Verimatrix announces that Star Telephone Membership Cooperative has deployed the Verimatrix Video Content Authority System on its IPTV network. Chosen in the later stages of the network build out, Verimatrix worked with Star Telephone to get VCAS up and running in one day. Verimatrix will be demonstrating VCAS for IPTV during NXTcomm at booth #1861.

Star Telephone is a leading independent operating company based in southeastern North Carolina providing triple play services with phone, broadband and cable television offerings. Star Telephone decided to add IPTV for a more cost-effective solution to its rural customers. IPTV will also allow them to offer Video-on-Demand and other advanced services not available with cable. They plan on officially launching the new IPTV service in Q4 this year.

Amino releases the Personal Video Recorder enabled AmiNET530, at NXTcomm 2007 in Chicago. At booth #2023, Amino will showcase the AmiNET530 as a fundamental component of a service provider’s multiplay strategy, by offering cutting edge, high quality on-demand, IPTV, PVR, gaming and HD services to end-user consumers using MPEG-2/4 codecs.

The AmiNET530 is a next-generation IPTV Set-Top Box that provides the ability to decode low bit-rate MPEG-4 (AVC/H.264) video streams and is capable of supporting HD video and graphics. With PVR functionality, the AmiNET530 can act as a hub for all the services and applications used for playing, recording and streaming video – it also includes Amino’s reliable, cross-platform IntActTM client software that ensures compatibility with an extensive range of middleware and conditional access systems.

The Microsoft Mediaroom IPTV and multimedia platform allows consumers to see multiple channels, programs and camera angles on one screen.

Microsoft announces the availability of Microsoft Mediaroom, the latest update to its award-winning IPTV software platform, featuring several new multimedia capabilities, including in-home personal music and photo sharing, dynamic MultiView (multiple picture-in-picture) capabilities, Multimedia Application Environment for development of interactive services and advanced applications, and digital terrestrial television support. Microsoft also introduced the Microsoft Mediaroom Application Development toolkit, which provides service providers and third-party developers with tools to create compelling, revenue-generating TV-based applications that run on the platform.

With this latest release, Microsoft is renaming its IPTV platform Microsoft Mediaroom to better reflect the broader set of new connected entertainment experiences made possible today and the types of experiences anticipated in the future. In addition, the Microsoft Mediaroom name and identity are designed to be used by service providers as an ingredient brand to create a powerful competitive differentiator to support their consumer marketing activities.

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.

Motorola introduces a set-top software solution using an open Internet Protocol platform on its VIP 1200 series set-top boxes. The KreaTV application platform uses the Linux Operating system to help support multiple entertainment and video service applications on Motorola's VIP set-top series, allowing service providers and other third parties to easily customize and deploy revenue-generating applications via development kits and custom training on the toolsets. Interactive features such as programming guides, viewer voting tools, and advanced gaming can be seamlessly integrated by the service provider using the open-platform system in conjunction with third-party middleware and software providers.

Bell Aliant has chosen Widevine to protect its broadcast service, Aliant TV. Bell Aliant evaluated the entire market for content security and determined that Widevine's content security and proven deployments with other Canadian service providers -- SaskTel, Telus and MTS Allstream -- were key factors in meeting their business goals now and as their service expands. Widevine also was able to meet Aliant's aggressive time-to-market goals. Bell Aliant's conversations with the broadcasters yielded a high regard for Widevine's patented content security capabilities and fast renewability of client security on a wide range of consumer platforms.

A very happy Brightcove announced today that is has signed a major deal with Fox Entertainment Group to make its range of Internet TV services available to all Fox properties. Each Fox network and studio will use Brightcove to program and host ad-supported Internet video channels and targeted consumer media campaigns.

This raises several questions around Fox's intentions with their existing programming viewable on MySpace and their partnership with NBC Universal to create the largest Internet video distribution network.

In some offbeat news on the HD DVD vs Blu-ray battle, Blockbuster said today that it is rolling out an expanded Blu-ray disc inventory for rental to 1,700 Blockbuster stores by mid-July. This announcement comes as a major setback to the rival HD DVD format and its supporters, which includes Toshiba, Universal, Microsoft, Intel and others. Blockbuster said that Blu-ray has been more popular with its customers and significantly outpaced rentals in the HD DVD format. Matthew Smith, SVP Merchandising for Blockbuster, said "Obviously, when customers are ready we can expand the Blu-ray offering into more stores and add HD DVD to more locations if that's what customers tell us they want. We'll continue to work with the movie studios to ensure we have the right assortment of products."

