News on News - Cable

Comcast Hometown Network to Televise 30 Live Minor League Baseball Games

Tue, 10 Apr 2012 20:54:00 +0000

Comcast Hometown Network has announced that it will televise 30 LIVE minor league baseball games from the California League (www.californialeague.com) and the Pacific Coast League (www.pclbaseball.com) in 2012.

The telecasts will begin on Thursday, April 12th at 7:00 p.m. when the San Jose Giants host the Bakersfield Blaze.

All of the Comcast Hometown Network games will originate LIVE from either Chukchansi Park (home of the Fresno Grizzlies www.fresnogrizzlies.com) or San Jose Municipal Stadium (home of the San Jose Giants http://sjgiants.com/). The telecasts will be available on Channel 104 to all Comcast digital cable customers.

"Comcast Hometown Network is elated to once again provide our baseball coverage throughout Northern and Central California," said Jeff Giles, General Manager of Comcast Hometown Network. "With excellent contests from both the Pacific Coast League and the California League, Comcast Hometown Network viewers can keep tabs on all of the top baseball prospects in the West."

Play-by-play duties for the games originating from San Jose Municipal Stadium will be handled by San Jose Giants radio announcer Joe Ritzo. For games at Chukchansi Park, Fresno Grizzlies radio announcer Doug Greenwald will do play-by-play. Dan Dibley of sports radio station 95.7 FM The Game, and veteran minor league baseball announcer and MLB Network reporter Joe Castellano will provide analysis for the majority of Comcast Hometown Network's baseball games. Trisha Cummings from MTV's The Real World: Sydney will serve as a sideline reporter from Fresno Grizzlies games, and Gianna Franco of sports radio station 95.7 FM The Game will handle sideline reporting at San Jose Giants games.

The LIVE games will be replayed on Comcast Hometown Network (Channel 104), and will also be available any time of the day or night via Comcast's popular ON DEMAND platform, which is free to Comcast digital customers. To view minor league baseball games ON DEMAND, Comcast Digital Cable customers can tune to Channel 1 on their Digital Cable lineup or press the ON DEMAND button on their remote control, then click on the "Get Local" section, then click on "Comcast Hometown Network."

The California League is a Class A Advanced minor baseball league which operates throughout the state of California. Comprised of 10 teams that are affiliated with Major League Baseball teams such as the San Francisco Giants and the Oakland Athletics, the California League is divided into a Northern Division and a Southern Division. The Southern Division features five teams from the sprawling metropolitan areas of Southern California, and the Northern Division features four teams in California's growing Central Valley as well the San Jose Giants in the Bay Area.

The Pacific Coast League (PCL) is a Triple-A minor baseball league operating in the Western, Midwestern and Southeastern United States. The PCL consists of the American Conference (featuring the Albuquerque Isotopes, Iowa Cubs, Memphis Redbirds, Nashville Sounds, New Orleans Zephyrs, Oklahoma City RedHawks, Omaha Storm Chasers, and the Round Rock Express) and the Pacific Conference (featuring the Colorado Springs Sky Sox, Fresno Grizzlies, Las Vegas 51s, Reno Aces, Sacramento River Cats, Salt Lake Bees, Tacoma Rainiers and the Tucson Padres).

Oprah Winfrey Network Announces New Distribution Deal with Comcast Cable

Fri, 06 Apr 2012 14:04:16 +0000

Oprah Winfrey Network has announced a distribution deal with Comcast Cable that extends Comcast's existing carriage of OWN.

Specific details of the multi-year agreement were not disclosed.

"OWN was the 29th network in prime for women in March and had double digit rating increases across demos in all day parts. We are seeing real momentum," said Erik Logan, President, OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network. "We're pleased to partner with Comcast to bring its customers OWN's quality programming and appreciate the support from our affiliate and advertiser partners who recognize the brand strength we are building in OWN."

OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network has posted first quarter growth across all key demos in both primetime and total day, with primetime up +14% in the key demo (women 25-54) and total day up +25% W25-54 versus year ago numbers (December 26 – March 25). For the month of March, the network also notched double-digit growth across all key demos in both primetime and total day.

Primetime ratings were up +50% W25-54, up +34% in households and +35% in total viewers, with total day up +42% W25-54, +38% HH and +37% total viewers versus year ago numbers. OWN improved its standing among 97 ad-supported cable networks, climbing to #29 in primetime and #30 in total day in W25-54.

Verizon's FiOS TV Online to Launch Showtime Anytime

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 21:37:10 +0000

Verizon's FiOS TV customers are gaining more online and mobile video content, as they are among the first to receive unlimited access to SHOWTIME ANYTIME®, featuring more than 400 hours of critically acclaimed, award-winning SHOWTIME original programming, hit movies and sports offerings, available for viewing on any computer or iPad. SHOWTIME ANYTIME launched Tuesday (Jan. 10) free of charge for FiOS TV customers who subscribe to SHOWTIME®.

Additionally, Verizon and Showtime Networks have extended their existing carriage agreement into 2017. The comprehensive, five-year agreement includes SHOWTIME, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ and FLIX®, the networks' multiplex and on-demand channels, as well as Smithsonian Channel™, a joint venture between Showtime Networks Inc. and the Smithsonian Institution.

"We are very pleased to have reached a long-term agreement with Verizon, as we continue to offer our award-winning programming to their subscriber base across multiple platforms – on our networks, On Demand, and now online and on mobile with SHOWTIME ANYTIME," said Tom Christie, executive vice president, affiliate sales, Showtime Networks Inc.

FiOS customers can access SHOWTIME ANYTIME at www.verizon.com/fiostvonline or www.showtimeanytime.com or by downloading the Showtime Anytime iPad app from the iTunes App Store (http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/id484232467), and use their Verizon FiOS login credentials to instantly watch their favorite SHOWTIME programs from anywhere in the U.S.

"Once again, Verizon's FiOS subscribers are among the first to enjoy the latest in online and mobile video content, this time from SHOWTIME," said Terry Denson, vice president of content strategy and acquisition for Verizon. "The addition of SHOWTIME ANYTIME to our FiOS offering further enhances our customers' experience, offering a convenient way for subscribers to access SHOWTIME's programming in more ways and more places."

SHOWTIME ANYTIME offers subscribers access to the network's critically acclaimed hit series including "Dexter®," "Weeds," "Homeland," "Californication," "Shameless," "Nurse Jackie," "The Big C," "Episodes" and the "Borgias," and the upcoming comedy series "House of Lies" and "Inside Comedy." FiOS subscribers will also have access to the network's hit movies, including Academy Award winner "The King's Speech," "Blue Valentine," "The Hurt Locker," "Inglorious Basterds," "I Am Number Four," "The Twilight Saga: New Moon" and "Eclipse," among many others. Additionally, a diverse mix of comedy specials, provocative documentaries and hard-hitting sports programming -- including "Showtime Championship Boxing®," "Inside NASCAR," "ShoBox: The New Generation" and "Strikeforce" mixed martial arts -- will be offered on SHOWTIME ANYTIME.

With SHOWTIME ANYTIME, FiOS TV customers who subscribe to SHOWTIME can instantly watch their favorite programs from any location. In addition, the service offers a "My List" feature that enables subscribers to customize their viewing experience by creating a personalized list of programs to watch. Users can restrict content with easy-to-use parental controls.

SHOWTIME ANYTIME joins Verizon FiOS TV's extensive overall offering from Showtime Networks. This includes 24 standard- and high-definition channels as well as SHOWTIME Sports Interactive, which enables FiOS TV customers to access fighter stats, records, bios and quotes; vote in interactive polls; test their knowledge in a trivia game; and check out a fight calendar – all on their TV screen while watching boxing and MMA events on SHOWTIME.

SHOWTIME ANYTIME is part of Verizon's extensive FiOS offering, which includes a broad collection of programming on TV, with more than 530 all-digital channels including more than 130 HD channels, and 35,000 monthly video-on-demand titles.

Verizon continues to break boundaries with a variety of pioneering innovations. In addition to FiOS TV Online, FiOS provides countless next-generation interactive services, including Flex View, which extends FiOS TV Video on Demand beyond the home to the Internet and a range of mobile devices; an advanced interactive media guide; free interactive applications like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and others; Media Manager, which allows customers to access on their TVs personal photos, music and videos from their computers; and In-Home Agent, which assists customers in diagnosing and resolving a range of service issues.

In addition, the company recently introduced the MY FiOS app, an easy-to-use mobile application that gives customers access to everything from movies, TV shows and personal content; to remote DVR access and control; to home and energy monitoring; to billing, account management and customer service tools.

Cox Communications Introduces Cox TV Connect

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 20:36:01 +0000

Cox Communications has announced that many of its customers can enjoy the ease and flexibility of using their iPad as an additional screen to watch live, streaming video in their home at no additional charge.

The Cox TV Connect application that launches today includes access to national cable television channels that offer a variety of news and entertainment programming.

"Cox offers convenience through convergence and TV Connect is a new way we are making viewing more convenient and flexible for our customers," said Steve Necessary, vice president of video product development and management. "Our TV Connect offering will continue to evolve and expand, adding even more value to our services."

