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 television production, from on air to engineering. According to Chris Doerr, NPTV Communications Media Specialist, when faced with the task of equipping the vehicle with a I/O panel to fit the needs of the program, NPTV turned to Markertek. Working directly with our in-house metal shop, Chris was able to configure and build the perfect panel for the truck. Features include connectivity for Telemetrics Inc. over coax control, balanced audio, wireless transmission as well as a built-in 2.5" LCD display for confidence monitoring. The nature of our operation here at North Penn Television requires us to be flexible and adapt to a wide range of television production situations. Doerr added, The expertise of everyone at Markertek was key in helping us come up with a design that was both attractive and functional. With the new panel in place, the NPTV team and its well equipped production vehicle are ready to cover all the sports, news and events that matter most to the students and community of the North Penn School District.

High Efficiency CRT Recycling Technology from Panasonic.
Thursday, July 02, 2009

In response to the increasing demand for the recycling of used CRT TVs, tons of which are expected to be thrown away as a result of the US shift to digital terrestrial broadcasting as well as the upcoming transition in Japan scheduled for completion in 2011, the Panasonic Corporation and Panasonic Eco Technology Center Co., Ltd. (PETEC) have developed a recycling technology using laser beams to separate the front panel and back part (funnel) of a cathode ray tube (CRT) used in TV sets. According to the company, this laser-cut technology, which is implemented at PETEC's plant in Hyogo Prefecture, Japan, allows for separating CRTs quicker and cleaner than before. In a CRT tube, different types of glass are used in the front panel and funnel. It is essential to separate them without mixing for recycling. The conventional method uses an electrically heated wire around the joint area of the front and funnel to separate them. However, this method not only requires time for the heating process but causes thermal stress fractures by the local heating, requiring manual corrections to clean the cut surfaces. The new CRT recycling technology also drastically reduces the processing time with much less manual work, allowing one tube to be processed in 50 seconds, three times faster than the previous method. The laser head of the innovative system has a "surface profiling" function to maintain a constant distance between the focal point and surface of the glass. Coupled with the "radiation energy" control adjusting laser beam light intensity to the circumferential velocity, the system achieves a high quality cut with no mixing between the front and funnel glass. Panasonic's laser cutter is fully automated to measure the size (from 14 to 36 inches) and types (normal and wide) of CRT TVs and process with the laser conditions (38 different sets of conditions) suited to the size and type of each CRT. The company said it will continue to study possibilities in applying such laser-based recycling technologies to flat-panel TVs, and is committed to further raise the efficiency of the whole TV recycling process.

LCD Panel Glass Shortage Continues.
Wednesday, July 01, 2009

A recent report from market research company, iSuppli indicates the current shortage of glass used to make LCD panels for large televisions and displays is expected to continue as panel prices rise for a fifth consecutive month in June. According to the company, amid an extreme oversupply situation in Q4 2008, suppliers of the glass used in the panels started cutting capacity to less than 50% of full utilization at the end of 2008, while some glass makers even shut down some of their glass-producing tanks. As a result, panel suppliers now are unable to increase their LCD panel production capacity despite strong demand from China and other regions. Global prices for large-sized LCD panels continues to rise. Unlike some raw materials, whose production can be ramped up quickly to meet changes in the level of demand, it takes time for glass makers to restore manufacturing to previous levels. Depending on the level of deactivation of a glass furnace, it may take from one to six months to restore it to full production. Because of this, iSuppli expects the glass shortage won't be resolved until September, by which time panel suppliers will be able to increase capacity and expand supply. As such, the shortage and resulting price increases are not expected to last, with prices for nearly all sizes of LCD TV panels peaking in September and commencing a decline that will persist through the remainder of 2009 and into 2010. Pricing for 32-inch 720p (progressive) scan LCD TVs is expected to decline to US$480 by November, with Black Friday specials possibly as low as US$299. This is down from an average of US$634 in June. For 42-inch Full High-Definition (HD) or 1080p sets, pricing in November will fall to US$628, down from US$856 in June. Black Friday specials could be as low as US$499. "If the LCD TV brands hope to come anywhere near their sales targets for 2009, they will have to offer aggressive pricing deals during Black Friday and the following weeks," said Riddhi Patel, principal analyst, television, for iSuppli. "If the deals don't materialize, sales this year will fall well short of predictions." iSuppli predicts global LCD TV sales will rise 23.5% in 2009 compared to 2008.

EU to Standardize Mobile Device Charging.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009

According to a recent Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to the European Commission, 10 of the world's largest mobile device companies have agreed on a new universal charging interface for all mobile devices. Beginning in Europe in 2010, all mobile devices will be charged and connected for data transfer via Micro-USB. As per the memo; the current incompatibility of chargers for mobile phones and devices is a major environmental problem and an inconvenience for users across the European Union. Currently, specific chargers are sold together with specific mobile phones. A user who wants to change their mobile phone must usually acquire a new charger and dispose the previous one, even if it is in perfect condition. This unnecessarily generates important amounts of electronic waste. With the new standard, consumers will not need to buy a new charger together with every mobile phone, and they should also benefit from more efficient and cheaper stand-alone chargers. The environmental benefits of harmonizing chargers are expected to be very important: reducing the number of chargers unnecessarily sold will reduce the associated generated electronic waste, which currently amounts to thousands of tons. Harmonized chargers are also expected to improve energy-efficiency, thus reducing energy consumption.

The following 10 companies have signed the MoU:
• Apple
• LG
• Motorola
• NEC
• Nokia
• Qualcomm
• Research In Motion
• Samsung
• Sony Ericsson
• Texas Instruments

"The MoU covers the territory of the EU. However, as the market for mobile phones is essentially global, the MoU should be seen as a good model for other geographical markets. The Commission is committed to sharing this approach with its trading partners, in order to extend its benefits world-wide," said the Commission's Gunter Verheugen.

Jazz At Lincoln Center - Prestigious NY Jazz Landmark Hits the Note with Markertek !
Monday, June 29, 2009

New York, NY - Markertek is the sound and stage technology supply source for the performing arts industry. We recently assisted and supplied Jazz at Lincoln Center with a large order of Neutrik and Canare products at its main location in New York, NY. JALC, which is a constituent of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, Inc. is located at 60th Street and Broadway in New York City at the Frederick P. Rose Hall in the Time Warner Center. The Hall features educational and entertaining displays including a multimedia installation with an 18-foot video wall, interactive computer kiosks and touch-activated virtual plaques. Here, visitors can celebrate the lives, artistry and music of the jazz greats that were and are an integral part of both the art form and industry that is jazz. The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis (JLCO) serves as the resident orchestra performing not only at the Hall but also around the world. JALC produces a year-round schedule of performance, education and broadcast events for audiences of all ages. These productions include concerts, national and international tours, residencies, weekly national radio and television programs, recordings, publications, an annual high school jazz band competition and festival, a band director academy, a jazz appreciation curriculum for children, advanced training through the Juilliard Institute for Jazz Studies, music publishing, children's concerts, lectures, adult education courses and student and educator workshops. Jazz at Lincoln Center will produce over 3,000 events during its 2008-09 season. Markertek is truly honored to supply JALC and all the performing arts institutions with the connection technology necessary to keep the music playing.

Possible U.S. Ban on Sharp LCD Displays.
Friday, June 26, 2009

According to a U.S. International Trade Commission ruling this week, certain Sharp Corp. liquid-crystal display televisions and computer monitors should be banned from import to the United States. Samsung Electronics of South Korea, the world's biggest maker of LCDs, won a recent U.S. ITC ruling that several Sharp products infringe on one of the company's patents. In the complaint, filed last December, Samsung named models in the Aquos line of high definition televisions as among those made and sold by Sharp that violated the patent. Samsung had initially claimed infringement of four patents. Of the four, the disputed patent the company won was issued in 2004 and is titled 'Liquid Crystal Display Having Wide Viewing Angle'. In a notice posted on its Web site, the ITC said unlicensed Sharp LCD devices, including display panels and modules, and LCD televisions made overseas that use Samsung's patented invention should be banned from the U.S. The ban is now subject to review by President Obama, and the underlying patent case can be appealed to a U.S. court that specializes in patent law.As of yet, neither company has commented on the proposed ban.

A New Approach to Sound - the FFL.
Thursday, June 25, 2009

United Kingdom based University of Warwick spin-out company, Warwick Audio Technologies has created a groundbreaking new loudspeaker that is less than 0.25mm thick. While the 'Flat, Flexible Loudspeaker' (FFL) is, as the name implies, flat and flexible, it also extremely lightweight and inexpensive to manufacture. According to the company, the FFL is ideal for public spaces where it delivers planar directional sound waves, which project further than sound from conventional speakers. All speakers work by converting an electric signal into sound. Usually, the signal is used to generate a varying magnetic field, which in turn vibrates a mechanical cone, so producing the sound. Warwick Audio Technology's FFL technology is a carefully designed assembly of thin, conducting and insulating, materials resulting in the development of a flexible laminate, which when excited by an electrical signal will vibrate and produce sound. The speaker laminate operates as a perfect piston resonator. The entire diaphragm therefore radiates in phase, forming an area source. The wave front emitted by the vibrating surface is phase coherent, producing a plane wave with very high directivity and very accurate sound imaging. Steve Couchman, CEO of Warwick Audio Technologies, believes the new speaker could entirely replace the speakers currently used in homes and in cars, as well as in public address systems used in passenger terminals and shopping centers. "The sound produced by FFLs can be directed straight at its intended audience. The sound volume and quality does not deteriorate as it does in conventional speakers, which means that public announcements in passenger terminals, for example, could be clearer, crisper, and easier to hear." The FFL was first developed by Dr Duncan Billson and Professor David Hutchins, both from the University of Warwick, with early trials using just two sheets of tinfoil and an insulating layer of baking paper to produce sound. Since then its design has significantly evolved and the technology is now ready for commercial applications. The company expects to launch its first commercial FFL product later this year.

