010.

Glass Supply Disruption not Expected to Spur LCD Price Hike.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009

A manufacturing interruption at a Corning Inc plant in Taiwan will reduce availability of glass used for making LCDs in Q4 -- but this will not drive up panel prices, according to iSuppli Corp. Corning, the world's leading maker of glass for LCD panel substrates, in late October announced that a power disruption at its facility in Taichung, Taiwan during the weekend of October 18-19 had impacted a portion of its production. The power disruption caused the shutdown of several of the facility's glass melting tanks. Since it will take time to repair the tanks and bring them back up to full operation -- possibly as long as two months -- glass supply will be impacted, especially in Taiwan. iSuppli expects Corning's supply of glass to Taiwanese LCD makers to fall short of expected levels by 5% to 10% in Q4. The shortfall mainly will impact fifth-generation and higher fabs, which are used to make panels for notebook PCs, desktop PC monitors and 32-inch for LCD-TVs. By the time Corning has restored full production at the Taichung facility, global glass supply will have fallen short of the expected level by <5% during Q4, iSuppli believes. If this supply disruption had occurred during a time when panel inventory was low and production was increasing, it could have caused LCD availability to become constrained and prices to rise. However, with prices declining due to seasonal and market conditions, this isn't expected to occur this time. "Many panel suppliers were hoping that a glass shortage would mitigate the downward pressure on LCD prices," said Sweta Dash, senior director, LCD research, for iSuppli. "However, there is no indication this is going to happen in late 2009." The large-sized LCD panel market has been in a state of oversupply since September due to a buildup of panel inventories, and sizable stockpiles of finished products among retailers, Dash observed. Meanwhile, with electronics OEMs already having concluded most of their panel purchases for the holiday season, LCD sales have begun to decelerate, as is the normal pattern in Q4. These factors have spurred a decrease in large-sized LCD panel pricing that is expected continue throughout the Q4. TV panel price reductions expected to persist in November, with a 3% decline, and in December, with another 3% decrease. "With the Corning production issue occurring amid a glut of supply and a decline in demand, average pricing for large-sized LCD panels will not rise in Q4, in fact is expected to decrease throughout the quarter," Dash said.

Markertek Welcomes to the Family this Week:

Ring Of Fire -  Top Digital Design Collective Gets Charged with Markertek !
Monday, November 09, 2009

Santa Monica, CA. - Markertek is the Media Design industry super source for all technological and production needs. We recently supplied Ring Of Fire Productions with post production necessities at their west coast location in Santa Monica, California. Ring Of Fire is a digital design company launched in the mid 1990’s specializing in visual effects and animation. Partners, Creative Director Jerry Spivack and Executive Producer John Myers lead a team of some of the best digital artists and designers in the industry as well veteran effects supervisors and producers in daily efforts to constantly challenge and exceed expectations. Ring Of Fire has created award winning animation and effects for commercials, television shows, music videos and corporate media advertising. Some popular high-profile client projects include names such as Target, Geico, AT&T, Dexter, Madonna, McDonalds, Apple as well as many more. As always, Markertek is proud to be a intergal link in the chain that connects viewers and consumers around the world with the brands and entertainment they love.

NTIA Awards More Grants for Broadband Mapping.
Friday, November 06, 2009

The Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) today announced that it has awarded grants to fund broadband mapping and planning activities in Alabama, Idaho, Maryland, Massachusetts, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming under NTIA’s State Broadband Data and Development Grant Program. The program, funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, will increase broadband access and adoption through better data collection and broadband planning. The data will be displayed in NTIA’s national broadband map, a tool that will inform policymakers' efforts and provide consumers with improved information on the broadband Internet services available to them. NTIA received applications representing all 50 states, 5 territories, and the District of Columbia to participate in the program, meaning that all governments that were eligible to apply for grants did so, whether directly or through a designated entity. The first eight grants under this program were announced last month and the agency expects to continue announcing awards on a rolling basis throughout the fall. “This program will advance efforts to expand broadband access and adoption nationwide, which is vital to job creation and economic recovery,” said Assistant Secretary for Communications and Information and NTIA Administrator Lawrence E. Strickling. “NTIA will continue to provide guidance to applicants where necessary to help them improve their proposed projects, so that all states and territories can soon participate in this initiative.” Awardees are required to contribute at least 20 percent non-federal matching funds toward project costs. In addition, while the BDIA mandates that each state may designate only one eligible entity to receive funds under the program, each state's applicant will be carefully evaluated and must meet the standards described in NTIA's Notice of Funds Availability for this program in order to receive funding. The national broadband map will publicly display the geographic areas where broadband service is available; the technology used to provide the service; the speeds of the service; and broadband service availability at public schools, libraries, hospitals, colleges, universities, and public buildings. The national map will also be searchable by address and show the broadband providers offering service in the corresponding census block or street segment.

NAB Seeks Entries for 2010 International Broadcasting Excellence Awards.
Thursday, November 05, 2009

Entries are now being accepted for the 2010 National Association of Broadcasters International Broadcasting Excellence Awards. The awards will be presented during the NAB Show in Las Vegas, 10-15 April 2010. Established in 1995, the International Broadcasting Excellence Awards recognize international broadcasters who have demonstrated exceptional leadership in advancing the broadcast industry and the services they provide to their communities and audiences. To enter, international broadcasters must submit an entry form by Friday, 12 February 2010. Additional information, including the online nomination form and a list of previous award recipients, is available here. The NAB Show will take place 10-15 April, 2010 in Las Vegas (exhibits open 12 April). The show is the world's largest electronic media show covering filmed entertainment and the development, management and delivery of content across all mediums.

CASBAA Announces Asia Subscription TV Figures Higher than Rest-Of-World Combined.
Wednesday, November 04, 2009

The Cable & Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia (CASBAA) this week announced new data for subscription TV penetration across the Asia Pacific, noting that the region now has 326 million pay-TV, up 26 million homes in 2009. According to CASBAA estimates, backed by global data, subscription television in Asia Pacific now reaches more homes than the rest of the world (ROW) combined. Digital pay-TV subscription households now account for over 115 million homes. According to the CASBAA, China and India have spearheaded much of the growth, accounting for 90% of all Asian pay-TV subscribers in 2009. India now has 19 million digital pay-TV households, while China represents 69 million digital video connections. Overall Asian digital penetration stands at 35% across 14 markets. "These are very encouraging figures," said Simon Twiston Davies, the CEO of CASBAA. "Much of the digital promise of the last five years is now being delivered." Meanwhile, CASBAA's annual pay-TV piracy survey of 15 Asia Pacific markets conducted in association with Standard Chartered Bank reflects the regional growth but also generating an updated estimate of US$1.94 billion in annual revenue losses to the industry. As new markets open, previously hidden pockets of piracy have become apparent as in Indonesia, for instance, where the local industry and government have paid increasing attention to pay-TV signal theft in the last year. Tax specialists at PricewaterhouseCoopers participated in the analytical exercise, and came to the conclusion that the biggest revenue losers were the governments in Thailand (US$76 million), Pakistan (US$56 million) and the Philippines (US$39 million). At the same time, in some places piracy has declined as investment in digital technology make signals more difficult to steal. Thus, piracy numbers in Hong Kong and Manila have declined as cable operators have deployed new digital transmission systems.

Markertek Welcomes to the Family this Week:

Denver Broncos - Top NFL Team Goes Mile High in HD with Markertek !
Tuesday, November 03, 2009

Denver CO - Markertek is the leading professional sports supplier for team and media support. We recently supplied the Denver Broncos with grip and media accessories at their home base of Denver, Colorado. Playing at Invesco Field at Mile High to a huge fan base, the Denver Broncos are currently a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) Western Division in the National Football League (NFL). The Broncos began play in 1960 as a charter member of the American Football League and joined the NFL as part of the AFL-NFL merger in 1970. Today, the media support staff for NFL teams encompass large amounts of talent and manpower for the current transitioning to an all HD format for broadcast. Markertek salutes the NFL and send our regards to the Broncos and all of the league's teams for a successful season and all those involved in bringing it to us from a Mile High in HD!

ICANN Approves International Alphabet Internet Addresses.
Monday, November 02, 2009

The first Internet addresses containing non-Latin characters from start to finish will soon be online thanks to last weeks approval of the new Internationalized Domain Name Fast Track Process by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers board (ICANN). The internationally organized, public benefit non-profit company is responsible for the global coordination of the Internet's system of unique identifiers and domain names (like .org, .museum and country codes like .uk) and the addresses used in a variety of Internet protocols that help computers reach each other over the Internet. Launching on November 16, 2009, ICANN's Fast Track Process will allow nations and territories to apply for Internet extensions reflecting their name – and made up of characters from their national language. If the applications meet criteria that includes government and community support and a stability evaluation, the applicants will be approved to start accepting registrations. "The coming introduction of non-Latin characters represents the biggest technical change to the Internet since it was created four decades ago," said ICANN chairman Peter Dengate Thrush. "Right now Internet address endings are limited to Latin characters – A to Z. But the Fast Track Process is the first step in bringing the 100,000 characters of the languages of the world online for domain names." IDNs have been a topic of discussion since before ICANN's inception. It's taken years of intense technical testing, policy development, and global co-operation to prepare the Fast Track process for its coming launch. "This is only the first step, but it is an incredibly big one and an historic move toward the internationalization of the Internet ," said Rod Beckstrom, ICANN's President and CEO. "The first countries that participate will not only be providing valuable information of the operation of IDNs in the domain name system, they are also going to help to bring the first of billions more people online – people who never use Roman characters in their daily lives." More information of the Fast Track program is available online at: http://www.icann.org/en/topics/idn/fast-track/

Large-Area TFT LCD Shipments Reach Record Highs.
Friday, October 30, 2009

According to recent data from DisplaySearch, September 2009 shipments of large-area TFT LCD panels reached 52 million units, up 2% M/M and 25% Y/Y. This sets a new record for monthly large-area TFT LCD shipments. Large-area TFT LCD revenues reached US$6.8 billion, up 6% M/M and 15% Y/Y. The overall market grew despite the fact that shipments of monitor panels declined 8% M/M to 16.8 million units, the first time this segment has experienced a M/M decline since February of this year. Samsung shipped more than 5 million panels for portable PCs (notebook and mini-note/netbook) in September, which is the first time a supplier shipped that many panels in a month for this application. According to David Hsieh, vice president of DisplaySearch, "September was a record-breaking month for large-area TFT LCD panels in several segments, including total shipments, shipment area, notebook PC, TV and mini-note panel shipments. However, inventory adjustment and seasonal slowdown obviously influenced monitor panel demand, so for the first time since February, monitor panel shipments were down from the previous month." Hsieh added, "Sales of LCD TVs in China during the golden week holiday were very strong, indicating that the LCD TV boom in China is not over yet and many brands continue to purchase panels to refill inventories. Moreover, LCD TV demand is picking up in Europe and North America, driving panel shipments to a record high of 15.6 million in September." On a unit basis, Samsung was the leader with 24.3% market share, followed closely by LG Display with 24%, AUO with 17.9%, and CMO with 14.1%. LCD shipments for portable PCs (including notebook and mini-note) and TVs showed M/M growth—reaching record highs of 18.6 and 15.6 million units, respectively. In terms of area, large-area TFT LCD shipments reached 8.1 million square meters in September, up 6% M/M and 28% Y/Y, another record high for LCDs. Mini-note PC (5 to 11.6-inch) panel shipments were 4.4 million in September, achieving an all-time high. AUO and HannStar led this segment with each shipping more than 1 million mini-note panels in September.

Mantis Shrimps Could Show the Way for New CD /DVD Technology.
Thursday, October 29, 2009

The remarkable eyes of a marine crustacean could inspire the next generation of DVD and CD players, according to a new study from the University of Bristol published this week in Nature Photonics. The mantis shrimps in the study are found on the Great Barrier Reef in Australia and have the most complex vision systems known to science. They can see in twelve colors (humans see in only three) and can distinguish between different forms of polarized light. Special light-sensitive cells in mantis shrimp eyes act as quarter-wave plates – which can rotate the plane of the oscillations (the polarization) of a light wave as it travels through it. This capability makes it possible for mantis shrimps to convert linearly polarized light to circularly polarized light and vice versa. Manmade quarter-wave plates perform this essential function in CD and DVD players and in circular polarizing filters for cameras. However, these artificial devices only tend to work well for one color of light while the natural mechanism in the mantis shrimp’s eyes works almost perfectly across the whole visible spectrum – from near-ultra violet to infra-red. Dr Nicholas Roberts, lead author of the Nature Photonics paper said: “Our work reveals for the first time the unique design and mechanism of the quarter-wave plate in the mantis shrimp’s eye. It really is exceptional – out-performing anything we humans have so far been able to create.” This would not be the first time humans have looked to the natural world for new ideas, for example the lobster’s compound eye recently inspired the design of an X-ray detector for an astronomical telescope. The mantis shrimp research was conducted at the University of Bristol’s School of Biological Sciences in collaboration with colleagues at UMBC, USA and the University of Queensland, Australia.

Hitachi, Toshiba, Sony Receive Subpoenas in Optical Disk Inquiry.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Electronics manufacturers Hitachi, Toshiba and Sony said this week that the company's optical disk drive operations in the U.S. have received subpoenas from the U.S. Department of Justice in an investigation into potential antitrust violations. According to cdrinfo.com, Sony Optiarc America, which supplies a lineup of optical disc drives, has received a subpoena from the U.S. Department of Justice's antitrust division. The company, which is the result of a joint venture between Sony and NEC in the optical disc drive field, did not comment on whether the investigation included Blu-ray products. Japanese giants Hitachi and Toshiba also said separately Tuesday that their optical disk drive businesses in the U.S. would fully cooperate with the inquiry. Hitachi has a 51%-owned optical storage joint venture with LG, in a company called Hitachi-LG Data Storage. In addition, Toshiba's is a 51%-owned joint venture with Samsung called Toshiba Samsung Storage Technology Corp. Although none of the companies provided details on the subpoenas, the WSJ wrote on Tuesday that the criminal antitrust probe into the market for optical disk drives had been started by the U.S. Department of Justice some months ago, investigating disc-drive makers for possible price-fixing, bid-rigging and allocation of markets.

White Spaces Network goes Live in Rural Virginia.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Deployed by wireless solutions company, Spectrum Bridge in the rural town of Claudville, Virginia, unused TV broadcast channels freed up by the transition to digital TV are being used to wirelessly deliver high-speed Internet connectivity to business, education and community users for the first time in the U.S. TV white spaces are vacant channels in the television band and are ideal for sending broadband signals across long distances and for penetrating walls, trees and other objects. These TV white spaces hold enormous potential for expanding broadband access, particularly in rural and other under served areas. Signals delivered over TV white spaces can cover large areas and are unlicensed in keeping with a November 2008 Federal Communications Commission (FCC) decision, so device-makers and network operators using TV white spaces frequencies take precautions to prevent interference with licensed television broadcasts. To ensure that the use of TV white spaces in Claudville does not cause interference with local TV signals, the network is controlled by Spectrum Bridge’s intelligent TV white spaces database system. This database assigns non-interfering frequencies to white spaces devices, and can adapt in real time to new TV broadcasts, as well as to other protected TV band users operating in the area. Under an experimental license granted by the FCC, Spectrum Bridge designed and deployed a wireless TV white spaces network to distribute broadband Internet connectivity in Claudville. The new TV white spaces network is providing the “middle mile” link between the wired back haul and the WiFi hot spot networks deployed in Claudville’s business area as well as the school. The same network is also providing last mile broadband connectivity directly to end users. Roger Hayden, Director of Claudville Computer Center and Chairman of the Patrick County Broadband Task Force said, “We have been working for many years to help the people of Claudville get high-speed data services that urban areas take for granted. The citizens here are directly benefiting from the digital dividend created by availability of TV white spaces frequencies. Being able to leverage a TV white spaces network that covers Claudville’s residential, business and the surrounding areas is a major step towards meeting this goal.” According to Hayden, Dell, Microsoft and the TDF Foundation contributed state-of-the-art computer systems and software applications to the local school, as well as the town’s new computer center.

