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A Europe-wide shortage of TV set top boxes means fewer viewers will watch the World Cup in high definition than expected, a report suggests. The tournament had been expected to showcase HDTV but a Screen Digest study says a decoder chips shortage means the opportunity will be "partly missed". "European players are struggling to get HD-capable set-top-boxes in sufficient numbers for consumers," says the study. HDTV provides a sharper image than the current standard television picture. The BBC is among European broadcasters due to broadcast matches in HD standard for those with the suitable equipment to receive it. Analyst Vincent Letang, who wrote the Screen Digest report, said the delay would only be a short term problem. 'Future standard' He said: "The World Cup in Germany was supposed to be the perfect kick-start for HD in Europe and its full thrust will be partly missed, but this does not jeopardise the introduction of HDTV." Letang said the conditions were in place for HDTV to "become the standard quality of television". The report said Europe had 2m "HD-ready" households by the end of 2005 and by 2010 there will be more than 50m HDTV sets in place. Cable company Telewest launched the UK's first high definition service last week. Sky intends to launch a HD service soon, offering film, sports and documentary channels. Meanwhile, a digital TV channel is to screen live World Cup matches under a deal with the BBC. UKTV G2 will screen 31 games, including England's opening tie against Paraguay, using the BBC's coverage but with its own commentators and presenters. The channel, owned by BBC Worldwide and Telewest, has also agreed with ITV that it can show highlights of all 64 games. Mainstream channels which own rights to "listed" sports events must offer licences to digital channels under law. Entertainment regulars UKTV G2 will show high-profile live matches involving Brazil and France, as well as the World Cup final as well as a daily highlights show and a series of pre-match programmes. A UKTV G2 spokeswoman said the presenting team had not been finalised but would be more "fan-orientated" than the coverage on BBC and ITV. The channel already has a licence to show highlights of the Six Nations rugby tournament from the BBC. Its schedule includes BBC entertainment shows such as Little Britain, Top Gear and They Think It's All Over. Story from BBC NEWS: |
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| BBC to screen World Cup in HDTV The BBC is to screen this summer's football World Cup and Wimbledon championships in High-definition television (HDTV). The trial run of the service will include the BBC's share of World Cup matches and key Wimbledon ties in June. The corporation is trying out HDTV for up to a year, starting in mid-May. The system delivers more detailed pictures and sharper action shots, and will be an additional stream to the current analogue and digital services. Blades of grass HDTV will only be available to viewers who have HD-enabled television sets, set-top boxes and relevant services via satellite and cable distributors. Roger Mosey, the BBC's director of sport, said the service was particularly effective with live action football and other sports. "It gives fantastic picture quality, from the blades of grass that are being played on right to the back of the stands," he said. Mr Mosey stressed that the trial would only be available to a selected group of viewers, but hoped it would prove to be "a glimpse of the future". The first World Cup match and live HDTV programme to be broadcast will be Germany v Costa Rica on 9 June, which will also include match commentary and studio coverage. The service will come via Premiere, Germany's host broadcasters for the tournament. High-definition images will also be fed into standard digital and analogue transmissions of the game and the Wimbledon Championships, where the BBC is the host broadcaster. Limited airspace The BBC's HDTV trial, expected to last between six and 12 months, will begin in May with streams of programmes, including Planet Earth and Galapagos. Chances to revisit action from dramas Hotel Babylon and Bleak House will also be offered. HDTV transmissions cannot be offered on Freeview at present due to limited airspace, while a trial limited to a few hundred households in London which have yet to be chosen will take place. The digital switchover between 2008-2012 is expected to provide an opportunity to broadcast HDTV via Freeview. Any ongoing HDTV service will have to be approved by the new BBC Trust. Story from BBC NEWS: |