TV Connect includes a convenient on-screen guide, and customers can select a full-screen viewing option once a program has been selected. The first version of the TV Connect app is now available at no additional charge in the Apple App Store. At initial launch, Cox customers with Preferred, Premier or Ultimate Cox High Speed Internet service, Cox TV Essential service or higher and a DOCSIS modem can download and use the free application on their iPad.

Access to linear programming through Cox TV Connect marks a significant expansion of Cox's online offering. Last May, the company introduced TV Online at www.cox.com/tv, which gives Cox Advanced TV customers access to a library of thousands of television and movies titles on demand. Many of the television shows available at cox.com/tv are available for online viewing starting the day after the premiere. Earlier this year, Cox also introduced Mobile Connect, an iPad, iPhone and Android app that gives Cox Advanced TV and Cox Telephone customers the ability to control and manage their Cox DVR and Telephone services.

Virgin Media Trials 1.5Gb Broadband Speeds Powered by Cisco Cable Access Technology

Sat, 10 Sep 2011 13:46:37 +0000

Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) has announced that it is working with Virgin Media to further enhance the company's network by deploying DOCSIS 3.0 technology to deliver high speed Internet services on the company's existing network infrastructure.

In a trial in East London, Virgin Media achieved ground-breaking broadband speeds of 1.5 Gigabytes (Gb) by using Cisco's (3G60) Broadband Processing Engine, a high-density, cost-effective line card for Cisco's flagship uBR10K Universal Broadband Router and Cable Modem Termination System (CMTS).

Highlights:

An important component of Cisco's complete DOCSIS(R) 3.0 solution, the highly scalable 3G60 line card enables cable television operators to offer IP video services.
Cisco's Cisco Universal Broadband Router together with the 3G60 line card supports the full set of DOCSIS 3.0 features at scale, including IPv6, and supports advanced features such as dynamic bandwidth sharing.
Using the 3G60, a single Cisco Universal Broadband Router can support up to 576 downstream and 480 upstream channels per chassis. This is the highest CMTS capacity and density in the industry.

Mark Palazzo, vice president and general manager, Cable Access Business Unit Cisco said; "Cisco CMTS solutions are designed to support large-scale IP broadband and video services today -- as well as the migration to IP networks in the near future. We are proud to help Virgin Media achieve such significant milestones with its network capacity and broadband connection speeds."

The Eyes of Texas Are Upon FiOS TV Subscribers

Mon, 29 Aug 2011 16:07:36 +0000

Joining a growing lineup of regional and national collegiate sports networks on FiOS TV, the Longhorn Network has arrived on FiOS just in time for the start of the college football season.

Longhorn Network is a channel devoted to athletic programming and related activities at the University of Texas.

Verizon is the largest video service provider to date to announce the addition of the Longhorn Network to its channel lineup.

"The Longhorns have a huge presence in Texas, with a passionate fan base that extends across the country," said David Preschlack, executive vice president, Disney and ESPN Media Networks. "Verizon's early commitment to this network speaks to the university's popularity and the consumer demand for this content."

Terry Denson, vice president of content strategy and acquisition for Verizon, said, "We know Texas Longhorn fans are among the most loyal and enthusiastic in college sports, so we're pleased to add the Longhorn Network to our already robust sports lineup on FiOS TV. The addition of this groundbreaking collegiate sports channel adds to Verizon's commitment to bring the best in sports and entertainment and overall video content to our customers."

The national distribution agreement with the Longhorn Network will allow fans of FiOS and the Longhorns to start watching the network on Sept. 1. FiOS TV Ultimate HD subscribers outside of Texas can watch LHN on Channel 320. In Texas, FiOS TV Prime HD, Extreme HD and Ultimate HD subscribers can watch LHN on Channels 79 (standard definition) and 579 (high definition).

In the near future, the Longhorn Network also will be available online, on tablets and on smartphones for fans with a Verizon FiOS TV plan, making UT athletics and other programming easily available anywhere, anytime.

'Game Plan With Mack Brown' and 'Texas GameDay' Featured for Season Opener

On Sept. 1 at 7 p.m. CT, "Game Plan with Mack Brown" will look at what Texas must do to beat Rice in the Longhorns' season opener on Sept. 3 at 7 p.m. At 5 p.m., the two-hour "Texas GameDay" -- the only pre-game show broadcast exclusively from inside Darrell K. Royal – Texas Memorial Stadium -- will give fans all the insights, analysis and excitement they've come to know from ESPN's "College GameDay" pre-game show. Immediately after the game, Longhorn fans will see the debut of "Texas GameDay Final" – a two-hour dedicated post-game show televised exclusively from the field.

Additionally, on Monday (Sept. 5) at 7 p.m., and each following Monday at that time throughout the football season, "Rewind with Mack Brown" will break down all the plays of the previous Saturday's game. And, each Tuesday at 8 p.m. "Texas Football Overdrive" will present the game in an enhanced format featuring interviews, sound and analysis that bring viewers an inside look at the game.

Charter Customers Score NFL Network and NFL RedZone in Time for 2011 Season

Mon, 01 Aug 2011 20:51:58 +0000

Charter and NFL Network today announced that they have reached a new, long-term agreement for carriage of NFL Network.

Charter, among the largest cable and Internet service providers in the country, will also offer the innovative NFL RedZone channel to its customers. NFL Network and NFL RedZone will be available through Charter in time for the start of the 2011 NFL regular season.

"Charter has devoted and passionate NFL fans from coast to coast. We're extremely pleased to be enhancing the value to our customers with the addition of NFL Network and NFL RedZone," said Allan Singer, Charter Senior Vice President, Programming. "The total football experience for Charter customers is now much more robust – high-definition picture, stats and facts to help pick a fantasy team and in-depth analysis of performance and strategy."

"Charter is one of the top cable systems in the country and we are excited its customers will be the newest fans to enjoy the only network dedicated entirely to football," said John Malkin, NFL Network vice president of affiliate distribution. "In addition to our Thursday Night Football games, nightly news on NFL Total Access, Emmy award-winning NFL Films programming and every NFL preseason game, Charter customers will also be able to watch NFL RedZone –featuring every touchdown from every game on Sunday afternoons – starting on September 11."

"This season will be an exciting one for our team and for Rams fans," said Sam Bradford, second-year quarterback for the Rams. "I'm proud to be a part of this great game in St. Louis, and as a Charter customer, you can be sure I'll be watching NFL Network, too."

Former Rams greats, including Marshall Faulk, Kurt Warner and Torry Holt, who helped lead the Rams to a Super Bowl victory in 1999, are on NFL Network's roster of analysts.

Soon-to-be-Hall-of-Famer Faulk added, "We are back to football and NFL Network is the only network that provides Charter fans inside access to NFL training camps with daily coverage leading up to the kick off of the 2011 NFL season."

NFL Network is the destination for all that happens around the sport of football. NFL Network airs seven days a week, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and provides viewers with nearly 2,000 hours a year of original programming, including: NFL Total Access, NFL GameDay, Top 10, Playbook, NFL Replay, NFL Classic Games plus the Emmy award-winning Sound FX and America's Game series.

NFL Network is the home of Thursday Night Football, eight NFL regular season games leading up to the playoffs. This year's schedule kicks off on November 10 with the Oakland Raiders at San Diego Chargers and features the new announcing team of Mike Mayock and Brad Nessler. In addition, NFL Network also features every NFL preseason game starting in August, AFL and CFL games, the Senior Bowl, plus more coverage of the NFL Draft, Hall of Fame ceremony, NFL Scouting Combine and Super Bowl than anyone else.

NFL RedZone, produced by NFL Network, whips around every NFL game on Sunday afternoons, delivering the touchdowns and most exciting moments as they happen and in high definition. When a team goes inside the 20-yard line, fans see the crucial plays live. The channel keeps fans up-to-date in real time, switching from game to game with live look-ins, highlights and a chance to see every important play. For more information on NFL RedZone, visit www.nfl.com/redzonetv.

NFL Network will be available to Charter customers on the Digital View Plus tier and in high definition to customers with high-definition service and HDTVs. NFL RedZone will be available on Charter's sports tiers.

Charter Completes Acquisition of Cable Systems from Windjammer in Alabama and Georgia

Mon, 01 Aug 2011 15:54:26 +0000

Charter Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: CHTR) today announced it has completed the acquisition of broadband systems serving, in aggregate, approximately 17,000 customers in Alabama and Georgia from Windjammer Communications LLC.

"This transaction demonstrates Charter's disciplined approach to capital allocation and M&A," said Charter President, Operations Steven Apodaca. "Our primary focus is providing value to our customers and enhancing their experience with Charter. This acquisition is aligned with our strategy of enhancing and growing core system clusters to enable significant operational synergies," he added. Charter has served customers in those two states for many years, and customers in the newly acquired systems join more than 500,000 Charter customers in the company's Alabama and Georgia markets.

Charter will ensure a seamless transition for customers from the former Windjammer cable operations in Fort Benning, GA; Fort Payne, AL; and Cullman, AL. Charter plans to more broadly deploy video-on-demand and HD programming, provide faster Internet speeds and roll out enhanced services already introduced in nearby Charter markets for area businesses.

The purchase price was not disclosed.