Wendy’s International - American Food Chain Gets HD Served up Right with Markertek !
Monday, October 26, 2009

Dublin, Ohio - Markertek is the corporate and industrial supply source for the entire fast food service conglomerate. We recently worked with Wendy’s International by supplying connectivity products at its world headquarters in Dublin, Ohio. The 3rd largest fast food chain in the world, Wendy's International, Inc. is the parent company of Wendy's Old Fashioned Hamburgers. The company employs over 46,000 people, and also features the Cafe Express, Pasta Pomodoro and other names within its chain restaurants. With the advent of HD and digital signage, chain restaurants are providing media with their advertising and public displays at key locations. This technology also couples itself with an intense focus on bringing consumers promotional media to enhance their visit and experience. Markertek is proud to supply forward motion marketing that brings tasty products to a wide audience that is hungry for delicious HD media.

Toshiba Launches Direct Methanol Fuel Cell.
Friday, October 23, 2009

Toshiba this week announced the launch of its first direct methanol fuel-cell product, Dynario, an external power source that delivers power to mobile digital consumer products. According to Toshiba, the power consumption of mobile electronic devices, including mobile phones, has greatly increased with added functionality and features including TV reception and Internet connectivity. As a result, battery exhaustion has become a major concern. Dynario's DMFC delivers almost instant refueling that untethers electrical equipment from AC adapters and power outlets. It runs on mix of methanol and ambient oxygen, and the chemical reaction between the two in the fuel cell produces electricity. Once fueled with an injection of methanol solution from its dedicated cartridge, the palm-sized Dynario starts to generate electricity that is delivered to a digital consumer product - a mobile phone or a digital media player - via a USB cable. On a single refill of methanol which can be made in around 20 seconds, Dynario can generate enough power to charge two typical mobile phones. Dynario, together with a dedicated fuel cartridge for refueling on the go, is scheduled to be launched in Japan, in a limited edition of 3,000 units only. The Dynario will be priced at 29,800 Yen ($326) and a set of five fuel cartridge will cost Japanese consumers additional 3,150 yen ($34.5). Toshiba said it will gauge customer reaction and opinion from the Japanese release of Dynario and reflect them in the development of future DMFC products for outside markets.

Study Shows Performance Fee Opposition.
Thursday, October 22, 2009

According to a poll released recently by the National Association of Broadcasters, a clear majority of Americans oppose legislation backed by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) that would force local radio stations to pay an additional fee for every song aired free to listeners. The poll reveals that 75 percent of participants do not support a performance fee levied on radio stations, and 85 percent recognize the promotional value radio airplay brings to artists and their music. The poll, conducted August 24-31, 2009, randomly surveyed 1,000 likely voters nationwide to examine America's attitude toward the performance tax debate. Participants were questioned on their knowledge of the proposed legislation, and were given additional information about the issue from a May 6 article published by The Wall Street Journal. The referenced Wall Street Journal article stated that the legislation "would force radio companies to pay royalties [fees] of as much as $500 million a year to record labels and artists whose music they play." The article went on to say that "any additional expenses could send [radio companies] one step closer to financial restructuring." After being provided with these excerpts, poll participants were asked whether they would "favor or oppose the performance fee, requiring local radio stations to pay a fee for every song they play". Results showed that 60 percent "definitely opposed," 12 percent "probably opposed" and 3 percent "leaned opposed." As part of the survey, 85 percent of those polled agreed with the statement that read, "Songs played on the radio help drive music sales, generating record sales annually for performers." Results here showed that 64 percent "strongly agreed" and 21 percent "somewhat agreed" with the statement. Commenting on the study NAB Executive Vice President Dennis Wharton said, "This survey demonstrates that the more Americans know about a proposed performance tax, the more likely they are to oppose it. Simply put, a performance tax is bad for free, local radio. It's bad for radio's 235 million weekly listeners. And it's bad for the legions of new and legacy artists whose careers were launched and nurtured by free radio airplay." The poll comes as Congressional opposition continues to grow. Sen. James Inhofe (OK), has become the most recent lawmaker to express opposition to the record label-backed legislation. Currently, a bipartisan group of 251 House lawmakers and 26 U.S. Senators oppose a performance tax on local radio stations. The survey, commissioned by NAB, was conducted by Wilson Research Strategies, a Washington, DC-based firm.

Sharp Develops World's Most Efficient Solar Cell.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Using a newly designed triple-junction compound solar cell, the Sharp Corporation has achieved the world's highest solar cell conversion efficiency of 35.8%. Unlike silicon-based solar cells, the most common type of solar cell in use today, the compound solar cell, which is has been used primarily on space satellites, utilizes photo-absorption layers made from compounds consisting of two or more elements such as indium and gallium. Conventionally, Ge (germanium) is used as the bottom layer due to its ease of manufacturing. However, in terms of performance, although Ge generates a large amount of current, the majority of the current is wasted, without being used effectively for electrical energy. The key to solving this problem was to form the bottom layer from InGaAs (indium gallium arsenide), a material with high light utilization efficiency. However, the process to make high-quality InGaAs with high crystallinity was difficult. As a result, Sharp has now succeeded in forming an InGaAs layer with high crystallinity by using its proprietary technology for forming layers. As a result, the amount of wasted current has been minimized, and the conversion efficiency, which had been 31.5% in Sharp's previous cells, has been successfully increased to 35.8%. Since 2000, the company has been advancing research and development on a triple-junction compound solar cell that achieves high conversion efficiency by stacking three photo-absorption layers. Sharp achieved this latest breakthrough as part of a research and development initiative promoted by Japan's New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) on the theme of "R&D on Innovative Solar Cells".

Technicolor - The Bright Future for Digital Cinema Processes with Markertek !
Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Hollywood, CA. - Markertek is the cutting edge technology supply link for the entire digital cinema and film industry. We recently assisted Technicolor with connectivity products at its USA headquarters in Hollywood, California. Technicolor is a global technology company that has developed and innovated color processes for the commercial film industry for almost 100 years. Technicolor is now refashioning itself to keep pace with the digital revolution that has reshaped the entertainment industry. The company has recently invested more than $200 million in digital post production and visual effects facilities, including in Bangalore, India, London and the company's new Hollywood headquarters, as well as in a sound editing facility that is slated to open next year on the Paramount Pictures lot on Melrose Avenue. The global expansion comes at a time when many other companies that service Hollywood are scaling back in the face of a severe production slowdown. The bulk of the company's business derives from replicating DVDs and processing film prints for theaters. Technicolor is the largest manufacturer of DVDs and remains one of the largest processors of film -- it processed 1.8 billion feet of film during the first half of this year. The company also has emerged as a market leader in the processing and distribution of digital cinema. Its new headquarters includes nine digital scanners, which cost more than $1 million apiece. They are part of a "digital intermediate" process that Technicolor developed several years ago that allows film to be color-corrected and edited on digital equipment as opposed to in a film laboratory using chemicals. The process is safer, faster and less expensive. Markertek remains proud to work with top innovators in the cinema processing industry that brings new media into an even brighter future with expanded technology and a premium visual experience!

Markertek Welcomes to the Family this Week:

BluFocus Approved as Official Testing Center for the Blu-ray Disc Association.
Monday, October 19, 2009

Testing and certification facility, BluFocus Inc. today announced it has established the first, and currently only, Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA) approved Testing Center in the United States for Movie Player Verification. In order to continue ensuring the quality of Blu-ray products released into the market, it is necessary that these products are operating as intended, per the Blu-ray specification and that advanced levels of testing are conducted within all areas. According to BluFocus, the company is highly qualified and positioned to process discs, players and content through a wide variety of tests to ensure their compliancy and compatibility. "Our goal since inception has been to promote the Blu-ray format and ensure its success by offering testing and advisory services to all those creating Blu-ray products. Our highly dedicated and experienced staff have worked extremely hard these last two years and are very proud and honored to be an approved Testing Center for the BDA." says Paulette E. Pantoja, CEO/Founder of BluFocus Inc. BluFocus has also been approved by the BDA as a Testing Center for BD-ROM Audio Visual Content and is in the process of finalizing its approval for BD-ROM PC Application Software. The new Blu-ray services expand the company's list of offerings in the areas of testing, compatibility, verification, THX Certification and Project Engineering. "To be officially recognized and approved by the BDA is a compliment to our hard work and dedication to this format."

Adobe Introduces Photoshop for iPhone.
Friday, October 16, 2009

Photoshop creator, Adobe Systems Incorporated has announced a new application that delivers the company's industry-leading digital-imaging technology of Photoshop to users on the go. Dubbed Photoshop.com Mobile for iPhone, the new software provides users with a convenient way to edit photos, apply effects and share images instantly - all from the iPhone. According to Adobe, using gesture-based editing, consumers can transform their photos with essential edits like crop, rotate and flip. Users can also correct and play with color by adjusting the saturation and tint, enhancing the exposure and vibrancy and converting images to black and white as well as adding preset effects. After making personalized edits, users can upload photos from their iPhone to their Photoshop.com account to view and retrieve their images at a later time from any Internet-connected computer. Additionally, Photoshop.com Mobile for iPhone provides a digital photo wallet, giving users access to their entire Photoshop.com library directly from their iPhone. Photoshop.com offers 2GB of free online photo storage, which, according to Adobe, equates to over 1,500 photos. “As the digital imaging leader, Adobe is excited to bring Photoshop.com Mobile to iPhone users,” said Doug Mack, vice president and general manager of Consumer and Hosted Solutions at Adobe. “Now, with access to powerful editing and sharing tools, iPhone users are armed with the resources to document all of life’s unexpected moments, make them look their best and then re-live those memories with friends and family.” The application is currently available free of charge at Apple's App Store.

YouTube, Channel 4 Sign Long-Form Content Deal.
Thursday, October 15, 2009

British TV network Channel 4 and YouTube and have signed a content deal that will make the broadcaster’s original programs available on demand, in full and free-of-charge via YouTube in the UK in the coming months. The strategic partnership marks the first time that a broadcaster anywhere in the world has made a comprehensive catch-up schedule available on YouTube, providing Channel 4 with additional advertising inventory and reach: YouTube last week announced it was serving over 1 billion video streams every day. Under the terms of the deal, Channel 4 will make its online video-on-demand ‘catch-up’ service of new programs available via YouTube shortly after television transmission, as well as 3,000 hours of full length programming from the Channel 4 archive at any given time, including shows like Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares, Teachers and many others. The deal builds significantly on Channel 4 and YouTube’s existing relationship; Channel 4 was the first broadcaster to sell pre-roll advertisements on YouTube clips and to incorporate an offline sponsor into an online YouTube package. Channel 4 will have a branded presence on YouTube and will be able to sell advertising around its content on the site. The agreement also allows for the first time, Channel 4 to sell advertising around some non-Channel 4 content on YouTube. Andy Duncan, Channel 4’s Chief Executive, said “Making our programs directly accessible to YouTube’s 20 million UK users will financially benefit both Channel 4 and our independent production partners and help bolster our investment in quality British content. It demonstrates our ability to strike dynamic commercial partnerships to help underpin our future as a commercially funded, not-for-profit multi-platform public service network.” While financial terms are not being disclosed, but the partnership runs for an initial term of at least three years and the two parties will share advertising revenues on an agreed formula. Content will begin appearing in the coming months and be fully available in early 2010. All programs will be available only in the UK, free-of-charge supported by advertising.

Samsung Cuts STORY Standby Power to Less Than 1W.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Korean Electronics giant Samsung has announced it has upgraded the power supply on its STORY Station line, a 3.5-inch external hard drive line up, featuring what the company claims as now having the lowest standby power consumption in the industry. At just 0.09W when parked, Samsung said it has lowered the standby power consumption by over 95% from the conventional level of 2.5W for drives with similar storage capabilities. According to the company, the drive's power reduction comes through a redesigned circuit structure that renders the drive non-operational when when it is connected to a power plug but not the USB port. The new reduced standby power level which easily meets requirements for the forthcoming European Union's EuP (energy using products) directive for Standby Regulation, effective January 2010, will also reduce energy use and indirect CO2 emissions in all available markets. The low standby power consuming 3.5-inch STORY Station external hard drive line up will be available in densities ranging from 500GBs to 2TBs and shipments are expected to begin in early November of this year.

Michael Penn - Famous Rocker and Film Composer Makes the Score with Markertek !
Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Hollywood, CA. - Markertek is the music recording industry super source for all cable and connectivity products. We recently assisted Michael Penn with cable solutions for a project he is working on in Hollywood, California. A popular singer and songwriter, Michael Penn is the son of the late actor/director Leo Penn and actress Eileen Ryan, and the brother of actors Sean Penn and Chris Penn. Following in his family’s creative footsteps, Michael did some small acting roles and eventually found his strength in writing and performing music. In 1989, he released his debut record “March” and had a popular hit song “No Myth”, which found Michael fame on the 1990 MTV Video Music Awards as “Best New Artist”. After several more album releases, Michael began to collaborate with directors and producers to write film scores. He met and married his longtime partner songstress Aimee Mann and continued to pursue his passion for film score composition. In 1997, he scored the hit film “Boogie Nights” and since has worked on dozens of films including his newest 2009 effort  “Bollywood Hero”. Markertek salutes Michael and his stellar career and is proud to work with the entire film and film score industry providing the technology products and tools necessary to make Hollywood's greatest films sound as good as they look. 

Markertek Welcomes to the Family this Week:

FM Digital Booster Technology
Development Advances.
Monday, October 12, 2009

iBiquity Digital Corporation and NAB FASTROAD this week announced that the first two stages of a project to develop on-channel digital booster technology for FM in-band/on-channel (IBOC) digital radio have now been completed. On-channel digital booster technology is one of the principal techniques proposed for improving FM IBOC digital radio coverage. The boosters, strategically located within the coverage area of a radio station, would transmit only the digital portion of the hybrid IBOC signal. The approach to digital booster development being undertaken by iBiquity is aimed at a booster design that is interoperable among the various transmission equipment manufacturers. The technology is reverse-compatible with existing receivers and supportable by existing FM IBOC broadcast products, such as exciters, through upgrading. The work has been undertaken by iBiquity Digital Corporation, developers of the HD Radio IBOC system used by U.S. broadcasters to transition to digital radio, and is being co-funded by iBiquity and NAB FASTROAD. A technical report describing the results of laboratory testing of this new digital booster technology is available online. The full text of the report and information on the NAB FASTROAD technology advocacy program are available at www.NABFASTROAD.org.

QD Laser Show World's First Green Laser Device.
Friday, October 09, 2009

QD Laser Inc. in collaboration with the Institute for Nano Quantum Information Electronics at the University of Tokyo, has developed the world's first green laser device using a quantum dot laser. Intended for use as a light source for pico projectors, the new laser device produces green laser light with a wavelength of 532nm by changing the wavelength of laser light that is emitted from a quantum dot laser and has a wavelength of 1,064nm when used with SHG (second harmonic generation) devices. Featuring a wide operating temperature range (up to 60°C without cooling), resulting in lower power consumption, it operates at a voltage of 2V, and its wavelength can be modulated at 500MHz or higher. According to QD, the company plans to ship samples in December 2009 and start volume production in the autumn of 2010. The new laser device is currently being exhibited at CEATEC JAPAN 2009, which runs from Oct 6 to 10, 2009, at Makuhari Messe in Chiba Prefecture, Japan.

The Nielsen Company Wants 'to be Your Friend'.
Thursday, October 08, 2009

Media measurement giant Nielsen Company and social network site Facebook have announced what the companies call "a multi-year, strategic alliance to help marketers better use the Internet to develop and market new products." Combining Facebook’s global consumer reach with Nielsen’s market research experience, the companies hope to provide better insight and information to marketers around the world. The first product of the collaboration, Nielsen BrandLift, is designed to provide marketers with effectiveness measurement for Facebook advertising. It will launch in the U.S. this month with select test partners and roll out to all Facebook advertisers in the coming months. BrandLift uses opt-in polls, specially designed one or two question surveys on Facebook’s homepage, to measure consumer attitudes and purchase intent from display advertising that has appeared on the site. According to Nielsen, while the surveys will collect the information marketers need as a seamless part of the Facebook user experience, the frequency of the surveys will be carefully controlled to limit any one user from being asked to participate too often, and no personally identifiable information will be collected as part of this program. “Facebook is an increasingly vital link between consumers and brands,” said John Burbank, CEO of Nielsen’s online division. “We will now be able to add deep knowledge of this important social network to our unmatched media measurement and consumer insight across all three screens. Together we will be able to provide the missing elements to clients seeking better understanding of how Web content and online advertising affect consumer behavior.” Recent data from Nielsen reveals that although U.S. online advertising spend was down 2 percent year-over-year, from an August 2008, estimated online advertising spend on the top social network and blogging sites increased 119 percent, from approximately $49 million in August 2008 to approximately $108 million in August 2009.