Sennheiser Adds Filter Option to Enhance Broadcast Applications.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009

At InfoComm '09 Sennheiser unveiled the new MZF 8000 filter module for the company's MKH 8000 microphone series. According to Sennheiser, using the new MZF filter module, the MKH 8020 (omnidirectional), MKH 8040 (cardioid) and MKH 8050 (super-cardioid) RF condenser microphones can provide excellent sound and climate resistance, even in tough broadcasting and film applications. The filter effectively suppresses both handling and wind noise, features extremely low self-noise, and the signal level can be lowered via a broadcast-quality pad - allowing it to be optimally adapted to the recording equipment. "Our MKH 8000 microphones are compact and light making them ideally suited for use with telescopic microphone booms," explained Dawn Birr, Sennheiser's product manager for professional products. "The filter module allows users to target and suppress unavoidable handling noise and eliminates wind noise almost completely." For this purpose, the MZF 8000 has two low-frequency filters: a roll-off filter that can be switched on when required, and a fixed low-cut filter that effectively suppresses frequencies below 20 Hz. A switchable -10 dB pad on the filter module reduces the signal level when required. Like the company's other modules for the series, the new filter module can also be used with a remote cable as a separate unit, allowing the sound engineer to further reduce the weight on the boom. The module has a transformerless and fully floating output and can therefore be easily connected to recording equipment. The MZF 8000 filter module is available now.

LG Enters Thin-Film Solar Cell Business.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Flat-screen and consumer electronics maker LG Display Co Ltd has announced plans to focus its R&D capabilities on a thin-film type solar cell and nurture it as a future growth driver. With an investment of 50 billion won ($40 million), the company plans to build a pilot line within its Paju display complex in South Korea later this year and build an outdoor test power generation facility. The company aims to raise the current energy conversion efficiency rate of 8% to 12% by 2010, and eventually achieve efficiency rate of 14% to prepare for commercialization in 2012 and hopes to secure sufficient commercial value by lowering the manufacturing cost to less than US$1/W. While LG targets the market for cells used in photovoltaic power generation, buildings and public displays during the initial stages of commercialization, the company's long-term blueprint includes expansion into solar cells for mobile displays and automobiles, as well as solar cells for extreme environments such as offshore photovoltaic power generation stations. According to LG, research firm Nano Markets expects the market for thin-film solar power cells to grow to $14 billion in 2015 from $4.6 billion in 2011.

Smithsonian NASM - Acclaimed National Air Space Museum Flies High with Markertek !
Monday, June 22, 2009

Washington, DC - Markertek is at the technology forefront for all connectivity and installation products. As such, we just supplied the Smithsonian Institution National Air Space Museum with a large quantity of Neutrik connectivity products. Established in 1946, the Institution's National Air and Space Museum maintains the largest collection of historic air and spacecraft in the world. It is also a vital center for research into the history, science, and technology of aviation and space flight, as well as planetary science and terrestrial geology and geophysics. The Museum has two display facilities. The National Mall building in Washington, D.C. has hundreds of artifacts on display including the original Wright 1903 Flyer, the Spirit of St. Louis, the Apollo 11 command module, and a lunar rock sample that visitors can touch. Since its opening in 1976, the National Air and Space Museum's building on the National Mall has been limited by size to the display of only about ten percent of the collection of aircraft and large space artifacts. With another ten percent on loan, it was necessary to keep roughly 80 percent of the collection in storage. In 1980 the Smithsonian's Board of Regents proposed that the National Air and Space Museum establish a second facility in the Washington area and located near a major airport to allow some artifacts to be flown in. The second location, The Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, displays many more artifacts including the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird, Boeing B-29 Superfortress Enola Gay and Space Shuttle Enterprise. Additionally, the Museum currently conducts restoration of its collection at the Paul E. Garber Preservation, Restoration, and Storage Facility in Suitland, MD. For years, this facility also displayed many of the Museum's artifacts kept in storage. Only guided tours allowed access to this portion of the collection. Currently, the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center displays most of the aircraft and spacecraft previously stored at Garber, many never seen before in a museum setting. The Center is slated to eventually become the Museum's primary artifact restoration facility. The NASM is staffed by some 260 employees and is supported by over 500 volunteers. Markertek is proud to supply the NASM and all the curators and museums that help bring science and technology forward through history and into the future.

Digimarc and The Nielsen Company Form Joint Ventures.
Friday, June 19, 2009

Oregon based, Digital media ID supplier Digimarc Corporation has announced it has entered into an agreement with media measurement giant The Nielsen Company to jointly launch two new companies. The two joint venture agreements and a revised license agreement expand and replace a previous Digimarc/Nielsen license and services agreement that has been in operation since late 2007. Under the new agreement, Digimarc and Nielsen plan to work together to develop new products and services, including the expansion and deployment of services that have been under development in connection with the prior agreement. "These joint ventures with Digimarc will provide tremendous opportunities for us to deliver innovative transaction-based solutions for new media businesses, including mobile," said Itzhak Fisher, head of Nielsen's global product leadership organization. "By combining Nielsen's first-class market intelligence - particularly our analysis of video consumption across TV, Internet and mobile - with Digimarc's rich patent portfolio, we are uniquely positioned to drive exciting new ways to engage consumers through digital entertainment and transactions." According to the companies, each company will own roughly one-half of each joint venture. Digimarc is expected to account for the operations of the joint ventures under the equity method of accounting and will report its portion of the net results of the entities based on its ownership share. It is expected that both Nielsen and Digimarc will provide shared general overhead services to the joint ventures.

FCC Continues DTV Outreach.
Thursday, June 18, 2009

The Federal Communications Commission’s consumer help line for the digital television (DTV) transition has received over 900,000 calls since last Monday regarding the switch by full-power television stations to all-digital broadcasts on June 12. By Sunday, however, call volumes had declined. Calls to 1-888-CALL-FCC seeking assistance peaked Friday with 317,450 calls, followed by 145,403 calls on Saturday and 62,949 calls on Sunday. The FCC’s call center also transferred over 235,000 calls requesting information about the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s converter box coupon program to that agency’s call center. Consumers in some markets appeared to have difficulty when digital converter boxes that had been programmed, or "scanned," with channel locations before the June 12 transition and did not properly update channel locations after the transition, despite being re-scanned. The Commission recommends consumers try these two tips for better reception: "double rescanning", and double-checking and relocating their antennas. Scanning searches for and remembers the available digital broadcast channels. However, in some cases where stations moved their digital frequencies on June 12, simple scanning may not be enough. While earlier scans may have saved channel information that is now incorrect, "double re-scanning" can clear the digital tuner's memory of saved channels. The Commission also notes that the location of an indoor antenna is key, and one of the most popular spots for indoor antennas - on top of the TV - may not be the best. Consumers having trouble with digital TV reception should try moving their antennas as high as possible, near a window and away from other electronic equipment, including computers, VCRs, DVD players, converter boxes, and the television itself. Consumers may need to run the scan function again on their converter boxes after moving the antenna. "The FCC is in the midst - not the end - of the DTV transition," said FCC Acting Chairman Michael Copps. "Our call center remains open, our teams are in the field, and our web site, www.dtv.gov, is updated to reflect the kinds of problems viewers are having. This was never going to be an easy transition, as I have said many times," Copps added. "It appears to have worked well for the majority of over-the-air viewers, but for those who are experiencing a less-satisfactory outcome, we are committed to staying on the job to help."

Sony Announces Mercury-Free Alkaline Battery.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009

The Sony Corporation of Japan has announced the development of a mercury-free alkaline button battery. Traditionally, Alkaline button batteries use Zinc for their anode, manganese dioxide as the cathode, and an alkaline electrolyte. Zinc, which is the activator in the anode, corrodes when dissolved in alkaline solution. When this happens, it becomes difficult to maintain the capacity of the unused battery. Zinc also causes electrolysis in the electrolyte, generating Hydrogen gas which causes increased inner pressure and expansion of the cell. For this reason, mercury, which is effective in suppressing Zinc corrosion, has traditionally been added to the batteries. Through the adoption of high quality Zinc alloy powder with improved resistance to corrosion along with an anti-corrosion anode materials and the adoption of anti-corrosion technology in the collector materials, Sony has succeeded in developing a substance that absorbs Hydrogen gas within the battery into the activator in the cathode. By combining this approach with existing technology that prevents Hydrogen gas occurrence on the anode (which Sony originally adopted in its mercury-free silver oxide (SR) button batteries), the company has succeeded in eliminating the use of mercury in their Alkaline batteries. According to Sony, the development of a new mercury-free alkaline button battery, in addition to Sony's existing silver oxide button batteries, will result in a reduction of approximately 470kg and approximately 68 bottles (500ml per bottle) of mercury per year. Mercury, when not properly disposed of can infiltrate the food chain, and has been identified as a material that has the potential to cause serious damage to the human body and environment. While no release date has been announced, the company plans to begin commercialization of six new models of the environmentally conscious batteries starting in Japan and said it plans to continue its advancement of environmentally conscious technologies in order to minimize the impact to the environment.