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| Sky HD on track for May roll-out Sky is to start installing its new high-definition television set-top boxes in May, it has announced. Customers will pay £300 plus subscription for a box to receive HDTV, which provides a sharper, clearer and more colourful image than standard TV. The announcement comes a day after the BBC confirmed it would start its HDTV trial in time for the World Cup. Sky will broadcast seven channels in HD but has not announced when they will start transmitting. Sky's HDTV package will include new sports and movie channels plus high-definition versions of some existing channels. 'Exciting new era' Customers will pay £299 for the Sky HD box and a monthly subscription of £10 in addition to their Sky digital subscription, currently between £15 and £42.50 a month. "Sky is just weeks away from an exciting new era that will transform the television viewing experience," said Brian Sullivan, Sky's director of product strategy and management. The BBC will make its HD World Cup coverage available to all viewers with a Sky HD box on a non-subscription channel. Cable company Telewest launched the UK's first high-definition television service earlier this month, though the service is currently limited to programmes made by BBC Worldwide. Story from BBC NEWS: |
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| Next-generation DVD battle begins The first HD DVD players and discs have gone on sale in the US. The release marks the start of the format wars between the Toshiba-led HD DVD and the Sony-led Blu-ray systems. The first Blu-ray discs are expected in late May, while the first players will be available in June. Next-generation formats are able to store much more high-quality data, especially important for high-definition video. Both technologies use a blue laser to write information. It has a shorter wavelength so more data can be stored. A Blu-ray disc will eventually be able to store 50GB of high-quality data, while Toshiba's HD DVD will hold 30GB. A standard single-layer DVD holds just under 5GB. The disc formats offer much better quality audio and video, while next-generation console games will have stunning graphics and will fit onto a single disc. Format wars The two rival systems have been battling to win support for their competing approaches from technology companies and Hollywood studios. Toshiba, with NEC, Sanyo and others, is pushing HD DVD; while backers of Sony's Blu-ray discs include Samsung, Dell and Apple. The HD DVD format was given a huge boost last year when technology giants Microsoft and Intel threw their considerable weight behind the standard. Hollywood is also still split over the new formats. Companies like Disney and 20th Century Fox have sided with Sony, while the supporters of HD DVD include Universal. Warner Bros and Viacom have said they will support both. However, the format war, which has been likened to the Betamax-VHS fight in the 1980s, may ultimately be won in the games console market. Gaming is a $20bn industry worldwide, so is as important as the film industry in terms of money to be made. Games consoles also tend to drive early adoption of technology because hardcore gamers, keen to get their hands on the latest titles, are prepared to buy the latest technology. It is estimated that Microsoft sold 20 million of its original Xbox console, while Sony has sold four times that amount of its Playstation 2. Both consoles brought DVD players into people's living rooms. Sony's Playstation 3, which will be launched in November, will come with a Blu-ray drive as standard. Owners of the Xbox 360, which is already available around the world, will have to buy a separate HD DVD drive when they become available. Games giants, such as Electronic Arts and Vivendi, have both backed the Blu-ray format. Story from BBC NEWS: |
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| Sky sets date for HDTV broadcasts Sky will launch its high-definition TV service on 22 May, with Star Wars movie Return of the Sith and US drama 24 among the initial line-up. The broadcaster will install its first HDTV boxes that day after taking 40,000 advance orders from customers since bookings opened on 13 April. HDTV promises clearer pictures and sound, but viewers need compatible TVs and set-top boxes to receive it. Cable firm Telewest is also offering HDTV services to its customers. It is currently offering programmes on demand to customers who use its TVDrive service. The BBC will offer live coverage of World Cup football on HDTV via Sky and Telewest as part of a year-long trial. It has also teamed up with ITV, Channel 4 and Five to test HDTV broadcasts that can be picked up through normal aerials. But this trial is restricted to a selected number of Freeview users in the London area. Widespread HDTV broadcasts via Freeview may not be possible until after the UK has fully switched to digital TV in 2012. Other highlights in Sky's first week of HDTV include Star Trek Enterprise, live coverage of England's second cricket Test with Sri Lanka and rugby union's Guinness Premiership final. Story from BBC NEWS: |