Virgin Media Delivers World's Fastest Cable Broadband

Fri, 22 Jul 2011 11:02:28 +0000

Virgin Media, the UK's leading broadband provider, is successfully delivering internet speeds up to 240 times faster than the national average to triallists in London.

Using Virgin Media's unique cable network, broadband speeds of up to 1.5Gb are being enjoyed around Old Street, an area known as ‘Silicon Roundabout', including by members at TechHub, a community and workspace for technology entrepreneurs.

The 1.5Gb download and 150Mb upload trial uses the same infrastructure and technology as Virgin Media uses to provide residential customers with speeds of up to 100Mb, already being rolled out to over half of all UK homes. The 1.5Gb trial is the world's fastest cable connection and more than 240 times faster than the national average broadband1.

Jon James, executive director of broadband at Virgin Media, said: "As people are simultaneously connecting more gadgets to the internet and doing more online than ever before, we wanted to explore what our unique fibre optic network is capable of. At speeds of up to 1.5Gb, Virgin Media is delivering some of the fastest broadband in the world and, thanks to our ongoing investment, we're able to anticipate and lead the way in meeting growing demand for bandwidth as future services and applications come online."

Virgin Media is celebrating the success of its 1.5Gb trial with an event at TechHub today. TechHub members will be showcasing their products, exploring how to make the most of technology, now and in the future, and guests will be given the chance to try out the world's fastest cable connection for themselves.

Communications Minister Ed Vaizey attended the event and said: "It is fantastic to see the fastest internet speeds in the world over cable being trialled here in the UK.

"This exciting development will help attract new companies and entrepreneurs to the area, bringing new jobs and growth to this part of the capital.

"Last year the Prime Minister set out our ambition for London's East End to become a world-leading technology city to rival Silicon Valley. Developments like Virgin Media's will help make this ambition a reality."

Elizabeth Varley, co-founder and CEO at TechHub, said: "TechHub members are having great fun with the super speeds and are looking forward to trying out new ideas and applications. Superfast broadband is critical to continued innovation across the UK and Virgin Media's 1.5Gb trial is a great opportunity to explore the future potential."

TechHub members are tech entrepreneurs and startup teams, producing interactive applications, software and other products exploring innovative uses of content and technology to develop new businesses and ideas.

Other businesses taking part in Virgin Media's 1.5Gb trial include BespokeBanter.com, an online media outfit, and soproductions.tv, a video production company.

As the pace of technological change increases, Virgin Media's future-proofed infrastructure means consumers will be best placed to access future interactive entertainment and public services, such as remote healthcare and online education, as they're developed.

The DOCSIS2 technology used throughout Virgin Media's network provides a future-proofed platform with theoretically near infinite capacity. Virgin Media is able to bond multiple downstream and upstream channels together to be used at the same time by a single subscriber to deliver faster speeds. DOCSIS 3.0, the current standard used throughout Virgin Media's network, also incorporates support for Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6).

Virgin Media's 100mb Broadband Reaches a Quarter of the UK

Thu, 21 Jul 2011 12:38:36 +0000

Virgin Media continues to lead the way in the UK’s broadband revolution, announcing that its ultrafast 100Mb service is now available to over a quarter of UK homes.

On target to complete the remainder of its unique fibre optic network covering nearly 13 million homes by mid-2012, the cutting edge broadband service is catalysing the adoption of ultrafast broadband services across the UK, whilst contributing significantly to the Government’s objective to deliver the best broadband in Europe by 2015.

The blisteringly fast 100Mb service delivers over sixteen times the average national broadband speed and is now available to over 6.5 million homes in more than 160 locations across the UK. With a nation increasingly reliant on online services, the ultrafast connection will enable households to enjoy surfing, tweeting, paying bills or shopping online, as well as enjoy a wide range of entertainment services with several people online at the same time. Busy professionals will also benefit from a seamless experience when working from home, whether sharing large documents or video conferencing with colleagues.

As well as upgrading its network to enable its 100Mb service, Virgin Media has also been upgrading customers’ upload speeds across the country for free. The ‘faster uploads’ roll-out has already reached ninety percent of Virgin Media’s network, giving customers up to 10Mb upload with the 100Mb service. Faster uploads enable households to share information in ultra-quick time whether uploading photos to Facebook, sharing videos on You Tube, or hosting a multiplayer game – with up to 10Mb upload families now have ample bandwidth to game, surf, share, poke and tweet all at the same time.

Jon James, executive director of broadband at Virgin Media said: “Virgin Media has consistently led the greatest developments in broadband in the UK and we’re proud to continue this tradition with the roll-out of our 100Mb service. But we’re not stopping there - we continue to develop broadband technology with trials for 200Mb taking place across the country and we have deployed a cutting-edge 1.5Gb cable broadband trial in East London. Only Virgin Media has the network to drive forward the UK’s digital economy, giving Brits a true world-class digital entertainment service at their fingertips.”

Virgin Media Agrees Exclusive and Groundbreaking Partnership with Spotify

Thu, 07 Jul 2011 09:20:25 +0000

Virgin Media (NASDAQ: VMED) (LSE: VMED) has announced an exclusive agreement with digital music service Spotify that will make Virgin Media the only digital entertainment provider in the UK to offer the music platform across multiple services.

Making listening to and finding new music fantastically easy, worry-free and more affordable for Virgin Media customers, the pioneering partnership will see Spotify’s massive catalogue of over 13 million tracks available to customers however they choose, be it online, on the move through their mobiles, or in the living room through their TVs.

Virgin Media’s groundbreaking agreement with Spotify will mean over 4 million fibre optic broadband customers will have the option to access music online in a safe, legal way for the whole family whenever they want. Virgin Media will also be the only digital entertainment provider in the UK to integrate Spotify into its TV offering through its cutting-edge ‘connected’ TV service powered by TiVo, as well as being able to provide a bundled solution for customers with Virgin Mobiles.

Due to launch in the coming months, Virgin Media will be making Spotify available to both new and existing customers through a range of special offers. This will include both Spotify Unlimited, which will give customers unlimited access to Spotify’s full library of music, ad-free, on their computers, and Spotify Premium, which adds the ability to enjoy the complete Spotify library on the move through mobile devices. Customers choosing Spotify through Virgin Media will also benefit from exclusive features and content, as well as be eligible for special promotions.

Jon James, executive director of broadband at Virgin Media, said: “We are delighted to have united the Virgin Media brand with the world’s best music service. Spotify will help our customers to fill their world with music, whether it’s at home or on the go, and provide a unique way to get even more out of Virgin Media’s leading digital services.”

Andreas Liffgarden, director of business development at Spotify, added: “By teaming up with Virgin Media we’re giving millions more people across the UK the chance to enjoy all the world’s music at their fingertips, however they choose to listen to it - be that on their computer, mobile, and for the first time through their TV.”

Retaining the flexibility and freedom of Spotify’s existing online and mobile services, Virgin Media customers will be able to seamlessly create playlists from millions of tracks, share songs or playlists with friends instantly through social networks such as Twitter and Facebook, as well as explore new music whenever they choose to. Virgin Media customers enjoying Virgin Media TV powered by TiVo®, the UK’s first next-generation ‘connected’ TV service, will be able to enjoy their Spotify service through a jointly developed app for subscribers.

Existing Virgin Media customers will get the first opportunity to take advantage of this exciting partnership with special offers and an exclusive sign-up window. Existing Spotify users that are currently, or become, Virgin Media broadband customers will be able to keep their existing accounts and still take advantage of bundled offers.

Virgin Media already offers a chart-busting library of thousands of music videos on its pioneering TV On Demand service, receiving hundreds of thousands of views each week. The company also unveiled a similar online video service in 2010 as well as a music track download service on the Virgin Media mobile portal. Virgin Media is also in discussion with other entertainment and content providers as part of its ongoing strategy to provide the most complete entertainment experience for its customers.

Comcast Launches Xfinity in Vermont

Tue, 21 Jun 2011 11:08:36 +0000

Comcast, Vermont's leading provider of entertainment, information and communications products and services, today announced the launch of Xfinity in the state.

The company is rolling out the new brand for its technology platform and products – Xfinity TV, Xfinity Internet and Xfinity Voice, which delivers increased Internet speeds, more On Demand and HD choices as well as converged services like 150,000 choices of "anytime, anywhere" online entertainment with XfinityTV.com.

Brattleboro, Rutland and Bennington are the first areas in Vermont that are enjoying the benefits of Xfinity after completing a Digital Network Enhancement project that allowed the company to deliver a significant amount of new programming, including a massive expansion to over 100 high-definition (HD) channels, along with more than 25,000 On Demand choices a month including 6,000 in HD. The Digital Network Enhancement project will continue across the state of Vermont on a rolling basis in the coming months.

Additionally, the company recently completed a statewide launch of a new on-screen program guide that delivers a faster, more user-friendly experience for the company's digital TV customers and paves the way for future enhancements. The company has also launched the popular Xfinity TV and Xfinity Mobile apps, both of which are examples of Comcast's ongoing commitment to deliver more choice and more control to its customers through its Xfinity services.

