Cable television could see a mass migration away from its services, according to Parks Associates' TV 2.0: The Consumer Perspective, if providers do not improve their consistently low satisfaction ratings among subscribers.

This new report reveals that subscribers to satellite television and telco/IPTV are significantly more likely to be satisfied with their services than both basic and digital cable subscribers. These market conditions leave cable carriers vulnerable to subscriber churn, and the survey recommends they quickly enhance advanced services like VoD to reverse this trend.

Harmonic's ProStream 2000 digital video splicer has successfully completed conformance testing for real-time splicing of national MPEG-4 AVC (H.264) video streams of the Microsoft Mediaroom IPTV platform. A key component of Harmonic’s award-winning IP-based advertisement insertion solution, fully compliant with the SCTE 35 and SCTE 30 standards, the software-based ProStream 2000 platform offers outstanding levels of scalability and can be easily integrated into an IPTV operator’s network.

NeuLion and JumpTV announce the closing of their previously announced merger (the "Transaction"). Under the terms of the Transaction, JumpTV issued 49,577,427 common shares, 1,840,097 contingent shares, which represents approximately the entire issued and outstanding shares of JumpTV, and 5 million warrants exercisable for two years at US $0.64 per share to the security holders of NeuLion, in exchange for their NeuLion securities. JumpTV also granted 2.7 million employee stock options exercisable at US $0.60. These options were issued as contemplated by the requirements of the Merger Agreement.

CBS Interactive releases its latest online video innovation, the Social Viewing Room, which launches with Intel as its premier sponsor. The Social Viewing Room lets TV fans watch the most popular CBS Network TV shows online at the same time as their friends, and interact as if they were all sitting together in the same room.

At launch, CBS will have Social Viewing Rooms available for Primetime, Daytime, and CBS Classics. While in a Social Viewing Room fans chat, make comments, and throw or animate customized virtual objects on the screen. Users can also more easily find, befriend, and have conversations with others who share their passion for CBS programming. Viewers will see a list of everyone else in the room, and can chat with any or all of them directly during the show, thus increasing viral aspects through chat and interaction.

Sky Player will now offer access to content from all the BBC TV channels. BBC programme information for these channels will be listed according to its appropriate Sky Player genre. Once viewers select a BBC programme to view they will be transferred to the BBC iPlayer site for video playback.

The announcement further boosts the Sky Player's channel line-up, while enabling the BBC to reach out to new audiences for online video on demand.

The day of truly converged services cooperatively based in a telecommunications network, the Internet, a computer or a handheld device is not far off, and testing sponsored by a prominent industry group is being done over the next two weeks to bring that day even closer.

Engineers and equipment makers are gathering in the Verizon technology lab in Waltham and in labs elsewhere in North America, and in Asia and Europe to test a new system that enables incompatible services and networks to work together. It's called IP Multimedia Subsystem, and it will be at the heart of long-foretold convergence. "IMS is more than a platform; it is a system that will enable the true convergence of services, using some very interesting blends of network and Internet functions," said Mark Wegleitner, Verizon senior vice president of technology.

Verimatrix enhances the value and security of pay-TV networks with advanced technologies designed to address the content protection challenges of today, and those of tomorrow. The Verimatrix 3-Dimensional Content Security approach provides a framework to enhance operator competitiveness and the consumer experience in the new world of pay-TV.

AT&T U-verse TV has reached a milestone of more than 100,000 customers in the Greater Houston area. AT&T U-verse services were first introduced in the Houston area nearly two years ago in November 2006. AT&T is continually expanding availability to more Houston-area residents, and U-verse TV is offered today throughout the Houston region, including parts of Brazoria, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris and Montgomery counties.

BSNL has extended its contract with UTStarcom to build the second phase of a countrywide multiplay network launched in December 2007. UTStarcom deployed 1.3 million broadband subscriber lines during the first phase of BSNL's multiplay network deployment and UTStarcom continues to remain India's leading provider of IPTV and broadband infrastructure in terms of scope of deployments and total commercially-deployed subscriber lines.

As they enter the growth stage of their industry, IPTV operators are moving past their underlying network capabilities and are focusing on real and value-added benefits for their customers. Telco-IPTV operators’ future success will be determined by a wide range of internal and external factors while they manage the expansion stage of their offerings and find their investment needs shifting as they target both existing and prospective customers.

Limelight Networks has expanded into additional Switch and Data sites to provide 100% availability, and fast and reliable delivery for its customers’ rich digital media. The announcement was made at Limelight’s Digital Media Innovation Forum, held today in, Phoenix, AZ.

DIRECTV has selected the latest TANDBERG MPEG-4 AVC HD encoding solutions for its local HD channel expansion. The move builds on a pioneering HDTV relationship between DIRECTV and TANDBERG Television and further extends both companies’ HDTV market lead. In early 2005 DIRECTV chose TANDBERG Television’s first-to-market MPEG-4 AVC HD platform, and became the first North American satellite DTH provider to launch HD services.

MediaMelon launches its Video Overlay Network, an application-layer software-enabled network to significantly improve the profitability of online videos for content distributors and their service providers while also enhancing the consumer viewing experience.

Endavo Media has selected Highwinds as its content delivery partner. Endavo Media provides digital media management, delivery and monetization platforms as a service for Internet TV, Enterprise Video, Social Media and IPTV. Their solutions enable clients to connect and engage with global audiences through high-quality live and on-demand delivery of video, audio and photos. Endavo Media's cost-effective, integrated digital broadcast system includes hosted media management software, brandable multi-format media players, modular and customizable service platforms, and delivery of digital content over Highwinds' high-performance network.

ViewCast announces that the BBC and leading broadcasters in Asia and North America were among a number of international broadcasters who streamed live video coverage of the games in Beijing to millions of viewers with ViewCast Niagara encoders and Osprey video capture cards.

The trend of major broadcasters and organizations utilizing ViewCast technology to stream live and on-demand video of major events through their Web sites began long before the games in Beijing. In June 2008, viewers in North America were able to watch live Web-TV coverage of a premier boxing match in the U.K., as Amir Khan defended his lightweight title. In July, the storied English football club, Liverpool FC, began streaming games to its global fan base. And in August, the BBC installed Niagara Pro encoders from ViewCast for live streaming coverage of prestige sports and news events.