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| BBC unveils first HDTV broadcasts Bleak House will be screened in HD on 28 and 29 May The BBC is to screen Planet Earth and Bleak House in high definition television (HDTV) at the end of May. The shows will be the first to be broadcast free-to-air in the UK in the new format, which promises more detailed pictures and sharper action. The broadcasts are available to viewers on satellite with the right equipment. Sky will start installing HD set-top boxes from 22 May. BBC shows are already available in HD from cable company Telewest. 'First steps' The corporation has announced it is to screen this summer's football World Cup and Wimbledon championships in HDTV. The BBC's HD stream will start broadcasting on 11 May with a promotional preview accessible to users of Sky's electronic programme guide. Bleak House and part one of Planet Earth will be screened between 27 and 29 May. "These are small but exciting first steps in the BBC's ambition to offer the option of high definition to all in the future," said the BBC's director of television Jana Bennett. |
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| Telewest offers World Cup in HDTV Telewest customers will be able to watch every World Cup match in high-definition (HDTV), after the cable firm agreed deals with the BBC and ITV. A deal with Channel 4 also means people with a TVDrive, Telewest's HDTV-ready recorder, can see episodes of Lost and Desperate Housewives in the format. HDTV offers clearer images and sound. A compatible TV, set-top box and relevant cable or satellite service are needed. Sky is launching its high-definition TV service on 22 May. The broadcaster will install its first HDTV boxes that day after taking 40,000 advance orders from customers in the first three weeks of booking. The BBC is offering coverage of the World Cup and Wimbledon Championships, as well as other programmes including Planet Earth and repeats of Bleak House, in HDTV via Sky and Telewest as part of a year-long trial. ITV will also offer via Telewest HDTV broadcasts in addition to the World Cup, including documentary Jean-Michel Cousteau's Ocean Adventures and films such as The Big Sleep. The BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Five have teamed up to test HDTV broadcasts transmitted through normal aerials, restricted to 500 Freeview users in the London area. Widespread HDTV broadcasts via Freeview may not be possible until after the UK has fully switched to digital TV in 2012. Television signals broadcast in high definition have four to five times as much picture information than a standard television signal. HDTV broadcasts can also include audio recorded in 5.1 surround sound. Story from BBC NEWS: |
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| Sky HDTV launch runs into trouble 24 is one of the shows planned for Sky's HD offering Sky has delayed the installation of high-definition TV (HDTV) in 17,000 homes because its supplier has failed to deliver enough set-top boxes. The satellite operator's HD service is launching with channels showing films, sport and entertainment. But many subscribers have been told they must wait several weeks for installation. Sky said "more than enough" boxes were ordered but not all had arrived, and it was "very sorry" to let people down. Anyone requesting installation on Monday, launch day, will be told that they must wait until early August, meaning they will miss the World Cup - which begins on 9 June - in HD. The issue has surfaced on internet discussion forums with users saying their installation date has been moved from this week to June or July. 'Supplies to double' "We're w**king hard to resolve the situation," said Robert Fraser, Sky's head of corporate press. "Thousands of customers will have their HD box this week and many more will be installed in time for the start of the World Cup. We'll do everything we can to bring HD to everyone as soon as possible." Those who had ordered first would receive their equipment first, he added, saying the quantity of set-top boxes delivered to the company was expected to double in the next three weeks Sky plans to show Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith in HD Sky had previously said 40,000 advance orders were received in the first three weeks of bookings, which had opened on 13 April. It had a total of 8.1 million subscribers in the last quarter of 2005. HDTV promises higher quality pictures and audio through a compatible television set. Sky is showing HD versions of its film and sports channels - Sky Movies and Sky Sports - plus the selected output of broadcasters such as the BBC. The Star Wars movie Revenge of the Sith, US real-time drama 24 and live coverage of England's second cricket Test with Sri Lanka are planned for the first week of transmissions. HDTV is also available on cable through the Telewest platform, and there is a limited trial through normal aerials for 500 selected Freeview users in the London area. Wimbledon coverage It may be several years before a full service can be offered via digital terrestrial because there is not enough space for the additional data contained in HD transmissions. The BBC and ITV are promising to offer their coverage of the World Cup in the higher-quality format. Other BBC shows to be transmitted in HD include re-runs of the Charles Dickens drama Bleak House and nature series Planet Earth, plus the Wimbledon tennis championships. Several ITV dramas, including Agatha Christie's Poirot, will be available in HD, plus Jean-Michel Cousteau's wildlife documentary series Ocean Adventures. |