"Xfinity represents the future of our company and it's a promise to our customers that we'll keep innovating," said Mary McLaughlin, Senior Vice President of Comcast's Western New England Region, which includes Vermont. "It also demonstrates our commitment to continually enhance our products and services so our customers can enjoy the best entertainment and communications choices wherever, whenever and however they want."

Xfinity is the culmination of years of work to transition Comcast's network and products to a platform that provides:

50 Mbps download speeds today, increasing to 100+ Mbps and even faster in the future
100+ HD channels, 6,000+ HD choices and the best HD picture quality available
50 to 70 foreign language channels
25,000+ On Demand choices
XfinityTV.com, offering 150,000 choices of "anytime, anywhere" online entertainment
Future cross-platform and mobile applications, such as Caller ID to the TV, myDVR Manager (which allows customers to schedule their DVRs remotely via phone or the internet), AnyRoom DVR, and the ability to change TV channels using the Xfinity TV app and an iPad.

Comcast is also committed to providing a superior customer experience and recently introduced expanded business hours at its six service centers across Vermont, redesigned its self-install kits to make them even easier for customers to use, and also introduced a Triple Play Self-Install-Kit, a first of its kind offering that enables customers to choose the time that is best for them to install their own Xfinity TV, Xfinity Internet and Xfinity Voice services.

These improvements are complemented by Comcast's Customer Guarantee, the company's promise that it will hold its products, service and employees to the highest standards. The Customer Guarantee makes clear what customers should expect of Comcast, and backs it up with a 30-day money-back guarantee on services, and credits or complimentary services if the company is late for an appointment or doesn't fix a problem the first time.

Since entering Vermont in November 2006, Comcast has aggressively expanded its services across the state, investing in its advanced fiber-optic network to bring broadband services to previously unserved homes and businesses and partnering with local communities. The company has extended its network by more than 1,500 miles in Vermont since 2006 and has launched numerous advanced services including Digital Cable with On Demand, HD, Digital Video Recorders, Comcast High-Speed Internet service, Digital Voice, and the company's Business Class suite of voice, Internet and cable television services for small and medium-sized businesses. In addition, Comcast offers programming of special interest to Vermonters, like Vermont Public Television programming and University of Vermont hockey and basketball games. Comcast also assists local non-profit organizations in Vermont with financial, in-kind and employee volunteer support and has provided over $3 million in cash and in-kind support to Vermont organizations since 2006.

Verizon FiOS TV Is Innovation Pioneer With Advanced Television Operating System

Tue, 21 Jun 2011 10:57:56 +0000

As cable operators at the Cable Show this week discuss long-range plans to develop better programming guides, Verizon continues to roll out the ninth major upgrade of its Interactive Media Guide, the advanced operating system for FiOS TV.

Introduced in 2007, the FiOS TV IMG was the first broadband platform to pull together content from broadcast TV, the Internet and users' own personal media into one media-management system. It's since evolved into an in-depth, interactive TV experience, with applications for advanced/intuitive search, social networking, Internet video, personal media streaming, high-definition music, remote DVR controls, account management and billing functions, multi-screen/mobile viewing and much more. The latest upgrade will be made available to FiOS TV subscribers throughout the summer. View a video of some of the recently announced new IMG features here.

"At its inception, FiOS TV was designed to deliver a radically different home-entertainment experience," said Eric Bruno, vice president product management for Verizon's consumer and business services. "The vast variety of programming and capabilities we offered from the start of FiOS TV required an operating system that could organize and simplify content for customers. Every year we've added more advanced capabilities that have changed TV viewing from a one-way passive experience into an interactive and social journey of search, discovery, personalization and community."

Verizon recently used customer feedback gained from its product development labs, field trials and social media forums to create more than 25 of its latest upgrades to its FiOS TV IMG, including greater personalization, easier navigation, deeper search, bigger storage options and optimization for new 3D technology.

Following is a sampling of the innovations that Verizon has pioneered through its advanced FiOS TV operating system:

Advanced Search --Advanced, customized search for linear, video-on-demand (VOD) content, personal and Internet media by day/time, program, genre, actor and keyword.

Advanced DVR -- DVR "chaptering" similar to DVD functionality that allows users to return to specific points in recorded programming by referencing a visual chapter.

Multi-room DVR -- Use one DVR to record and view programming on up to six additional TV sets.

Multi-hub DVR – use one DVR or HD set-top box to access recorded programming on all other DVRs in the home.

Interactive Applications -- Interactive widgets including games, Facebook, Twitter, KODAK Gallery, NBA League Pass, Visual 411, WeatherBug, FiOS Mobile Remote, HSN Shop by Remote®, AP Headline News, Spend Smart Coupons, YouTube, Yelp, iHeartRadio, TMZ, Traffic, Zona Latina, Music Choice, baseball, football, international soccer, horoscopes, sports headlines, daily news and more.

Personal Media -- Ability for customers to stream personal photos, music and videos to the TV via their laptop or PC. Customers can also flick photos from their smartphones to the TV screen.

Remote Access -- Remote DVR control via variety of mobile devices. Remote access to programming through FiOS TV Online and FiOS TV Flex View services. Enables customers' smartphones, tablets and other devices to be used as a remote control.

Content Discovery -- Personalized programming recommendations based on recently viewed VOD programming. What's Hot feature that lists the most popular shows by day/time slot. Viewer ratings for VOD titles.

"As customers explore the richness of their FiOS TV service, they'll find an easy-to-manage, highly interactive, technologically advanced offering unlike anything else available in the marketplace today, delivered over the ultimate, advanced all-fiber-optic network," said Bruno. "We're erasing technology boundaries to free customers to benefit from everything they're looking for in entertainment - at home and on the go."

Verizon Significantly Reduces Energy Consumption at 24 of its US Data Centers

Mon, 13 Jun 2011 10:03:20 +0000

Using innovative technology that targets cooling efficiency, Verizon has significantly reduced energy consumption and carbon emissions at 24 of its U.S. data centers.

The technology, intelligent energy management systems from Vigilent™, enabled Verizon to achieve the following results:

• Turning off approximately 40 percent of the computer room air conditioners in these data centers within two days of implementing the energy management systems, providing an instant reduction in energy consumption and an anticipated savings of more than 55 million kilowatts annually.

• Reducing greenhouse gas emissions by more than 66 million pounds of CO2 on an annualized basis.

• Decreasing average temperatures by two degrees Fahrenheit throughout the data centers, with significantly reduced temperature fluctuations and extremes.

"Vigilent energy management systems have reduced cooling consumption by more than 40 percent as well as provided important safeguards that help improve our uptime," said Mark Capurso, director of national technical operations at Verizon. "This combination of energy savings and improved efficiencies goes a long way toward helping meet Verizon's goal of improving its carbon efficiency by 15 percent this year."

Vigilent energy management systems consist of hundreds of wireless temperature sensors at each data center that are connected through an intelligent mesh network to on-site servers using energy management software. These systems delivered real-time data about environmental conditions throughout each facility, then provided analysis and recommendations for optimal configurations and performance.

Verizon, which is implementing an aggressive campaign to reduce energy usage, based its choice of Vigilent systems on an extensive investigation into a wide range of approaches to address data center cooling issues. Verizon anticipates installing the Vigilent system at more of the company's U.S. data center sites.

"We are enthusiastic about our collaboration with Verizon, a company which has led the way in combining technology leadership with stewardship of the environment," said Mark Housley, chief executive officer, Vigilent. "Vigilent and Verizon worked closely to implement dynamic cooling at these facilities across the U.S., and the results speak for themselves. Verizon was able to capture significant reductions in cooling energy and its carbon footprint while simultaneously helping to increase uptime, resilience and protection for these mission-critical facilities."

Overall, Verizon's energy reduction and recycling initiatives in its facilities around the globe reduced CO2 emissions by more than 297.5 million pounds in 2010, leading to an improvement of more than 15 percent in the rate of emissions per terabyte of data, a new metric Verizon developed to measure carbon efficiency.

Virgin Media's 100Mb Broadband Now Available in over Four Million UK Homes

Mon, 13 Jun 2011 09:51:44 +0000

Virgin Media’s blisteringly fast 100Mb broadband roll-out has now passed a landmark four million homes, giving families in the UK the ability to enjoy a service able to deliver over sixteen times the average national broadband speed.

Powered by Virgin Media’s unique fibre optic network, the UK’s leading broadband service is now available to over 100 towns across the UK from Cwmbran to Clydebank with roll-out across the remainder of its network of nearly 13 million homes on track to complete by mid-2012.

With the number of devices connecting to the internet due to double the world’s population by 2015, Virgin Media’s ultrafast 100Mb broadband service is designed to help the UK stay at the forefront of the digital revolution. Perfectly poised to cope with the growing demands of computers, games consoles, mobile smartphones and even connected TVs, the incredible 100Mb service allows the whole family to enjoy getting online together, without the dreadful buffering that plagues ADSL broadband.

At such high speeds, using Virgin Media’s 100Mb service means downloading an entire music album can take as little as 5 seconds; a TV show in around 30 seconds, a high quality movie in as little as 1½ minutes and a high definition movie in around 7 minutes. The ultrafast 100Mb service will also make sharing content even easier with up to 10Mb upload as standard, meaning sending photos, uploading video or even running live video chat with friends or family across the world is now easier than ever before.

