Three in four broadcasters are planning to deliver high definition content over the web, according to research in the US by Akamai Technologies and Broadband Directions.

Here, "broadcaster" is taken to mean any traditional over-the-air or cable TV broadcaster, online publisher, sports leagues, and social media sites.

I don't have access to the source, so can't see how this proportion is broken down among traditional and online publishers, but it's still a significant figure.

Velocix, a leading Digital Asset Delivery Network, has announced that it now supports Adobe Flash Media Server 3 across its network, meaning that it can offer more efficient global delivery of live and on-demand video.

Yesterday I spoke with John Dillon, Chief Marketing Officer at Velocix, about some of the issues surrounding delivery of high quality video over the Internet, and how his company is working to improve the situation.

Internet not designed for Video

One of the key issues surrounding rich multimedia delivery over the Net is that the infrastructure was never designed to handle such huge file sizes.

Most of the Web is still made up from fairly static pages containing text and images, which doesn't place a real strain on the servers and networks which have to deliver it to Internet users.

Video, on the other hand -- particularly live streaming video being pushed out to thousands of users simultaneously -- is another matter.

Kulabyte and Mogulus have announced the availability of their new Internet video portal platform which supports high quality Flash-based encoding and streaming up to high definition resolutions.

Kulabyte's XStream and XPress Live Flash encoding solutions together will allow broadcasters to stream high quality over the Web, either with an improvement in quality or a reduction in bandwidth.

Virgin Media and Microsoft claim that Xbox Live high definition movies will download in around 15 minutes -- and at most half-an-hour -- by the end of the year, for customers who have access to VM's 50Mb broadband service.

A Virgin Media spokesperson said that the company expects to roll out their highest speed broadband to over nine million homes -- 70% of their network -- by year end.

That's great if you're on the super fast service, and don't get speed throttled by Virgin's fair use policies, but for the rest of us I guess we need to wait just a bit longer.

(Via Product Reviews)

Paramount has announced that it will be bringing a range of current and library films to Xbox LIVE Marketplace in the UK.

At least nine titles, initially available from today, can be downloaded in high definition format, including Transformers, Goodbye Bafana, 1408, Disturbia, Hot Rod, A Mighty Heart, Heartbreak Kid, Stardust, and In to the Wild. These, and other titles, can also be downloaded in standard definition format.

High definition movie rentals will cost 380 Microsoft Points (£3.20), while standard definition rentals cost 250 MPs (£2).

Selected films from Warner Brothers are also expected to become available on the service from the spring.

(Via Sky News)

Apple has announced a revamp of the software running the Apple TV, making it much more of a central hub for media, including high definition downloads.

Until now, many people — particularly outside the US — have been rather unimpressed with the Apple TV. It had potential, but limited content, and paled in comparison with other options.

Apple now hopes to rectify that in two ways.

Here's a surprise: the CEO of a major manufacturer of hard drives reckons that neither high definition optical disc will win outright, because digital distribution is the way forward.

Bill Watkins, CEO of Seagate Technology, said, "People are saying Blu-ray won the war but who cares? The war is over physical distribution versus electrical distribution, and Blu-ray and HD lost that. In this, flash memory and hard drives are on the same side. The war is over and the physical guys lost."

With electronic distribution of material comes the need to back it all up, and that's the job of the hard drive — which Seagate will be more than happy to provide you with.

I'm not convinced that optical discs have quite bitten the dust yet, but Internet distribution of content will become much more prevalent in the next few years.

(Via Afterdawn)

The push to get high definition media downloading and streaming over the Internet is definitely increasing, with SyncTV just one company keen to show off technology to get full HD content onto your TV via the web.

SyncTV is using open standards, meaning that third-party manufacturers should be able to use its technology fairly easily. It also has the best chance of working on a variety of operating systems — after the fuss about various UK broadcasters' initial forays into Windows-only downloadable media, that's got to be a good thing.

Microsoft and British Telecom have announced a partnership which will allow UK Xbox 360 owners to download gaming and entertainment content to their consoles via the BT Vision service.

Anyone who is a broadband customer with BT will be able to enjoy a selection of high definition content delivered directly to the Xbox 360.

The service will be available from mid-2008. It's not surprising that the partnership has evolved. BT Vision already uses Microsoft's Mediaroom Internet Protocol TV platform.

LG Electronics and Netflix, the online movie rental service, have announced that they're partnering to create an Internet-connected set top box for consumers which will allow online movies and other content to be streamed directly to a high definition TV without the need for a PC.

The service will work by utilising technology embedded into an LG networked player scheduled for release later this year.

"Consumers crave compelling and immediate content, and the Netflix online streaming movie feature can provide instant gratification. This alliance underscores LG's goal of developing smart technologies that deliver flexibility, convenience and control to consumers," said KI Kwon, President of the Consumer Electronics Division of LG Electronics USA.

"Internet to the TV is a huge opportunity," said Netflix Founder, Chairman and CEO Reed Hastings. "Netflix explored also offering its own Netflix-branded set-top boxes but we concluded that familiar consumer electronics devices from industry leaders like LG Electronics are a better consumer solution for getting the Internet to the TV."

No word on whether such a service will arrive in the UK.

Oh look, it's an update on the Microsoft versus Michael Bay "news".

If you remember, Michael Bay ranted at Microsoft last week for supposedly trying to push HD DVD.

