The Valuable Group, headed by Sanjay Gaikwad, announced Thursday that it had acquired all the assets, trademarks, IPR and alliances of the 'push VoD' service that was first launched in 2003. Price of the transaction was not disclosed.

Disney and other backers spent over $100 million developing the service, but sold it at a fire-sale price of $10 million in March 2007 to rentailer Movie Gallery. The service was closed down in Dec last year after Movie Gallery filed for bankruptcy and went into Chapter 11 administration.

"This acquisition (will allow) us to deliver ethnic and Hollywood content to homes and the hospitality industry worldwide," Gaikwad said in a statement. "Films will be delivered in High Definition and viewers will get access to library films as well as the latest releases on a first day first show basis. We have earmarked an investment of $100 million over the next two years for the re-launch of this service in North America, UK and other overseas markets."

Service was developed by Disney, Intel and Cisco with coin from private equity backers. It worked by piggybacking on PBS digital broadcast signals to offer movie downloads to dedicated set-top boxes. Disney was not able to roll it out beyond three test cities and took a write down of $56 million after shuttering it for the first time in summer 2005.

"We will be rolling out the service by the end of 2008 in 3 markets,” Ameya Hete, Executive Director, Valuable Group and CEO MovieBeam, said. “We have added some cutting edge features to the MovieBeam service that will bring additional and currently unrealized revenues back to the entertainment industry and the deserving constituents."

Valuable Group operates in three business sectors media, technology and infrastructure. UFO has installed digital film projectors in some 1,200 movie theaters in India and parts of South Asia having developed a simple to use business model that provides exhibitors with current technology, delivers movies by satellite and does away with virtual print fees.

via variety 

The annual report of the Entertainment Merchants Association released recently stated that PS3 is "the primary driver behind Blu-ray sales, with 87% of PS3 owners watching Blu-ray movies on their console." With 3 million units sold by the end of 2007, the PS3 easily outsold the HD-DVD add-on for the Xbox 360, which sold 316,000 units. The EMA feels Blu-ray was the losing format in 2006, but thanks to the PS3, it rebounded in 2007 to become the de facto winner. Their prediction is the PS3 will be "the main force behind Blu-ray disc sales until 2009, when standalone Blu-ray players are expected to outpace the sales volume of the PS3." We think this report raises a number of questions:

Is the PS3 really the driving force behind Blu-ray? Or is Blu-ray the driving force behind the PS3? Did Sony take too much of a gamble with a new format and didn't invest enough into the games? If so, will that improve now that Blu-ray has won?

What about the credibility of the report? Almost a year ago, the NPD Group found that 60% of PS3 owners didn't know it played Blu-ray discs. Is that a contradiction with this study or have consumers become more educated? As a side note, the study found the average gamer to be 33-years old with 24% that are older than 50. Are 25% gamers really 50 and over? If true, this might be good news for Sony...

via ps3fanboy 

New! BlackBox miro

USB powered compact speaker for laptops and MP3 players

BlackBox micro is a uniquely designed compact speaker with integrated SFX technology to provide high quality sound from such a small design.
Its 2 drivers work together to give optimal audio output, the standard driver delivering crisp high notes and the SFX gel base driver providing rich bass sounds.
Compact, and powered by USB, BlackBox micro is the perfect travel speaker for all your music devices

Product Features:

- Play music from any device with a headphone port
- Integrated SFX gel base for audio enhancement
- Powered by USB (power from laptop, or combine with WorldTour Dual Charge)

What's in the box:

- BlackBox micro
- 3.5mm audio cable
- Quick start guide
- Mini USB to USB cables x 2

via gear4 

R.I.P. SanDisk’s TakeTV, Fanfare Shut Down

TakeTV, we hardly knew ye. Unveiled just last October, SanDisk’s USB PC-to-TV video device along with Fanfare, its accompanying content portal, were both shut down on May 15th, a SanDisk spokesperson has confirmed.

The official party line is that TakeTV was no longer a priority for SanDisk as the company focuses on being at the hub of mobile entertainment. Translation: No one bought the device. It’s easy to understand why; SanDisk was outgunned and outnumbered on this set-top bet.

