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Posts with tag Olympics

NBC Olympics on the Go brings the Games to Vista Media Center users

by Darren Murph, posted Jun 23rd 2008 at 3:35PM


We've got this sneaking suspicion that we'll be forced to digest bucketfuls of Olympics news as the run-up to August continues, and Wavexpress is making sure our thoughts are accurate. Said outfit has just announced a partnership with NBC that will see the former "develop, host and support a service for viewing NBC's coverage of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games in Microsoft's Windows Vista Media Center." The NBC Olympics on the Go will utilize Wavexpress' TVTonic internet video application to enable Media Center users to "watch channels of NBC's coverage of Olympic events in up-to-HD quality on the go on their laptop." As expected, the service will be free to all who choose to take advantage, but this time you'll actually need to download the TVTonic application (versus just logging in via the web portal).

Flat-panel, DVD recorder sales surge in Japan as Olympics draw near

by Darren Murph, posted Jun 20th 2008 at 1:14AM


Although some analysts aren't attributing the heightened flat-panel sales in China to the upcoming Olympics in Beijing, Tokyo-based BCN most certainly is pointing the finger at said Games to explain a similar surge in Japan. Reportedly, overall flat-panel TV sales skyrocketed some 35.3% during the June 1st - 15th period from a year prior, with demand particularly high for 40-inch models. Additionally, DVD recorders saw an equally impressive 25.2% increase in sales, with just over half of those supporting Blu-ray. Maybe they're just trying to beat the impending taxation?

[Image courtesy of HDTVUK]

Spain preps HD channel for 2008 Olympic Games

by Darren Murph, posted Jun 15th 2008 at 8:36PM

Good news, Spain. The president of the Radio Televisión Española has just announced that high-definition coverage of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing will be available in your country. After a meetup with the Directors Board of the Association of Olympic Sports, Luis Fernandez asserted that details were being finalized for a TVE channel that will carry the events in HD and will likely be broadcast by Canal+ HD. Outside of that, details were scant, but considering the dearth of time before the Games get kicked off, you probably won't be waiting long to hear more.

NBC Universal hopes to push HD-focused ads during Olympics

by Darren Murph, posted Jun 14th 2008 at 11:58PM

Not like you couldn't piece this one together yourself, but NBC Universal isn't going to let this opportunity pass it by. Just like the run-up to the SuperBowl, it's planning on using the Olympics as a campaign platform for HD. Reportedly, affiliates will be "provided with on-air, direct mail and bill stuffers to promote HDTV content sales, as well as material designed to retain current HDTV subscribers." In other words, expect to see an onslaught of ads coaxing folks into making the jump to high-def if they haven't already. Gotta love those marketing gurus, eh?

aigo delivers USB TV tuners for Chinese, European markets

by Darren Murph, posted Jun 9th 2008 at 8:10AM

We heard that Legend Silicon and Intel were teaming up to push HDTV dongles in China, and push they have. aigo has just announced that it has used technology from the former to build USB TV tuners for catching OTA HD signals on laptops, PCs or any other manner of devices capable of watching video. In China, it's estimated that many of the devices will be used to watch the upcoming Olympics in Beijing in glorious high-definition, while DVB-T users in Europe will have yet another choice for snagging HD on-the-run. Reportedly, the tuners will demand around $100 a pop, but there's no word on where or when they'll show up.

France not exactly rushing to adopt HD

by Darren Murph, posted May 27th 2008 at 10:12PM

Talk about a let down. According to a new report from Variety, Daniel Bilalian -- France Televisions' director of sports programming -- has announced that "HD transmissions would not be available for this summer's Olympic Games on any of the pubcaster's channels." The article also notes that French networks in general have been slow to move towards high-definition, with only Canal Plus putting forth a proposal for premium HD transmissions (from pay-TV providers). Still, it's noted that private networks TF1 and M6 have "committed to airing at least 80-percent of their content in HD by the end of 2012," but it's not like we're really down with twiddling our thumbs for four more years waiting for it to happen.

PTS begins HD broadcasting trial in Taiwan

by Darren Murph, posted May 16th 2008 at 5:33PM


Just months after BBC HD headed to Taiwan on Chunghwa Telecom and Vastar Cable began HD IPTV trails in the same region, in comes word that local public broadcaster PTS has fired up its first OTA HDTV trial. Currently, the signals are only covering the metropolitan areas of Taipei and Kaohsiung, but if all goes well, we could see it spread to other regions in the near future. Reportedly, the Taiwanese government has provided PTS with an $88 million subsidy in order to "establish a nationwide HDTV broadcast network in three phases," and from what we can gather, the HiHD channel will enable residents to watch the opening ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics in high-definition later this summer. 'Grats, Taiwan!

[Via DigiTimes]

SportsCenter changes up the formula starting August 11

by Richard Lawler, posted May 15th 2008 at 3:01PM


The daily SportsCenter rotation marks time for many a sports junkie, but starting this fall, everything will be different. Timed for the start of the Beijing Olympics, SportsCenter is switching to a live edition from 6 a.m. until 3 p.m., Monday through Friday. News vet Hannah Storm will host from 9 a.m. until noon each day, in an effort to balance with ESPN2's morning programming and ESPNews. Smaller tweaks include a continuous Bottom Line news ticker that scrolls headlines throughout the show and commercial breaks, and an ESPNews-style Rundown vertical listing of upcoming stories. Next spring ESPN takes the wrapper off its Sony-powered LA studio, debuting a 10 p.m. PT / 1 a.m. ET live SportsCenter broadcast skewed for the West Coast. Endless reruns of SportsCenter throughout the night and early morning have been a fixture for more than a decade, this adjustment strikes us on the level of political unrest, a weakening dollar and global climate change.