Jon James, executive director of broadband at Virgin Media said: “As data consumption rises and consumers grow increasingly reliant on their broadband service, only Virgin Media’s unique network is primed to cater for the UK’s impending data explosion. With four million homes now able to ‘get in the fast lane’ with our 100Mb service, the UK is racing up the broadband league tables and we’re delighted to be playing the leading role in boosting the UK’s digital infrastructure.”

Every new 100Mb broadband subscriber receives a custom built, energy efficient, combined modem and wireless ‘N’ router, which has the potential to deliver speeds of up to 400Mb as new services roll-out in the future. The new ultrafast service costs as little as £35 a month when taken with a phone line, or just £45 per month when bought as a sole product.

Virgin Media is also currently trialling 200Mb services and has deployed a cutting-edge 1.5Gb cable broadband trial in East London.

Verizon Adds More Spanish-Language Channels to FiOS TV Packages for Hispanic Households

Mon, 23 May 2011 19:31:32 +0000

To meet the growing demand for international and foreign-language programming, Verizon has added five more Spanish-language channels to its FiOS TV lineup.

The new channels -- CentroAmerica TV, Latele Novela Network, Pasiones, Teleamazones Internacional and Vme Kids -- expand FiOS TV's extensive Spanish-language offerings, which now include 39 of the most popular channels available.

"We've been watching the tremendous growth in our Spanish-language subscriber base and have further broadened our offerings to that diverse market with these new channels," said Terry Denson, vice president of content strategy and acquisition for Verizon. "Our multicultural native-language TV channel lineup is meeting the needs of our customers in households across the country."

The five channels were launched Monday (May 23) in FiOS TV's markets in Florida, California and Texas and will be in all FiOS TV markets by the middle of next month. Highlights of the new channels are:

CentroAmerica TV (Channel 1703) – offers the more than 5 million Central Americans in the U.S. an entertainment channel with the most varied programming from their region: morning shows, comedy series, live news and the best soccer every weekend.
Latele Novela Network (Channel 1590) – has many of the most popular love stories and award-winning productions from Latin America, with many titles never seen before in the U.S.
Pasiones (Channel 1583) – is a multicultural channel dedicated to "telenovelas," providing fans with access to the greatest talent, the most recent successes in television, and unforgettable classics from all of Latin America. Pasiones is the leading telenovela channel, which covers North and South America and broadcasts highly rated Latin American productions from Venezuela, Colombia, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Peru and the U.S.
Teleamazones Internacional (Channel 1706) – is the international version of the most successful television network in Ecuador, offering Ecuadorians living abroad the most complete programming such as live news, music, documentaries and exclusive coverage of the best series A and series B soccer matches from more than 11 teams including the most popular champions -- Barcelona and Deportivo Quito.
Vme Kids (FiOS TV Channel 1721) – offers best-in-class shows for U.S. Hispanic children and adheres to the programming standards of U.S. public television.

The five new channels join Television Dominicana, Supercanal and VeneMovies, which were added to FiOS TV's Spanish-language and La Conexion packages earlier this year. The Spanish-language package offers some of the most popular Spanish-language channels available – including Galavision, ESPN Deportes and CNN en Espanol – for $11.99 per month. Verizon's La Conexion package offers the best in Spanish- and English-language programming, with more than 125 channels, including all Spanish-language channels, up to 14 HD channels and more than 54 of the most popular channels in English. La Conexion is available separately for $54.99 per month, or in a bundled package with FiOS Internet and voice service.

FiOS TV offers a broad collection of programming, featuring more than 520 all-digital channels including up to 140 HD channels and 18,000 monthly video-on-demand titles. FiOS also provides next-generation interactive services including an advanced interactive media guide; social networking, news and entertainment widgets; remote DVR management via broadband or cell phone; and more.

Outdoor Channel & Outdoor Channel HD Launch on Comcast in Charleston

Sun, 22 May 2011 12:12:05 +0000

Outdoor Channel, America's Leader in Outdoor TV, has announced the launch of the network on Comcast Cable Systems in the Charleston, South Carolina market, effective immediately.

"Outdoor Channel is thrilled to expand upon our strategic relationship with Comcast as we bring our genre-leading content and personalities to Charleston, South Carolina in both standard and high definition," said Tom Hornish, Chief Operating Officer, Outdoor Channel. "Outdoor Channel is the only full-time network in the traditional outdoor genre to broadcast in 100 percent native HD and now, Charleston residents will be able to appreciate the picturesque sights of our rugged adventures in the pristine widescreen format."

"The great state of South Carolina, with its scenic coastline and rolling hills, is home to many avid outdoorsmen. We are excited that through our agreement with Comcast, they will now have access to some of the industry's most riveting and respected outdoor shows," said Randy Brown, Executive Vice President, Affiliate Sales & Marketing, Outdoor Channel.

"As part of our mission to provide our customers with highly sought-after networks, Comcast is pleased to add Outdoor Channel to our Digital Preferred and Digital Sports Entertainment Pack, in addition to our HD Digital Preferred and HD Digital Sports Entertainment tiers," said Laura Scarborough, Director of Marketing and Sales for Comcast of Charleston. "Outdoor Channel's programming will really resonate with our customers, as many are avid hunters, anglers and outdoor enthusiasts."

Outdoor Channel is now available as part of Comcast's Digital Preferred and Digital Sports Entertainment tiers on Channel 731. Additionally, Outdoor Channel HD is available on Channel 392 as part of the provider's HD Digital Preferred and HD Digital Sports Entertainment tiers.

Time Warner Cable Digital TV Customers Now Have Access to More Than 175 High-Definition Channels

Mon, 16 May 2011 18:46:31 +0000

Time Warner Cable today announced Digital TV customers now have access to more than 175 high-definition (HD) channels in New York City. Digital TV customers also have access to new international packages, On Demand and digital channels.

"Time Warner Cable offers the best and biggest HD lineup in New York City. We're excited to announce that our customers now have access to over 175 HD channels and that additional HD On Demand channels are coming soon," said David Gray, Regional Vice President of Marketing for Time Warner Cable's East Region. "Along with the expansion of HD, we continue to augment our digital and On Demand offerings making it simple and easy for customers to access the shows they want. In an effort to deliver more programming options and value to our diverse customers, we're also introducing several international packages which provide a cost-effective option for viewing programming from around the world."

The following HD channels are now available:

Bloomberg HD – Channel 730 in New York City, Channel 708 in Mount Vernon, Channel 714 in New Jersey, Channel 717 in Hudson Valley
WGN America HD – Channel 679
Oprah Winfrey Network HD (OWN) – Channel 682
Oxygen HD – Channel 753 in Mount Vernon and Hudson Valley (previously launched on Channel 712 in New York City and Channel 764 in New Jersey.)
Lifetime HD – Channel 762 in New York City, Channel 743 in Mount Vernon, Channel 765 in New Jersey, Channel 741 in Hudson Valley
GMC HD – Channel 680
ESPN Deportes HD – Channel 487
Fox Deportes HD – Channel 486
FEARnet HD and FEARnet HD On Demand– Channel 292 and Channel 291 respectively (as part of a subscription to Time Warner Cable Movie Pass)
HBO HD On Demand* – Channel 200
Cinemax HD On Demand* – Channel 210
Showtime HD On Demand* – Channel 220

Along with over 50 international channels currently available to Time Warner Cable Digital TV customers, the company has created several international packages** designed to provide customers with significant savings (up to 65%) and access to many popular in-language channels from select countries through specially-priced packages:

Hindi Passport Includes Sahara Filmy, Sony Asia, TV Asia and Zee TV for $29.99 more a month
Hindi Pass Plus Includes Bollywood On Demand, ITV, Sahara Filmy, Sony Asia, TV Asia and Zee TV for $39.99 more a month
Filipino Pass Plus Includes GMA Pinoy, GMA Life, GMA DWLS Radio, GMA DZBB Radio and The Filipino Channel for $24.99 more a month
Mandarin Passport Includes CCTV-4, CTI Zhong Tian, Phoenix InfoNews and Phoenix NA for $19.99 more a month
Mandarin ETTV Passport Includes ETTV China, ETTV Drama, ETTV Financial, ETTV News, ETTV NY and Yoyo TV for $19.99 more a month
Mandarin Pass Plus Includes CCTV-4, CTI Zhong Tian, ETTV China, ETTV Drama, ETTV Financial, ETTV News, ETTV NY, Phoenix Info News, Phoenix NA and Yoyo TV for $29.99 more a month
Russian Passport Includes C1R Worldwide, RTVi, RTN and TV 1000 Russian Kino for $25.99 more a month
Russian Pass Plus Includes C1R Worldwide, CTC, NTV America, RTN, RTN Plus, RTVi and TV 1000 Russian Kino for $29.99 more a month

In addition, the following two channels are now available as part of the company's El Paquetazo package which provides Latinos with the best mix of the most popular English and Spanish-language channels through an affordable digital video package:

Lifetime Movie Network – Channel 894
Lifetime Movie Network HD – Channel 780 in New York City, Channel 765 in Mount Vernon, Channel 779 in New Jersey, Channel 752 in Hudson Valley

Time Warner Cable's New York City footprint serves over 1.3 million customers in four New York City boroughs (Manhattan, Queens, Staten Island and western Brooklyn), Mt. Vernon, Hudson Valley (Orange, Sullivan, Ulster Counties and parts of Dutchess, Greene and Delaware Counties), and Bergen and Hudson Counties in New Jersey.