Sony Develops Wireless Power Transfer System.
Wednesday, October 07, 2009

With the growth in networked products, the number of cables used to connect these products has also increased. While data cables are rapidly being replaced with wireless communication systems such as Wi-Fi, the demand for wireless power transfer systems is also continuing to grow.In response, Sony Corporation this week announced the development of a highly efficient wireless power transfer system that eliminates the use of power cables from electronic products such as television sets. Using this system, up to 60 Watts of electrical energy can be transferred over a distance of 50cm (nearly 20 inches). With an efficiency of approximately 80%, approximately 60% including rectifier, the new wireless power transfer system incorporates a form of contact less electrical energy transmission technology based on magnetic resonance. According to Sony, by using magnetic resonance, electromagnetic energy is only transferred to recipient devices that share the identical resonant frequencies as the energy source, so energy transfer efficiency is maintained, even when misalignment occurs. Furthermore, even if there are metal objects located between the transmitter and receiver, no heat induction occurs. By drawing on its years of experience developing high radio frequency (RF) technologies for use in wireless communications and broadcast products, the company was able to create a new rectifier that realizes both high speed and high efficiency. Sony has also developed passive extender units that are set to the same frequencies as the transmission and recipient devices, enabling the transfer distance to be extended from 50cm (20 inches) to 80cm (31 inches) without any degradation in transfer efficiency. Currently, in the developmental stage, Sony sites distance as a key problem, with the other being wattage for the new technology. The WPSS can presently only send 60W at the moment, enough to power a 22” LCD television at a distance of 50cm. However, the company notes that with the increasing focus on energy efficient televisions, larger displays and longer distances may be easier to achieve using the WPSS technology. No date for retail availability was released.

Markertek Welcomes to the Family this Week:

California Institute Of Technology
WLFI-TV
Audio Broadcast Services
KVOA Communications
CBS News Chicago
City Of Cedar Falls
WRAL-TV
Boston Scientific
Guitar Monkey Tour
WDCW
Cineworks Digital Studios
WXTV CH41
EMI Music
21st Century 3D
WVIZ/PBS

LIN TV Acquires Red McCombs Media.
Tuesday, October 06, 2009

Providence, Rhode Island based local television and digital media company LIN TV has announced the acquisition of Red McCombs Media, an online advertising and media services company based in Austin, Texas. According to LIN, the acquisition will significantly expand LIN TV’s local multi-platform offerings by providing national advertising and enhanced services, including targeted display, rich media, video advertising, custom built vertical channels, search engine marketing, search engine optimization, and mobile marketing. "RM Media advances LIN’s transformation from a local broadcaster to a digital media company with a national footprint," said LIN TV’s President and Chief Executive Officer Vincent Sadusky. "RM Media was founded by innovative and entrepreneurial leaders who have a clear understanding of new media engagement and a first-to-market advantage." RM Media was founded in 2004 by Internet entrepreneur Jon Flatt who joined forces with business and media leader Red McCombs in 2005. Today, RM Media connects targeted audiences with advertisers and publishers based on demographic, psychographic and consumer behaviors to enhance branding and maximize client return on investment. "This is an exciting opportunity for RM Media and our clients," said Jon Flatt, President of RM Media. "RM Media’s foundation for success is, and will continue to be, providing unparalleled client service and achieving measurable results for our clients. As part of LIN TV's digital media strategy, we will be able to benefit from important synergies and have greater resources for growth, enhanced service and innovation." In August 2009, Inc. magazine announced that RM Media, for the second year in a row, was among the Inc. 5,000 fastest-growing private companies in the nation with three year sales growth of 230.6%. It is reported that LIN paid approximately $7.9 million for RM Media, including $1.2 million in cash, $4.5 million in stock, and $2.2 million in the form of an unsecured promissory note.

Tyler Perry Studios -  Top Atlanta Film Studio Takes Control with Markertek !
Monday, October 05, 2009

Atlanta, GA. - Markertek is the cutting edge technology industry supply leader for the film and studio production world. We just supplied Tyler Perry Studios with DNF Controls equipment at its main studio location in Atlanta, Georgia. Tyler Perry is a New Orleans born actor, director, and producer of indie films and stage plays. His best-known character is "Madea", who is a physically imposing and overbearing but well-intentioned woman who serves both as comic relief and as the loud voice of conscience for the protagonists of Perry's works. Since his first stage production I KNOW I'VE BEEN CHANGED in 1998, Perry's films alone have grossed just under $400 million worldwide while also being honored for his stage, television and film works by BET, NAACP as well as the National Association of Television Program Executives (NATPE) with the Brandon Tartikoff Legacy Award. The Brandon Tartikoff Legacy Award was created to recognize a select group of television professionals who exhibit extraordinary passion, leadership, independence and vision in the process of creating television programming. In the fall of 2008, Perry opened his 200,000 square foot studios in Atlanta situated on the former Delta Airlines campus on more than 30 acres. Employing hundreds of local Atlantans, his new studio consists of 5 sound stages, a post production facility, a pond, a back lot, a 400 seat theater and private screening room and designated areas for entertaining and holding events. Markertek is proud to support all of the industry's up-and-coming artist such as Tyler Perry who continue to work tirelessly to make the journey from the hard streets of New Orleans to the heights of Hollywood's A-list.

127th AES Convention Names Bill McGlaughlin Keynote Speaker.
Friday, October 02, 2009

Peabody Award-winning radio personality William "Bill" McGlaughlin has been named Keynote Speaker for the 127th AES Convention. The long-time host and music director of American Public Media’s popular Saint Paul Sunday public radio program McGlaughlin is a highly regarded broadcaster, educator, composer and conductor. In making the announcement Convention Chair Agnieszka Roginska remarked, "While the focus of our conventions are largely technical in nature, we are delighted to provide our attendees with an opportunity to enjoy a discourse by a broadcaster celebrated for his performance behind the mic rather than behind the control room window." Entitled Talent Doesn’t Push Buttons, Mr. McGlaughlin’s address will consider the relationship between the on-air talent and the audio engineers who insure the high-quality sound and technical support that contribute to a program’s long-term success. has co-hosted the nationally syndicated radio series Center Stage from Wolf Trap since its inception in 1999, and since 2007 has hosted the nationally syndicated Concerts from the Library of Congress radio series. Among his many awards and honors are five ASCAP Awards for Adventurous Programming; the 1990 Deems Taylor Award (ASCAP) for Saint Paul Sunday; a 1990 Honorary Doctorate from Westminster College; and a 1995 Peabody Award for Saint Paul Sunday. The 127th AES Convention will be held Oct. 9 – 12 at New York’s Javits Center. Visit Markertek at AES booth #872 - get a free show pass here.

Mitsubishi Enters Guinness World Records - World's Largest HD Display.
Thursday, October 01, 2009

Mitsubishi Electric has gained its latest entry in the Guinness World Records book with the recognition of its Diamond Vision video board at the new Cowboys Stadium. Noted as the World's Largest High-Definition Video Display, it is also the world's first four-sided, center-hung, high-definition video display. Consisting of four Diamond Vision LED video screens, the goliath sports two main sideline displays measuring 72 feet high by 160 feet wide, and two Diamond Vision end-zone displays measuring 29 feet high by 51 feet wide. Weighing 600 tons, the screens are suspended 90 feet directly over the center of the playing surface and stretch from nearly one 20-yard line to the other. With a total viewing area of 11,393 square-feet, the Diamond Vision display is equal to 3,268 52-inch televisions, and has 10,584,064 LED lights. "This was probably the most exciting project we've ever been involved with," said Mark Foster, general manager of Mitsubishi Electric's Diamond Vision Systems. Mitsubishi Electric has now been recognized by Guinness World Records five times for its accomplishments, and the Cowboys' board is the fourth Diamond Vision screen to be honored by Guinness. The first came in August 2003, for the World's Longest Video Display for the Hong Kong Jockey Club Sha Tin Racecourse in Hong Kong which was installed in August 2003. In March 2005, GWR recognized the Diamond Vision LED display at Turner Field in Atlanta as the World's Largest High-Definition Television Screen, and in September 2005 the Mitsubishi Electric video board at the Japan Racing Association Tokyo Racecourse was certified as the World's Largest Television Display. "We're extremely proud of our world-class Mitsubishi Electric Diamond Vision screen," said Dallas Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones. "We have designed everything about Cowboys Stadium to provide an unequalled experience for our fans, and this screen is the centerpiece of what we have created for them." The official certificate from Guinness was presented during a pre-game ceremony on September 28, just prior to the Cowboys vs. Carolina Panthers Monday Night Football game.

TDK Develops 10-layer Optical Disc.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009

The TDK Corporation has announced the development of a write-once optical disc with a capacity of 320 Gbytes. Featuring ten layers, with each layer containing a storage capacity of 32 Gbytes, the new optical disc has a larger capacity than the current Blu-ray disc specification of 25 Gbytes per layer while also being able to write and read data on and from the disc by using a blue-violet semiconductor laser with an oscillation wavelength of 405nm and an objective lens with a numerical aperture (NA) of 0.85 - the same equipment currently used for Blu-ray disc. Structurally, the new disc includes a cover layer and a hard coat layer which protect the surface from scratches and dirt, formed on the recording layers (the innermost L0 layer to the outermost L9 layer). A Si-Cu alloy layer, which is inorganic, is used for the L0 layer. On the L1 to L9 layers, recording marks are maintained by using an inorganic material composed of bismuth peroxide and germanium dioxide. By adjusting the density of germanium dioxide, it is possible to change the transmittance of a recording layer. Also, TDK adjusted the optical properties and accumulated materials that can mitigate damage caused by heat. As the number of recording layers increases, signals on each layer weaken, making it necessary to achieve transmittance greater than 90%. According to the company, the symbol error rate of the new optical disc is less than 10-4, which TDK considers as the threshold of commercial viability. When data is being written on the disc, the output of the laser is less than 30mW, which is the maximum output of commercially available blue-violet lasers TDK said. The company plans to exhibit the disc at CEATEC JAPAN 2009, which will run from Oct 6 to 10, 2009, at Makuhari Messe in Chiba Prefecture, Japan.

European Commission - Hear Today, Safe Tomorrow.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009

MP3 players sold in the EU will soon be required to have a default setting to discourage people from listening at dangerously high volumes. The European Commission is revising its safety standards for personal music players after a scientific committee warned that prolonged exposure to loud playback on these portable audio devices could permanently damage hearing. The commission asked the committee for its opinion in light of the growing popularity of portable music players, including mobile phones, especially among the young. Sales of these devices have soared in recent years. In the EU, between 50 and 100 million people use them every day. It is estimated that as many as 10 million of these are at risking problems with their hearing in later life. So how loud is too loud? The answer depends on how long you listen. There are essentially two problems with personal music players. For starters, people often use them in noisy places – on the bus for example – and so have to turn up the volume. With some devices, the volume even goes up automatically. The other problem is prolonged use. A lower volume may be more harmful than louder music if the exposure is longer. With most personal music players, the sound level ranges from 60 dBA (decibels adjusted) to 120 dBA. According to the scientists, hearing loss is not likely to occur at levels below 80 dBA – roughly the equivalent of someone shouting or traffic noise from a nearby road. Even at 80 dB(A) you can still listen safely up to 40 hours a week. But turn up the sound a bit, and the risk goes way up. At 89 dB(A), five hours per week is the recommended maximum. Besides providing a default setting, personal music players will have to alert consumers to the risk of overriding the safety limit. According to the commission, this could be a label or an on-screen warning – the technical details will be up to manufacturers. Currently producers are only required to include a warning in the instruction manual.

Nurse Jackie - Top Showtime TV Comedy Series Gets Connected with Markertek !
Monday, September 28, 2009

Astoria, NY - Markertek is the premier television and film industry supply source for all technology solutions. We recently provided the popular Showtime cable series "Nurse Jackie" with a plethora of set necessities for grip support at its filming location, Kaufman Astoria Studios. Nurse Jackie premiered in June 2009 on Showtime, Movie Central and The Movie Network and stars Edie Falco (The Sopranos) as title character Jackie Peyton. For Jackie, "Every day is a high wire act of juggling patients, doctors, fellow nurses and her own indiscretions." Showtime says the half-hour series is "at turns wicked, heartbreaking and funny." While the show has generated some controversy with its dark comedic plot versus the guarded ethics of real-life nurses in the health care industry, the series premiere was Showtime's most-successful premiere ever, with 1 million viewers for the premiere and over 350,000 for the repeat broadcast - Showtime immediately picked up the series for a second season. Markertek is proud to serve the entire television production community with the supplies that are necessary to produce ground breaking entertainment for a huge global audience.

Emo Labs Shows Invisible Speakers.
Friday, September 25, 2009

Waltham, Massachusetts based Emo Labs has developed what it calls "the industry's first fundamentally new loudspeaker technology". Using an ultra-thin, transparent material, the company has created an invisible speaker system that delivers high-quality stereo sound from LCD, LED and Plasma displays, including TVs, monitors and laptops. Unlike traditional speakers, instead of pushing from behind, the company's Edge Motion speakers use force on the sides of a very thin, transparent material to generate sound waves. The result is a highly effective, invisible speaker system that produces what Emo calls superior stereo sound directly from the front of a video display panel, without adding to the size of the finished product. By turning the display itself into a stereo speaker, the sound and dialogue come directly from the screen, just as they do in a movie theatre delivering a more natural and unified multimedia experience. Jason Carlson, Emo CEO sees this new technology as a great service to a customer base long disappointed aurally. “Every day, people bring home the newest, most advanced consumer electronics -- only to be disappointed by the poor sound quality these devices deliver.” Carlson said using the new Edge Motion speakers, manufacturers will be able to deliver a richer and more natural user experience from their products without sacrificing size and styling. No immediate mention of pricing or availability was made. Watch the video.

NEC Announces World's 1st USB 3.0-certified Device.
Thursday, September 24, 2009

This week at the Intel Developer Forum 2009 (IDF 2009) NEC Electronics exhibited the "μPD720200," a host controller IC supporting USB 3.0 - SuperSpeed USB. The controller, which was certified by the USB Implementers Forum Sept 21, 2009, is the world's first certified SuperSpeed USB device. It supports USB transfer speeds of up to 5 gigabits per second (Gbps) of data, which is 10 times faster than previous USB 2.0 transfer speeds. The new NEC Electronics device, as well as the standard, is fully backward compatible with versions USB 2.0, 1.1 and 1.0 of the USB standard and can control two USB 3.0 ports. At the show, NEC showed a demonstration of inserting an expansion card equipped with the μPD720200 into a PC and writing data on a USB 3.0-compatible external storage device. The company then wrote the same data (500 Mbytes) on Intel's SSD connected via UBS 3.0 and flash memory connected via UBS 2.0 and compared the writing speeds. As a result, while it took 39.9 seconds to write to the flash memory, it took just 4.2 seconds to write on the SSD. According to NEC, it expects rapid adoption of the device and standard as the need to transfer larger and larger amounts of information between PCs to external hard-drives, portable electronic devices, and flash-based thumb drives continues to grow rapidly. In 2000, NEC Electronics introduced the world's first USB 2.0-compliant host controller chip and has shipped more than 161 million USB devices as of March 2009. The company expects the market for USB 3.0 products to begin a rapid expansion in 2010. "Because of the certification that we received this time, a USB 3.0-compatible final product may appear as early as within 2009," NEC said. The USB-IF is planning to certify controller ICs for peripheral devices, as well.