Though Om liked it, and SanDisk billed the device as an easy way to transport content from the web to your TV, it had two things going against it:

1.) It was kludgey. You had to plug a USB device into your PC, download content, then put that USB device into another device that hooked up to your TV. Yeah, that’s easy.

2.) Lack of content. If you want people to buy a device that downloads TV content, you’d better offer lots of TV content. TakeTV’s Fanfare portal had deals with CBS, Jaman, Showtime, the Smithsonian, The Weather Channel and TV Guide Broadband. No ABC, no FOX — not even The CW. TakeTV had announced a deal with NBC, but it looks as though that never got implemented.

Not to mention the fact that SanDisk was facing heavy competition from better-known companies like Apple, TiVo and Xbox — all of which provided more content and an easier solution for downloading shows to your TV.

TakeTV’s demise is a good lesson all around. For consumers, don’t be fooled by a company’s promise of what’s to come — especially for first-generation products. If it doesn’t have the content you want, don’t buy it (even Apple TV flunked at first). And Silicon Valley — quit making set-top boxes! With services like tru2way on the way and with Internet connections built right into TVs, you’re going to lose a lot of money as cable companies and consumer electronics companies eat your lunch.

TakeTV’s site is still up, but Fanfare has been shut down. The devices will still work, their owners just have to find video files elsewhere...

via newteevee 

RAmos V8 Released, first real images

Looks like the RAmos V8 has been released, looks like it was made with a smaller screen, not a 4.3″, but 3.0″ (or at least this is what the article shows). Looks pretty slick, has TV out and uses the RK2706 chipset.

via mp4nation 

L.A. to sue Time Warner Cable over poor service

The Los Angeles city attorney's office plans to sue Time Warner Cable Inc. today, alleging that the company caused "major havoc and distress" when it became the No. 1 pay TV provider in Southern California two years ago.

City Atty. Rocky Delgadillo said Wednesday that Time Warner violated state law by making false and misleading statements to subscribers. The 25-page lawsuit, a copy of which was reviewed by The Times, claims the company violated its franchise agreement with the city by having subscribers spend hours on hold with customer service representatives and allowing excessive repair work delays.

"Hundreds of thousands of Los Angeles residents were ripped off," Delgadillo said in a statement. "Time Warner must be held accountable for its promises."

City prosecutors said the suit would be filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court.

Time Warner Cable representatives had no immediate comment.

The New York-based company could face civil penalties of tens of millions of dollars.

Delgadillo's office has taken corporate interests to court several times, suing local hospitals on allegations that they dumped indigent patients in downtown Los Angeles and accusing Anthem Blue Cross of scheming to cancel health insurance for people diagnosed with serious and expensive medical conditions.

Time Warner became the major cable TV provider in the area when it joined with Comcast Corp. in 2006 to buy out bankrupt Adelphia Communications Corp. Time Warner and Comcast then swapped franchises so each would dominate markets in different U.S. regions.

The combination was difficult because Time Warner Cable had to upgrade the old Adelphia and Comcast systems and merge them with its own. Nearly 500,000 subscribers in the city were affected.

In the suit, which focuses on service from the fall of 2006 to the spring of 2007, city prosecutors cite brochures and television advertisements that they say gave the false impression that pricing for cable and Internet services would stay the same.

The suit says the company failed to live up to its part of the franchise cable agreement requiring that a company answer subscribers' calls within 30 seconds and begin repairs of service interruptions within 24 hours of notification in 90% of its calls for service. The suit claims that no more than 60% of customer service calls were answered in time.

Service also was sub-par, the suit says, quoting a brochure saying that if a customer needed a service appointment, technicians would "fix the problem fast." Instead, technicians failed to show up on time to appointments to fix outages, the suit says.

Cable and Internet service "was so intermittent and inferior in quality that it was not much better than no service at all," the suit says.

andrew.blankstein

@latimes.com

via latimes 

Verismo Box Plugs Web into Your TV

Verismo Networks on Tuesday previewed “the PoD,” a tiny box that brings web content to your TV monitor without needing a PC in between, at the Under the Radar conference in Mountain View, Calif. I’d never heard of the company before sitting down for the session, so was excited to see an entirely new device. Yes, yes, it’s a device, and it doesn’t come from a company you already have a relationship with, but like I said, it’s tiny.