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| BBC website shows World Cup games England's possible second round and quarter-final ties will be shown All of the BBC's 2006 World Cup matches will also be broadcast exclusively live on the BBC Sport website. The service will be available to UK broadband users and will mirror terrestrial and interactive coverage. In addition there will be four-minute highlight packages from every single game of the tournament on demand. Head of Sport Roger Mosey said: "The World Cup on broadband is our biggest commitment yet to bringing people major events where and when they want them." All of the BBC's group games will be covered live on the internet as well as all the subsequent games the BBC has in the knockout stages, including England's second round and quarter-final games, should they reach that stage. EDITORS' BLOG This reflects us taking seriously what you've been saying to us - you want BBC Sport on the platform, and at the time, of your choice BBC Sport head Roger Mosey Read more on our editors' blog Viewers will be able to stream the same coverage as will appear on terrestrial television and listen to the same commentary. In addition to watching the games, online users will be able to hear and read about the latest action - Radio Five Live will have an audio stream and there will also be live minute-by-minute written reports on every match. Mosey added: "You can watch the World Cup from the BBC at home on TV, listen in the car on your radio and now also see full live coverage on your PC. "We know a lot of online viewing is done in the office, so we suspect this will allow people both to do their job and to keep up with the very latest action from Germany." The BBC has successfully broadcast football over the internet before, but this is by far its biggest-ever single commitment. In 2005 the BBC showed the final of the Club World Championship between Liverpool and Sao Paulo online to UK internet users. Similarly the BBC also broadcast online all the interactive streams from Athens 2004 Olympics. And this year's Wimbledon Championships will be broadcast live on the BBC Sport website for the first time. The BBC already has the broadband rights to the 2010 and 2014 World Cups. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Group matches available online: (all kick-off times are BST) Friday 9 June Germany v Costa Rica (1700) Saturday 10 June England v Paraguay (1400) Sunday 11 June Serbia & Montenegro v Netherlands (1400) Mexico v Iran (1700) Monday 12 June USA v Czech Republic (1700) Italy v Ghana (2000) Tuesday 13 June South Korea v Togo (1400) France v Switzerland (1700) Brazil v Croatia (2000) Wednesday 14 June Germany v Poland (2000) Friday 16 June Argentina v Serbia & Montenegro (1400) Saturday 17 June Portugal v Iran (1400) Sunday 18 June France v South Korea (2000) Monday 19 June Togo v Switzerland (1400) Spain v Tunisia (2000) Thursday 22 June Czech Republic v Italy (1500) Ghana v USA (1500) Japan v Brazil (2000) Croatia v Australia (2000) Friday 23 June Ukraine v Tunisia (1500) Saudi Arabia v Spain (1500) Togo v France (2000) Switzerland v South Korea (2000) |
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| World Cup ushers in mobile TV era The World Cup will be a testing ground for TV on mobile phones, says a report. The football tournament will give phone owners a taste of what the technology promises and let operators w**k out how their networks will handle demand. The report by analysts Informa predicts that more than 210 million people will be watching TV on their mobile by 2011. By that date, the technology behind mobile TV should have settled down and handsets that can handle the shows will be widely available. Cup challenge Mobile phone operators across the world are planning to use the World Cup as a way to get customers more interested in watching TV on their mobile phones, says the report from Informa Telecoms and Media. The report predicts that up to $300m (£160m) in revenue will come from fans downloading and watching clips on mobile phones. TV is a medium that everyone understands, and so is mobile Dave McQueen, Informa Dave McQueen, principal analyst at Informa and one of the authors of the report, said 2006 will see mobile TV begin to take off. As well as clips of matches, so-called "mobisodes" of shows such as Coronation Street and 24 are being prepared for watching on phones. Pop bands such as the Sugababes are also preparing material just for fans' handsets. But, said Mr McQueen, the technology pumping programmes to phones needs to be stabilised for the technology to support large audiences. His comments were echoed by Robin Kelly, spokesman for T-Mobile, which is planning to offer subscribers a package of highlights after World Cup matches. "We expect that to be pretty