NAB Names New President and CEO.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Gordon H. Smith, of Covington & Burling LLP, a former two-term U.S. Senator from Oregon and entrepreneur has been selected as the new president and CEO of the National Association of Broadcasters. The 57-year-old Smith served in the U.S. Senate from 1996 to 2008, where his committee assignments included the Senate Commerce Committee, the panel that oversees all broadcast-related legislation. Smith also served on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, the Senate Finance Committee, and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He has been widely respected as a pragmatic lawmaker able to successfully reach across party lines. Smith's role on the Commerce Committee and as the Chairman of a Senate High Tech Task Force helped foster his interest in new media and new technology issues. "We conducted an exhaustive search to identify the very best individual to lead a great trade association," said NAB Joint Board Chairman Steve Newberry. "We're convinced we have found that person in Gordon Smith. His background as a lawyer, a statesman, and as an entrepreneur -- coupled with his extensive knowledge of broadcast issues from having served many years on the Commerce Committee -- make Gordon eminently qualified to represent the interests of free and local broadcasters in Washington." Smith, who will be introduced to broadcasters and make brief remarks at the NAB Radio Show in Philadelphia next week, will officially join the broadcast advocacy organization on November 1. He will be introduced to the entire NAB Board of Directors at a meeting in Dallas in mid-October.

Blackmagic Design Releases Update for all DeckLink Cards.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Blackmagic Design has announced the immediate availability of its DeckLink 7.3 software update which adds numerous new features for the video professional. Included in the software release is Media Express 2.0 public beta which adds DPX support, playlists and an easy to use interface that’s identical between Mac OS X, Windows and Linux platforms. This means Blackmagic Design’s DeckLink cards can now be plugged into either of these three computer platforms to allow a total solution for capture and playback of media. According to the company, Intensity and Multibridge installers have also been updated to include the new Media Express 2.0. For customers using advanced 1080 progressive HD video standards, DeckLink 7.3 updates the software in the DeckLink HD Extreme 3 model with full support for 1080p50, 1080p59.94 and 1080p60. This works in both Dual Link 1.5 Gb/s HD-SDI as well as single link 3 Gb/s SDI. For monitoring, HDLink Pro models have also been updated to support the new progressive video formats. DeckLink 7.3 for Mac OS X also supports more new features recently introduced in Final Cut Pro 7. These include support and easy setups for ProRes 4444 and RED workflow. DeckLink 7.3 for Windows includes support for Fusion x64 as well as performance improvements. DeckLink 7.3 is available for download now free of charge from the Blackmagic Design web site at www.blackmagic-design.com/support/software/.

Markertek Welcomes to the Family this Week:

Talk Radio News Service
Jewish Voice Ministries
Current TV
L.A. Sound Co.
Umbrella Films
Twit.tv
Denver Health
WUSA-TV9
Integrated Technology Systems
The Zeiterion Theatre
American Public Television
USA Tacom
Grand Valley State University
Kansas City Royals
ABC News Digital
WBGU-TV

South Florida Jet Center - America's Premier Jet Technicians Soar in HD with Markertek !
Monday, September 21, 2009

Fort Lauderdale, FL - Markertek is the HD technology super source for all products and solutions for Aircraft engineering, custom renovation and development. We recently supplied the South Florida Jet Center with numerous HDMI products at their executive facilities in Ft Lauderdale, Florida. SF Jet Center is a premier repair and refurbish station for all private luxury jet aircraft. Specializing in Challenger 600 series and Learjet 35, 45, 55 & 60, SFJC is an award winning full-service interior refurbishment service is the acknowledged leader in fabrication, installation and out-fitting of all types of private luxury aircraft. The company is the sole maintenance and refurbishment provider for Hop-A-Jet Worldwide Jet Charter - one of the country's premiere luxury jet charter companies with 24 hour / 7 day a week maintenance coverage for all serviced aircraft. Hop-A-Jet has been voted among the nation's Top 10 Charter Services several years in a row. Markertek salutes forward HD development for media systems in the skies and beyond.

Toshiba Announces Launch of Cell Processor Powered Television.
Friday, September 18, 2009

This week at the company's product announcement meeting in Tokyo, the Toshiba Corporation announced the launch of the first HDTV to incorporate a Cell processor. Fitted with essentially the same powerful CPU found in the PlayStation 3 gaming system from Sony, the Cell Regza uses a Cell Broadband Engine microprocessor that Toshiba developed in collaboration with Sony and IBM Corps. Toshiba is using the Cell technology to deliver what it claims to be a display with exceptionally high-quality picture upscaling and the ability to deliver picture-in-picture functionality that could extend to dozens of channels simultaneously. "We gathered together our imaging, storage and network technologies," said Masaaki Oosumi, president of Toshiba's Digital Media Network Company. "It will be Toshiba's flagship model in the true sense. It is the ultimate entertainment machine that brings more excitement than a movie in a theater. I would like to let users experience the same sensation as they felt by watching a color TV for the first time." The company originally announced the development of the Regza Cell in 2007, and demonstrated a prototype at the January 2008 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. While specs are yet to be released, last year Toshiba said the screen would have a native resolution of 3820 x 2160 - four times that of a standard full HD set - and an LED-array backlight. The company said it will announce the official specifications of the Cell TV within the upcoming days. As for pricing, Oosumi said that it will be "fairly expensive" and will be available in the third (October-December) quarter of fiscal 2009 in the Japanese market.

Belden Adds New Ratings and Expanded Multi-Pair Capabilities to DataBus Cable.
Thursday, September 17, 2009

Global cable and signal transmission giant, Belden CDT recently announced added temperature and use ratings, and expanded multi-pair capabilities to its line of low capacitance DataBus Cables for Fieldbus applications. The DataBus Cable line consists of PLTC/ITC-ER, PLTC and TC-ER versions that are specially designed to meet Fieldbus specification IEC 61158.2 (ISA/SP-50). Fieldbus is an all-digital, serial, two way communications protocol that standardizes the interconnection of field devices at a communications rate of 31.25 kilobytes per second (Kb/s). Offering superior electrical design and robust construction to ensure consistently reliable performance, DataBus cable also provides installation flexibility in diverse industrial environments including outdoor installations and sites requiring multiple or extended cable runs. The new additions and enhancements to Belden DataBus Cables for Fieldbus applications include:
• Product No. 3076F Type A, 300V Single pair with Beldfoil shield, NEC: PLTC ITC-ER, CMG, CEC: CMG FT4. Extended temperature ratings to -400C Cold Bend (per UL 1581), and CMX rating for outdoor use as well as direct burial rating. IEEE 1202/383. IEC 60332-3-24 (Cat C). Also available in a continuous aluminum armor version, part number 183076F. Other interlocked armoring options also available.
• NEW Product No. S1359A Type A, 300V 50-pair individually and overall shielded Fieldbus Cable with a sunlight- and oil-resistant PVC jacket NEC: PLTC, ITC, CMG. CEC: CMG FT4. IEEE 1202/383. IEC 60332-3-24 (Cat C). Belden DataBus cables are appropriate for use in all Class1, Div. 2 applications. They are also RoHS compliant and CE approved. The Markertek custom cable shop is a Certified Belden Assembler.

U.K. to Allow TV Product Placement.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009

In what is being called a U-turn for the U.K. government, newly appointed culture secretary Ben Bradshaw has announced his office will launch a three month consultation on relaxing product placement rules on television. It was only in March this year that the then culture secretary Andy Burnham said lifting the ban raised "very serious concerns" and was "blurring the boundaries between advertising and editorial." The recent move by the new secretary, is in part, an effort to boost falling revenue streams at the major commercial channels currently hard hit by a slump in advertising revenue streams. "We estimate that this [relaxation] could lead to an uplift of £25 million ($41.5 million) to £30 million ($50 million) per annum long-term for ITV," said UBS analyst Polo Tang. Tang also noted that benchmarks from the U.S. suggest a "figure of up to £100 million ($166 million) per annum on a best case" basis. The figure, says Tang, will likely fall somewhere between the OFCOM suggested £30 million and the U.S. figure. Under the current rules, products can be shown as long as they are used as props, so-called free placement, but broadcasters are forbidden from receiving payment for their use. U.K. network ITV, which has led the charge for a loosening of the rules, said revenue from advertisers would ease financial troubles as revenues fall during the recession. ITV also claims such a relaxation would mean "better funded content" and said viewers would benefit from the change. The current rules, however, are expected to remain in place barring product placement from children's programming. Bradshaw is expected to make an official announcement on the matter at a Royal Television Society speech later this week.

Epson Develops High-Speed USB Hub Controller for Automotive Applications.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009

The Seiko Epson Corporation today announced that it has developed a high-speed USB hub controller for automotive applications. The new IC chip, called the S2R72A04, boasts an operating temperature range from -40°C (-40°F) to 105°C (221°F), which is currently among the widest range in the industry. The USB standard is widely used in a wealth of applications, including portable devices, communications modules, and storage devices such as USB memory and hard disk drives. In vehicles, USB is already being used to connect devices such as mobile phones and portable audio players to car navigation systems and similar in-vehicle equipment. Moving forward, USB connections are expected to find even broader application in vehicles, where they will be used to couple a wide variety of dedicated short-range communication (DSRC) and other devices. To use USB to connect devices to in-vehicle equipment such as car navigation systems, however, device developers had to find their way around some difficult challenges. For example: Adding a USB port to a main IC chip increases costs and package size. Using a general-purpose USB controller chip that connects to a local bus necessitates major changes in system architecture, requires extensive software development, and lengthens the development cycle. ICs used in automotive applications are not consumer products. They must operate within a wide range of temperatures and must be of automotive quality grade. The newly developed S2R72A04 is a high-speed USB hub controller for automotive applications. It boasts an operating temperature range of -40°C to 105°C, giving it one of the widest ranges in the industry. Not only is the S2R72A04 automotive quality grade, it does not require any special software. The number of USB ports can quickly and easily be expanded simply by connecting this controller to a USB port on a main IC chip. According to Epson, the new chip is currently undergoing testing for qualification as an AEC-Q100 industry standard for automotive quality approved device. Samples are currently available and shipping from the company now.

Island / Def Jam Music Group - World's Largest Record Company Goes Platinum with Markertek !
Monday, September 14, 2009

New York, NY - Markertek is the media world's leading supply source to the music and recording industry. We recently supplied Island / Def Jam Music Group with a host of AV products at its world headquarters in New York, NY. The Island Def Jam Music Group is a record label / media group that has just celebrated its 10th anniversary. Formed in 1999 when Universal Music Group merged together two of its daughter companies, Island Records and Def Jam Recordings, a super label was born. Today, Island / Def Jam is the largest label in the world with over 400 artists on its roster including some of the industry's biggest names and platinum selling acts such as Bon Jovi, Ludacris, Kayne West, Lionel Richie, Fallout Boy, Mariah Carey and many, many more. The Island and Def Jam imprints continue to operate as their own respective labels underneath the larger IDJMG umbrella which also encompasses Lost Highway, Mercury and formally Stolen Transmission. Markertek is truly honored to work together with the recording and media industry to help bring music to millions of fans around the world one mega hit at a time.

Sharp Develops Semiconductor Laser for Triple, Quadruple-layer Blu-ray Discs.
Friday, September 11, 2009

This week at the 70th Autumn Meeting of the Japan Society of Applied Physics (JSAP) the Sharp Corporation announced it has developed a blue-violet semiconductor laser whose optical output is as high as 500mW under pulsed operation for use in Blu-ray Disc (BD) recorders. Improving on its current blue-violet semiconductor laser with 320mW pulsed output, the new laser has an oscillation wavelength of 405nm and a capability of writing at 8x speed on triple- and quadruple-layer Blu-ray discs. The company achieved the optical output by using a new method of processing the edge face of a resonator. Normally, the edge face of a crystal in a semiconductor laser is protected by a dielectric film. This time, the company formed an aluminum oxynitride (AlON) film between the edge face of the semiconductor laser and the dielectric film by a sputtering method and realized an epitaxial growth where the growth axis of the laser's crystal corresponds to that of the AlON crystal. In the past, the crystal of a semiconductor laser was just covered by a noncrystalline dielectric film. Therefore, the edge face of the crystal had a surface state and absorbed laser light, and the crystal was degraded by the heat and stopped oscillation. Sharp has already verified the reliability of the new blue-violet semiconductor laser. It confirmed that the laser operated for more than 1,000 hours under the temperature of 80°C with a pulse width of 30ns and an output of 500mW. According to the company, it has not decided when to mass-produce the new blue-violet semiconductor laser because the specifications of triple or more layer Blu-ray disc have not been determined yet. However, the company claimed that it is now ready to commercialize the laser. The 70th Autumn Meeting of the Japan Society of Applied Physics takes place from Sept 8 to 11, 2009, in Toyama Prefecture, Japan.

FCC Chairman Releases Public Emergency Preparedness Report.
Thursday, September 10, 2009

Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Julius Genachowski this week released a report on the Commission’s ability to respond to natural disasters, terrorist attacks, public health emergencies, and other large-scale events. The report, entitled FCC’s Preparedness for a Major Public Emergency and prepared by the Commission’s Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau, is in response to the 30-day, top-tobottom state-of-readiness review launched by Chairman Genachowski as one of his first actions at the agency. Rear Admiral (ret) Jamie Barnett, Chief of the FCC’s Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau, who led the review, said, “Our number one priority is making sure that the FCC has the capability to respond immediately to a disaster or emergency. As this report confirms, preparation will take training, resources, and constant vigilance. I look forward to working with Chairman Genachowski, the other FCC Commissioners and the entire agency, as well as our federal, state, and local partners, to implement additional initiatives that will further strengthen our emergency preparedness and response capabilities.” According to the report, during emergencies, the FCC’s primary mission is to ensure that essential communications networks and services are operable, reliable, and quickly restored when necessary so that the American public can communicate and receive emergency information. Equally important is the FCC’s responsibility to ensure that America’s public safety officials and first responders have the tools they need to protect lives, property, and strategic infrastructure.The report concludes that the Commission is prepared to respond to communications emergencies and perform its mission. The report also identifies a number of areas in which the FCC can improve its emergency planning and response: education and training, outreach and collaboration, emergency operations and alerts, and network analysis. “The FCC has an important role to play in ensuring that our nation’s communications infrastructure serves our public safety needs,” Chairman Genachowski said. “The Public Safety Bureau’s thorough review concluded that the agency is ready to respond to emergencies, but there is more work to do to maximize the agency’s readiness. The public safety challenges we face are ongoing, dynamic, and growing. Today’s report outlines concrete steps the FCC can and will take to better support public safety communications and protect our nation.” The report was released as part of a joint press conference with officials from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). View the full report.

Toshiba Develops Long Life LCD Panel.
Wednesday, September 09, 2009

Toshiba Mobile Display Co Ltd (TMD) has developed a new long life color active-matrix thin-film transistor (TFT) liquid crystal display (LCD) module lineup for industrial applications. According to Toshiba, the company has succeeded in implementing LED backlight systems in the display modules with an MTBF (mean time between failures) of 100,000 hours (approximately 11.4 years) at ordinary room temperatures. The new backlight system achieves increased longevity through design optimization for heat dissipation and luminous efficiency and are designed to satisfy the requirements of a broad range of industrial applications, such as test and measurement equipment, and mobile computing devices. Compared to CCFL (cold-cathode fluorescent lamp) backlit displays, LED-backlit displays have lower electromagnetic noise and lower power consumption, and offer a wider adjustable luminance range, while the mercury-free LED-backlit displays reduce environmental impact, in terms of both material content and energy consumption. Also, the LED-backlit displays do not require the high-voltage and high-frequency circuits needed to control luminance in CCFL-backlit displays, thus enabling a higher level of flexibility in system design in terms of safety, electromagnetic interference (EMI) compensation, and system architecture. The backlight system fulfills typical product longevity requirements for industrial applications with frequent or continuous operation and the replaceable backlight structure of the modules accommodates product longevity requirements encountered in some harsh industrial environments. Furthermore, TMD says it has added LED driver circuitry into the electrical interface for the displays, to simplify design-in time and cost. The new series includes eight LCD products, available in screen sizes from 5.7-inch, 8.4-inch, 10.4-inch, to 12.1-inch. Volume production of the LCD display lineup is expected to start later this year.