Markertek Welcomes to the Family this Week:

TheStream.TV
Volunteers Of America
General Mobility Systems
Barrington Stage Company
Smithsonian NASM
Hampshire College
Department Of The Navy
Boston Sound & Light
Hope College
Webster University
Calvary Temple
Jazz At Lincoln Center
Philadelphia Eagles
KTVK Belo
College Of Eastern Utah

Salary.com - Internet Business Technology Leader Gets the Job Done with Markertek !
Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Waltham, Mass. - Markertek is the media industry’s supply base for all Internet technology developers. We recently assisted Salary.com with ART processing equipment at their Needham, MA location. Salary.com is the technology leader in providing employee compensation data, software, and services to enterprises, small businesses, and individuals. Offering proprietary software assists companies to manage their compensation expenditures with real-time, decision-ready data and analytical tools. The Salary.com web site is one of the most widely recognized destinations for those seeking reliable information about employee pay levels and compensation-related best practices, trends, and policies. This forward motion is valuable for both employers and employees to regulate and average with data demographics and geographic algorithms.  This is especially useful in the new technology age where the landscape is rapidly changing to fit workers into areas where employment is central to manufacturing and processing. Markertek salutes Internet technology companies that can modify the business world footprint with ever changing salary and financial benefits.

Full-Power TV Broadcasters Go All-Digital.
Monday, June 15, 2009

The nation’s historic switch to digital television by 971 full-power stations Friday, June 12 prompted hundreds of thousands of consumers to call for assistance but according to the FCC, caused no widespread disruptions of free, over-the-air television broadcasts. 317,450 consumers called the FCC’s toll-free help line, for a total of almost 700,000 from June 8 through 12. The largest volume of calls per TV household among markets registering 1,000 or more calls came from the Chicago media market, followed by the Dallas-Ft. Worth, New York, Philadelphia, and Baltimore markets. Of the calls received, nearly 30% concerned the operation of digital converter boxes. Most of those calls were resolved when consumers were instructed to “re-scan” their converter boxes in order to receive the digital channels that had moved to new frequencies while over 20% of the calls handled dealt with reception issues. FCC field staff also worked closely with local broadcasters, cable operators and satellite providers to identify and address issues that arose, and to serve as a liaison with FCC headquarters in Washington. The FCC’s Media Bureau monitored technical problems reported by broadcasters and granted requests to adjust power and other needed accommodations while fixes were made. Problems included the failure of a shared transmitter in one market that affected four channels, however the stations were back up and on the air within hours. The bureau also worked with the cable and satellite industries to monitor and resolve any problems. Reports included various stations that had initial problems moving digital channels, and instances of satellite providers momentarily losing broadcast station feeds. "I am pleased with the way our FCC team responded to the technical challenges that arose throughout the course of the day," said Acting FCC Chairman Michael Copps. "But our job is far from over. This transition is not a one-day affair. We have known about re-scanning and reception issues for some time and have been doing our best to get the word out. We will continue to work with every consumer who needs assistance in making this important and necessary transition." While unprepared consumers lost television service when analog signals were turned off, in many markets their TVs still provided helpful information. Analog "nightlight" service informing viewers that analog signals have been terminated and providing them with the FCC’s 1-888-CALL-FCC number and other transition information was provided by 121 stations in 87 markets, including 45 of the 49 markets designated by the government as “hot spot” markets needing special attention in the transition. These analog nightlight stations will also continue to broadcast urgent news and emergency information until the end of July 2009.

Today is D-(TV) Day.
Friday, June 12, 2009

Today, midnight June 12, 2009 is the day remaining full power TV stations in the US will turn off analog broadcasts and switch to all digital tranmission. The digital TV (DTV) transition began over two decades ago as engineers set an ambitious technological goal: moving broadcast television into the digital age. Efficient digital technology would provide consumers with a better picture and sound and more channels, while at the same time clearing valuable airwaves to meet the explosive demand for advanced wireless services, including first-responder radio. The transition also had a policy goal: to make the switch with as little disruption to the public as possible. This has been the job of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Commerce Department’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), to make sure as few people as possible lose access to the valuable news, information and entertainment programming they count on. According to the agencies, just as the transition is an unprecedented engineering feat, it also involves an unprecedented community outreach effort by the agencies to households most affected by the transition. Those households include low-income families, senior citizens, minority and non-English speaking households and people with disabilities. "The nation’s DTV transition is a tremendous undertaking," said NTIA Acting Administrator Anna M. Gomez. "The overwhelming majority of Americans are prepared, but despite our best efforts, some will lose television service. Consumers should know that even after June 12, they can still apply for coupons to help them purchase TV converter boxes." FCC Acting Chairman Michael J. Copps added "In any change this big, there are going to be disruptions, we are trying our best to provide people, especially those who are most at-risk, with the help they need to make the switch as smoothly as possible. And we’re going to keep offering it after June 12, so people should call us at 1-888-CALL-FCC." Continued availability of TV converter box coupons for consumers who apply up until July 31, while supplies last, at www.dtv2009.gov, 1-888-DTV-2009, and also by fax and mail. The Nielsen Company reported that 2.8 million American households, or 2.5% of the television market, are completely unready for the transition. Younger, African American and Hispanic homes are disproportionately unready, while the elderly are the most ready. The original transition date was to be on February 17 of this year, but was delayed due to problems with the converter box voucher program and to allow more time for public awareness and education.

Oki Develops World's Smallest Video Decoder.
Thursday, June 11, 2009

Silicon Valley based integrated circuit maker, Oki Semiconductor has introduced what it claims is the world's smallest video decoder and lowest-power consumption LSI to support three TV signal formats (NTSC, PAL, and SECAM). According to the company, the compact dimension of the ML86V76651 LSI is achieved by using a single 1.8V power supply and an ultra-compact 3.8 x 3.7mm W-CSP, which is 60% smaller than conventional mold packages. With its small size and guaranteed operating range of -40 to 185F, which is well beyond the requirements for typical household applications, the new chip is ideally suited for use in security camera systems and vehicle-mounted camera systems. To meet various design requirements, the ML86V76651 is available in the widely used 36-lead WQFN and 48-lead TQFP packages, as well as the ultra-compact 36-lead W-CSP. Sample shipments are available now, and a full-scale product launch is scheduled for September 2009.

Karpowicz Named New NAB TV Board Chair.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009

During a board meeting of the National Association of Broadcasters this week, Meredith Corporation President Paul Karpowicz was named NAB Television Board Chairman. Prior to his position with Meredith, Karpowicz spent 16 years with LIN Television Corporation and in 1994 was named Vice President-Television for LIN's 23 properties in 14 markets. Karpowicz also served on LIN's Board of Directors from 1999 to 2005. Additionally, ICBC Broadcasting Holdings President/COO Charles Warfield was named Radio Board Chair. Commonwealth Broadcasting President/CEO Steve Newberry is the new Joint Board Chairman of the Association. NAB Chief Operating and Financial Officer Janet McGregor has been officially designated acting president and CEO of the NAB. The Association is in the process of finding a new president, with outgoing board member Bruce Reese chairing the search committee. McGregor briefed the Board on the NAB's priorities at the meeting, including its efforts related to the performance tax and the Satellite Home Viewer Extension and Reauthorization Act (SHVERA). New NAB board members include Jerry Hanszen, Dave Hoxeng, Julie Koehn, Monte Loos, Mike Novak, David Field, Lew Dickey, Dana Withers, Brian Brady, Marci Burdick, Brian Lawlor, John Lawson and Dunia Shive

Motion Picture Association 'Sniffs' Out Pirated Movies.
Tuesday, June 09, 2009

The Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs (MDTCA) in the Malaysian state of Johore and the Malaysian Federation Against Copyright Theft (MFACT) report officers recently conducted a successful operation to shut down the supply lines of pirated movie DVDs slated for export to Singapore. Led by the MDTCA's K9 unit's Irish Labrador - Paddy, six warehouses in Johor Bahru, initially suspected to be burner labs were raided on May 30. While no burners were recovered, the warehouses turned out to be used to store pirated DVDs of games and movies slated for dispatch to Singapore, a short ride away across the Causeway linking the two countries. Paddy's sensitive nose uncovered a total of 19,000 copies of games, software and movies. On the following day, 15 enforcement officers together with the K9 unit raided another two targets. One was a large warehouse of pirated movie DVDs and seized over 6,000 discs. Recent titles such as "Terminator Salvation", "Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian", "Angels & Demons" and "Star Trek" as well as the latest Malay movie titles were among the 10,000 titles seized. According to the MPA, no arrests were made but a rowdy crowd of around 40 gathered outside the area and booed the raiding party. A dog was brought in to mock Paddy. Fearing for their safety, MDTCA called in the police who sent heavily armed officers to help defuse the situation. "The Government and MDTCA is taking the appropriate steps to address the proliferation of these warehouses and replicating operations of pirated optical discs. We are happy with the results and will be focusing more efforts especially on curbing the source of these pirates. Paddy and the K9 Unit's involvement in this raid was crucial in identifying the DVDs, which we later confirmed as pirated copies. We expect similar actions. This is a clear signal to the pirates that we will not waiver in our efforts to shut them down" said Mohd. Roslan bin Mahayudin Director-General, Enforcement Department of the MDTCA. Paddy, the Labrador trained to detect optical discs was donated by the MPA to the Malaysian Government last year when they established the first K9 unit in the world focused on detecting pirated optical discs.

Keith Urban - Top Country Music Star Show Stays on the Road with Markertek !
Monday, June 08, 2009

Charleston, SC - Markertek is the premier sound and stage technology supply link for the
live concert production industry. We recently rushed a supply order of connectivity products to a Keith Urban concert stop in Charleston, South Carolina. A popular country music performer, Keith Urban is a New Zealand born singer, songwriter and guitarist who came to Nashville in 1992 and has since achieved global success. The platinum selling artists has released a total of eight studio albums and has charted more than fifteen singles on the U.S. country charts, including ten Number Ones. In 2006, Urban made history when his new single "Once in a Lifetime" debuted at #17, setting a new record for the highest-debuting country single in the 62-year history of Billboard's country charts. The record was formerly held by Garth Brooks' "Good Ride Cowboy" and Eddie Rabbitt's "Every Which Way But Loose", both of which debuted at #18. Urban's 2009 concert tour is one of country music's most anticipated - packing houses nationwide. Markertek is proud to be the integral technology link that connects the music and entertainment industry to a huge audience of loyal fans throughout the USA and across the globe.

