Microsoft Corp. and BT announced BT's intention to use the Microsoft TV Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) Edition software platform to deliver TV over broadband in the United Kingdom. The announcement further strengthens Microsoft's continued commitment to working with the world's leading network operators to bring next-generation television services to consumers.

Sigma Designs, a leader in digital media processing for consumer appliances, announced that TISNet, a subsidiary of Tatung Company, currently responsible for Tatung Company's worldwide DSTB, NPVR, digital home product sales, and software development and technical support, launched its set-top box (STB), the STB4000C, based on Sigma's Designs EM8620 and EM8622 media processors at last week's Supercomm 2005. The TISNet STB4000C supports up to 720p/1080i of high resolution video output, as well as manages multiple outputs to provide under 720p playback and PIP (Picture-in-Picture), simultaneously displaying video for up to four monitors or televisions.

Tampa and Hillsborough County residents want choice, competition and an alternative to their cable TV company. In a poll conducted during the week of June 13, an overwhelming majority of those responding to the Verizon-sponsored poll expressed strong support for a fiber-optic alternative for television service.

Such an alternative would exist when Verizon begins to offer IPTV over its Verizon FiOS service.

New features and enhanced network performance deliver capabilities to support additional growth of largest IPTV deployment in North America.

Minerva Networks and SureWest Communications announced enhancements to SureWest's IPTV deployment. Minerva iTVManager 2.0 second-generation service management software delivers new features, and offers performance and scalability improvements to support SureWest's rapidly growing customer base.

ATIS announced the formation of the IPTV Interoperability Forum (IIF) to develop ATIS standards and related technical and operations activities that enable the interoperability, interconnection and implementation of IPTV systems and services, including video on demand and interactive TV services.

Eighty-three percent of SUPERCOMM 2005 attendees polled in a Tellabs/Telephony survey believe that telecommunications service providers will emerge as competitors to cable companies in video services. More than half (54%) of the 1,245 respondents feel that this competitive gap will close in less than three years. The survey was held on the SUPERCOMM 2005 show floor June 6-June 9.

This week we are starting a new feature article entitled "This Week's IPTV Headlines." As much as we try to keep up with news involving IPTV and related issues, there is news we don't have the opportunity to write on as well as great articles written up by other news sources around the world. In our constant strive to be the aggregation point for IPTV news; we would like to bring you these headlines so that you have the best opportunity to stay informed.

Please note that headlines we do cover will not show up in this listing. Let us know your thoughts.

Interactive Television Network, Inc. (ITVN), an emerging provider of Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) hardware, programming software and interactive networks announced that it is exhibiting at Satellite Expo 2005, June 23-25 in Memphis, TN. IPTV is the highly-anticipated provision of interactive television to home television over standard Internet home broadband connections, and ITVN is quickly becoming a company to watch in that arena.

Research and Markets has announced the addition of 2005 Global Broadband - The rise of DSL to their offering.

The 2005 Global Broadband - The rise of DSL report is an annual report on industry and marketing developments in broadband including: cable modems, ADSL, VDSL, ADSL2, VoBB, Broadband TV (IPTV).

Endavo Media and Communications, Inc. and WV Fiber, headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, announced plans to distribute Endavo-enabled IP content and services, including voice, video and application level data services, over WV's fiber network, making them available to communities and service providers nationwide. This implementation follows a November 2004 announcement of the companies' intention to jointly develop the first nationwide IP Multicast Network across America.

Research and Markets has announced the addition of Broadband Powerline Communications: Ready for Take-Off to their offering.

Power line communications (PLC) has evolved into Broadband Powerline Communications (BPL) that has two primary applications - broadband access (BPL-Access) and home networking (BPL-Indoor). The report, "Broadband Powerline Communications: Ready for Take-Off," provides an exhaustive look at the BPL marketplace. The report details global BPL deployments, examines emerging BPL devices, and discusses standards and regulation. The report profiles major vendors marketing BPL equipment. The report examines developments in BPL technologies and compares these technologies with other competing solutions. The report provides market sizing and market forecasts for both BPL-Access and BPL-Indoor.

Espial announced that Allen Technologies, a US healthcare technology leader, has chosen the Espial Escape browser framework and Espial Espresso graphical user interface components, to deliver Walled Garden and Web content to patient hospital rooms as an IPTV solution.

The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday that Australian telephone company, Telstra Corporation, had pulled out of a deal with Microsoft to use its Internet TV service. Sources around the media have been spinning the news since.

Forbes wrote today that, "Telstra Corp has decided not to use Microsoft TV as its Internet Protocol TV (IPTV) platform, according to Telstra spokesman Warwick Ponder." Additionally, Ponder said the Australian carrier is searching for a new platform to launch a planned IPTV offering.

TotalVision Places Order for 50,000 Set-Top Boxes

Amino Communications confirmed that it has delivered 10,000 of it's AmiNet110H set-top boxes to TotalVision, an international provider of in-room entertainment solutions, for use in Caribbean guest rooms. The delivery is part of a larger order for 50,000 units. This deployment represents the first ever rollout of Amino's digital hospitality products in the Caribbean and establishes it as a major technology provider in this market.

Access Devices, Inc. - a leading developer of digital television equipment (DVB and IPTV) - announced that to date over 300,000 units of its 2nd-generation Digital Television set-top box have been shipped. The majority of these shipments have been into United Kingdom retail distribution channels. In addition, since April 2005, the Company has commenced shipping units into a number of continental European territories.