Sling Media, the creators of the Slingbox, rolled out two new HomePlug powerline solutions for the Slingbox. The SlingLink TURBO offers a higher speed connection between the Slingbox and the router, thus creating a better Slingbox experience for customers. The SlingLink TURBO 4 Port is available in many retail locations as well as online, with the SlingLink TURBO 1 Port hitting retail shelves in the coming weeks.

Broadcom Corporation announced a new impulse noise protection technology that enables carriers and OEMs to dramatically improve voice, data and video services to their customers. The new impulse protection solution, marketed as Broadcom PhyR (pronounced "Fire") technology, incorporates Broadcom's industry leading ADSL2+/VDSL2 firmware and provides a significant improvement in residual bit error rate as well as resistance against impulsive noise, resulting in a vastly improved user experience for subscribers of telecommunications triple-play services. Broadcom's new PhyR technology will be demonstrated at next week's NXTComm 2007 show in Chicago, Illinois.

Light Reading has completed a groundbreaking test that verifies Cisco Systems Inc.'s end-to-end IPTV solution for scaleability, resilience, and quality of service. Light Reading is an operating unit of CMP Technology.

The test, conducted by the European Advanced Networking Test Center, also indicated that standard techniques alone won't get the job done, as Cisco demonstrated some proprietary features that would appear crucial for preserving video quality in a real-world deployment.

The full test report can be found online, for free, at: http://www.lightreading.com/document.asp?doc_id=126173

iTV Con, to be held July 17th at the DoubleTree Hotel in San Jose, CA has attracted the industry’s top executives and innovators for a one-day summit to articulate a vision and direction for Internet and Interactive TV technologies. Broadband delivery of content is rapidly becoming the next major disruptive entertainment medium, crossing a broad spectrum of devices, platforms and market segments. Industry leaders Google, Sling Media, MobiTV, Scientific Atlanta, TANDBERG Television, AMD, RealNetworks, Orb, Akimbo and a host of other companies will present critical insights on Internet and Interactive TV technologies and business models.

AT&T is using ice cream trucks with their melodic tunes to deliver the message on their new U-verse IPTV service. Marketing teams cruise neighborhoods, go door to door, and even throw parties at apartment complexes.

Yes, I'll take a brownie ice cream sandwich and the U400 high speed Internet package please.

According to an article by Mark Peters in the Hartford Courant, "With music playing, the truck stops and a door opens on the side to reveal a flat-screen TV showing programming from U-verse, AT&T's answer to cable television."

"That's like a magnet," said Leslie Spiars, a marketing associate for AT&T. "You play the ice-cream truck music, and people come running."

Good idea, but what about the ice cream?

AT&T finds the marketing strategy useful in tackling the challenge of promoting the service in only the select areas of towns that its being offered. AT&T's vice president and general manager for Connecticut, Chad Townes said, "We don't want to confuse people."

Soooo...using an ice cream truck to promote a TV service isn't confusing?

The article goes on to discuss the challenges U-verse faces in demonstrating IPTV's advantages over cable or satellite such as instant channel changing, etc. This form of marketing allows AT&T to demonstrate these features first hand.

And I still want my ice cream.

No, this is not a joke, this is a webisode. Sprays In the City tells the story of Spritzy, the feisty Wish-Bone Salad Spritzers Dressing and Spraychel, the captivating I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! spray. The two sprays pursue love in the big city fridge filled with drama, gossip and excess. They quickly find that their product benefits, like portion control and great taste, make them the center of attention.

What in the world is this you ask? Darn good question.

Unilever has decided to combe two of its spray brands – I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! and Wish-Bone – to launch Sprays In the City, a new animated series of webisodes. The series, which launches June 13 at www.spraysinthecity.com, features the celebrity star power of Extra's Mark McGrath, Project Runway's Tim Gunn, and heartthrob Fabio.

Latens FCAS solution has been chosen by Douglas County Public Utility District to secure its IPTV roll-out. Douglas County PUD will deliver IPTV across its Douglas County Community Network (DCCN). The DCCN is a high speed broadband network delivering broadband at speeds of 100 Mbp/s to residential homes, businesses and government offices.