Super W I D E Display from NEC.
Friday, June 05, 2009

LCD display and projector manufacturer, NEC Display Solutions of America has unveiled its new ultra-wide screen specialty desktop display. With a 2880 x 900 double WXGA native resolution and a 32:10 aspect ratio, the 43" (42.8" VIS) NEC CRV43 curved display is a wide screen display that curves around the user. According to the company, the seamless curved screen, which eliminates bezel and screen gap issues while providing a much wider field of view and greater dynamic range, increases user productivity while decreasing frustration. It sports 200 cd/m² brightness, a speedy 0.02ms response time, 10,000:1 contrast ratio and a wide color gamut with 100% coverage of sRGB and 99.3% coverage of Adobe RGB. Inputs include single link DVI-D and HDMI 1.3 input connectors and USB 2.0 connectivity for peripherals. "The NEC CRV43 curved display provides an excitingly immersive viewing experience for any type of user," said Keith Yanke, Director of Product Marketing for NEC Display Solutions. "Its lightning-fast response time coupled with its seamless curved screen provides enhanced comfort, decreased frustration and increased productivity. The monitor eliminates the bezel and screen gap issues that have complicated users' work environment for years." While NEC claims the display is designed for use in applications such as professional graphics, higher education, government, financial, command & control and even home office applications, you better dig deep. This display comes with a price tag of $7999.00. If you're still interested, the NEC CRV43 curved display can be seen at InfoComm 09 (Peerless Booth No. 5441) on June 17-19 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida.

New Radio Chip Mimics Human Ear.
Thursday, June 04, 2009

Engineers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have built a fast, ultra-broadband, low-power radio chip, modeled on the human inner ear, that could enable wireless devices capable of receiving cell phone, Internet, radio and television signals. The chip, which is faster than any human-designed radio-frequency spectrum analyzer and also operates at much lower power, was designed by Rahul Sarpeshkar, associate professor of electrical engineering and computer science, and his graduate student, Soumyajit Mandal to mimic the inner ear, or cochlea. "The cochlea quickly gets the big picture of what's going on in the sound spectrum," said Sarpeshkar. "The more I started to look at the ear, the more I realized it's like a super radio with 3,500 parallel channels." Dubbed the ' RF cochlea', the chip mimics the structure and function of the biological cochlea, which uses fluid mechanics, piezoelectrics and neural signal processing to convert sound waves into electrical signals that are sent to the brain. While the cochlea can perceive a 100-fold range of frequencies - in humans, from 100 to 10,000 Hz, the same design principles in the RF cochlea device can perceive signals at million-fold higher frequencies, which includes radio signals for most commercial wireless applications. Embedded on a silicon chip measuring 1.5 mm by 3 mm, it is faster than any other RF spectrum analyzer, detecting the composition of any electromagnetic waves within its perception range and consumes about 100 times less power than what would be required for direct digitization of the entire bandwidth. The device demonstrates what can happen when researchers take inspiration from fields outside their own, says Sarpeshkar. "Somebody who works in radio would never think of this, and somebody who works in hearing would never think of it, but when you put the two together, each one provides insight into the other," he says. For example, in addition to its use for radio applications, the work provides an analysis of why cochlear spectrum analysis is faster than any known spectrum-analysis algorithm. Thus, it sheds light on the mechanism of hearing as well. Sarpeshkar and his students have filed for a patent to incorporate the RF cochlea in a universal or software radio architecture that is designed to efficiently process a broad spectrum of signals including cellular phone, wireless Internet, FM, and other signals. The team describes their new chip in detail in a paper to be published in the June/July issue of the IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits.

YouTube Goes XL.
Wednesday, June 03, 2009

Video sharing giant, YouTube has announced a new service that brings YouTube content to the living room. Just as there's a YouTube browser for mobile devices, this past January YouTube introduced a beta video website especially for people who wanted to access YouTube videos in their living room through their Sony PS3 and Nintendo Wii game consoles. Now out of beta, the company has officially released YouTube XL. The new service, which features large text and simplified navigation, is optimized for watching YouTube videos on a large screen. Accessible through any web browser (making it especially attractive to users of Media Center PCs), it allows anyone with an internet connection - not just those with a game console - to watch YouTube content on a television. While XL does not currently support HD or HQ viewing, it does however allow control via Bluetooth remotes or some cellphones, like Android devices running Gmote. It also features standard YouTube controls such as flagging, favorites, sharing, channel / video info, advanced search and related video suggestions. In addition to XL, YouTube content is also currently available on the Wii and PS3 gaming systems as well as Apple TV, TiVo, and select models of Panasonic, Sony and Samsung televisions.

Markertek Welcomes to the Family this Week:

Chevron
SAA Capitol Facilities
Brigham Young University
Aviation Systems
Nortel
Cleanskies Television Network
Publix Supermarkets
John Henson
Broadcast Engineering LLC
Sandia National Labs
HSCUSA
Ohio Historical Society
CBS Films
Dakota Valley Education
Texas Tech University

Ten Days and Counting for DTV Transition.
Tuesday, June 02, 2009

With 10 days remaining before the transition to digital television on June 12, the Federal Communications Commission is making a dash to the finish. According to the Commission, it is providing boots on the ground, messages
over the airwaves, help over the phone, and answers in cyberspace for consumers who still need help preparing for the switch. The level of preparedness has steadily increased since Congress delayed the digital television (DTV) transition in February. The gap of unready households across America has narrowed by over 50 percent in the past six months based on Nielsen data - in January, 5.7 percent of U.S. households were estimated to be unready for the DTV transition, and that number has now dropped to 2.7 percent. However, that 2.7 percent represents about 3.1 million homes nationwide that risk losing free over-the-air television unless they act before June 12. Over the next 10 days, the FCC will be issuing a drumbeat of daily messages designed to highlight the most important issues concerning the impending nationwide transition. In addition to this media information campaign, approximately 250 FCC staffers will be working with the public at events and DTV clinics nationwide, while the Commissioners will be traveling the country for local DTV events and making television and radio appearances in target markets. One of the more notable programs undertaken by the FCC is its provision of in-home assistance for over 200,000 homes through independent contractors, with additional in-home assistance being provided by AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps members and firefighters in cooperation with the International Association of Fire Chiefs. All of these in home installation services are at no charge to the consumer. "There is no doubt we’ve made significant progress in reducing the number of consumers unprepared for the transition, but our work is far from over," said FCC Chairman Michael Copps. "For many people, free, over-the-air television is their primary source of news, information and emergency alerts - not to mention entertainment. We will continue to do all that we can to find and assist these consumers in the final days before June 12."

The Magic Castle - Legendary Hollywood Landmark Tricks into Effect with Markertek.
Monday, June 01, 2009

Hollywood, CA. - Markertek is the technology innovation super source for the entertainment and attraction industry. We just supplied the legendary Magic Castle with Lightronics equipment at its landmark Hollywood location in Los Angeles, California. The Magic Castle began its life as a private home built in 1909 by banker and real estate magnate Rollin B. Lane. Mr. Lane owned much of what is now Hollywood, dreaming of turning his land into orange groves, farms and ranches. But a severe drought brought an end to his dreams and orange blossoms never filled the valley. After the Lane family moved away in the 1940s, the mansion was divided into a multi-family home, then became a home for the elderly, and was finally transformed into a maze of small apartments. By 1960, the fate of the Mansion was uncertain. Then, in 1961, NBC TV show "Truth or Consequences" writer Milt Larsen purchased the property to create an elegant private club for magicians. Two years later, the Castle opened its doors at 5 p.m. on January 2, 1963. Today the Magic Castle is one of the world's most famous clubs for magicians and audiences. Hosting nightly performances by some of the finest magicians, the Castle is also the private clubhouse for the Academy of Magical Arts (AMA). Founded in 1952, the organization is a non-profit social order devoted to the advancement of the art of magic and its history. Markertek is honored of its affiliation with one of the world's most famous houses of magic, and is proud in helping to dazzle audiences and making light of the world one trick at a time.

Performance Tax Opposition Continues to Grow.
Friday, May 29, 2009

A bipartisan group of 200 House lawmakers are now on record in opposition to a record label-led campaign to begin charging local radio stations a new fee for music aired free to listeners. The growing chorus of opposition comes less than a week after the House Judiciary Committee voted 21-9 in favor of a bill that would levy a new tax on radio stations for music airplay. If enacted, the legislation would direct 50 percent of the new fee to the record label companies, three out of four of which reside outside the United States. According to the National Association of Broadcasters, radio compensates composers and songwriters approximately $550 million annually, however in recent years, the record labels have seen sales of albums decline as more listeners opt for digital downloads. While radio remains the number one promotional vehicle for music – it’s not responsible for the label’s resistance to the digital age, and it shouldn’t be on the hook to fix it. Radio already provides between $1.5 to $2.4 billion dollars annually in music sales for artists and record labels. By pushing a tax on local radio, record labels are biting the hand that feeds them. Those in opposition to the proposed tax argue that a tax could reduce the variety of music radio stations play, and all but eliminate the possibility of new artists breaking onto the scene while also reducing stations’ critical public and community service efforts and possibly jeopardized the lively hood of the 106,000 Americans employed by local radio. Adding support to The Local Radio Freedom Act, a Congressional counter-measure aimed at thwarting the label-sought fees, are Reps. Steve Driehaus (OH-1), Wally Herger (CA-2), Jerry Lewis (CA-41), and Albio Sires (NJ-13). The resolution, which opposes "any new performance fee, tax, royalty, or other charge" on local radio stations, now has 200 House co-sponsors. "Lawmakers are growing increasingly skeptical over record label claims that this legislation is about 'helping artists'," said NAB Executive Vice President Dennis Wharton. "And given the historic abuse of artists by the labels, who can blame them? The sad truth is that a performance tax will cripple an artist's number one promotional vehicle -- free radio airplay, and it will transfer hundreds of millions of dollars from America's hometown radio stations into the coffers of foreign-owned record labels." The Local Radio Freedom Act, unveiled at a February Capitol Hill event hosted by the Free Radio Alliance, was introduced by Reps. Gene Green (TX-29) and Mike Conaway (TX-11). In March, an identical resolution was introduced in the Senate (S. Con. Res. 14) by Sens. Blanche Lincoln (AR) and John Barrasso (WY). For more information, or to find out how you can get involved visit www.noperformancetax.org/