New Commissioners to Speak at NAB Radio Show.
Tuesday, September 08, 2009

Commissioners Meredith Attwell Baker and Mignon Clyburn, the newest members of the Federal Communications Commission, will each speak during the upcoming 2009 NAB Radio Show. According to the National Association of Broadcasters, the Commissioners are expected to discuss regulatory issues impacting the radio business and their priorities as new members of the agency. Commissioner Clyburn will give opening remarks during the "Changing of the Guard: How the New FCC Will Affect Your Station" session, held Thursday at 2:00 p.m. in the Pennsylvania Convention Center. Commissioner Baker will engage in a one-on-one interview during the FCC Breakfast on Friday, September 25 at 7:30 a.m. Commissioner Baker most recently served as Acting Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Communications and Information and Acting Administrator of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). In her role, Baker advised and represented the executive branch on telecommunications and information policy activities. She also served on delegations representing the United States at major international telecommunications conferences. Commissioner Clyburn joins the FCC from the Public Service Commission (PSC) of South Carolina, where she spent 11 years as the representative of South Carolina's sixth district. Prior to that, Clyburn was the publisher and general manager of The Coastal Times, a family-founded weekly newspaper focusing on issues affecting the African American community. "NAB is honored to have Commissioners Baker and Clyburn join us at the NAB Radio Show," said NAB Executive Vice President Dennis Wharton. "We look forward to hearing their insight on a host of issues impacting local radio broadcasters across America." The largest annual convention for radio, this year's NAB Radio Show runs September 23-25 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, Philadelphia Pennsylvania.

Markertek Welcomes to the Family this Week:

California College Of Music
KXTV News 10
UCSF Medical Center
Bay Area Rapid Transit
Cineworks LA
Impact Radio Group
Chicago Dental Society
US Postal Service Media Development
Citywide News
Tokyo Broadcasting System Intl.
New York Philharmonic
Island Def Jam Music Group
Comfort Inns Resort Operations
WLVT
Bell Helicopter

Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel - Top Rhode Island Entertainment Venue Rocks with Markertek !
Monday, September 07, 2009

Providence, RI. - Markertek is the premier sound and stage supply source for the concert entertainment industry. We just shipped a large supply of stage and grip necessities to Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel in Providence, Rhode Island. Lupo's is one of America's most respected concert venues on the US touring circuit. For over 25 years, the venue has featured an impressive roster of classic performers such as Dave Matthews Band, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Phish, Green Day, James Brown, Smashing Pumpkins and hundreds of others. The concert production industry requires constant equipment maintenance and expendables to provide venues and staff with staging and rigging hardware and accessories. Markertek is proud to offer the concert industry with the best selection and pricing on all professional use products. We salute Lupo's and all the live entertainment venues around the world that play an integral role in bringing the finest performers and entertainment to a huge audience.

Nielsen Estimates Smallest Increase in a Decade for U.S. TV homes.
Friday, September 04, 2009

For the 2009-2010 broadcast season marketing and media information company Nielsen estimates that the total number of television households within the U.S. (including Alaska and Hawaii) will be 114.9 million. This is an increase of 400,000 homes from last year and the smallest increase in the last 10 years. Nielsen also estimates that the number of Persons age 2 and above (P2+) in U.S. television households will increase slightly to 292 million. The Top 10 local markets, known in the industry as Designated Market Areas or DMAs, will remain the same this season, with a few rank changes in the Top 20. Moving up are Seattle, from 14 to 13, and Denver from 18 to 16. Tampa, Miami and Cleveland are each down one rank. There were no new markets to enter the Top 50 or the Top 100, although there were several multirank increases and decreases. Notable changes in the Top 100 markets include: Four Florida markets are down (Tampa, Miami, Ft. Myers, Tallahassee), partially due to declines in domestic migration. New Orleans has the largest percentage increase among all markets, up 5.2% from last year, and moves up 2 ranks from 53 to 51 as former residents return to the city and Census Bureau estimates are adjusted. New York adds the most homes of any market (+59,710) while Waco shows the largest change in ranks, moving from 94 to 89. Other multi-rank increases in the Sun Belt region include Tucson (+2), Shreveport (+2), and Charleston, SC (+2). The Midwest sees multi-rank decreases in Columbus, OH (-2), Grand Rapids (-2), Flint (-2) and South Bend (-2).

BDA Brings 3D to Blu-ray Format.
Thursday, September 03, 2009

The Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA) has announced its plans for incorporating 3D into the Blu-ray Disc format. The BDA said it is working on a uniform specification to ensure consistent delivery of 3D content across the Blu-ray Disc platform. The association is examining a number of criteria and at a minimum, the specification will require delivery of 1080p resolution to each eye and backward compatibility for both discs and players, meaning that 3D discs will also include a 2D version of the film that can be viewed on existing 2D players, and 3D players will enable consumers to playback their existing libraries of 2D content. "The BDA intends to take full advantage of the format's high bandwidth and capacity to achieve the very highest possible quality 3D experience," said Victor Matsuda, Blu-ray Disc Association Global Promotions Committee chair. "Just as Blu-ray Disc has paved the way for next-generation high-definition home entertainment, it will also set the standard for 3D home viewing in the future." According to the association, BDA is currently providing individual companies with the technical information and guidelines necessary to develop and announce products pursuant to their own internal planning cycles and timetables. No official date for the availability new 3D format has been announced.

Sony to Sell LCD TV Manufacturing Operation in Mexico to Hon Hai.
Wednesday, September 02, 2009

In a new effort to reduce costs, improve profitability and achieve business expansion the Sony Corporation has announced that the company has agreed to form a strategic alliance with Taiwan's Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. Ltd. for the production of Sony LCD TVs for the Americas region. Hon Hai, whose trade name is Foxconn, is the largest manufacturer of electronics and computer components worldwide, and mainly manufactures on contract to other companies. Among other things, Foxconn produces the Mac mini, the iPod and the iPhone for Apple Inc.; Intel-branded motherboards for Intel Corp and Hewlett-Packard as well as the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 3 game systems for Sony. Based on the agreement, the Sony Group will sell to Hon Hai Group 90% of its shares in Sony Baja California and certain manufacturing assets related to Sony Baja California's Tijuana site in Mexico. The plant, which was opened in 1986, employs 3,300 workers and manufactures LCD TVs, tuners, home audio and car audio equipment for the Americas region. Following the sale, Hon Hai Group will hold 90% ownership of Sony Baja California and the Sony Group will retain a 10% share. The Tijuana site will remain a key manufacturing facility of Sony brand LCD televisions for the Americas region. Hon Hai Group will assume employment of the employees at the Tijuana site. According to Sony, within its LCD TV business, the company is now concentrating internal resources towards areas that contribute to product differentiation, such as R&D, engineering and design, while also establishing a structure that enables the company to bring attractive products to market at the earliest possible opportunity. Completion of the Sony Baja California transfer is subject to regulatory approvals in several countries. No material impact from the transfer on Sony's consolidated financial results for the current fiscal year for the transfer is anticipated.

Argentina Picks ISDB-T Standard for High-Definition TV.
Tuesday, September 01, 2009

Argentinian President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner has announced the country's intent of adoption of the ISDB (Integrated Services Digital Broadcasting) television standard. The least widespread digital-terrestrial television standard in the world, the Japanese-born standard is currently only in use in Japan and Brazil. In 1998, Argentina had initially made plans for the North American ATSC standard, but subsequently changed its mind. Based on the Brazilian ISDB format already in use, the standard that Argentina will implement is denominated SBTVD (Brazilian system of Digital Television) or, ISDB-Tb (standard Japanese ISDB-T, Brazilian version). The Argentinian decision is a disappointment for Europe's DVB-T standard which has now lost the chance to access South America's two major TV markets. However, Multicanal, an Argentinean pay-TV operator, is currently transmitting a DVB-T service in neighboring Uruguay, and pay-TV broadcaster Antina is reported to be starting a DVB-T system in Argentina's capital city Buenos Aires. Chile is also reportedly yet to decide on a standard. However, the South American Nations (Unasur) complimentary agreement maintains the intention of the member countries to continue working together in an effort to grow both economically and socially making the now two country adopted ISDB a more likely choice over the ATSC or DVB-T standards. Andre Barbosa, adviser to Argentina's office of the President said that a delegation of Argentine officials will travel to Japan in October to further discuss the ISDB standard adoption.

Live Sports Radio - Broadcast Sports Audio Solution Provider Matches Up with Markertek !
Monday, August 31, 2009

Troy, Michigan - Markertek is the top industry solution source for all broadcast and interconnect technology. We recently supplied Live Sports Radio with audio matching devices at its USA headquarters in Troy, Michigan. Live Sports Radio is an audio solutions provider that offers unique pre-tuned earpieces (target tuners) and scan radios. This innovative technology is used to create temporary outside broadcast facilities for sports audiences as well as venue production staff in the live event industry. Providing exceptional sound quality in a convenient, affordable unit, the company generates on the spot broadcasts that supply instant overview observation commentary at events that would normally be contained solely to network broadcast transmission - or no coverage at all. An innovative product to enhance even the most popular spectator events, the company has worked with some of the top internationally recognized events in the world including Super Bowl XLIII, the US Open, Rolex Daytona 24 Hour Race and the Rugby League Challenge Cup at Millennium Stadium to name just a few. Markertek salutes this forward thinking innovation of portable broadcasting which provides sport and event audiences around the world with an exciting way to instantly monitor and enjoy events.

Homeland Security Announces New Directives on Border Searches of Electronic Media.
Friday, August 28, 2009

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano this week announced new directives to enhance and clarify oversight for searches of computers and other electronic media at U.S. ports of entry. The new directives address the circumstances under which U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) can conduct border searches of electronic media - consistent with the Department's Constitutional authority to search other sensitive non-electronic materials, such as briefcases, backpacks and notebooks, at U.S. borders. According to the Department, the new directives will enhance transparency, accountability and oversight of electronic media searches at U.S. ports of entry and includes new administrative procedures designed to reflect broad considerations of civil liberties and privacy protections - measures designed to ensure that officers and agents understand their responsibilities to protect individual private information and that individuals understand their rights. "Keeping Americans safe in an increasingly digital world depends on our ability to lawfully screen materials entering the United States" said Secretary Napolitano. "The new directives announced today strike the balance between respecting the civil liberties and privacy of all travelers while ensuring DHS can take the lawful actions necessary to secure our borders." DHS conducts border searches of computers and other electronic media on a small percentage of international travelers seeking to enter the United States - searches often as basic as asking a traveler to turn on a device to ensure it is what it appears to be. Between Oct. 1, 2008, and Aug. 11, 2009, CBP encountered more than 221 million travelers at U.S. ports of entry. Approximately 1,000 laptop searches were performed in these instances - of those, just 46 were in-depth.

Blu-ray Waits to Join the PC Party.
Thursday, August 27, 2009

Despite the recent rapid rise in the sales of consumer Blu-ray players, a fall in their
prices and an increase in the number of high-definition movie titles, Blu-ray Drives (BDs) in PC systems are - for now - being left in the blue. According to iSuppli, By 2013, Blu-ray drives will be found in only 16.3 percent of new PCs shipped, up from the scant 3.6 percent of BDs currently being shipped with new consumer computers. "BDs won't be replacing DVDs as the primary optical drive in PC systems through at least the year 2013," said Michael Yang, senior analyst for storage and mobile memory at iSuppli. "They eventually will find success, but during the next five years, that success will be limited in the PC segment. According to Yang, the two main reasons hampering the adoption of Blu-ray drives in PCs include costs as well as the lack of a library of movies that justifies the need for consumers to move to a different drive in their PCs. Cost, Yang said, is the primary impediment. Given the high price of the product, consumers are unwilling to pay the extra money in order to obtain a high-definition drive. "The cost issue is amplified by the fact that the library of content is so small that there really isn't a reason for users to switch at the moment," Yang added. And while this is changing and studios are rolling out more Blu-ray content every week, there remains a long way to go. However, the struggle to become the standard storage medium in the PC world is nothing new. From a historical perspective, each of the successful storage media in PCs has gained popularity only when content became available and when consumers actually understood that what they were getting was easy to use and worth the cost. For instance, the once-ubiquitous 3.5-inch floppy drive had a life span of 15-plus years, surviving well past its prime. Eventually, it was replaced by CD-ROMs - which, in turn, gave way to DVD drives. A changeover occurred and the floppy disk finally supplanted when it became apparent that CD-ROMs not only offered a distinct advantage but were also the medium being adopted by everything from music to games to movies. According to Yang, the moment has not yet come for Blu-ray. Until cost declines and user awareness and knowledge increases, Blu-ray will have to wait.

Redbox Files Federal Lawsuit Against Warner Home Video - Launches New Site.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Self-service kiosk movie rental company Redbox Automated Retail, LLC, has filed suit in Delaware Federal Court against Warner Home Video. According to the company, Redbox filed the action to protect consumers' rights to access new release DVDs and comes in response to new distribution terms imposed by Warner Home Video that would prohibit redbox from providing consumers access to Warner Home Video titles until at least 28 days after public release. "Warner Home Video's actions come at the expense of consumers," said Mitch Lowe, president, redbox. "Redbox remains committed to providing our customers the new release DVDs they want, where they want and at the low price they want. Standing behind our commitment, redbox will continue to offer our consumers access to all major new releases including Warner Home Video at our more than 15,000 locations nationwide." The rental company currently has similar lawsuits pending against Universal Studios Home Entertainment and 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment disputing the same restrictions on new releases as Warner. In an effort to make public these current lawsuits the company has launched a new site, savelowcostdvds.com which Redbox calls 'a site dedicated to educating the public on Redbox's effort to protect consumers' rights against studio action'. However, despite the actions of Warner, Fox and Universal, a number of studios also have shown support for Redbox. Last week, Redbox signed a multi-year distribution agreement with Lionsgate. A similar distribution agreement with Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (SPHE) was reached in July. "Redbox continues to forge winning relationships with a number of studios that increase studio exposure, ensure redbox customers receive access to more titles and support redbox's commitment to providing consumers timely, convenient and affordable access to new release DVDs," said Lowe. Redbox currently has 18,000 kiosks located in grocery stores and supermarkets and rents movies out for $1 per night.

Markertek Welcomes to the Family this Week:

Hero Broadcasting
Federal Occupational Health
Team Extreme Media
PBS Hawaii
Apple Valley Media Systems
Kennedy Presidential Library
KLBK
CBS Outdoor
Wheaton College
Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra
WRTV
USA Army Research Laboratory
Saint Olaf College
Heather Moore Jewelry
Family Life Television

DirecTV - USA's Largest HD Broadcast Satellite Service Racks Up with Markertek !
Tuesday, August 25, 2009

El Segundo, CA. - Markertek is the in-stock super source for all broadcast rack mount products and accessories. We recently supplied DirecTV with a plethora of rack products for installation at its world headquarters. DirecTV is a direct broadcast satellite service based in El Segundo, California, which transmits digital satellite television and audio to 18 million subscribers in the USA, Caribbean, and Latin America. The company is also the exclusive U.S. rights holder to the sports packages NFL Sunday Ticket, NCAA Mega March Madness, and NASCAR Hot Pass. In an continuing effort to better serve its customers, DirecTV is currently developing upgraded (HDTV) and interactive services for its consumer market. To handle the proliferation of bandwidth-intensive HDTV broadcasting, DirecTV rebroadcasts local HDTV stations using the H.264/MPEG-4 AVC codec while employing a newer transmission protocol (DVB-S2) over compatible satellites. This approach allows DirecTV to squeeze much more HD programming through its satellite signal than was previously feasible using the older MPEG-2 compression and DSS protocol used in the past. This new technology will be gradually expanded to the existing satellites as customer equipment is replaced with updated MPEG-4-capable receivers. Markertek is proud to assist the broadcast satellite market in providing the latest HDTV technology and system support that brings hot new media to HDTV hungry audiences around the globe.

