Motorola revealed that BT has utilized Motorola's VODxchange encoding capability as part of its IPTV solution that helped deliver a successful launch of BT Vision Sport. With production and content processing technology delivered by BT's Media and Broadcast division, BT Vision Sport provides a next-generation IPTV sports service to consumers across the UK.

Launched 11th August 2007, BT Vision Sports allows BT broadband subscribers to access on-demand coverage of the day's premiership action. Available from 10pm on the day of the match, viewers can pause, fast forward and rewind near-live footage of full games.

TANDBERG Television announces that its iPlex UltraCompression IPTV head-end has been selected by Swisscom for the next step of its Bluewin IPTV service. Swisscom and TANDBERG Television commenced their collaboration with the trial of the Bluewin IPTV system in autumn 2004, followed by commercial deployment in November 2006. Now the companies are working together to ensure that Swisscom can continue to provide a world-class IPTV service to it customers, through leveraging TANDBERG Television’s broadcast expertise and its award-winning iPlex UltraCompression high definition and standard definition system. The solution offers a range of advanced video processing features with bandwidth improvements of up to 50%, industry leading density and improved video quality.

Verimatrix announces its Video Content Authority System has been deployed to secure VOLNÝ’s new IPTV offering. VOLNÝ TV is using Verimatrix’s VCAS for IPTV system to protect premium content on its TV service. Through the advanced application of Internet cryptography, including PKI (Public Key Infrastructure) and X.509 digital certificates, VCAS offers much higher levels of content security than traditional smartcard systems and automatically identifies content security breaches. VCAS is designed for use in two-way and hybrid networks and easily integrated with VOLNÝ’s other system components, including middleware from Itonis and set-top boxes from Motorola Kreatel. Verimatrix’s vast partner ecosystem offers network operators, like VOLNÝ, the widest choice of components and operational flexibility in the industry.

VOLNY has chosen ITonis technology to launch VOLNY TV, a set of TV and video services targeting the residential market in Czech republic. The service offers to subscribers rich TV services with a-la-carte programs, Video on Demand, basic games and other Value added services. Subscribers have access to several advanced features such as Pause TV and Start over TV.

While Alef Nula a.s. is the system integrator for the complete solution, the core technology is provided by ITonis. ITonis delivered its complete Multimedia platform solution for IP Television, Video on Demand and Managed recording services. Czech On Line service is based on ITonis middleware, ITonis storage and ITonis streamer solutions. ITonis also provides encoding services for the online movie database.

The latest research from Screen Digest released examines the rapidly expanding European market for IPTV. Well over 60 IPTV services operated across Europe at the end of the second quarter of 2007, with more to launch in the second half of the year. Whilst some major Western European states are used to competing with so many players, others are unfamiliar with such a jam-packed market.

IPTV service launches swamp the pay-TV markets
The number of services in certain countries, like France, has given consumers an overwhelming array of suppliers to choose from. The country boasts eight IPTV operators and is a nation now saturated with TV services.

VOLNÝ began commercial operation of new its service: VOLNÝ TV. It is digital TV via telephone line. In addition to the offer of almost 40 TV stations, VOLNÝ TV also includes first-run movie channels, Electronic Programme Guide, on-line film rental (Video-On-Demand), HBO Digital and other services, for example photo album or games. One of the main benefits is the possibility to become a programme director and create your very own TV channel – the service "My TV". Price of the basic service including rent of modem and set top box that enables pausing or restarting of actual programmes, starts at 297,- CZK per month (including VAT). The VOLNÝ TV service is currently available in VOLNÝ’s own network in selected locations in Prague and Brno. VOLNÝ offers VOLNÝ TV in a package together with unlimited highspeed internet of 2 Mbit/s and convenient calling, starting from 996,- CZK including phone line rental.

During 2007 digital TV in Ukraine has taken a major step forward and companies already established in the market are starting to reap the benefits of their investments in marketing. In Ukraine alone there are 17mln TV households!

DTH – 3 operators have announced their intention to launch a DTH service to the Ukraine population of over 43 million people. Poverkhnost is already transmitting DVB-S services including 2 HD channels. DataGroup has launch DTH in HD standard.

German pay TV operator Premiere will effectively take over all rights to the country's top football league from cable group Unity after a sub-licensing and wholesale deal was given the nod by Germany's cartel office (the Bundeskartellamt). Pair have been in drawn-out negotiations after the regulator launched an investigation into an earlier sharing agreement thrashed out in February. Terms of the new agreement give Premiere full control of the German Bundesliga rights, although Unity will continue to underwrite the costs. Agreement also includes rights to the Spanish first division and UK Premier leagues which Unity acquired earlier this year. Premiere will take an exclusive sub-license to the rights through to the 2008/2009 season and will market all football content and programming under the Premiere brand.