Virgin Media to Air French Open Tennis Centre Court Action in 3D

Mon, 16 May 2011 12:13:56 +0000

Virgin Media is bringing live 3D tennis to millions of fans' living rooms for the first time in the UK.

Virgin Media will showcase Eurosport's live and exclusive programming from centre court at this year's French Open tournament.

With Rafael Nadal defending his title against Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer and in-form Caroline Wozniacki taking on returning champion Francesca Schiavone, Virgin Media's pay TV customers will be able to enjoy every big forehand, backhand, volley and smash from the centre court at Roland Garros, Paris, in glorious 3D.

Live action will be broadcast in 3D on Virgin Media channel 523 as the tournament opens on Sunday 22nd May and concludes with the final on Sunday 5th June. Tennis fans wanting to relive the action will also be able to watch top matches on Virgin Media's ground-breaking 3D on demand service.

Cindy Rose, executive director of digital entertainment at Virgin Media, said: "We're delighted to be adding one of the year's most prestigious sporting events to our calendar and giving our customers more of those ‘wow' moments in breath-taking 3D. With Sky Sports, Eurosport and ESPN all available in HD and SD and a great choice of sport on demand, Virgin Media is the perfect choice for sports fans everywhere."

Jean Thierry Augustin, Eurosport's Managing Director, Distribution, Rights Acquisition and Development said: "This agreement with Virgin Media will enable UK sports fans to experience Grand Slam tennis as never before. The iconic clay courts of Roland Garros are the perfect stage to demonstrate the progress being made in 3D sports broadcasting. It will be the first time an entire Grand Slam event has been accessible in 3D to viewers at home from the opening day to the final and it reinforces Eurosport's commitment to innovation and new technology."

Virgin Media is showcasing Eurosport's 3D coverage of the French Open. Live action from the tournament will also be available on Eurosport HD (Virgin Media channel 522), British Eurosport (channel 521) and British Eurosport 2 (channel 525).

More than 1.5 million households already have a 3D-ready Virgin Media set-top box at home. Virgin Media offers a choice of 3D content to its TV customers for no extra monthly fee.

AT&T U-verse Viewers Nationwide Can 'Choose Their Own Camera Angle' with Chicago Cubs Multiview

Wed, 11 May 2011 08:05:29 +0000

AT&T, WGN America, and WGN-TV are giving Chicago Cubs fans across the country a chance to sit in the director's seat and control how they watch the team compete at Wrigley Field.

AT&T U-verse® TV has announced the nationwide launch of Chicago Cubs Multiview, an interactive TV app that lets U-verse customers view up to four different camera angles of the Chicago Cubs home games at one time, choosing from the main WGN America game broadcast and six alternate camera angles. The app was popular with Chicago viewers last season, and this is the first time AT&T has made multi-camera angle functionality available to U-verse TV customers nationwide.

"Last season, our Chicago U-verse TV customers loved having the power to choose how they watch every pitch and home run with the Chicago Cubs Multiview," said Dan York, president of content, AT&T. "We're proud to work with WGN and WGN America to deliver this functionality to U-verse TV customers nationwide this year. The app shows the tremendous possibilities that our advanced U-verse TV service and network can deliver, putting viewers in control of which camera angle they watch."

With Chicago Cubs Multiview, you can choose which of the seven channels is the main picture, and easily select and record any Chicago Cubs channel from within the app. The alternate camera angles are set up for each home game above home plate, third base, first base and center field.

"Having Multiview extend nationally in U-verse homes is one more way to enjoy our Cubs telecast," said Julio Marenghi WGN America's Executive Vice President/General Manager. "We are proud to partner with AT&T to provide fans this enhanced viewing experience."

For no extra charge, Chicago Cubs Multiview will be available to all U-verse TV customers subscribing to U100 and above on channel 780 and also on 1780 (HD) for customers with HD access. The app is available for the majority of Chicago Cubs home games that air on WGN-TV and WGN America for the rest of this season, starting with the St. Louis Cardinals vs. Chicago Cubs game on Tuesday, May 10, at 7 p.m. Central.

"We're very excited to offer Cubs fans across the country the opportunity to select their camera angles during all of our home games on WGN America and WGN TV," said Wally Hayward, executive vice president, chief sales and marketing officer, Chicago Cubs. "The AT&T U-verse technology puts our fans in the director's seat to control their viewership experience throughout the game."

AT&T introduced the award-winning Multiview app in fall 2009, and launched the My Multiview app in June, which lets customers choose and watch up to four of their favorite channels at once on their TV screen. Customers also enjoy Sports Multiview, Kids Multiview and News Multiview at no extra cost as part of every package.

AT&T U-verse TV uses 100-percent Internet Protocol (IP) technology, which allows AT&T to deliver advanced interactive apps such as Multiview and multiple camera angles.

AT&T U-verse TV includes many features that improve the game-watching experience for any sports fan, including Total Home DVR, which lets you watch and manage recordings from a single DVR on any connected TV in the house; access to an extensive High Definition (HD) channel lineup with more than 160 HD channels and growing; fast channel change, which lets you channel surf without the delay experienced on other digital TV services; picture-in-picture browse capability that lets you preview games on other channels; and the ability to follow your favorite sports teams through the AT&T U-bar.

Cox Communications Launches TV Shows and Movies Online

Wed, 11 May 2011 07:57:59 +0000

Cox Communications announced today that it has once again increased the viewing choice and flexibility available to its TV customers by introducing TV Online.

Now customers have the choice to view favorite shows: on TV, On DEMAND and now Online via the cox.com/tv site anywhere they have access to a broadband connection.

With the launch of TV Online, Cox TV customers can view movies and TV shows from broadcast, cable and premium networks anytime, anywhere. This new viewing option is included at no extra charge with a Cox TV subscription. Content includes:

Popular broadcast TV shows
Hit shows from cable networks like TBS, TNT, Cartoon Network, and TruTV
Thousands of movies — hit Hollywood titles, independent films and kids’ favorites from networks like HBO, Cinemax, Epix and Vutopia
News and entertainment clips

No special equipment is required; customers simply need a computer with a flash supported browser, a broadband connection within the United States and their Cox user ID and password.

“TV Online is yet another example of how we are making our customers’ entertainment and communications flexible and customizable,” said David Pugliese, senior vice president of product marketing for Cox Communications. “Cox customers can now easily view their favorite programs online, anytime and anywhere.”

Many of the television shows will be available for online viewing starting the day after the premiere. Viewers can catch up on shows they missed or watch something new. The TV Online site is designed so that customers can find content quickly and easily by browsing through the thumbnail graphics or filter for TV shows or movies. They can further narrow their search by genre, network or show name — even by movie rating such as G or PG titles.

Cox TV Online marks an expansion of Cox’s current online entertainment options. Last summer, the company introduced the ability for Cox Advanced TV customers that subscribe to the Movie Pak to watch movies from Epix and Vutopia online. In December of last year, Cox began offering online access to select cable networks. Additionally, all Cox High Speed Internet customers have free access to ESPN3.com, where they can watch up to 3,500 games a year of college football and basketball, major professional leagues and international tennis and soccer online.

“We are constantly adding convenience and value to our products,” said Pugliese. “Cox customers can be confident that they will continually benefit from new and better ways to control and personalize their Cox services.”

Verizon FiOS TV Arrives in Randolph, Massachusetts

Wed, 04 May 2011 12:08:03 +0000

Verizon is now offering FiOS TV service in the town, bringing consumers and businesses an all-fiber-optic connection that provides more channels, more HD, more video on demand and faster Internet speeds than old-fashioned cable TV.

With the introduction of FiOS TV, Verizon is offering its revolutionary FiOS triple play of TV, Internet and voice services to homes and businesses in Randolph. The Randolph Board of Selectmen approved a local franchise agreement with Verizon on April 25.

Verizon delivers FiOS TV over the nation's largest digital, all-fiber network, offering more than 535 total channels in Massachusetts - including more than 130 high-definition channels, more HD channels than the town's current monopoly cable provider, Comcast, offers.

"Consumers and small businesses in Randolph, at long last, have a better choice for TV," said Donna Cupelo, president of Verizon New England. "We've had great success in FiOS communities throughout Massachusetts. Now it's time to bring FiOS TV to Randolph and provide customers a choice that is truly different from the cable TV company.

"Our advanced 100 percent fiber-optic network was built for HD. With all-fiber connections running straight to their homes, viewers get both high-definition and standard TV that is eye-popping. And with Flex View and FiOS TV Online, we're offering more interactivity with more content on more screens," Cupelo said.

Consumers now have the option to bundle FiOS TV service, FiOS Internet service and the FiOS Digital Voice unlimited calling plan for as little as $99.99 a month for the first year.