SMPTE Launches Executive Director Search.
Monday, August 24, 2009

The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) has announced that it has officially launched a search for a new Executive Director and has appointed a search committee to identify potential candidates for the position. Former SMPTE Executive Director Kimberly Maki concluded a three-year term of service with the standards organization to take a senior executive position with the nation's seventh largest multiple cable system operator (MSO), Bright House Networks. "Kimberly has been an advocate worldwide for the advancement of the engineering profession on a strategic leadership level. Our job is to find someone who - as Kimberly did so successfully - can continue to lead SMPTE forward as the role of digital technologies become greater and new applications and markets proliferate," said Kenneth C. Fuller, President of SMPTE. According to Fuller, the group expects to complete its search by the end of the 2009 calendar year. SMPTE is an internationally recognized and accredited standards-setting body which develops standards, recommended practices and guidelines, and spearheads educational activities to advance engineering and moving imagery. Since its founding in 1916, the Society has established close to 600 standards, including the physical dimensions of 35mm film and the SMPTE-time code. More recently, it crafted the Digital Cinema Standards, which paved the way for digital movie theaters. Underscoring SMPTE's leadership in technology and standards development, the society received a prestigious technical Emmy Award in January of 2009 for its work in the development of the MXF and GXF file formats. Headquartered in New York, SMPTE is comprised of engineers and other technical specialists, IT, and new media professionals, filmmakers, manufacturers, educators, and consultants in more than 65 countries. They are joined at SMPTE by more than 200 sponsoring corporations, principal players in content creation, production, and delivery for all platforms and in entertainment hardware and software. SMPTE's Annual Tech Conference and Expo will be held Oct. 27-29, at the Hollywood Renaissance Hotel in Hollywood, California.

Sony UK Launches Cash for Junkers.
Friday, August 21, 2009

In a move the company hopes will help to bolster lagging sales in UK, electronics giant Sony has launched a TV exchange scheme in the UK. Taking a cue from the recent success of Britain's "New for Old" program and the "Cash for Clunkers" in the US, the company is offering money off new TVs from the brand in part-exchange for an old TV set. Irish news site RTE reports that British motorists have bought over 150,000 new cars due to the government's program, while U.S. News reports more than 315,000 vehicles have been traded in through the United States' program. Sony is hoping their incentive program will provide a similar effect. Starting today, the company is offering to discount its Bravia range of television sets by as much as £150 ($248) in exchange for customer's ageing sets of any brand. Matt Coombe of Sony UK says the campaign itself also takes a green approach, by offering consumers the advantages of swapping old for new rather than simply junking the old sets thus encouraging old televisions to be responsibly disposed of instead of winding up in a landfill. While rivals Panasonic and Philips have said they no plans to offer a similar program on their lines, Korean giant Samsung says it could consider such a 'scrappage' scheme in future. The trade in offer on Sony's Bravia model will be open to consumers from today until mid-October initially at participating Sony resellers. No information is available whether the company plans to launch the program in North America or in other parts of the world.

Global LCD TV Unit Shipments Stronger Than Expected - Revenues Pulled Down by Falling Prices.
Thursday, August 20, 2009

In a nearly mirror image of Q1'09 results, global TV revenues fell 12% Y/Y to $23.7 billion while shipments declined slightly less, down 8% Y/Y to 44.6 million units according to the results from the latest DisplaySearch report. Globally, flat panel TV share jumped from 68% in Q1'09 to 74% in Q2'09 as LCD TV price erosion continued at the same annual pace as Q1'09, falling 22% Y/Y on average. LCD TV market share increased as a result from 62% to 67%, acquiring nearly all that market share in a rapid shift from CRT to LCD in China as well as a big increase in North America market share from better than expected sell-through. Despite tight supply conditions for LCD panels in Q2'09, LCD TV shipment growth managed to maintain the same pace as Q1'09, rising 27% Y/Y to 30 million units although revenues fell 1% Y/Y. Plasma market share increased about half a percent to 7% while CRT share plummeted from 32% to 26% on a unit basis. Both North America and China reached record shipment levels. North America dramatically took back the top position among global regions for TV shipments on a unit basis while reaching more than 10 million units shipped for the quarter. North America reclaimed the crown from China where unit shipments fell 10% Q/Q and 14% Y/Y, mostly on a large decline in CRT TV unit volume that wasn't entirely made up by surging LCD growth. Western Europe continued to experience weakness with total units declining 3% Y/Y and was overtaken for the #3 market position by Asia Pacific. "LCD TV market growth remains impressive, gaining market share from incumbent technologies like CRT at a quickening pace despite higher prices and a tight supply situation in Q2'09" noted Paul Gagnon, Director of TV North America TV Market Research at DisplaySearch. "Advanced technologies like high frame-rate LCDs and 1080p resolutions also continued to increase in market share as the price premium narrows, even in these tough economic times." Not all technologies fared equally though as LCD TVs continued to post remarkably strong unit growth, while all other technologies showed Y/Y declines in units. However in revenue terms, all technologies were down Y/Y as the marketplace remains impacted by frugal consumers looking for the lowest prices amid the global economic downturn.

Bosch Acquires MEMS Mic Pioneer Akustica.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Pittsburgh-based MEMS (micro electro-mechanical systems) microphone pioneer Akustica Inc. has today been acquired by Robert Bosch North America and will become part of its MEMS division, Bosch Sensortec GmbH (Reutlingen, Germany). Akustica, which was founded in 2001, develops and sells a full range of digital and analog micro electromechanical microphones featuring CMOS MEMS technology. The technology allows the integration of transducer elements and associated integrated circuits on a single Silicon chip. To date Akustica, which developed and sold the world's first digital MEMS microphone, has sold over 5 million microphones in the global market for consumer devices like PCs and cell phones. Although several other MEMS microphone makers have entered the market, Akustica is so far the only company that integrates both the mechanical microphone and its supporting analog and digital circuitry onto the same CMOS chip. According to the company, the MEMS market will reach $2.5 billion worldwide by 2012, and that the microphone market is the fastest growing segment at an annual rate of greater than 30 percent, which they say is on track to ship a billion units by 2012. Joseph A. Jacobson, president and chief executive officer, Akustica, Inc., said "We are excited to join the market leader in MEMS sensors and be a part of Bosch's expansion in commercialization of consumer MEMS products. The strength of our combined technology, manufacturing capability and talent will allow us to continue delivering innovative and differentiating sensor product solutions." All 36 of Pittsburgh-based Akustica's employees will be hired by Bosch, and the new company will continue to operate as an independent, wholly-owned subsidiary at Akustica's U.S. headquarters. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

Vizio Maintains Lead in Q2 Sales - Samsung Closes In.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009

According to a recent report from market intelligence firm iSuppli, California-based television and display maker Vizio maintained its leadership in the US LCD TV market in Q2 of this year. Number two ranked Samsung Electronics Co Ltd. however, closed the gap significantly as buyers gravitated toward its LED-backlit sets. Samsung's share of US LCD TV unit shipments rose to 21.3% in Q2, up 3.5 points from 17.8% in Q2. The gain represented the largest increase of any LCD TV brand in the US in Q2. With its strong rise, Samsung of South Korea in Q2 cut Vizio's lead to only 0.4 percentage points, down from 3.6 points in Q1. LCDs historically have employed fluorescent lamps (CCFL) as backlights. However, due to price reductions, LEDs in recent years have become a viable alternative to CCFLs. "LEDs deliver multiple advantages compared to CCFLs," said Riddhi Patel, principal analyst, television systems, for iSuppli. "These include achieving greater power savings and thinner form factors for LCD TV sets and the elimination of toxic materials employed in CCFL manufacturing." Patel added. "Samsung in Q2 was very aggressive in introducing and marketing its LED-backlit LCD TVs allowing it to boost sales of these sets, US consumers increasingly are warming up to higher-specification LCD TV models, including those using new LED-backlighting technology." Despite Samsung's surge, Vizio retained leadership in the US LCD TV market for the second consecutive quarter. "US-based Vizio continues to benefit from its combination of low-cost and full-featured sets, combined with its high-volume retail channels, including Wal-Mart," Patel said. "The company seems to have found the right balance between price and features that appeals to many consumers." The research firm predicts that global penetration of the LED-backlight technology for LCD TV panels will increase to 37% of all shipments in 2013, up from 3% in 2009.

DVSport Inc. - Top DV Sports Software Creator Replays with Markertek !
Monday, August 17, 2009

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania - Markertek is the leader in supplying video innovators with solution technology and creation studio necessities. We have just supplied a host of Jensen Transformers and connectivity solutions to DVSport Inc. at its main headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pa. DVSport, Inc. is a software company specializing in digital video acquisition, analysis, and play-back software designed specifically for the sports market. With over 1,000+ systems deployed, the company retains a strong customer base that spans the professional and intercollegiate sports market that includes the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Cleveland Browns and the Dallas Cowboys to name just a few of its highly regarded customers. DVSport products enable all facets of digital programming for game replay, data analysis and content editing that is essential to sports media presentation. DVSport is leading the way in developing innovative digital video solutions at all levels of competition for all sports, and delivers proven solutions that have become the standard by which sports-related digital video analysis systems are measured. The company's customers use their custom-designed software products on a daily basis to scout, analyze, review, and teach. Markertek is proud of its association with media  innovation companies like DVSport that create innovative ways to edit, manipulate and present content for the broadcast community and its audience.

FCC Announces National Broadband Plan Workshops.
Friday, August 14, 2009

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act) was signed into law on February 17, 2009 and requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to deliver a National Broadband Plan to Congress by February 17, 2010. The Recovery Act mandates that the National Broadband Plan "shall seek to ensure that all people of the United States have access to broadband capability and shall establish benchmarks for meeting that goal." To inform the plan and more directly involve the American public, the FCC is hosting a series of workshops in August and early September 2009. The goal of the workshops will be to promote an open dialogue between the FCC and key constituents on matters important to the National Broadband Plan. Key constituents will include service providers, equipment providers, applications providers, community groups, and other groups that have a stake in the future of broadband.The workshops are open to the public at the Commission's headquarters building and online. In preparation for the workshops, a detailed list of topics has been posted. The public is invited to use the web site to suggest additional topics or revisions to those now slated for discussion at the workshops. The public is also invited to suggest questions for the workshops. "Broadband is our generation's major infrastructure challenge. It's critical that all stakeholders provide the Commission with the information it needs to develop a National Broadband Plan that will spur innovation, promote competition, create jobs, and bring the powerful benefits of broadband to all Americans," said FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski. "The effort to focus dialogue on specific topics in an open, participatory format is one of the many ways the Commission is trying to develop a comprehensive and meaningful record for the development of the Plan." View the schedule for upcoming workshops.

HDTVs in More than Half of All U.S. Homes.
Thursday, August 13, 2009

A recent Cable & Telecommunications Association for Marketing (CTAM) tracking Pulse report shows strong growth over the past year in HDTV ownership. In 2009, 53 percent of total U.S. households report owning a high definition television, an 18 percentage point increase in ownership over 2008, when 35 percent of households reported owning an HDTV (23 percent in 2007). Among HDTV set owners, 69 percent now subscribe to high definition service, compared to 56 percent a year ago. Ownership of large screen televisions –32 inches and larger – has also seen solid growth. In 2009, 59 percent of households owned one, up from 52 percent in 2008 (44 percent in 2007). The CTAM tracking study also took a look at recent movers and which technologies they are likely to purchase and services they're likely to subscribe to over the next year. Movers are more likely than non-movers to buy an HDTV set (26 percent vs. 15 percent), a laptop (24 percent vs. 16 percent), and a video game system (23 percent vs. 7 percent); as well as subscribe to HD programming service (15 percent vs. 8 percent) and DVR service (17 percent vs. 7 percent). The CTAM research is based on a telephone survey conducted by CENTRIS as part of the CENTRIS omnibus survey conducted from June 5 through 14, 2009. The sample includes 1,144 randomly selected adult consumers age 18+. The study has a +/- 3.5 percentage point margin of error.

Sony Develops Olivine-Type Battery.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Sony has introduced a new type of lithium ion secondary battery that the company claims to combine both high-power and long-life performance, using olivine-type lithium iron phosphate as the cathode material. According to Sony, the olivine-type lithium iron phosphate used is suitable for use as a cathode material due to its robust crystal structure and stable performance, even at high temperatures. Utilizing the company's proprietary particle design technology, the battery is able to realize high power by minimizing electrical resistance. This, together with the cell structure design technology gained while developing its current lithium ion secondary battery line-up, allows the battery to achieve a high-power density of 1800W/kg. This enables the new battery to discharge large currents, while also providing a stable output of voltage, making it suitable for use in motor driven applications as well as a wide range of mobile electronic devices. The olivine battery can be charged to 99% of its full capacity in 30 minutes while delivering an extended life-span (80% capacity retention after 2,000 charge-discharge cycles) of over four-times the company's current lithium ion battery line-up (G-series, A-series), which mainly use cobalt oxide based cathodes. The new olivine-type lithium ion battery is currently available in a 1.1Ah cylindrical 18650 cell type from Sony.

NAB Radio Show to Feature Three Day Engineering Program.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009

The National Association of Broadcasters have announced that this year's NAB Radio Show will feature a three-day Engineering Program focusing on technical developments for radio. The program will include several sessions led by industry experts who will use their experience and expertise to provide advice on some of the key technical issues facing radio today. Sessions held Wednesday, September 23 will examine tower failure prevention, operating under emergency conditions, plus a special workshop on planning, building and maintaining an IP-based radio facility. Experts will also be on hand to present the results of field testing of an HD Radio Electronic Program Guide, a NAB FASTROAD project that is evaluating methods for providing an interactive on-screen guide to scheduled digital broadcast programming. On Thursday, Benjamin Dawson, president of Hatfield and Dawson, and Ronald Rackley, principal of du Treil, Lundin and Rackley, Inc., will utilize their engineering expertise to instruct station engineers and consultants on the fundamentals of Method of Moments computer modeling during "Measurements and Mathematics for the New AM Proof Rules." Another session, titled "Practical Datacasting Today," will be led by Broadcast Electronics datacasting product manager Jim Roberts, and will look at how stations can use datacasting to enhance listener outreach. David Maxson, principal of Broadcast Signal Lab, will lead workshop experts in an examination of the National Radio Systems Committee's (NRSC) guideline document on mask compliance methods and practices during "New NRSC IBOC Mask Measurements." A panel discussion about the future of digital radio will also take place on Friday, during a session moderated by Milford Smith, Greater Media Inc.'s vice president of radio engineering. Titled "The IBOC Power Issue," the panel will discuss a report produced by National Public Radio (NPR) examining in-band on-channel (IBOC) power levels and weigh in on methods to effectively increase digital coverage. The NAB Radio Show runs September 23-25 2009 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Markertek Welcomes to the Family this Week:

University Of Arizona
Aquarium Of The Pacific
Better Energy Systems
Marywood University
NBC Olympics
Heritage Sports Radio Network
UGA-CSSE
Rockwell Collins
Maryland Public Television
The Detroit News
TAG Worldwide
New York Knicks
Corning Inc.
Monkeypaws Films
Youngstown State University

Sportvision.com - Broadcasting Innovator Makes the Goal with Markertek!
Monday, August 10, 2009

Mountainview, CA. - Markertek is the broadcast technology super source supplying developers of unique media enhancements and content deployment. We recently shipped rack accessories to Sportvision Inc. at its corporate operations in Mountainview, California. Sportvision is the nation’s premier innovator of sports and entertainment products for both fans and media companies. As today's fans demand richer and fuller entertainment experiences, Sportvision has deployed products across live television, internet and iTV for all major sports with over 2000+ live events to their credit. The company has enhanced experiences for fans and partners of the NFL, MLB, NASCAR, The Olympic Games, NHL, PGA TOUR, LPGA Tour, NBA, NCAA, WTA, MLS, IRL, X Games as well as numerous other sporting events on-air and online. This innovation has raised the bar in broadcasting that fills the content expectations sports audiences are now fast getting used to. Markertek salutes forward thinking technology companies such as Sportvision for pioneering and enhancing a bright new way of viewing sports media.