popular," he said. "But it's not a mass market product yet. I don't think anyone would say it was." This was because, he said, the clips will be streamed to people across the network and there could cause "bandwidth issues" if too many people subscribed. Better phones Data from South Korea, where mobile TV has been on offer since May 2005, showed there was a real appetite for it, said Mr McQueen from Informa. Many Koreans were now watching up to 90 minutes of TV on their mobiles every day, said Mr McQueen. By contrast participants in UK trials of mobile TV were watching 180 minutes per week. By the Olympics in 2008 and next World Cup in 2010, mobile TV technology will be well established, said Mr McQueen. He predicted that 10% of handsets in 2010 will be able to handle broadcast mobile TV signals. Battery life will also have improved to the point where watching for a few hours does not completely drain a phone. "TV is a medium that everyone understands, and so is mobile," said Mr McQueen "Combining the two in the imagination of consumers is not as great a challenge as it is for other forms of mobile entertainment." Story from BBC NEWS: |
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The Big Question: What is HDTV, and why are people buying it now? By Steve Connor, Science Editor Published: 07 June 2006 What is HDTV? HDTV stands for high-definition television and it should mean better quality pictures and surround sound. The proponents of HDTV say that viewers will be able to see individual blades of grass on a football pitch and the details of faces at the back of a crowded stadium - as well as the beads of sweat on David Beckham's neck. It has been suggested that the revolution could mean some TV celebrities becoming unemployed because the higher picture quality will show up facial blemishes that are missed by existing televisions. The real benefits of HDTV viewing will come in watching visually spectacular programmes, such as Hollywood movies, natural history documentaries and sport. Why are we talking about it now? Britain, indeed the global television audience, is in the midst of World Cup fever and everyone wants to watch their football on the best possible television screen. In the past four weeks alone retailers have sold a record 364,000 flat-panel TVs worth £250m, up £153m on the same period last year. Sales of TVs were up by 80 per cent over 2005, with sales of liquid crystal display units more than quadrupling. Rob Shaw, a sales executive from Samsung, the world's biggest television manufacturer, says: "Several factors have come together all at once - flat-panel TVs, HDTV and the World Cup - and sales are flying." How does HDTV w**k? High-definition screens are higher resolution - they have more picture elements or pixels per square inch - giving clearer pictures that contain about four times as much detail than existing television images. They do this by packing in more horizontal lines on the screen. Existing standard definition TVs have 576 horizontal lines but HDTVs have between 720 and 1,080 lines. Most HDTV sets being sold now in Britain are of the 720 format, although a few can screen the 1,080 format. Where do widescreen and digital TV fit in? They are all related. You need digital transmissions to transmit the higher quality broadcasts of HDTV and the benefit of these are best seen on wide-screen sets that project a "letter-box" shaped image. This shape is known as the aspect ratio. Standard television sets have an aspect ratio of 4:3, meaning that if the television screen is 16 inches wide then the screen will be 12 inches high. High-definition television uses higher aspect ratios, usually 16:9, so that films and programmes can be viewed in a form that is nearer to theatrical dimensions (ie without cutting off the sides). Is flat-panel television best? Not necessarily, but the confusion is understandable because HDTV is only worthwhile if you have a big screen, and flat panels make it possible to have bigger screens. Conventional televisions use cathode-ray tubes, which stick out like the back of a bus. The bigger the screen, the more it sticks out behind, which makes life difficult if you want a big screen in a small living room. The newer flat-panel TVs use either plasma screens or LCD (liquid crystal display) technology rather than cathode-ray tubes. Both types of technology can be used to make big screens that are thin enough to hang on a wall - good for seeing the benefits of HDTV. However, the Korean television company Samsung has now designed a "slim-fit" cathode-ray tube television that is less than half the thickness of an ordinary television set. This set is also designed for HDTV and experts say that its picture quality may even be better than plasma screens and LCD sets. Is HDTV best seen on a big screen? In a word, yes. Don't expect to see a dramatic difference if you go for an HDTV with a screen smaller than 32 inches (TV screens are measured along the diagonal). One study of people watching television at various resolutions concluded that at