Sharp Develops Industry’s Thinnest Solar Module.
Thursday, May 28, 2009

The Sharp Corporation has announced it has developed a new solar module for mobile devices that features a thickness of just 0.8 mm, the industry’s thinnest level. According to the company, this newly developed solar module achieves its thinness of just 0.8 mm by making effective use of compact semiconductor packaging technology. The solar cells that make up the module are based on polycrystalline silicon and deliver a maximum power of 300 mW (4.5V / 67mA), making it well suited as an auxiliary power source for mobile devices, which can help contribute to saving energy. In addition, the electrode pattern on the cell surface can be formed to meet the requirements of device manufacturers, leading to increased design flexibility for mobile devices. Sharp said photovoltaic power generation is drawing attention worldwide as environmentally friendly clean energy, and is expected to see widespread use not only for residential use, but also to power mobile devices. The company will introduce the new, LR0GC02 Solar Module into the global market immediately, with samples available now and mass production to start mid-July 2009.

Consumers Respond to DTV Soft Test.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009

According to the Federal Communications Commission, last week's coordinated nationwide “soft test” designed to encourage
consumers to take immediate action to prepare for the June 12 digital television (DTV) transition prompted a single-day record of 55,000 calls to the FCC’s national help line. Prior to the soft test, on average the Commission’s help line had received approximately 15,000 calls per day since May 1. More than 125 of the nation’s broadcast markets participated in the soft test, including at least one station in each of the top 30 broadcast markets. During the test, affected viewers were directed to call the FCC’s national toll-free help line, 1-888-CALL-FCC, if they needed assistance in preparing for the impending termination of analog service. Of the 55,000 calls, the most common issues raised by consumers who spoke with an agent included information about the government's program providing $40 coupons for the purchase of DTV converter boxes (51%); concern about reception issues in their area (15%); and needing instructions to install a digital converter box (10%). The Chicago media market generated the highest volume of calls with 1,310 followed by the New York media market with 1,277 calls and the Dallas-Ft. Worth media market with 764 calls. "This soft test did exactly what it was supposed to do," said Acting FCC Chairman Michael Copps. "It was a wake-up call for consumers who are unprepared, alerting them to the fact that they need to take the necessary steps before the June 12 DTV transition." A complete FCC list of the markets posting the highest number of calls to the help line can be found here.

Markertek Welcomes to the Family this Week:

Midway Games  - R&D
Cleanskies Television  
Blind Pig Records
American News Atlanta
Smith Brothers
MW Sports Network LLC
FCA-TV
DIRECTV HD Sports
KOAT-TV
Mountain Jam 2009
Suny Albany
Field & Stream Media
Abundant Living
RF Central
Hasbro Inc.

The Dr. Phil Show - Top Rated Syndicated HD Show Gets its Set Together with Markertek !
Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Los Angeles, CA. - Markertek is the film and television industries leading production supply source for all set necessities. We just supplied the Dr. Phil Show with numerous Paladin products and HD connectivity solutions at its set in Los Angeles. Dr. Phil is a popular daytime talk show hosted by psychologist Phil McGraw. After McGraw's success with his segments on The Oprah Winfrey Show, Dr. Phil debuted on September 16, 2002. On both shows McGraw offers advice in the form of "life strategies" from his experience as a clinical psychologist. Offering his informed advice and opinions as well as solutions from featured guests, the show covers a wide variety of topics, including personal health, family issues, and financial planning aimed at the demographic of the general American public. The shows popularity continues to grow and has a huge audience of consumers that are offered solutions to common problems as well as insight into the hot topics that are featured. Markertek continues and remains proud to supply the entire daytime television industry with the tools needed to bring hit HD entertainment broadcasting to the masses.

NHK to Exhibit 33-Mpixel Television.
Friday, May 22, 2009

Japan Broadcasting Corp (NHK) has announced that the company will exhibit its "Ultra-high Definition TV" at this year's NHK Science & Technical Research Laboratories open house. Although the company displayed a UHDTV last year, this year's model -with a resolution of 7,680 x 4,320 - will be the first time that the company will showcase a truly 33-Mpixel TV, according to the laboratories. The prototype is composed of four 4K x 2K panels which will demonstrate a live broadcast of the landscape in Sapporo City, Hokkaido in Japan by compressing data into a 100Mbps H.264 video stream with the use of IP transmission and a satellite. This year's open house has the theme of "The Never-ending Evolution of Television, and will introduce research on technologies targeted by NHK's Three-Year Corporate Plan, exhibit its latest Digital Terrestrial Broadcasting technologies, and feature the company's research, e.g., on Super Hi-Vision, aimed at bringing about a new era in broadcasting." The annual open house, which was started in 1995, will this year feature 37 exhibits showing the latest research and development activities at NHK. Also, STRL employees will give lectures and research presentations as well as a "Poster Corner" intended for experts of various fields connected to broadcasting to provide in-depth introductions to NHK's research. The Science & Technical Research Laboratories open house runs May 21 -24 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. (5:00 p.m. on Sunday, May 24), in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan.

Stations to Conduct Final DTV Soft Test Today.
Thursday, May 21, 2009

With only three weeks left until the nationwide digital television (DTV) transition on June 12, many local broadcasters will be participating in coordinated DTV “soft tests” Thursday, May 21. These tests are designed to alert analog viewers who are unprepared for the impending transition that they will lose service once the transition occurs unless they act promptly to get ready. A "soft test" simulates to some extent what unprepared viewers will experience when the DTV transition occurs. Instead of completely cutting off the analog signal, during the soft test broadcasters will interrupt the regular programming of viewers receiving analog signals to warn them the interruption indicates they are not prepared for the transition. Such viewers – other than those connected to a subscription TV service such as cable or satellite (which in some cases still utilize a broadcaster’s analog signal) – must take immediate action to avoid a complete loss
of service on June 12. The length of the interruptions will vary by station but generally will run between 2 and 5 minutes. "The soft test is a wake-up call to consumers telling them that the time to get ready for the DTV transition is now," said Acting FCC Chairman Michael Copps. "We don’t want anyone to be left without the news, information and entertainment they need and enjoy." The FCC has provided a DTV Media Toolkit containing information about the transition, including
local statistics and reception information, answers to frequently asked questions, media contacts and other important resources including details about walk-in centers, events where consumers can get technical help and free in-home installation. Nationwide, Nielsen estimates that about 3.3 million households – 2.9 percent of U.S. households with TVs – remained unready for the transition as of May 10.

Online Video Grows - Total Time Spent Increases.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009

According to a recent report from measurement and analysis company Nielsen Online, a division of The Nielsen Company, video site YouTube continued to rank as the No. 1 video Web brand with 5.5 billion total streams in April. Meanwhile, Hulu continued its latest growth trajectory, increasing 490 percent in total streams year-over-year, from 63.2 million in April 2008 to 373.3 million in April 2009, making it the fastest growing brand among the top 10 brands. Since its inception as a joint-venture between NBC and News Corp, Hulu has experienced meteoric growth in all aspects of video viewing, especially in time spent. Total time spent viewing increased 119 percent between November 2008 and April 2009. As more people frequent Hulu and stream more videos, more time is also spent watching these videos. Time spent viewing per viewer increased 120 percent, from 147 minutes in November 2008 to 325 minutes in April 2009. Helping to drive this impressive growth for Hulu are unique viewers between 35 and 49, who in April represented 30 percent of total Hulu viewers. They also spent more time on the site than any other age group, with an average of 416 minutes spent viewing per viewer during the month, 10 percent more than any other demographic group on Hulu. During the past six months, time spent per viewer for the 35 to 49 demographic group has increased 154 percent. "Despite what many believe, it is not the young, tech-savvy, early-adopters who are attracted to long-form video. In fact, we see that it is the older crowd, viewers 35+, who gravitate toward long-form video, with sites like Hulu acting as a perfect example of this," said on Gibs, vice president, media & analytics, Nielsen Online. "Historically short form, clip-length video has ruled streaming on the Web - as demonstrated by YouTube's top spot month after month. Hulu, along with pure-play providers like Veoh and the TV networks, have spent the past two years trying to convince consumers that the Internet can be a good place to watch full length programming as well. April's strong showings of Hulu, Fox, and ABC suggest that consumers are beginning to listen," added Gibs.

Markertek Welcomes to the Family this Week:

KSCI Inc.
M2TV
Southern California Edison
MW Sports Network LLC
Swiss TV
WSAZ News Channel 13
NIOSH
Calif. Specialized Training Inst.
Motion Post
WDET
Blackheart Records Group
The Art Institute Of Portland
KWEX-TV
Hasbro Inc.