Warner Home Video vs. IWMB.
Friday, August 07, 2009

Warner Home Video has filed a complaint in Los Angeles Superior Court against disc destruction firm IWMB, Inc. and its president, Cal Jones for damages in excess of $10 million. The lawsuit claims IWMB broke an agreement to destroy the studio’s excess title inventory coming from retail returns of unsold product. Instead, Warner claims IWMB sold about 1 million of the Warner DVD and Blu-ray Disc units into retail channels at below market pricing. As a result, the studio believes it stands to lose revenue exceeding $10 million from IWMB’s actions, due to the unwanted proliferation of cheap product eroding Warner’s new product in the marketplace. According to Warner, at least 750,000 of the to-be-destroyed units have already been sold while 250,000 remain unaccounted for. “The company IWMB was hired to destroy and recycle excess or damaged DVDs. Instead, we believe and allege in the complaint, that they illegally sold these discs to third parties at a price substantially lower than the prevailing prices of legitimate wholesalers and retailers who are authorized to sell the same product," the studio said in a statement. "These unauthorized sales have undermined and diluted the value of our home video titles, and have cost us an estimated $10 million or more in lost revenues. We are seeking both compensatory and punitive damages, as well as an injunction to stop IWMB from selling any more of our product.” Warner partners with Cinram Distribution for the destruction and/or recycling of overstock sent back to the studio. Cinram subcontracts with other companies, including IWMB, to complete the disc elimination process. Cinram is not named as a defendant by Warner.

FCC Chairman Announces 20,000 Pounds in 20 Days Challenge.
Thursday, August 06, 2009

In conjunction with the "Feds Feed Families" food drive, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski announced today a "Chairman's Challenge" to call on FCC employees to raise 20,000 pounds of food to benefit the D.C. Capital Area Food Bank and other food banks across the country. "The employees of the FCC have always demonstrated their ability to rise to a challenge and there is no bigger opportunity for impact than to participate in helping the community in which we work," Chairman Genachowski said. The "Feds Feed Families" campaign will run until August 28, 2009 and is part of President Barack Obama's "United We Serve" initiative.

USB 2.0 Goes Wireless with Infrared Communication.
Wednesday, August 05, 2009

KDDI R&D Laboratories Inc has announced the development of a new system to wirelessly transmit USB 2.0 signals by using infrared technology, thus eliminating the need to use a USB cable for data communication between a mobile device and a PC. The newly developed technology converts USB 2.0 electrical signals to infrared signals and wirelessly transmits them by using a "USB-infrared converter" attached to a USB host and a USB device. The converter is mounted with an infrared communication module whose transmission speed is 1Gbps. According to the USB 2.0 specifications, response signals must be sent back within 1.5µs after data is transmitted between a USB host and a USB device. Because it normally takes more than 1.5µs to convert electrical signals to infrared signals, it is impossible to transmit data just by converting signals. However, KDDI equipped the USB-infrared converter with the "virtual USB device/host function," which generates response signals. As a result, the USB host recognizes that it is communicating with the USB device without delay. According to the company, the new USB-infrared converter will initially be externally attached to a USB host and a USB device. But, in the future, it will become possible to embed the converter directly into a device. KDDI is now standardizing the related technologies in conjunction with the Infrared Data Association (IrDA), which formulates standards of wireless infrared communications. "This Giga-IR specification will rank as one of the fastest wireless communication standards available on the market that is easy to implement into mobile devices without sacrificing space." Daphne Terrell executive director of IrDA said. "This new specification can co-exist with USB or IEEE1394 and can extend their technology into the wireless arena by using Gig-IR as a base technology." Giga-IR is currently available only for IrDA members, for more information, or to become a member, please visit www.irda.org.

Steve Miller Band -  Flying Like An Eagle with Markertek !
Tuesday, August 04, 2009

San Jose, Ca. - Markertek is the music industry super source for all connectivity and sound products. We recently rushed some ipod pro audio cables from TecNec and sound conversion technology products to the Steve Miller Band at a tour stop in San Jose, California. Steve Miller is a legendary singer/songwriter that has held an illustrious 40+ year career in popular music. Founded in 1967, the Steve Miller Band is known for its Platinum Number One albums and such hits as "Fly Like An Eagle, "Jet Airliner", "Take The Money and Run" as well as many others. Released in 1978, The Steve Miller Band's Greatest Hits 1974-1978 has sold over 13 million copies alone. Today, Miller and his band are still on the road entertaining his fans while supporting his popular catalog of hit songs. Markertek continues to proudly support and supply the production touring industry where artists and crews need technology products fast to keep the shows rockin' and the fans rollin' all around the world!

Toshiba to Finally Enter Blu-ray Market.
Monday, August 03, 2009

Making the company the last holdout among all the major electronics manufacturers, Toshiba may finally be launching its own Blu-ray player. The company, which lost the HD DVD vs. Blu-ray battle in early 2008, is reportedly readying a player that will read both Blu-ray discs and DVDs. Immediately after last year's loss to Sony and the Blu-ray format, Toshiba had considered developing yet another technology (XDE DVD-upscaling) to replace HD DVD and hopefully combat Blu-ray. However the company has now decided against the plan in light of the recent and more rapidly increasing growth market for Blu-ray players and discs, as well as a rumored $1B financial hole caused by the HD DVD failure. According to Japanese newspaper Yomiuri, Toshiba will start with play-only models for now, but may consider a recordable Blu-ray player if market demand calls for it. The player - rumored to be named the BD-18 - is expected to be available late this year in time for the holidays.

Markertek Saves the Day for LPTV Station.
Friday, July 31, 2009

After a summer storm recently hit Grenada, Mississippi, LPTV station W13CS - TV 13 station manager Dewey Sanford found himself in a little bit of trouble. The storm had taken out some equipment including the station's video isolator leaving the 200 Watt, 10,000 household station's signal dark. After contacting the isolator manufacturer, the station found out that the item was discontinued and replacement parts were not available. Then, Dewey called Markertek. "After a storm my LPTV station was hit and our video isolator went out. I called VAC and was told the unit was not made anymore and no parts were available. I went on the web and found a unit at Markertek! Called and ordered overnight shipping. I received the unit the next day. Thanks for the courteous attention given me." Happy to help, Dewey. Just doing our job. Enjoy your new isolator, and be sure to keep an eye in the sky for those nasty storms.

Sharp, Sony Establish LCD Joint Venture.
Thursday, July 30, 2009

The Sharp and Sony Corporations have entered into an agreement to establish a joint venture company to produce and sell large-sized LCD panels and modules. On July 1, 2009, Sharp split out its new LCD panel plant, which is under construction, and transferred it to Sharp Display Products Corporation ("SDP"), its wholly-owned subsidiary. SDP is scheduled to commence operations in October 2009. On December 29, 2009, as the first step toward the final investment ratio (66% by Sharp and 34% by Sony), Sony will invest 10 billion yen ($10 million) into SDP in exchange for new shares to be issued by SDP to Sony as third-party allocation. As a result of this transaction, SDP will become a joint venture company of Sharp and Sony on the same day. The Joint Venture Agreement further provides that Sony will make a number of additional capital injections to SDP subject to conditions set forth in the Joint Venture Agreement. SDP will seek to maximize the advantages gained from using the world's first 10th generation glass substrates to produce large-sized LCD panels and modules that deliver the industry's highest levels of quality, cost and performance. According to Sharp, the companies plan to further discuss joint development of components for LCD modules to strengthen their mutual collaborative relationship.

Global Adspend Down 7% In 1st Quarter 2009.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Global advertising expenditure across television, newspapers, magazines and radio has recorded a drop of 7.2 percent for the first quarter of 2009 compared to the first quarter of 2008, according to a global advertising trends report released earlier this month by research company Nielsen. The report shows that advertising across all four major media types (newspapers, television, magazines and radio) was down in the quarter. Magazines fared the worst of the four, down 17.4 percent, newspapers saw a 9.1 percent decline, while slow downs in television and radio advertising were more contained, -4.7 percent and -2.5 percent respectively. European countries were the hardest hit, especially Spain (-28.2%), Ireland (-21.2%), Italy (-19.1%) and the UK (-14.7%). In North America, the US was down 12.7 percent. Declines in global ad spend were stemmed somewhat, however, by the Asia Pacific region which posted only 2.3 percent reduction versus first quarter 2008. In Asia-Pacific, Indonesia showed the greatest growth because of the elections with an increase of 19.1 percent, and China maintained growth but to a much lesser degree (+2.5%). “The effects of the global financial crisis have certainly caught up with the ad sector in this latest quarter, especially in North America and Europe where virtually all of the territories we reported on recorded negative growth," observed Global AdView Managing Director, Ben van der Werf. “Even China, which usually sees a boost in ad spend during Chinese New Year, posted subdued growth for the quarter of just 2.5 percent off the back of 17.1 percent growth in quarter four of 2008." In television, ad spend was down in both Europe (-8.6%) and North America (-9.3%), while the overall decline was balanced by slight increases in Asia Pacific (+1.0%). Radio also saw a drop in North America (-8.2%) but was fairly stable in Europe (-0.1%) and up slightly in Asia Pacific (+1.4%), making overall decline more contained.

SDK Increases Organic EL Output.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Achieving a light output of approximately 40% - the highest level in the world - Showa Denko K.K. (SDK) has developed a new structure for organic electroluminescent (organic EL) devices. As a result, SDK has achieved a 30 lm/W emissive efficiency for its coated phosphorescent-polymer-based organic EL devices. ("Emissive efficiency" refers to the quantity of light emitted from light source, divided by electric power consumed.) The 30 lm/W emissive efficiency represents the highest level among coated-type organic EL devices that have been announced in the world. In terms of the production process, organic EL devices are classified into a deposition type and a coated type. The former generally has a multilayered structure of low-molecular-weight-compounds laminated through deposition processes under vacuum. Its production technology has almost been established, making it ready for volume production. However, its production cost is high, and there are many issues to be solved in producing a large area-emission panel based on this device. Meanwhile, the coated type is attracting keen attention because it consists of a few layers formed by coating polymer without the use of vacuum, providing the opportunity for substantial cost reductions and for the production of large area-emission panels in the future. Organic EL devices are also classified by the emission method, into a fluorescent type and a phosphorescent type. At present, the former has longer life and is already used in displays of mobile phones. Meanwhile, emissive efficiency (lm/W) of the phosphorescent type can theoretically become four times that of the fluorescent type. SDK has already achieved a luminance half life of approximately 10,000 hours for white lighting through improvements in the phosphorescent-polymer materials. The company claims it will continue developing organic EL devices with longer life based on the successful development of the new device structure. According to SDK, by developing a coated-polymer type (easy to make large area-emission organic EL panels) and a phosphorescent type (with high potential for increased emissive efficiency), the company expects the organic EL devices with the new structure to be widely used for general lighting applications. Working with SRI International, a non-profit research organization based in California, and Itochu Plastics Inc. (CIPS), of Japan, SDK plans to promote the development of coated phosphorescent-polymer-based organic EL devices for early commercialization in the organic EL lighting market and start selling samples on a full scale in 2010.

Canon Announces Hybrid Image Stabilizer.
Monday, July 27, 2009

Canon Inc. of Japan has announced the development of its new Hybrid Image Stabilizer (IS) technology which will be featured in the company's upcoming line of interchangeable single lens reflex (SLR) camera lenses. According to Canon, Hybrid IS is the world's first optical image stabilization technology to compensate for both angle camera shake and shift camera shake. Sudden changes in camera angle can significantly alter images taken during standard shooting, whereas shift-based shaking, which occurs when a camera moves parallel to the imaging scene, is more pronounced in macro photography and other close-range shooting. Incorporating an angular velocity sensor that detects the extent of angle-based shaking and is currently found in all optical image stabilizer mechanisms, Hybrid IS technology also includes a new acceleration sensor that determines the amount of shift-based camera shake. Hybrid IS also employs a newly developed algorithm that synthesizes information from the two sensors to make optimal adjustments, thereby dramatically enhancing the effects of image stabilization during shooting, including macro shooting, which had proven difficult for conventional image stabilization technologies. Canon began researching methods to compensate for camera shake in the 1980s, and in 1995 launched the EF 75-300mm f/4-5.6 IS USM, the world's first interchangeable SLR camera lens to feature a mechanism that compensates for optical camera shake. The Hybrid Image Stabilizer technology is planned for commercial release late 2009.

Markertek Welcomes to the Family this Week:

NBC 6
Zoo Atlanta
Northshore University
CBS Radio Boston
Dallas Theological Institute
The Georgia Aquarium
Helicopter Association Intl.
Creation Networks
Colorado Mountain College
National Naval Medical Center
Washington Horse Racing Comm.
SES Americom
Shaw's Supermarkets
City TV
Harman Becker GmbH

NASA Releases Restored Apollo 11 Moonwalk Video.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009

NASA has released newly restored video from the July 20, 1969, live television broadcast of the Apollo 11 moonwalk. The initial video release, part of a larger Apollo 11 moonwalk restoration project, features 15 key moments from the historic lunar excursion of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin and commemorates the 40th anniversary of the first mission to land astronauts on the moon. Although a three-year search for the original telemetry tapes was unsuccessful, a team of Apollo-era engineers who helped produce the 1969 live broadcast of the moonwalk acquired the best of the broadcast-format video from a variety of sources for the restoration effort. These included a copy of a tape recorded at NASA's Sydney, Australia, video switching center, where down-linked television from Parkes and Honeysuckle Creek was received for transmission to the U.S.; original broadcast tapes from the CBS News Archive recorded via direct microwave and landline feeds from NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston; and kinescopes found in film vaults at Johnson that had not been viewed for 36 years. NASA contracted with Lowry Digital of Burbank, Calif., which specializes in restoring aging Hollywood films and video, to take the highest quality video available from these recordings, select the best for digitization, and significantly enhance the video using the company's proprietary software technology and other restoration techniques. On July 20, 1969, as Armstrong made the short step off the ladder of the Lunar Excursion Module onto the powdery lunar surface, a global community of hundreds of millions of people witnessed one of humankind's most remarkable achievements live on television. The black and white images of Armstrong and Aldrin bounding around the moon were provided by a single small video camera aboard the lunar module. The camera used a non-standard scan format that commercial television could not broadcast. NASA used a scan converter to optically and electronically adapt these images to a standard U.S. broadcast TV signal. The tracking stations converted the signals and transmitted them using microwave links, Intelsat communications satellites, and AT&T analog landlines to Mission Control in Houston. By the time the images appeared on international television, they were substantially degraded. "The restoration is ongoing and may produce even better video," said Richard Nafzger, an engineer at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., who oversaw television processing at the ground tracking sites during Apollo 11. "The restoration project is scheduled to be completed in September and will provide the public, future historians, and the National Archives with the highest quality video of this historic event." The newly restored scenes from the Apollo 11 restoration effort can be found here.

The Flaming Lips - Extreme Visuals Alt-Rockers Get Psychedelic with Markertek !
Monday, July 20, 2009

Edmond, OK. - Markertek is the sound and stage industry source for all professional audio and video technology solutions. We were recently contacted by the Flaming Lips from their home base of Edmond, Oklahoma for some Neutrik connectivity solutions. The Flaming Lips are a extremely popular cult band which features extraordinary media visuals to compliment their psychedelic sound and stage show. The band, which is known for its lush, multi-layered, eclectic musical arrangements is also acclaimed for their elaborate live shows, which feature costumes, balloons, puppets, video projections, complex stage light configurations, giant hands, large amounts of confetti, and frontman Wayne Coyne's signature man-sized plastic bubble, in which he traverses the audience. In 2002, Q magazine named The Flaming Lips one of the "50 Bands to See Before You Die". The group recorded several albums and EPs on an indie label in the 1980s and early 1990s. After signing to Warner Brothers, they scored a hit in 1993 with "She Don't Use Jelly". Although it has been their only hit single in the U.S., the band has maintained critical respect and, to a lesser extent, commercial viability through albums such as 1999's The Soft Bulletin and 2002's Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots. As of 2007 the group has collected three Grammy Awards, including two for Best Rock Instrumental Performance. Markertek is proud to work with the Flaming Lips and all visual productions that feature extreme media that brings forth a stage show that is beyond comparison.