Verismo CEO Prakash Bhalerao said his company has partnered with YouTube and BitTorrent to get access to their content, and vTap to search for anything else. Apparently YouTube will also be marketing the PoD to its users, which would definitely help a new company get exposure! The box can also handle anything with Windows DRM, so you can watch Amazon Unbox and CinemaNow downloads right on your TV.

The PoD, along with a remote, is set to go on sale later this summer for $99. Unfortunately I didn’t catch all the specs, and the company’s web site is less than helpful. We spoke to Verismo Networks CTO and co-founder Vijay Maheshwari after the presentation to get an up close and personal demo on camera. The video of that interview is embedded above.

Bhalerao said Cupertino, Calif.- and Bangalore-based Verismo is also looking to license its software to other set-top box makers. He added he sees opportunities to address markets where PCs aren’t as predominant, and will be sending out boxes to use for educational purposes in India...

via newteevee 

BBC to participate in super hi-def TV trials

The BBC is to take part in ground breaking TV transmissions using the Super Hi-Vision video system. The standard offers a resolution of 35 megapixels, 17 times the resolution of a 1080p screen.

A series of demonstrations that will combine content shot in Japan with live pictures from London will take place in Amsterdam at the IBC technology show in September. The first will feature SIS Outside Broadcasts, formerly part of the BBC, which will use an ultra-broadband fibre connection to the event. The second test will see Super Hi-Vision pictures transmitted live via satellite from Italian broadcaster RAI.

According to reports, the demonstrations will be screened in the NHK theatre using an 8k x 4k projector, where the content will be shown on a 3,840 x 2,160 pixel LCD display. Eutelsat, which is supply the satellite link, will also host footage on its stand.

Dr Kenkichi Tanioka, director general of NHK's science and technical research labs, said: "It is a tribute to the alliance of forward-looking companies working on this project that we are confident all will be well.

"In particular, I know that my colleagues at the BBC and RAI would like to thank our industry partners who are investing heavily in broadband and satellite capacity over an extended period to make this work."

Japanese broadcaster NHK has been deeply involved in the development of Super Hi-Vision, which has a specification of 7,680 x 4,320 pixels and 22.2 three-dimensional surround sound. The compression technology at the heart of the IBC demonstration was developed by the BBC's research and development team.

To read the full story, see this week's ERT Weekly...

via ertweekly 

SANYO Presentation Technologies Introduces First Portable Projectors Featuring Active Maintenance Filter System

SANYO, one of the world's largest manufacturers of LCD and DLP projectors announces the addition of two new LCD portable projectors, the PLC-XC55 (3,100 lumens) and the PLC-XC50 (2,600 lumens), to their line of high brightness projectors for the education and business markets. Both are equipped with SANYO's Active Maintenance Filter (AMF) system, allowing easy filter changes, and several security features to prevent theft.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080530/LAF021)

This is the first time SANYO's exclusive AMF system has been integrated into a portable projector. This unique filtration system consists of a filter cartridge with ten lengths of filter material and an airflow sensor that detects when the airflow is obstructed by dust and advances a clean section of filter as needed. When the last section of filter material becomes obstructed an on-screen graphic appears telling the user to change the cartridge. Each filter lasts approximately 3000 hours.

"Thanks to SANYO's AMF these new high brightness projectors significantly lower a school system's cost of ownership by reducing filter maintenance costs by a factor of ten," says Mark Holt, Vice President and General Manager for SANYO's Presentation Technologies Division.

General maintenance is kept at a minimum with other features such as the transparent lens cap that prevents the accumulation of dust on the lens and the ability to replace the lamp from the top cabinet, which doesn't require removal from permanent installations.

To prevent theft of the small projector, SANYO has integrated several higher security features. A security bar in the corner of the device accepts security wires up to 11mm in diameter. Additionally, the on-board pin number locks the projector when not in use, plus only the designated administrator is allowed to operate on-board buttons and logo-controlled settings. These theft- deterrent features allow the small projector to be left in a classroom with peace of mind.