Now, Microsoft's head of Gaming and Entertainment UK, Stephen McGill, has responded by saying, "I didn't read his comments, although I heard about them, but hey, he's allowed his personal thoughts — I think he clarified some of those thoughts about 24 hours later — but for us we're focused on HD DVD movies working with great partners, and we wouldn't have that offer for five free movies if we didn't believe in that format... But we also believe in downloadable content, whether it's music, or movies - it's not about one solution, because one solution isn't going to work for everybody."

Meanwhile, apparently Michael Bay has said that he doesn't really care about high definition formats anyway. "I don't a care about this format war because I have both formats in my screening room."

Oh well good for you Michael. We don't really care either — except that this whole protracted format war is a big ol' PITA.

(Via Neoseeker)

The Xbox LIVE Marketplace Video Store (yes, that is it's full title, apparently) will be launching in the UK next Tuesday, 11th December, and will allow British Xbox 360 owners to download for rent both standard and high definition movies to their consoles.

"Microsoft Points" are required to purchase the films, with a standard definition movie costing around £2, and a high definition one around £3.

Microsoft is hoping that the move will encourage their games console to be a central part of the living room entertainment centre.

"We want to give consumers the entertainment they want, in the format they want, when they want it and at an affordable price," said Robin Truchy, European director of Xbox Live. "We are already offering HD games, HD music videos and the option to enjoy HD DVD format films, now we are offering HD movies to download and rent as well."

Movies initially available include "300", "The Good German", the Matrix trilogy, a couple of Lethal Weapons, and Superman III.

Hopefully, if the service takes off, this will be something for Microsoft to build on. I presume that, given their business partnerships, the only movies for rental will be those available on the HD DVD format, despite this being a download service.

No mention of TV programmes being offered yet.

The main issue is how long it's going to take to download a high definition movie, and if any mean-spirited ISPs are going to start capping the accounts of users who do so on a regular basis.

(Via Xboxer)

According to an article in Variety magazine, Sony could be launching a high definition video on demand service for its PS3 users early next year.

Though it's initially aimed at its Japanese customers, which would make sense given the country's better technology infrastructure and HD adoption, it could start rolling out worldwide next year.

Microsoft already offers high definition movies and TV shows via the Xbox 360, and it's something that Apple could begin introducing via iTunes, so it's a fairly predictable move on Sony's part.

For the service to come to the UK, we'd need much faster, uncapped broadband, and PS3's with decent sized hard drives. I'd be surprised if it arrives here next year.

(Via TV Predictions)

It all sounds very nice in principle. Founder and CEO of Swarmcast, Justin Chapweske, a company which has recently been awarded a patent for algorithms which allow large volumes of data to be mass distributed, has stated that high definition video is part of the next phase of Internet video evolution.

He'll speak at next month's iTV Internet Video Conference and Expo, and demonstrate that "enhancing video quality is now not only possible but simple – thanks to a new generation of backend technologies that are easy to deploy and use."

Of the new technology, he said, ”File swarming provides the ability to harness unused network capacity by distributing and exchanging small pieces of data between servers, network routers or personal computers."

Great concept, but high definition video still has to be squeezed down broadband pipes, and at present, most people are on painfully slow connections.

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Virgin Media has announced that it has done a deal with Voom HD, to offer programming from the station over its 50Mbps broadband service, currently undergoing trials in a number of UK towns.

The single channel (the US has fifteen) will contain a mixture of adventure travel, fashion, lifestyle, arts, concerts, gaming, and sports. It's not wholly clear exactly how this service will be delivered, though it will possibly be via VM's on-demand service, which will also offer 4oD content from Channel 4 as well as BBC HD programming.

(Via HDTV News)

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Yahoo, Japan, is hoping to launch a an Internet portal for televisions that can handle high-definition programming as early as the current fiscal year.

According to reports, the company is working with Sharp to jointly develop display technology for large screen televisions that’s compatible with high-definition video. The portal will initially offer services that provide information using still images and text including maps, restaurant information and rankings of book sales.

One of the main talking points at this year’s show was the growing popularity of IPTV, or ‘television on the basis of Internet protocol’. It refers to new forms of television services that offer genuine in interactivity including video on demand and individual access to programmes.

IPTV offers a new way of watching television without being restricted by the time sequence of programme schedules. Instead, viewers can access programmes of interest from the Internet, irrespective of the schedules drawn up by broadcasting networks

ABD has unveiled a number of new technology solutions designed to open new opportunities for digital TV broadcasters. These include the company’s latest range of IPTV, Advanced Video Coding and high-definition set top boxes – providing a complete portfolio for cable, satellite and terrestrial broadcasters.

ADB has become established as the leading supplier of hybrid IPTV set top boxes in Europe, including the world’s first single chip, high-definition set top box based on advanced video coding (AVC), the award winning ADB3800W.

Online high-definition portal, Vuze, has proudly announced that it has reached six million users in only the first six months of availability.

The company is the world’s largest high-definition Internet video portal with millions of HD videos downloaded every month – and July saw downloads grow by over 100% compared to June.

Advanced Digital Broadcast (ADB), a Swiss supplier of digital TV solutions for interactive television, has announced that it has launched its first commercial high-definition IPTV set top boxes in North America.

The ADB-3800W device features Minerva Networks iTV Manager software and has been deployed over numerous independent networks around the country. ADB reportedly plans to follow up this launch with an IPTV digital video recorder later this year.