World's First - HDTV that Records to SD Cards.
Friday, July 17, 2009

The first world's first television with the ability to record broadcast content directly onto SD cards has been announced by British LCD TV maker, Cello Electronics. Utilizing the portable storage format instead of a hard drive, recordings can more easily be transferred to PCs and mobile devices with SD card slots. According to Cello, recording programs to an SD card is controlled via the remote control, which the company says boasts simple one touch recording via the EPG. Available in 22-inch, 26-inch and 32-inch sizes, additional features include two TV tuners and two SD slots, making the TV capable of recording two channels at once, and thanks to its split screen functionality, displaying two channels at once as well as offering an integrated DVD player and two HDMI inputs. Details on specs such as contrast ratio, brightness, response time, etc, have been released as of yet, but we can confirm the set's 16:9 display is 1440 x 900 resolution - so, you're looking at 1080i/720p rather than Full HD. Currently bound for the European market only, the new televisions are scheduled to be available this month for $661 (26-inch) or $777 (32-inch).

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Launches movieIQ.
Thursday, July 16, 2009

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has announced the launch of MovieIQ, a new Blu-ray Disc feature powered by Gracenote that offers viewers access to a real-time movie database. According to Sony, with a movieIQ-enabled Blu-ray Disc and an internet-connected Blu-ray player, movie fans can immediately access continuously-updated information on cast and crew and explore relevant trivia such as production facts, music and soundtrack information all tied to scenes within the movie. Utilizing Gracenote's Video Explore solution, moiveIQ brings search and navigation capabilities to connected consumer electronic devices. Video Explore also allows users to search the online Gracenote video database, linking together related cast, crew, movies, TV episodes, franchises, seasons, DVDs, and Blu-rays. The company's global video database contains rich video information for North America, Europe, and Japan, including factual metadata, synopses, credits, and detailed descriptive elements. "We are thrilled to be partnering with Sony Pictures to deliver movieIQ, a feature that takes full advantage of the Blu-ray format's internet connectivity and truly demonstrates that Blu-ray is the future of home entertainment," said Ross Blanchard, VP of Business Development at Gracenote. "Now, movie lovers will have access to an incredible new service where they can explore and discover all the rich details on their favorite actors, directors and movies." SPHE is set to feature movieIQ on upcoming Blu-ray Disc titles starting in September and will offer it on all major catalog titles and new releases thereafter.

Blu-ray Booming in the U.K.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009

According to a recent report from the British Video Association, roughly 3.1 million Blu-ray discs have sold in the UK since the beginning of this year. A marked increase on the numbers from 2008, sales are up an estimated 231%. Not surprisingly, with consumers upgrading to Blu-ray this has led to a fall in the numbers of DVD purchased. Sales are down 9.5 per cent year-on-year bringing the total number of DVD discs sold in 2009 to 100 million. The outlook for the second half of the year however, is more promising. The BVA's 2009 Yearbook shows that 30% of all Blu-ray and DVD sales take place in the last two months of the year and some of this year's big pre-Christmas releases including Bruno (Universal Pictures), Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince (Warner Home Video), Ice Age 3 (20th Century Fox Home Entertainment), Terminator: Salvation (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment), Tinker Bell (Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment) and Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (Paramount Home Entertainment) are expected to perform extremely well on both DVD and Blu-ray. Hannah Conduct, Marketing Manager at the British Video Association said "The continuing success of Blu-ray is testament to the growth of consumer confidence in the high definition format. There are now almost 1500 Blu-ray releases in the market covering a breadth of titles. Seeing is believing with Blu-ray and the figures show that once consumers have experienced the format, they continue to spend their money on the product." The BVA also points to industry research conducted at the end of last year indicating that 72% of consumers felt that they would have significantly less disposable income in 2009, with 31% strongly agreeing. Most respondents (98%) said they would be actively seeking out promotions and offers. As a result, Lavinia Carey, Director General of the British Video Association, says "People must also be increasingly tempted to search out methods of downloading illicit content for free on the Internet. With an increasing number of new internet services coming on stream, the industry is aiming to encourage greater consumer up-take of legitimate downloads." The latest forecasts from Screen Digest suggest that legitimate online video will grow in significance, comparative to growth in physical discs, as a distribution channel and revenue source between now and 2012. The report from the BVA was created using data from the Official Charts Company.

PBS Scores Most Nominations for News and Doc Emmys.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009

With 41 nominations, the Public Broadcast System (PBS) has scored nearly twice as many nominations as the second-place network for the 30th Annual News and Documentary Emmys announced Tuesday by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS). CBS was second with 23 nominations, followed by ABC and HBO/Cinemax, which had 13 nominations each. Next, with 12 nominations came National Geographic Channel and NBC with 10 while CNN managed to grab eight nominations. Discovery garnered four nods, the Travel Channel had three and MSNBC received two nominations. One each went to Current TV, Discovery Health, History, and Smithsonian Channel. Web sites receiving nominations included two each for Tate.org and Washingtonpost.com. One each went to freep.com/Detroit Free Press, Globeandmail.com, livehopelove.com/Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting, mediastorm.org and Reuters/Mediastorm. Previously announced were Lifetime Achievement honoree Barbara Walters and President's Award honoree CNN Productions. The Emmys will be presented on Monday, Sept. 21, during a ceremony at the Frederick P. Rose Hall at the Time Warner Center in New York City.

Markertek Welcomes to the Family this Week:

US Bureau of Land Management
KNXV-TV
UC Berkeley
Air National Guard
WTAF
Jewelry Television
Tribal Gaming Commission
SABA Software Inc.
WQUN
Cubic Simulation Systems
WCVB-TV
Marriott Corporation
WDVD Radio
Elon University
MAPI TV
 

Netflix Announces Partnership with Sony Electronics.
Monday, July 13, 2009

Online movie rental service Netflix has partnered with Sony Electronics in a deal that will enable Netflix subscribers to instantly watch movies streamed from the company on Sony's BRAVIA Internet Video-capable HDTVs and on previous BRAVIA models compatible with Sony's BRAVIA Internet video link module. According to Netflix, starting this fall, Netflix members on an unlimited membership plan can use capable models of the BRAVIA series of Internet Video-capable HDTVs to instantly watch more than 12,000 movies and TV episodes streamed directly from Netflix. "Sony has been a world leader in consumer electronics for decades," said Netflix Chief Executive Officer Reed Hastings. "We are proud to include Sony Electronics among our CE partners who continue to provide new and exciting ways for Netflix members to instantly watch movies and TV episodes in their living rooms on their TVs." The Japanese electronics giant is the latest consumer electronics (CE) company to partner with Netflix. Other CE companies partnering with Netflix are Microsoft (with the Xbox360), LG Electronics, Roku, Samsung, TiVo and VIZIO.

Group Captures MRI Images of Li-ion Battery.
Friday, July 10, 2009

A Japanese research group at Tohoku University has announced that it has succeeded in taking cross-sectional images of a Li-ion secondary battery for the first time in the world by using MRI (magnetic resonance imaging). Specifically, it took MRI images of not only hydrogen nuclei (protons) but also Li ions themselves, which are said to be very difficult to detect because of their low sensitivity. The images of protons have a pixel count of 65,000 and a resolution of 16μm, and those of Li ions have a pixel count of 16,000 and a resolution of 32μm. To create images, MRI emits electric waves to an object in a strong magnetic field and detects weak electric waves reflected by the spin of atomic nuclei. However, electric waves do not pass through Li-ion secondary batteries because they have a metallic chassis and contain a large amount of metal inside. Therefore, it has been regarded as difficult to use MRI to take images of the inside of a Li-ion secondary battery. With the new method developed by the group, it is possible to observe the distribution of Li ions inside a Li-ion secondary battery and such phenomena as generation of gas and decomposition of battery electrolyte when the battery is repeatedly charged and discharged. As a result, it will help understand how heat generation and ignition occur when a battery is mishandled, and develop technologies to improve safety and prevent degradation of a battery. For the future, the research group aims to observe the movement of Li ions inside a Li-ion secondary battery and the degradation of battery electrolyte in three-dimensional movies. The research group was led by Jyunichi Kawamura and Yoshiki Iwai, professors of the Institute of Multidisciplinary Research for Advanced Materials at Tohoku University. This study was conducted as part of a research contracted by the New Energy and Industrial Technology Organization (NEDO).

Vizio Wins Patent Dispute.
Thursday, July 09, 2009

U.S. Customs officials have officially cleared television and display maker Vizio of any patent infringements it has been accused of and is allowed to continue sales of HDTVs in the United States. The U.S. Protection agency issued a ruling in agreement with Vizio that all current models of the company's televisions do not infringe U.S. Patent No. 6,115,074 (‘074) held by Funai Electric Company of Japan. Funai, maker of Sylvania brand televisions, has been accused by Vizio of simply trying to block competition in the crowded LCD HDTV market, and sued its long time rival for "allegedly violating antitrust law as well as patent infringement of its own," said Vizio. “As an intellectual property rights owner, Vizio respects such rights and expects others to do the same. We have various licensing arrangements in place in connection with legitimate IP rights; however, it is not the case with the present dispute. We firmly believe that the Federal Circuit will fully vindicate Vizio’s non-infringement position on appeal. In light of Funai’s abusive actions, which were apparently anti-competitive in nature, designed to tortuously harm Vizio’s interests, we shall fully defend against any such claims and seek all appropriate remedies. In addition to recovering damages for such wanton behaviors, we shall hold the accused patent infringers, like Funai, accountable to the fullest extent of the law,” said Laynie Newsome, Co-Founder & Vice President of Sales and Marketing Communications for the company. On March 13, 2009 The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (“USPTO”) issued a Final Rejection of U.S. Patent ‘074, the patent that Funai has claimed is infringed. Additionally, Vizio has filed separate anti-trust and patent infringement claims against Funai for unlawfully and unfairly discriminating against Vizio in the licensing and enforcement of the ‘074 patent. “Today’s Customs ruling is yet another major step forward for Vizio, our supply partners, our retail customers, and most importantly the American consumers who have shown they prefer Vizio HDTVs over other brands,” added Newsome. “We are pleased that Funai’s ill-advised tactics continue to falter and are being rejected by the U.S. authorities; we are determined and remain unshaken by merit-less claims from foreign competitors.” Funai is expected to appeal the decision.

Sharp to Increase LCD Production Capacity.
Wednesday, July 08, 2009

The Sharp Corporation of Japan has announced that the company will increase production capacity for LCD panels at its Kameyama Plant No. 2 by approximately 10% in order to meet the increasing demand for LCD panels for TVs. In April 2009, Sharp announced that it put Kameyama Plant No. 2 into full operation (with an input of 90,000 glass substrates per month) and that it would bring the new LCD panel plant at the Sakai Manufacturing Complex into operation in October 2009, ahead of the original schedule. Since then, the demand for panels from LCD TV manufacturers around the world has been steady. For this reason, Sharp has decided to improve production efficiency and raise the level of monthly glass substrate input at Kameyama Plant No. 2 to 100,000 after this August Plant No. 2 has been producing LCD panels since starting operations in 2006. And, as the producer of the panels used in Sharp’s AQUOS LCD TVs, Kameyama Plant No. 2 has contributed greatly to boosting the AQUOS brand availability. According to Sharp, Kameyama Plant No. 2 will continue to advance its proprietary production technologies as a model plant under Sharp’s vertical integration production concept.

Markertek Welcomes to the Family this Week:

Magisdon Films Inc.
Pacific Coast Entertainment
Loomis Corporation
KREM-TV
Stanford University
Ball Aerospace
Yale Broadcasting Company
WTSP-TV
Discovery Business
Georgia IT
Silverwood Theme Park
Purdue University
BMC Software
Time Warner Cable NC
ABC-TV New York

Rick Marotta - World Famous Drummer Keeps the Beat with Markertek !
Tuesday, July 07, 2009

New York, NY - Markertek is the premier stage and studio source for all custom and stock patch bays and panels. We recently worked with world renown drummer and percussionist Rick Marotta on the configuration of custom patch bays for his studio in the New York area. Marotta is a US-based drummer and percussionist who appears on many hit recordings by leading artists and legends such as Aretha Franklin, Carly Simon, Steely Dan, James Taylor, Paul Simon, John Lennon, Hall & Oates, Stevie Nicks, Wynonna, Roy Orbison, Todd Rundgren, Roberta Flack, Peter Frampton, Quincy Jones, Jackson Browne, Waylon Jennings, Randy Newman, Peter Gabriel, Kenny G., The Jacksons, Crosby, Stills & Nash, as well as many others. According to Drummerworld.com, Marotta's less-is-more attitude is all the more distinctive given that he came of musical age during the '70s, when showy drum work was the norm. "That's how I developed my attitude in the first place," he says. "When I was coming up as a musician, there were a lot of truly great drummers like Neil Peart and Terry Bozzio, guys who played a lot of notes and did it very well. But the more notes I heard other guys play, especially in fills, the fewer I would play. At first, it was just a matter of taste, but then I started getting a lot of session calls because of that attitude." Remarkably, Rick never hit a drum until he was 19. "As far as I'm concerned," he says, "that was a great advantage! I just took these drum sticks the size of baseball bats and started hitting the drums as hard as I could. I still believe that just flailing away is a great way to start out on a instrument. If you have any talent at all, it will come out. After that you can go back and learn the rudiments." More recently, Rick has been busy composing music for hit TV shows including "Everybody Loves Raymond" while his drums have been heard on Grammy award winning songs including many top 10 hits. Markertek salutes Rick Marotta's long running career and is proud to serve all the musicians who help to make the world a better place with their music.

Coming Soon to a Mobile Device Near You - DTV.
Monday, July 06, 2009

International digital standards group, Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) has announced that the candidate level ATSC-Mobile/Handheld (ATSC-M/H) standard has been officially raised to "proposed standard" status. According to the ATSC, the Mobile DTV Candidate Standard describes the methodology for new services to be carried in digital broadcast channels along with current DTV services without any adverse impact on legacy receiving equipment. The standard, which is being developed to support a variety of mobile device services including free (advertiser-supported) television and interactive services delivered in real-time, subscription-based TV, and file-based content download for playback at a later time, may also be used for transmission of new data broadcasting services. ATSC-M/H is built around a highly robust transmission system based on vestigial sideband (VSB) modulation coupled with a flexible and extensible Internet Protocol (IP) based transport system, efficient MPEG AVC (ISO/IEC 14496-10 or ITU H.264) video, and HE AAC v2 audio (ISO/IEC 14496-3) coding. Much of the development and testing process for ATSC-M/H which began in May of 2007, has been spearheaded and accelerated by the Open Mobile Video Coalition (OMVC). The Coalition is a group of more than 800 broadcast stations joined together to promote mobile DTV. OMVC is credited with promoting a deal in May 2008 between consumer electronics giants LG and Samsung to work together on a mobile DTV standard and avoid a prolonged standards battle between the two companies' competing mobile DTV systems. Next step is the vote of approval by the ATSC Technology and Standards Group which will make ATSC-M/H a formal standard. OMVC Executive Director Anne Schelle said the vote could come by early August or sooner. That means the formal standard could be approved by September. 70 stations are currently on schedule to launch mobile DTV services later this year, however consumer devices are not expected to be widely available until 2010.

School Bus Transforms into Production Rig with Help from Markertek's Custom Metal Shop.
Friday, July 03, 2009

Saugerties, New York / Lansdale, Pennsylvania - Markertek's in-house metal shop recently fabricated a custom I/O panel for North Penn Television's newest production vehicle. The truck, which is used by NPTV as part of the Office of School & Community Engagement of the North Penn School District, is a 1989 model TC-2000 school bus which has been converted to a fully operational production vehicle by Boulevard Body Works in Warren, NJ. A 24/7 - PEG (Public, Educational, and Governmental) TV channel on the Comcast and Verizon cable systems, NPTV produces more than 750 hours of original programming per year including live and pre-produced content. The station's programming is also archived and available anytime right on your computer desktop via nptv.npenn.org. The really unique part, however, is that the program is run entirely by North Penn School District high school students and their three advisors - Bob Gillmer, Mary Faikish and Chris Doerr. Student involvement is provided through an extra curricular club which gives any student in grades 10-12 of the school district the opportunity to be part of all aspects of tel