Freeview

Because the [itvt] editorial team is busy working on The TV of Tomorrow Show (March 3rd-4th in San Francisco) and on our new EBIF Intensive event (March 5th in San Francisco), we are covering a number of stories in this issue in summary form:

A UK company called 3View unveiled a hard drive-equipped, broadband-connected HD set-top box, Tuesday, that combines the ability to receive standard- and high-definition linear-TV programming from the UK's free-to-air digital terrestrial platform, Freeview, with various Internet/OTT capabilities. The company says that the box--which is slated to be available in retail in March--will allow users to receive a range of over-the-top video services, as well as browse the Web and use Facebook and Twitter. It bills it as "the world's first Internet-connected HD free-to-air set-top box."

The BBC announced Tuesday that, due to its commitment to launching HD broadcast channels on the UK's free-to-air digital terrestrial platform, Freeview, which involves rearranging the existing SD channels on that platform, it will have to switch off two (including channel 302) of the three interactive streams it uses on Freeview to deliver red-button content.

Electra Entertainment--a company that was founded in early 2003 by Static 2358 founder, Jasper Smith, and former Gemstar-TV Guide CTO, Jonathan Drazin (note: Smith serves as its CEO and Drazin as its CTO; its chairman is former BT and BSkyB director, John Swingewood)--on Monday provided a few more details about its flagship Trove interactive TV technology.

Electra Entertainment--a company that was founded in early 2003 by Static 2358 founder, Jasper Smith, and former Gemstar-TV Guide CTO, Jonathan Drazin (note: Smith serves as its CEO and Drazin as its CTO; its chairman is former BT and BSkyB director, John Swingewood)--announced Wednesday that, this fall, it will launch an interactive TV service that will complement the UK's free-to-air digital terrestrial platform, Freeview.

The International MHEG Promotion Alliance (IMPALA), an organization that was set up in 2006 by Strategy & Technology, Cabot Communications and EchoStar Europe to promote use of the MHEG-5 standard outside the UK (note: MHEG-5 is the middleware standard upon which the UK's free-to-air digital terrestrial service, Freeview, is based; it was developed and standardized in the mid-90's as part of the DAVIC standardization effort to support interactivity and navigation for VOD services), announced Monday that Freeview Australia has selected MHEG-5 as the interactive TV middleware for the free-to-air multichannel digital terrestrial TV platform that it is currently rolling out in a phased launch process.

IP Vision, a company backed by French set-top box manufacturer, Netgem, announced last week that it has signed a retail deal with the John Lewis Partnership that will result in its FetchTV SmartBox being available in John Lewis stores, starting July 23rd.

Bristol, UK-based digital TV software provider, Ocean Blue Software, is developing an interactive TV system that would complement the UK's free-to-air digital terrestrial platform, Freeview, with a range of services targeted at senior citizens. Dubbed Nexus TV and slated to begin trials early next year, the system is backed by a "growing consortium" of partners, the company claims. According to the company, the system will offer an audio EPG and menus (for the visually impaired); an interactive message board and other social networking features; tcommerce services; mechanisms for easy online access to local services such as taxi companies; and audio book downloads.

Portland, Oregon-based interactive TV authoring solutions provider, Ensequence, announced Monday that it has been chosen by Welsh-language broadcaster, S4C, to create and deploy interactive TV services for the UK's Freeview free-to-air digital terrestrial and Sky pay-TV digital satellite platforms. The new deal represents Ensequence's first multiplatform deployment in the UK.