[Via Variety]

Panasonic launches HD marketing push around Olympics

by Darren Murph, posted May 1st 2008 at 10:39AM


Given the amount of buzz surrounding the 2008 Olympic Games, we aren't too surprised to see Panasonic jumping on the bandwagon in an attempt to push its brand. The outfit has just kicked off a nationwide tour involving a fleet of customized trucks encouraging families to get their living rooms ready for HD. Reportedly, the flagship truck will be visiting retailers across the US and give prospective buyers the chance to snag an autograph from swimmer Mark Spitz and gymnast Kerri Strug. As expected, Panny will be handing out lots of free kit along the way, and interestingly enough, the trucks you see should look awfully familiar -- after all, they're the same ones used in last year's "Living in HD" contest (but with a snazzy new paint job). Talk about a good example of recycling.

China preps new HDTV channel for the Olympics

by Richard Lawler, posted Apr 28th 2008 at 9:37AM

CCTV is getting ready for the 2008 Beijing Olympics by launching a dedicated high definition channel May 1. Viewers in the eight cities currently covered (Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Shenyang, Qingdao, Qinhuangdao, Guangzhou and Shenzhen) can expect a variety of HD content broadcast 24 hours a day until the Olympics, when it will morph into the Olympic HD Channel and broadcast of all events and ceremonies. Have USB dongle, will travel.

Legend Silicon, Intel push USB dongles for laptop HDTV viewing in China

by Darren Murph, posted Apr 27th 2008 at 11:33AM

With the 2008 Olympic Games right around the corner, Intel is tag-teaming it with Legend Silicon in order to promote HDTV viewing on portable devices -- laptops, most notably. The pair has seemingly convinced Lenovo, HP, ASUS, Sony, Samsung and Toshiba (among others) to offer up their machines with a DTTB USB dongle in the coming days, enabling Chinese citizens to watch HD on-the-go right out of the box. If you couldn't surmise, DTTB is yet another Chinese broadcast standard, and while we wouldn't bet the farm on it, the nation's government is hoping to offer up multiple high-def programs via DTTB by 2010. Who would've guessed -- the Olympics catapulting HD programming in China?

NBC aims to broadcast stereo / 5.1 mixes simultaneously during Olympics

by Darren Murph, posted Apr 11th 2008 at 9:44AM

Rest assured, NBC isn't taking this year's Olympics broadcast lightly. After announcing that some 3,600 hours of the games would be shot (with many in HD), we've now learned that the network will be broadcasting the 5.1 surround mix and stereo mix simultaneously. According to Bob Dixon, NBC Olympics' director of sound design, 2008 marks "the first time the games will be produced totally in high-definition with 5.1 discrete channels of audio," and the plan is to send six discrete channels to those capable of receiving it and carefully downmix for those with stereo capabilities. Needless to say, there's going to be extensive work happening behind the scenes in order to pull off such a feat, and if you're the technical type, feel free to tap the read link to get a sense of just how elaborate the setup will be.

Freeview going HD in the UK

by Darren Murph, posted Apr 3rd 2008 at 8:15AM Breaking News


It's official: HD aficionados in the UK will soon be able to get their fix via Freeview. If you'll recall, the Freeview HD trial that took place in 2006 went over quite well, and according to Ofcom, up to four free HD channels will be broadcast. Unfortunately, users looking forward to such niceties will be forced to wait until analog is switched off in their neck of the woods, and of course they'll also need an HD-ready TV and a new set-top-box. We've already heard that BBC will be one of the four channels, and ITV, Channel 4, Five and Welsh network S4C have all been "invited to bid for [the other] three slots in which they can broadcast high-definition TV or other new services." On the upside, the whole of the country should be digital by 2012, just in time for the London Olympics -- and for those lucky souls in and around Whitehaven, you'll get the spoils first.

[Thanks, Kieran and Andy]

Broadcom and Coship develop HD STB in advance of Beijing Olympics

by Darren Murph, posted Mar 25th 2008 at 8:48AM


As the 2008 Beijing Olympics draw near, we're seeing quite a bit of high-def progress being made in the Far East. Not only is flat-panel demand on the rise, but broadcasters are stepping up their games in order to dole out more HD content. Now, Broadcom and Coship have teamed up to deliver China's first commercial HD set-top-box solution. As it stands, the latter firm is already building N8603 and N8606 STBs that integrate Broadcom's SoC solution, and when rolled out, they will enable Chinese viewers to take advantage of HD content and PVR capabilities. No word on when the two boxes will leave the lab, but we have all ideas they'll be hitting homes well before the famed Opening Ceremonies begin.

[Via Digital Edge]

Terrestrial HDTV programs coming to eight cities in China before Olympics

by Darren Murph, posted Mar 24th 2008 at 11:28AM


No doubt about it, the Olympics are spurning interest in HDTV programming in the Far East, and it looks like a handful of cities won't have to wait until summer to start enjoying the spoils of being this year's Olympic host. Apparently, a senior Chinese official has announced that "terrestrial high definition television (HDTV) programs will be broadcast in eight cities on the China Content Broadcasting Network in 2008 before the Olympic games commences in August." For those curious about specifics, citizens of Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, Qinhuangdao, Shenyang, Qingdao, Guangzhou and Shenzhen will be able to catch HD programs on China Central Television (CCTV) in the not-too-distant future. So, how's about that flat-panel demand over there?

[Image courtesy of BusinessWeek]




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