Verizon FiOS Adding Three Orlando TV Stations, Five Channels for Polk County Residents

Thu, 21 Apr 2011 14:46:29 +0000

Polk County residents who enjoy keeping up with both Tampa Bay area and Orlando TV stations can now have it all with FiOS TV.

Effective immediately, FiOS TV will deliver to Polk County customers three Orlando-based stations and a total of five channels in addition to the Tampa-St. Petersburg area stations that are currently part of the lineup. New customers will receive the five stations - two of them in high definition - as soon as their service is installed; Verizon's existing FiOS customers will have the stations added to their lineup over the next seven to 14 days. There is no additional charge for the new content.

The stations being added are:

ABC - WFTV - 29
FOX - WOFL - 35
Severe Weather Center 9 Now - 468
ABC - WFTV HD - 529
FOX - WOFL HD - 535

"Polk County residents are in a unique position to access two major metro areas with relative ease," said Jeanmarie Milla, Verizon's Florida region president for sales and operations. "These additions will give our Polk customers the flexibility to stay connected to both regions equally for news and programming that fit their interests - whether in Tampa, Orlando or beautiful Polk County."

Approximately 37 percent of the households in Polk County have access to the all-fiber FiOS network. Currently, new FiOS customers choosing either a triple- or quad-play bundle can also choose to lock in a higher-capacity, multi-room DVR, for as long as they maintain their FiOS bundle. The price for the multi-room DVR typically runs $19.99 per month. The new DVR boxes provide 500 gigabytes of hard-drive capacity, with the ability to store more than three times more programming than the previous DVR offered with FiOS and approximately 60 hours of HD-specific programming. The multi-room DVR supports viewing of recorded content on up to seven TVs in one house, up to three of them simultaneously.

Bundles range in price from $99.99 to $129.99 per month for triple plays and are available for $5 less when ordered online. Quad-play bundle pricing is dependent on the Verizon Wireless calling plan chosen, but it starts by adding $39.99 to the FiOS bundle price for a 450-minute calling plan. Triple-play bundles are available with a two-year term or on a month-to-month basis as a part of Verizon's Worry-Free Guarantee. Verizon Wireless calling plans require a two-year term contract.

All prices represent base pricing; taxes and fees are not included, nor are discretionary choices like premium channel packages or additional set-top boxes. Other offers, including a Verizon Visa® prepaid card worth up to $100, may be selected if a customer is not interested in the multi-room DVR.

FiOS offers a broad collection of programming on TV, with more than 520 all-digital channels including 142 HD channels in its Florida lineup and 19,000 monthly video-on-demand titles. FiOS also provides next-generation interactive services including an advanced interactive media guide; social networking, news and entertainment widgets; remote DVR management via broadband or cell phone; and more.

In addition to the Worry-Free Guarantee, Verizon provides its residential customers with access to an industry-leading inventory of service tools to use via the company's intelligent networks, creating multiple options for consumers and allowing them to choose how, when and where they want service access. To help customers understand the various service options available to them every day - both traditional and self-driven tools - Verizon produces an Online Interactive Brochure providing a directory of service features and instructions on how to use them. The Interactive Brochure helps customers make the best choice for the service they need and is continually revised as more online service tools are added or updated.

Virgin Media to Trial World’s Fastest Cable Broadband

Wed, 20 Apr 2011 08:30:23 +0000

Virgin Media, the UK’s leading broadband provider, is to begin testing internet speeds of up to 1.5Gb in east London.

Using Virgin Media’s unique cable network, the trials will begin this month in partnership with four companies in the vicinity of Old Street in London, dubbed the ‘Silicon Roundabout’.

The 1.5Gb download and 150Mb upload service will use the same infrastructure and technology as Virgin Media currently uses to provide residential customers with the country’s fastest home broadband. If successful, this will be the world’s fastest cable connection and more than 240 times faster than the national average broadband1. Similar technology tests have already proven the capability of cable to deliver download speeds of 1Gb.

Each of the companies taking part in the trial is involved in the creative industries, working extensively with video for online and mobile streaming, producing interactive applications for the web and bespoke broadcasting services for live programmes and events.

Virgin Media’s future-proofed infrastructure will mean that consumers accessing speeds of 1Gb or more, will be able to access even more interactive entertainment and services such as remote healthcare and online education, without the need to travel. As the pace of technological change increases, they will also be in the best position to enjoy web services yet to be invented.

These superfast speeds are possible because of the £13 billion of private investment made by Virgin Media which means that every cable home is connected to a state-of-the-art fibre optic network by a high-grade coaxial line. By contrast BT’s infrastructure remains reliant on copper telephone wiring, or in some cases even more inferior aluminium, which was never intended to supply broadband. This will not change for the overwhelming majority of homes eventually offered Fibre-to-the-Cabinet (FTTC) services from other providers2.

The DOCSIS3 technology used throughout Virgin Media’s network provides a future-proofed platform with theoretically near infinite capacity. Virgin Media is able to bond multiple downstream and upstream channels together to be used at the same time by a single subscriber to deliver faster speeds. DOCSIS 3.0, the current standard used throughout Virgin Media’s network, also incorporates support for Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6).

Jon James, executive director of broadband at Virgin Media, said: “Demand for greater bandwidth is growing rapidly as more devices are able to connect to the internet and as more people go online simultaneously. Our growing network provides a highly competitive alternative to the fastest fibre networks of the future and, with our ongoing investment plans, we can anticipate and meet demand as it develops over time, ensuring Virgin Media business and residential customers continue to enjoy world-class broadband.”

Sam Orams, co-founder of BespokeBanter.com, one of the companies testing Virgin Media’s 1.5Gb broadband, said: “While the average home might not need these speeds quite yet, we certainly will. The internet is critical to what we do and intrinsically linked to our future growth so it’s exciting to be working with Virgin Media at the forefront of broadband innovation in the UK.”

Virgin Media and Cinémoi Present Unrivalled Coverage of Cannes 2011

Tue, 19 Apr 2011 10:32:58 +0000

This year, Cinémoi, the UK’s only movie channel dedicated to French film and lifestyle, will be bringing Virgin Media digital TV customers comprehensive coverage of the 64th edition of the Cannes Film Festival through its exclusive coverage of the event.

With a season of shows covering all aspects of the world-famous film festival, Cinémoi’s coverage on Virgin Media will also feature three days of cult films that have made history in Cannes during a special free-to-air weekend on Virgin TV (channel 445), as well as a series of exclusive videos featuring highlights from Cannes such as interviews and celebrity red carpet coverage, available for anyone to enjoy through www.virginmedia.com/movies .

Cinémoi’s Cannes coverage will include a series of exclusive interviews with top actors and actresses, the latest news from the red carpet, all the backstage gossip, exclusive access to the hottest events and the complete lowdown on all the films causing a stir at the festival. This year’s coverage will be sponsored by the official festival car provider Renault, and UK coverage on Virgin Media is part of a wider international distribution of the same Cinémoi programmes thanks to a partnership with Sundance channel in a deal secured with 3DD.

For the first time, respected film buff Jonathan Ross, who joined Cinémoi earlier this year as a presenter and shareholder, will launch our coverage of the 64th Cannes Film Festival on Wednesday 11th May at 8.30pm at the same time than as the Opening Ceremony with a programme dedicated to the History of Cannes. The Observer film critic, Jason Solomons and TV and Radio presenter Izzy Lawrence will also join Cinémoi to celebrate the festival by conducting interviews and covering the parties and gossip from Cannes.

Once again this year expects a stellar cast of A-list directors and actors on the Croisette. Among them are President of Festival, Robert de Niro, as well as stars such as Gus Van Sant, Pedro Almodovar, the return of legendary filmmaker Terrence Malick (Badlands,Days of Heaven,The Thin Red Line) for his filmThe Tree of Life starring Sean Penn and Brad Pitt. Out-of-competition premieres includingPirates of the Caribbean:Stranger Tides, Jodie Foster’sThe Beaver with Mel Gibson, Sarkozy biopicThe Conquest and Woody Allen’sMidnight in Paris. The UK will be represented by Lynne Ramsay and her highly anticipatedWe Need to Talk About Kevin starring Tilda Swinton.

Jonathan Ross said,“The Cannes Film Festival is undoubtedly one of the most exciting and glamorous events of the film year – a real showcase of international talent. I’m delighted to be hosting the coverage this year. Don’t miss it – I’ll see you on the red carpet!”

Cindy Rose, executive director of digital entertainment at Virgin Media said,“We’re delighted to be working with Cinémoi to bring our customers the best of Cannes straight to their TVs. With a massive library of movies on Virgin Media, both through our pioneering TV on demand service and through our compelling range of movie channels, our customers have an unrivalled choice for film. This special content from Cinemoi, both on Virgin TV and through virginmedia.com will be perfect for fans to keep up with the latest news and gossip from the film industry’s premier event.”

Oliver Bengough, CEO and Founder of Cinémoi, comments,“I am delighted to bring to the Virgin customers the excitement and glamour of Cannes”.