ATAS Foundation Launches Virtual Academy.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009

The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation has launched its Virtual Academy, an information destination website that gives users exclusive access to taped "state of the art" discussions with leading entertainment industry professionals. By utilizing the resources and membership of the Television Academy to develop and sponsor educational and archival programs, The Foundation addresses a variety of issues, such as career guidance and student achievement. According to the Foundation, the programs foster personal skill development, address diversity and document the evolution of television and digital media. Although the site is targeted toward faculty and students, it is accessible to the public. Consisting of three, 5 - 10 minute sessions -- with one more slated to go up soon -- the site is designed to encourage conversation between users. The site allows for video commenting and linking and will continue to grow and build over time to include additional social networking components. "Directing for TV," "Writing for Television" and "Nonfiction & Reality Programming" provide insight and valuable information to visitors interested in the inner workings of the television business. In addition to the videotaped sessions, viewers can learn more about the network programming executives, scheduling chiefs, top writers, producers, directors and technical and creative arts professionals who also participated in the Seminar. "The Foundation's aim is to enlarge the community that can benefit and regularly use the social networking and information resources of the Virtual Academy," says Foundation Executive Director Terri L. Clark. "The site will allow professors, department heads, students and seminar alumni access to these virtual sessions, which in the past were only available to faculty members chosen to take part in the Foundation's Faculty Seminar Academic program here at the Television Academy." A non-profit organization,The Foundation was established in 1959 as the charitable arm of the Television Academy with a primary focus to use the history and artistry of television to preserve the past for posterity, and guide those who will be the future.

Movietickets.com - World Leader for Online Movie Ticketing Opens the Box Office with Markertek !
Monday, May 18, 2009

Boca Raton, FL - Markertek is the instant solution source for all eCommerce and Internet technology companies.  We just supplied Movietickets.com with data management devices at their headquarters in Boca Raton, Florida. Formed in 2000, MovieTickets.com, is the world leader in the online movie ticketing business, that offers moviegoers a more convenient way to buy movie tickets in advance, online, by phone and through Internet enabled mobile devices. MovieTickets.com users can buy and print tickets, access local show time and theater information, view trailers, read reviews, listen to podcasts and much more. Its elite collection of partner theaters consistently represents over 60% of the top 100 grossing theaters in North America on any given weekend. This forward motion marketing is becoming increasingly more popular with younger consumers who will never know what it is to stand in a line at a theater in hopes of scoring a ticket to a blockbuster movie. Markertek salutes the instant online delivery and on demand gratification of media that continues to move at the speed of entertainment.

New Study Shows Chips Can Substantially Reduce Electricity Consumption.
Friday, May 15, 2009

Aggressive adoption of new technologies for the production, distribution and use of electricity could lower total U.S. energy consumption by 2030, according to a study released today by the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE). The study, which was commissioned by the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA), reported that adoption of semiconductor-enabled technologies could lower electricity demand by 1.2 trillion kilowatt hours in 2030, a consumption level that is 22% less then the Department of Energy's base case and 11% less than today, even though the economy is about 70 percent larger. Without such technologies, the U.S. would need an additional 296 large electric power plants, and consumers and businesses would need to spend an additional $126 billion. SIA has proposed a number of public policies to accelerate adoption of technologies that would achieve the energy savings identified in the ACEEE report. These recommendations include tax incentives for adoption of energy-efficient products and components, federal support for research and development, and new energy-efficiency standards. "Technology currently available and under development has the potential to revolutionize America's energy picture on a scale comparable to the way the Internet is revolutionizing commerce," said Brian Halla, chairman and chief executive officer of National Semiconductor and member of the SIA board of directors. "Chip-enabled technologies will soon deliver solutions to the complex problems involved in harnessing solar and wind power and integrating electricity from these sources into the nation's distribution grid. New technologies can also achieve dramatic efficiencies in the use of energy in homes, factories, commercial buildings, and all modes of transportation. With smart policies and aggressive adoption of new technologies, the grim scenarios of living in an energy-starved world will not come to pass," Halla concluded. View the complete ACEEE report and a one-page summary of SIA policy recommendations.

Number of DTV-Unready Households Shrinks.
Thursday, May 14, 2009

With just 28 days until the official transition to digital television, the number of household not prepared for the switch continues to decline. According to the latest report from Nielsen, less than 3% of U.S. household are now not prepared for the upcoming digital transition. As of May 10, 3.3 million or 2.9% of households are completely unprepared, down from 3.5 million unready households in Nielsen’s last update less than two weeks ago. Among minority groups - which have had the highest numbers of unprepared households - Asian households made the greatest improvement, dropping from 4.1% completely unready households to 3.4%. African Americans, Hispanics and those under age 35 also made slight improvements. Nielsen saw the percentage of unready African American and Hispanic households decline from 5.9% to 5.7% and 5.0% to 4.9%, respectively. Unready households headed by those under the age of 35 decreased from 5.7% to 5.4%. In Nielsen’s 56 metered markets Albuquerque-Santa Fe, remains the most unready with 8.47% of households completely unprepared for the transition. Texas markets Dallas-Fort Worth and Austin take the No. 2 and 3 spots with 6.67% and 5.31%, respectively. Providence, R.I.-New Bedford, Mass. represents the least unready market, with 0% households completely unready. June 12, 2009 is the DTV transition date.

Pioneer Announces Medium-Term Management Plan.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009

With a fiscal year which ended March 31, 2009, Pioneer Corporation has announced the company's board of directors has passed a resolution on a medium-term management plan. The plan, which aims to streamline the business framework of the entire Pioneer Group, and improve the company’s financial position, includes the following measures. In the its home electronics business, Pioneer will completely withdraw from the display business after ending plasma TV sales during fiscal 2010 (March 31, 2010). Pioneer plans to concentrate on home audio/video (AV) products, DJ equipment and cable TV set-top boxes. Accordingly, the company is currently closing production facilities and reviewing organizations and personnel levels at related divisions. This is part of a greater effort to consolidate the current network of 30 production companies around the world by closing nine companies and downsizing the operations of six companies. This will result in a group-wide reduction of personnel by around 5,800 regular employees and 4,000 temporary and contract employees, while the number of directors/executive officers will be reduced from 25 to 19 after the annual general meeting of shareholders to be held in June 2009. The company has also partnered with Mitsubishi Electric Corporation to jointly develop hardware and software for use in car navigation systems and car AV products. Given that it is projecting business restructuring expenses of ¥47($4.8) billion in fiscal 2010, the company believes it must generate cash and boost equity capital. In this regard, Pioneer has raised $250 million through a third-party allotment of shares to Honda Motor Co., Ltd., in an effort to develop new car-electronics products finance. The company is also preparing to apply for a government cash injection under newly approved measures in Japan's economic-stimulus program as well as bank loans. According to Pioneer, through the outlined measures the company expects to return to profitable operation by fiscal year 2011.

Markertek Welcomes to the Family this Week:

Brown University
Geoaviation LLC
Edwards Air Force Base
WOWT-TV
CSU Los Angeles Library
Sonoma University
Garrad Hassan America
Panasonic Automotive
DePaul University
KXLF TV
Red Line Films
WTVC-TV
KLBK-TV
Washington Workplace
City Of Kent
 

Burn Notice - Hit USA Network Show Takes it to the Limit with Markertek !
Monday, May 04, 2009

Miami Florida - Markertek is the field technology supply source for all television and film productions. We just recently shipped MuxLab transmission extension products to the set of the USA Network show, Burn Notice. Currently filming in Miami, Florida, Burn Notice is a television comedy-drama series starring Jeffrey Donovan, Gabrielle Anwar, Bruce Campbell, and Sharon Gless. The series is a first-person narrative from the viewpoint of a covert-operations agent. The title refers to the burn notices issued by intelligence agencies to discredit or announce the dismissal of agents or sources who are considered to have become unreliable. When a spy is burned, they are wiped off the "grid" - permanently. The show's tag line is, "Spies don't get fired, they get burned". Markertek is honored to work with Burn Notice and all of the many television productions that are currently filming new episodes for the upcoming season.

U.S. Identifies Canada as Piracy Priority.
Friday, May 01, 2009

The office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) has placed Canada on the U.S. "Priority Watch List" for failure to maintain effective intellectual property protection and enforcement. As part of its annual "Special 301" Report on the adequacy and effectiveness of intellectual property rights (IPR) protection by U.S. trading partners, Canada is being elevated to the Priority Watch List for the first time, reflecting increasing concern about the continuing need for copyright reform, as well as continuing concern about weak border enforcement. The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) of the U.S. applauded the USTR's action and called on Canada to remedy the legal and enforcement deficiencies in its intellectual property regime, specifically citing the outlawing of game circumvention devices, such as "mod chips" and "game copiers," in line with Canada's international treaty obligations; providing customs officials with adequate authority to make ex officio seizures of counterfeit and pirate product at the border; as well as creating adequate legal incentives for Internet service providers (ISPs) to work with copyright owners in combating online piracy. "Today's Special 301 Report guides our efforts to protect American innovation and creativity around the world," said Ambassador Ron Kirk. "Our creative and innovative products can hit the global marketplace sometimes with just a keystroke. If we and our trading partners are not vigilant in protecting and enforcing intellectual property rights, they can vanish just as quickly." Canada joins Algeria and Indonesia on the new Priority Watch List along with nine other countries including China and Russia.