normal viewing distances and normal-sized screens, people did not easily discriminate better resolutions than those currently used. To get any benefit from high-definition TV you need a bigger screen or to sit much closer to it. Are HDTV programmes on air now? Owning an HDTV does not mean that you will automatically be able to watch high-definition television. In fact high-definition broadcasts will be extremely limited for some time to come. Sky, the satellite channel, and Telewest, the cable channel, are preparing to transmit HD programmes to their paying subscribers who have signed up for the service and bought a box that can decode the signals for an HD-ready set. The BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Five have teamed up to participate in the first HD broadcast trial this summer. The BBC will broadcast its 2006 World Cup coverage and major Wimbledon matches in high definition this summer as part of the trial. The first live HD programme will be the opening World Cup match between Germany and Costa Rica this Friday. However, these HD broadcasts will only be to the few satellite and cable subscribers who pay for the privilege. A limited trial of HD broadcasts received via Freeview - the digital terrestrial TV service - is about to be conducted on a few hundred residents in London who have been chosen to take part in the trial. However, a full Freeview service of HD broadcasts is not possible at present because there is not enough bandwidth space in the transmission spectrum. Only when all analogue channels are turned off between 2008 and 2012 will there be enough space to accommodate HDTV channels. Should you buy an HDTV set now? As it will be many years before you can watch HD broadcasts - unless you are prepared to subscribe through a satellite or cable channel - it might be worthwhile waiting a bit longer until prices come down further - and the day of universal HD broadcasts comes closer. But if you need a new TV now, be sure to get one that is marked "HDTV ready". |
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| The pitfalls of HDTV HDTV may promise of crisp, clear images but it is still going through some growing pains, as the BBC's Martin Shankleman found out. I think I might be starting to fall out of love with High Definition (HD). Don't get me wrong, I'm still very impressed, but that misty eyed infatuation has gone. And I can tell you the exact moment when it happened. It was 14.03 pm on Saturday 10 June, during England's opening match with Paraguay. Beckham was poised to take a vital free kick. As the rest of the team jostled in the penalty area, I suddenly heard a loud roar from the pub down the road. For a split second I was puzzled, but then realised these were England fans celebrating a goal, which according to my set had yet to be scored. Sure enough, I looked back at my HD set and saw Beckham's kick soar into the back of the net. The truth dawned, the HD picture was delayed by a second or so. That may not seem much, but it is enough to spoil your enjoyment of a match. A roar from the pub serves advance notice of what I was about to see on my set. Shut your windows In the case of a penalty shoot-out, the delay would ruin the drama completely. A BBC spokeswoman admitted this was a problem. HDTV IN EUROPE Commercial HDTV services began with Belgian channel Euro180 in 2004 Telewest launched the UK's first HDTV service in March 2006. BBC and Sky began HDTV transmissions in May 2006 BBC to have 100% HD programmes by 2010 "It is something we're aware of, yes", she said, and helpfully suggested the most practical answer might be to shut the windows. She explained the problem was caused by the complexity of handling the extra information. "Any digital signal requires processing time at the capture stage, coding and again when it hits your set-top box. "This inevitably leads to a slight time lapse. Normally this doesn't matter very much, unless it's a live event as you've found," she said. If this delay was a big disappointment, so too was the lack of authentic HD programmes, even on the dedicated channels. Nothing on I first realised this while watching Test cricket from the West Indies. Even though this was shown on Sky Sports HD, the picture quality lacked the tell-tale clarity. A Sky spokeswoman confirmed my suspicion that I had been watching a conventional broadcast relayed on the HD channel. "Not all programming on all high-definition channels is actually HD," she said. A quick survey confirmed a real dearth of authentic HD programming on the dedicated channels. Not a single programme on Sky One HD in the schedules for the evening of 20 June had been shot in HD. The same went for the evening schedules for Sky Sports HD for 19 June. Sky admitted that their only HD channels with guaranteed 100% HD content were the film channels. None of these criticisms detract from the amazing quality this new technology delivers to viewers. But customers should beware of the pitfalls before making what could be an expensive investment. Story from BBC NEWS: |