Julien Planté, Cinémoi’s Artistic Director, said,“This will be the third time that Cinémoi has covered Cannes and our seven 26 minutes shows remain the only comprehensive coverage of the festival in the UK. With a crew of 14 people, this year will be extra special with a high standard in terms of production. Thanks to Renaultproviding cars to drive celebrities around the town, we willhave access to the Atelier Renault to interview the most relevant actors on the beach of the Majestic hotel.’’

Virgin Media Explodes onto Screens with New 3D Line-up from Disney and Paramount Pictures

Mon, 18 Apr 2011 10:50:38 +0000

Virgin Media’s 3D offering continues to go from strength to strength with an exciting new line-up of 3D movies courtesy of Paramount Pictures and The Walt Disney Company UK & Ireland.

Starting this month 3D films such as Paramount’s Jackass 3D and Disney’s TRON: Legacy will join Virgin Media’s pioneering on demand TV service, which was the first commercial 3D service to be available to millions of homes in the UK*.

These latest deals will bring range of new 3D movies powered by FilmFlex made available for the first time on TV for Virgin Media customers over the coming months.

Aleks Habdank, director of On Demand Television & Strategy at Virgin Media said: “We’re thrilled to be adding this exciting range of new movies to our 3D video on demand service from two of the biggest studios Paramount Pictures and Disney. Virgin Media pioneered 3D on Demand in the home last year, and we’re continuing to deliver a range of 3D content that’s available to all of our customers and now coupled with our new TiVo-powered service we are able to provide viewers with the most compelling TV offering in the UK.”

Through Virgin Media and Samsung Electronics 3D partnership anyone who wants to experience Virgin Media 3D On Demand they can head down to any Virgin Media retail store for a demonstration on a range of stylish 3D TV’s courtesy of Samsung. Virgin Media’s TV On Demand library contains over 4,600 hours of TV, film and music, including hundreds of hours in HD, available to watch instantly at the touch of a button, meaning there’s always something to watch. All Virgin Media TV customers can access 3D content without any extra monthly fee as long as they have a V HD or V+ HD box or the new Virgin Media powered by TiVo service and a 3D television.

Cox Communications Names Kevin Hart as Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer

Sun, 17 Apr 2011 10:45:03 +0000

Cox Communications has announced that Kevin Hart has been named executive vice president and chief technology officer, effective April 25.

In this role, he will be responsible for providing overall leadership, strategic and operational direction to the planning and development of an integrated technological platform. Hart is also charged with aligning the technology strategy with overall business objectives.

"As an accomplished leader, Kevin has a strong track record of driving business results in telecommunications companies," said Cox Communications president Pat Esser. "Kevin's strong background in IT transformation, technology deployment, strategic planning and operations will be important as Cox continues to evolve to better serve our customers."

Hart most recently served as Chief Information Officer at Clearwire Corporation. While there, he was responsible for the company's Information Technology, Enterprise Network Deployment Planning Office and Business Process Management functions. His key accomplishments with Clearwire include leading the transformation of the IT organization during the deployment of the company's 4G wireless broadband service across the nation. During Hart's 20 year career, he has also served as CIO at Level 3, one of the world's largest IP communications providers, and held leadership roles at Capgemini Consulting, International Paper and the former Southwestern Bell Communications (SBC).

Hart earned a bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Tulsa and an MBA in Finance with Honors from Notre Dame. Hart and his family will be relocating from Seattle to Atlanta.

Arqiva to Launch Shared Multiplex Service on AMC-10 Reaching 100 Percent of US Cable Headends

Mon, 11 Apr 2011 14:27:58 +0000

Arqiva, the communications infrastructure and media services company, announced today it will be launching a new DVB-S2, MPEG-4 shared multiplex satellite platform (mux) from its Los Angeles teleport, enabling broadcasters and cable programmers unrivalled access to 100 percent of US cable headends.

This new cable distribution platform will ride on SES World Skies' AMC-10 satellite located at 135 degrees west and will be powered by Cisco's latest generation MPEG-4 encoding technology. Reaching a potential 100 million US homes, the service will go live in third quarter 2011.

"Arqiva's US cable mux initiative is designed to meet existing and future customer demand for HD and 3D. With our communications infrastructure, seamless architecture and investment in technology, we can deliver the coveted North American domestic cable market. Not only will US networks have potential blanket cable access to all 50 states in HD and 3D, UK, European, Middle Eastern and Asian networks can effectively deliver their content to the same audience, vastly expanding their reach," said Jon Kirchner, EVP, GM, Arqiva Broadcast & Media.

By managing the encoding, multiplexing and delivery to AMC-10, Arqiva ensures that its customers have the latest in advanced C-band digital transmission services to US cable headends. Arqiva will also be providing conditional access management for the Integrated Receiver Decoders (IRDs). In addition, the Los Angeles teleport will have a 24/7 dedicated phone and email support help desk for IRD management.

AMC-10 is home to one of the world's largest cable neighborhoods. With 24 C-band, 36 MHz transponders, AMC-10 covers North America, including Canada, Mexico, the United States and the Caribbean.

Verizon Completes Terremark Acquisition

Mon, 11 Apr 2011 14:25:23 +0000

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, NASDAQ: VZ) today closed its previously announced acquisition of Terremark Worldwide, Inc., clearing the way for Verizon to lead the rapidly evolving global managed IT infrastructure and cloud services market.

The acquisition was completed via a short-form merger under Delaware law; therefore, no Terremark shareholder vote was required. Terremark will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of Verizon.

As a result of the merger, all outstanding shares of Terremark that were not tendered into the previously completed tender offer (except for shares held in the treasury of Terremark or by Verizon or Verizon Holdings, or shares for which appraisal rights are properly demanded) were converted into the right to receive $19 per share in cash without interest and subject to any required withholding of taxes, the same consideration paid to stockholders in the tender offer.

With the closing of the transaction, Terremark's common stock will cease trading on NASDAQ as of market close on April 11, 2011, and will no longer be listed on NASDAQ.

Accelerating Verizon's Cloud Strategy

Terremark, which will continue to be based in Miami, will help fuel overall Verizon growth by accelerating the company's strategy to provide "everything-as-a-service" to business and government customers globally.

"There is a fundamental shift under way in how enterprises consume IT resources, and concluding this transaction is a turning point in Verizon's push to provide integrated, enterprise-class cloud solutions and accelerate growth in this important segment," said Robert Toohey, president of Verizon Business. "In the coming months, we'll leverage our collective strengths to roll out a differentiated portfolio of secure, on-demand cloud computing solutions to be delivered through a unified enterprise IT platform."

Access to Expanded Global Capabilities

Verizon and Terremark enterprise clients will benefit from an unmatched combination of products, professional services and people that taps the strengths of both companies' assets. Customers of both companies will now be able to access Verizon's and Terremark's respective IT services and cloud portfolios -- including virtualization, managed hosting, application management, storage and cloud computing services -- that help companies operate more nimbly while taking advantage of better economics. Terremark also further strengthens Verizon's federal business, with government-grade cloud computing solutions and facilities.

Additionally, both Verizon and Terremark clients can now take advantage of each company's expansive global data center footprint. Verizon customers can tap into Terremark's Network Access Point (NAP) centers in Miami, Culpeper, Va., and Santa Clara, Calif.; its facilities in Europe and the U.S.; and its data center assets in Latin America including the Dominican Republic, Colombia and Brazil. Terremark customers now have access to Verizon data centers across North America, Europe and in the Asia-Pacific region.

Verizon is a global leader in driving better business outcomes for enterprises and government agencies. Verizon delivers integrated IT and communications solutions via its high-IQ global IP and mobility networks to enable businesses to securely access information, share content and communicate. Verizon is rapidly transforming to a cloud-based "everything-as-a-service" delivery model that will put the power of enterprise-class solutions within the reach of every business.

Virgin Media Announces Arrival of Sky Arts 1 HD & 2 HD

Sun, 10 Apr 2011 15:13:07 +0000

Virgin Media has announced the addition of the award-winning Sky 1 Arts HD and Sky Arts 2 HD channels to its TV service from the 26th April.

The company is continuing to broaden the range of content available in stunning high definition with the arrival of these new channels, and Virgin Media customers now have access to over 30 HD channels with up to 19 channels available for no additional monthly fee.

Sky Arts is the only stable of channels in the UK dedicated solely to the arts, and Virgin Media customers will be able to engage with the some of the best culturally stimulating programming available in spectacular high-definition. Both channels cover the greats of contemporary and classical arts – from iconic rock performances to the best operas, from ballet to books, from theatre to photography.

Virgin Media customers will now be able to watch great programmes including Songbook, The Book Show, In Confidence, Rock and Roll Exposed and Sky Arts Cinema with Mike Figgis in true high-definition, providing them with a crystal clear viewing experience.

Cindy Rose, executive director of digital entertainment at Virgin Media said: “All of our XL TV customers, including those enjoying our new TV service powered by TiVo, will be able to watch these great Sky channels in stunning HD. Virgin Media’s TV service provides unbeatable value and, now with 19 HD channels for no additional monthly fee, we’re going from strength to strength. We’ll continue to develop our next generation digital entertainment platform, with more HD channels and On Demand content to be announced throughout the year.”

“We’re pleased to be joining the Virgin Media platform in HD, to bring the arts to a new audience”, adds John Cassy, director of Sky Arts.