Hasbro and Discovery Communications Announce Joint Venture.
Thursday, April 30, 2009

Toy and game maker, Hasbro, Inc. and Discovery Communications have announced an agreement to form a 50/50 joint venture, including a television network and website, dedicated to children's and family entertainment and educational programming. Built around Hasbro's most well-known brands as well as Discovery's library of award-winning children's educational programming, both the yet to-be-named network and online component will feature content from Hasbro's Immense portfolio of entertainment and educational properties built over the past 90 years, including original programming for animation, game shows, and live-action series and specials. Titles from Hasbro include Romper Room, Trivial Pursuit, Game of Life, and Tonka while titles such as Bindi the Jungle Girl, Endurance, Flight 29 Down and Peep and the Big Wide World will be provided by Discovery. The network will also include programming from third-party producers. The network which will continue to operate as Discovery Kids until the debut of the channel, will be retained by Discovery Communications for its international networks and its licensing and merchandising business. According to the companies, programming on the network will be designed to entertain and educate, while echoing Discovery's long-standing commitment to life-long learning with the goal of making its networks more valuable to affiliates and more compelling for viewers. This commitment includes a number of daily hours voluntarily devoted to educational/informative content. "We look forward to creating fun, stimulating and educational content that will allow us to deliver all-new brand experiences to the young and 'young at heart' - anywhere and anytime they want." said Brian Goldner, Hasbro's President and CEO. The joint venture's rebranded network is expected to debut in late 2010 reaching approximately 60 million Nielsen households in the U.S. with programming geared to boys and girls 14 years of age and under.

802.11n to Dominate Wireless HD.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Market research and intelligence firm, In-Stat has released a new report which predicts 802.11n Wi-Fi technology will dominate the growing wireless HD video market, at least for the next several years. Three other wireless technologies are competing in this space - Wireless Home Digital Interface (WHDI), WirelessHD, and Ultrawideband (UWB). However, the ubiquity of Wi-Fi technology is proving unstoppable. One of the contenders, UWB, is not expected be a major factor in the consumer electronics market. According to the report, many chip companies have already left and will continue leaving the market in 2009. And while WHDI and WirelessHD are being promoted by startups, they are new, expensive, and power-hungry, which is generally not a recipe for quick market success. In-Stat predicts WHDI and WirelessHD will see a slow start, with fewer than eight million devices with those technologies shipped in 2013. "802.11n is the next generation of the immensely popular Wi-Fi family. It promises data rates above 100Mbps and is backwards compatible," says Brian O'Rourke, In-Stat analyst. "The installed base of Wi-Fi is immense, and effectively includes all mobile PCs, many mobile phones and a wide variety of CE devices. The primary drawback to 802.11n is expense, since it requires codec technology on both ends to transmit HD video. Neither of its primary competitors, WHDI and WirelessHD, requires codecs." It is estimated that nearly 24 million digital TVs will ship with some type of Wireless HD video technology in 2013.

Markertek Welcomes to the Family this Week:

Phoenix Coyotes Hockey
USFS Tahoe NF
Starwood Hotels
The Commonwealth Club
Footageworks
HQ USAFA/DFEC
WSLR
1st Mariner Arena
WXTV - Univision 41
CNBC Television Network
Guerilla Films
Xtreme Entertainment
Carnegie Hall
Lee University
KNTU

Microsoft - Epicenter of the Computer Universe Logs On to Markertek !
Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Issaquah, WA. - Markertek is the technology innovation super source for the IT and computer industries.  We just supplied hardware and software giant, Microsoft with equipment from Gefen at its Sammamish campus in Issaquah, WA. Microsoft is currently the largest of all computer technology manufacturers and continues to be the base for PC platforms and operating systems that generates data function across the globe. Founded in 1975 by Bill Gates and Paul Allen, Microsoft has established itself as one of the largest and most recognized brands on earth. Currently, Microsoft sits as the epicenter of the computer technology universe and is grossing over $60 billion dollars in revenue per year. Employing close to 90,000 people in locations worldwide, this forward motion technology company enables everything from technical industrial manufacturing to children’s game systems and peripherals in an overwhelming vast product line. Markertek is proud of its affiliation with one of the world’s largest technology innovators by supplying the connectivity solutions that are needed to keep the planet’s data flowing.

Japan Takes Top Spot for Digital Camera Patents.
Monday, April 27, 2009

According to a recent survey conducted by the Japan Patent Office, 80% of digital camera-related patent applications across the world were filed by Japanese applicants. The survey period, which covered applications filed between 1998 and 2006, targeted consumer-use compact cameras, single lens reflex (SLR) cameras, camcorders, built-in mobile phone cameras, surveillance cameras and medical cameras. Of the 32,804 patents filed, 83.5% were filed by Japanese applicants. As for SLR cameras, Japanese applicants accounted for 98.4% of all applications. Topping the list of companies worldwide which filed the most applications was Canon Inc. with 4,544 during the specified period. This was followed by FujiFilm Corp (4,067), Olympus Corp (2,894), Sony Corp (2,609), Konica Minolta Holdings Inc (1,772), Nikon Corp (1,536), Casio Computer Co Ltd (1,389), Panasonic Corp (1,199), Hoya Corp (1,137) and Ricoh Co Ltd (1,040). Among applicants in other countries, the Samsung Group of Korea, Hewlett-Packard Co and Eastman Kodak Co of the US ranked 11th, 12th and 14th, respectively.

PBS Launches Video Portal Beta.
Friday, April 24, 2009

PBS has announced the beta launch of its PBS Video Portal, featuring full-length videos from PBS. Spanning all genres of the network's most popular award-winning programs, the Portal will includes feature-length films and documentaries, as well as live events and performances with more content arriving each week. According to PBS, users can search and find their favorite shows by theme, episode, host and date and watch full-length programs on demand. Thousands of hours of the system's programming is available including such titles as American Experience, Antiques Roadshow, Frontline, Great Performances, Julia Child Cooking, The Newshour with Jim Lehrer, and NOVA. Additionally, local PBS stations now have easy access to programming for their websites, as well as the ability to share their own locally produced content with the national audiences on PBS.org and with other PBS stations. "This launch illustrates our commitment to deliver PBS' signature programming to the widest possible market," said Jason Seiken, PBS senior vice president of Interactive. "Our goal is to ensure that audiences have online access to the remarkable depth and breadth of PBS programming -- in a format that puts the user in control." According to Hitwise data, PBS was the top broadcast network TV web site in 2008. This latest upgrade to PBS.org furthers the network's commitment to attract new audiences and to serve as the premiere multimedia destination for online content in science, history, children's programming, documentaries, dramas and live performances.

Markertek Forms New European Branch.
Monday, April 20, 2009

Markertek, America's leading broadcast and pro-audio supply house, today announced that it has acquired Composite Video Limited, located in London. The new operation will be known as Markertek UK and will be an eCommerce and catalog supplier of professional broadcast equipment and accessories. Markertek will convert Composite's existing sales and warehouse operation into a modern high-speed distribution hub serving the UK and the rest of Europe. The new website, www.markertek.co.uk, will provide the European market with access to more than 60,000 technology solution products, as well as customized services. The many product lines carried by Markertek include AJA, BAL Broadcast, Belden, Blackmagic, Ensemble Designs, Kramer, Neutrik and Sonifex. “Markertek UK will be the first specialized high definition supply house to serve the UK with unique proprietary solutions as well as immediate access to more than 600 broadcast manufacturers’ product lines,” said Charles Wagor III, marketing and event planning manager at Markertek UK. “Markertek has perfected the e-commerce solution for the broadcast industry and the merger of Composite into the Markertek structure will provide huge benefits to the UK broadcaster,” said Tim Bennett of Composite Video. “Markertek’s reputation for great customer service and excellent value dovetails with the Composite ethos and we are enormously excited at the launch of Europe’s ultimate high definition one-stop shop.”

Sony Pictures Joins Digital Conversion Group.
Friday, April 17, 2009

Sony Pictures has announced that it is the latest studio to support a theater-chain upgrade that will digitally convert over 20,000 cinemas in the United States and Canada. The upgrade initiative, which is expected to cost around $1 billion, is the brainchild of Digital Cinema Implementation Partners and aims to replace the current celluloid reels which are delivered to theatres with digital content that is received via satellite link. DCIP was formed in February 2007 as a joint venture owned equally by AMC Entertainment Inc., Cinemark Holdings, Inc and Regal Entertainment Group for the purpose of financing, procuring and deploying digital projection systems to movie theatre screens across the US and Canada. The group has already entered into long term agreements with Twentieth Century Fox, Walt Disney Motion Pictures, Paramount Pictures, Universal Studios and Lionsgate Films. According to DCIP, digital cinema promises a new world of programming flexibility, picture quality and image consistency, and will enable the addition of potent new viewing technologies including digital 3-D. “This is a very exciting time in the motion picture exhibition industry,” said Travis Reid, CEO of DCIP. “Within the next few years, we will see thousands of auditoriums retrofitted with digital technology across North America. Guests will enjoy enhanced presentation, as well as a number of additional entertainment options at their favorite theatre, including many upcoming releases using digital 3-D technology. Having these studios as our partners is critical to the success of digital cinema and we look forward to working with them to ensure a smooth and efficient digital transition.” The DCIP reported in October that it could complete the plan within three and half years starting with an early date in 2009, however, some of the conversions have been delayed due to economic conditions.

AmeriCorps to help Consumers Prepare for DTV Transition.
Thursday, April 16, 2009

As part of the Federal Communications Commission's comprehensive nationwide DTV transition assistance effort, hundreds of AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) members will partner with the FCC to assist individuals who may have difficulty making the switch to digital television. The AmeriCorps NCCC members will focus on groups the FCC has targeted for special attention, including low-income individuals, minority communities, non-English speaking consumers, senior citizens, consumers with disabilities and individuals living in rural areas or tribal lands. The NCCC, an AmeriCorps program made up of men and women between the ages of 18 and 24, will serve on the front lines of the FCC's DTV transition outreach effort that will extend beyond June 12, the deadline for full-power broadcast stations to cease analog broadcast transmission and to broadcast in digital. Teams of 8 to 12 AmeriCorps NCCC members will serve under the guidance of FCC area coordinators and often will work side-by-side with the many FCC employees who volunteer to work in communities throughout the country. The members will undergo FCC training before being deployed to the field and will gain additional assistance from the FCC area coordinators once in their locations. NCCC members will also visit homes where individuals need help to connect their antennas and analog televisions to digital converter boxes, help consumers apply for the $40 converter box coupons, make presentations at community events, serve in walk-in DTV help centers and otherwise spread the word to over-the-air populations who haven't yet taken steps necessary to continue watching television after their broadcast stations complete their transitions to all-digital broadcasting. About a third of the nation's nearly 1,800 full-power television stations already have stopped broadcasting in analog mode and now are transmitting only a digital signal. The remaining stations will make the transition to digital broadcasting between March 30 and June 12. As of March 1, about 3.9 percent of all TV homes were unready for the transition, many of them in the population segments targeted by the FCC for extra help.