Telsey has been selected by Tiscali as supplier of Hybrid IP Set Top Boxes FS600. Over the next 15 months, Telsey will supply Tiscali with two versions of the set top box in order to fulfil the connection needs for both the UK and Italy.

Both versions claim to allow users to access the Tiscali IPTV service, recently launched in UK and soon to be launched in Italy, and to access the DDT via an analogical antenna. The set top box will have 2 tuners; a DDT and a PVR option, allowing users to record content to be viewed at their preferred time.

Cable & Wireless will deliver national IPTV services via broadband, through a ground breaking wholesale deal with Inuk Networks. Worth around £70 million over five years, the contract sees Cable & Wireless providing Inuk with access to the UK’s most advanced nationwide multicast network enabling the delivery of television, telephony and broadband services.

In addition, Cable & Wireless will offer Inuk’s IPTV platform as a white label solution to other wholesale DSL customers who want to provide their customers with a digital television offering.

Cable & Wireless will deliver this triple-play offering to Freewire, Inuk’s go-to-market subsidiary. Freewire will provide all consumers in the UK with added supplier choice for multichannel television.

PrimeTel is the first private electronic communications provider to offer triple-play services in Cyprus and the only one to bundle the three services - telephony, Internet and television. With emphasis in providing quality service packages in truly exceptional prices, PrimeTel has established a strong presence in the broadband services market. Through PrimeTel's service packages, subscribers can benefit from up to 40% cheaper fixed telephony rates compared to the incumbent, the fastest Internet speeds in the market (1.5 Mb) with ADSL2+ technology, as well as over 100 local and international channels on its PrimeTV Platform.

Alcatel-Lucent has been selected by PT Comunicações for its IPTV commercial service meo. The project includes broadcast TV and video on demand, featuring high definition-quality picture resolution, as well as a range of user-friendly features like an intuitive electronic program guide and the ability to pause and rewind live TV.

Marketed under the carrier’s meo suite of services, PT Comunicações can now offer customers a total triple play package (IPTV, high speed Internet and IP telephony), based on Alcatel-Lucent’s IP-based broadband access network infrastructure and comprehensive services integration solution and end-to-end video solution, which is based on the Microsoft TV IPTV Edition software platform. With meo, customers in Portugal can now receive broadcast TV, video on demand, and personal video recorder functionality.

Visionael Corporation announces that T-Online France has selected Visionael’s Network Resource Manager to automate delivery of its triple play services to residential customers. T-Online France deployed Visionael’s NRM to establish an essential foundation for effectively managing video, voice and data services that are in a state of constant change due to fierce competitive pressures.

With the Visionael solution, T-Online France was able to use open interfaces to its CRM, Billing and activation systems to enable rapid delivery of new value-added services with both a high level customization and quality of service. This is critical in the French market, where its competition for Triple Play services includes ISPs, Alternative Carriers and Cable MSOs. T-Online France signed the deal with Visionael in November 2005 because its most significant challenge lay in automating the rapid roll out of multiple services, including VoIP, IPTV, and Data Services with increased accuracy and efficiency.

BitBand solutions have been selected by Lattelecom, Latvia's incumbent telephone company, for providing IPTV On Demand services to their subscribers.

The technology implemented for offering bundled entertainment packages to subscribers includes solutions by Optibase, Hannu Pro, and other leading IPTV vendors, to provide an end-to-end secure and scalable IPTV solution. Lattelecom's offering includes VOD and NPVR, providing viewers with high quality video content and over 45 TV channels.

Alcatel-Lucent announces that NRGi Fibernet has selected its industry-leading triple play service delivery architecture as the basis for a roll-out of voice, video and data services by September 2007. NRGi will leverage Alcatel-Lucent’s extensive triple play deployment expertise and technologically-advanced GPON and IP/MPLS portfolios to give Århus - Denmark’s second largest city - advanced broadband and IPTV services.

Under the terms of the contract, NRGi Fibernet will deploy the Alcatel-Lucent 7342 ISAM FTTU and optical network terminals for full end-to-end fiber access, supported by the Alcatel-Lucent 7750 Service Router and 7450 Ethernet Service Switch as a core and distribution network to connect 370 sites and 20,000 users. Alcatel-Lucent will also be responsible for software integration, installation and commissioning, maintenance and advanced project management.