Portable projectors are commonly used for media-rich presentations, including audio. To be a truly multi-media device that is loud enough for the average classroom, the PLC-XC55 and PLC-XC50 were outfitted with an internal 7-watt speaker, eliminating the need for an external audio system.

Ease of installation is facilitated with Auto Keystone Correction (vertical up to +/- 20 degrees), in addition to an Auto Setup function that automatically seeks signal sources for PC and video use. There is an abundance of video input terminals including a DVI-I (digital and analog video), component video and D-Sub15. The input signal compatibility includes UXGA, SXGA+, SXGA, WXGA, XGA, SVGA, VGA, and MAC. It is also compatible with HD resolutions including 1080i 50/60, 1035i, 720p as well as standard definition (480p, 480i, 575p, 575i).

The ultra-small footprint of the PLC-XC55 and PLC-XC50 is a major asset to educational facilities along with features such as closed captions and Black Board Mode, which allows projection on any surface, when a screen is not available.

The PLC-XC55 and PLC-XC50 will be available in July 2008 and sell for $1,995.00 and $1,495.00 respectively.

    Other Specifications
Lamp: 220W UHP
Noise Rating: 27.5dBA (Eco mode), 34.0dBA (Normal mode)
Audio: Built-in mono speaker with 7-watts of power

Video Terminals: DVI-I, D-sub15, Component (w/ Optional Cable), Composite, S-Video (Mini Din 4), D-sub15 monitor out

Audio: Stereo mini-jack input x2 (for computer input) and output (Variable), Analog stereo input for video input (RCAx2)

    Additional Inputs: RS232C control (D-sub9)
Warranty: 3 years parts/labor, 90 days original lamp; Quick Repair Program
Dimensions (WxHxD): 16.1" x 3.3"x 10.3" (excluding protrusions)

Net Weight: 8.82 lbs.

About SANYO

SANYO Electric Co., Ltd. is a multi-billion-dollar global leader in providing solutions for the environment, energy and for lifestyle applications based on its brand vision 'Think GAIA'. SANYO Fisher Company (a division of SANYO North America Corporation, a subsidiary of SANYO Electric Co., Ltd.), based in Chatsworth, California, markets digital projectors, digital still cameras, digital media camcorders, home appliances, security video equipment, audio systems, portable and mobile electronics and HD televisions. For more information on SANYO's complete line of projectors please call 888-495-3452 or visit http://www.sanyoPROJECTORS.com.

SOURCE SANYO Fisher Company...

via bizjournals 

Toshiba 'gets high resolution' from current DVDs

The Yomiuri Shimbun

By the end of the year, Toshiba Corp. plans to release a DVD player capable of producing high-resolution images from regular DVDs, company sources said Thursday.

The planned release of a model compatible with the current DVD format signifies an effort by the major electronic manufacturer to recover from a humiliating setback suffered in March after announcing its decision to withdraw from its HD DVD business, the sources said.

Toshiba's withdrawal meant its defeat by a group of electronics makers, including Sony Corp., striving to promote the Blu-ray DVD format.

Standard DVD format is capable of playing a 350,000-pixel resolution. Blu-ray and other next-generation DVD formats have a resolution of about 2 million pixels, about six times greater than the current format.

Toshiba's new technology has been made possible by developing a large integrated circuit that can instantly convert images produced in the current format into high-resolution images.

This technology makes it possible to reproduce high-quality images comparable to Blu-ray video from current standard DVDs.

Toshiba President Atsutoshi Nishida said his company will not market DVD players that are compatible with Blu-ray.

Instead, Toshiba intends to compete with the Blu-ray camp by selling DVD players fitted with LSIs at lower prices than those of Blu-ray models.

To achieve this goal, Toshiba will advertise its new player as a device with which consumers can enjoy a broader array of content than is available in the Blu-ray format, the sources said.

Toshiba's withdrawal decision in March marked the end of a six-year competition between the HD DVD and Blu-ray camps.

Each was seeking to make its format the global standard...

via yomiuri