Sanyo Unveils Ultra-short Focus Front Projector.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Sanyo Electric Co Ltd has developed a new DLP projector that can fill a 100-inch screen at a distance of just over two feet. By using what the company calls "ultra-short focus projection technology," the new unit combines projector lenses and concave mirrors and projects light from the upper surface of the device. With a throw ratio of 0.28 and display pixel count of 1,920 x 1,080, the projector uses a laser for the light source and achieves a brightness of 7,000lm, which Sanyo claims is "the world's highest brightness among laser projectors," while the color reproduction range is "about twice as wide as that of general LCD TVs," the company said. Color gamut is 170% of the NTSC standard. This was realized through the adoption of a laser light source based on the three RGB colors (red, green and blue), which have highly-pure spectra. Using Sanyo's "Laser Color Processing (LCP)" image processing technology, enables the projector to reproduce preferred colors based on scene analyses and human visual characteristics. Measuring 7.7' x 1.6' x 2.1' Sanyo expects the new projector to be used for signage, presentations in large halls and conference rooms and entertainment at digital cinemas, etc. It is expected to be commercially available by 2012.

Markertek Welcomes to the Family this Week:

Harbor City TV
Showpro
KBNZ-TV
Junior Amateur Tour
Instant Effects Inc.
NAB Washington DC
BLAB Television Network
Church Of Scientology FSO
WLMP-TV
Foundation For Public Broadcasting
Univ. of Hartford
NYC College Of Technology
Procom Solutions LLC
WTLW-TV
Oral Roberts University

Amazon.com - Mega eCommerce Retailer Maintains with Markertek !
Wednesday, April 08, 2009

Campbellsville, KY. - Markertek is the one-stop super source for all the technology solutions the eCommerce industry requires. We just supplied Amazon.com with equipment maintenance supplies at its satellite location in Campbellsville, KY. Currently the largest of all the online eCommerce retailers, it stands as one of the most searched sites on the internet encompassing a huge amount of global commerce and revenue. According to a Compete.com survey, the domain amazon.com attracted 615 million visitors for 2008. In comparison, this is twice the number of visitors of retail giant walmart.com for the same year. Amazon.com was started by Jeff Bezos in 1994 as an online bookstore, and quickly evolved to become a source of home entertainment media and eventually multiple marketplaces absorbing many established e-tailers and storefronts. Operating with an annual revenue of $19.2 billion dollars, Amazon.com stands at the top of the American forefront of online commerce and supply. Markertek is proud of its affiliation with the eCommerce industry by providing the latest technology and connectivity solutions to unlimited internet commerce that is just a click away.

Markertek Announces Spring Savings Sale on AJA
Tuesday, April 07, 2009

Markertek announces special pricing on our best selling AJA products beginning today until April 15th. During this Spring Savings event, we'll meet any competitor's price who shows the item in stock. Save as much as 25% off of manufacturer's retail price on select items! All items in this special are in stock and ready to ship. Contact your sales associate for an even greater opportunity to save on AJA mini converters.

Sony to Stick with Ericsson.
Monday, April 06, 2009

In the face of a net loss forecast of $1.5 billion for its fiscal full year, Sony Corp. has announced the company is still committed to its mobile handset joint venture with Sweden's L.M. Ericsson Telephone Co. and has no plans to divest its stake in Sony Ericsson. Recently, the joint venture has faced increased competition from rivals like Apple, with its iPhone, as well as Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics both of which increased their global market share in the fourth quarter at Nokia's and Sony Ericsson's expense. Sony Ericsson has been largely dependent on high-end devices in developed markets, making it more exposed in areas that have been hardest hit by the economic downturn. Sony Ericsson expects a first-quarter pretax loss of approximately $500 million. The loss estimate at Sony Ericsson is already reflected in Sony's net loss forecast for the year.

Action Packed Video Games Improve Vision.
Friday, April 03, 2009

According to a recent survey from the University of Rochester in New York, video games that involve high levels of action, such as first-person-shooter games, can increase a player's real-world vision. The ability to discern slight differences in shades of gray has long been thought to be an attribute of the human visual system that cannot be improved. But Daphne Bavelier, professor of brain and cognitive sciences at the University of Rochester, has discovered that very practiced action gamers become 58 percent better at perceiving fine differences in contrast. The finding builds on Bavelier's past work that has shown that action video games decrease visual crowding and increases visual attention. Contrast sensitivity, she says, is the primary limiting factor in how well a person can see. Bavelier says that the findings show that action video game training may be a useful complement to eye-correction techniques, since game training may teach the visual cortex to make better use of the information it receives. The study divided 22 students into two groups: One group played the action video games "Unreal Tournament 2004" and "Call of Duty 2." The second group played "The Sims 2," which is a richly visual game, but does not include the level of visual-motor coordination of the other group's games. The volunteers played 50 hours of their assigned games over the course of 9 weeks. At the end of the training, the students who played the action games showed an average 43% improvement in their ability to discern close shades of gray - close to the difference she had previously observed between game players and non-game players - whereas the Sims players showed none. "To the best of our knowledge, this is the first demonstration that contrast sensitivity can be improved by simple training," says Bavelier. "When people play action games, they're changing the brain's pathway responsible for visual processing. These games push the human visual system to the limits and the brain adapts to it, and we've seen the positive effect remains even two years after the training was over." Bavelier is now taking what she has learned with her video game research and collaborating with a consortium of researchers to look into treatments for amblyopia, a problem caused by poor transmission of the visual image to the brain.The research was funded by the National Eye Institute and the Office of Naval Research.

Warner Bros. Opens Archive.
Thursday, April 02, 2009

In a move geared at increasing sales revenue, Warner Bros. has announced the company will be reaching into its film vault so it can sell old movies on made-to-order DVDs and via Internet download. The films, which are titles that have never been released on DVD, will span Warner's catalog from the silent era through the 1980s. Initially the Warner Archive Collection will offer 150 sought after titles including such classics as Possessed starring Clark Gable and Joan Crawford; Once Upon a Honeymoon starring Cary Grant and Ginger Rogers; and All Fall Down starring Warren Beatty and Eva Marie Saint. According to the company, each month approximately 20 classic films and television programs will be added and by year's end more than 300 titles will be available for order online. To order their movies, customers select their titles, and upon purchase, a state-of-the-art manufacturing on demand (MOD) system creates a made-to-order DVD which Warner says is indistinguishable in quality from a standard pressed DVD. The MOD system then places the DVD into a hard plastic Amaray case featuring custom artwork; shrink wraps it and ships the finished package to the customer which arrives in approximately five days. The cost per title is $19.95, plus shipping. Alternatively, titles can also be purchased via digital download for $14.95 per title. "With a cinematic legacy as rich and varied as that found within our library, the challenge has been to meet the voracious demand of consumers who are seeking their favorite films on DVD," said George Feltenstein, senior vice president, Theatrical Catalog Marketing, Warner Home Video. "This unprecedented initiative represents a tremendous effort from Warner Home Video and Warner Bros. Digital Distribution and is representative of the company's continued dedication to film preservation."

New Speaker Cancels Own Noise.
Wednesday, April 01, 2009

The Toshiba company, in collaboration with Shiro Ise, an associate professor at the Department of Urban and Environmental Engineering, Kyoto University Graduate School of Engineering has developed a new speaker technology that reproduces sound more accurately. According to the company, about 40% of the sound from traditional speakers is noise (sound other than the original signal pulse). The noise commonly results from insufficient rigidity of a product chassis and its supporting parts. This noise percentage increases even further with the use of a thin ABS chassis that is normally found in most small AV equipment. However, using "accurate sound reproduction technology", sound from an auxiliary speaker attached to the main speaker cancels out noise with opposite-phase sound waves which are generated by the auxiliary speaker enabling the system to exactly reproduce the original sound. In a recent experiment using equipment incorporating this technology, the group confirmed that such non-original sound (noise) can be eliminated by more than 90%. Toshiba intends to conduct additional research and development with plans of introducing this technology into its products in the near future.

Markertek Welcomes to the Family this Week:

MiTac Digital Corporation
State Of Alabama
KATV
Taft Broadcasting Co LLC
Washington College Of Law
Ermcar Inc.
Boston Symphony Orchestra
KCFW
Smithsonian NMAH
WUTV
Ottawa Performing Arts
St. Vincent Healthcare
KKTV
Martini Crew Booking
Leeward Camera Systems

More News...

Markertek Racing Does It Again -
Five New World Speed Records at Bonneville for 2008 !

Markertek Sets Second World Speed Record at Bonneville for 2007 !

Nobody is Faster than Markertek !!!

Sharp Adds Enhanced Inputs and Network Connectivity to Professional High-Definition LCD Lineup

Ancient Rome Revived in 3D Show Near Colosseum

4 more years for MSNBC's Olbermann

'Jumanji' director Johnston does `Captain America'

Avocent Announces New Wireless Extender for Digital Signage

Markertek VPTR-1 Mobile Production Trailer a Big Hit at Minnesota's Bethany Lutheran College

Markertek's Custom Cable and Metal Shop Goes Green

Markertek Expands Operation Center to 137,000 Square Feet

Markertek Sponsors Hospice Benefit with the Doobie Brothers