Vonage will Sell Videophones and Videophone Service

December 8, 2004, Internet phone service provider Vonage will sell videophones and a videophone service sometime before the end of March, its chief executive said Wednesday, stamping an important imprimatur on a market once derided by comparisons to the futuristic TV cartoon "The Jetsons."

Vonage Chief Executive Jeffrey Citron didn't provide an exact date for the service's debut--first quarter 2005, he said--nor did he release pricing details. For a general idea on what a Vonage videophone service might cost, one can look to videophone provider Packet8, which sells unlimited video calling for $30 a month. Packet8 videophones, which have embedded cameras to capture the caller's image, come heavily rebated.

Vonage has partnered with broadband video equipment maker Viseon to develop the videophone. Vonage will release a videophone that resembles the VisiFone II, a phone developed by broadband video equipment maker Viseon. The VisiFone II debuts in January.

Videophone service is the latest add-on from Vonage and other providers of VoIP--voice over Internet Protocol--a cheap telephone service in which phone calls use Internet Protocol (IP) to travel over the public Internet, or privately owned high-speed networks based on IP. The calls are much cheaper than traditionally placed ones mainly because of IP's efficiencies, plus most IP calls have so far avoided regulation, while traditional phone companies must collect fees and taxes from their customers.

VoicePulse, another VoIP provider, is also planning to add a videophone service "very soon," a spokesman said. He said details were not available.

READ ENTIRE CNET News.com Article: Vonage will Sell Videophones and Videophone Service

Watching TV on your cellular phones

December 06, 2004, How real is TV on cellular phones? Well, one might not choose to watch Bajaj Bajuri on the tiny screen that the cellular phones or the smartphones have. You cannot really see the ecstasy and agony in Yusuf's face as he faces the reality of his life, or the seducing smile of Hindun. You will need a larger screen to see all of this.Yet, TV on cellular phones is as real as terrorism and a lot more fun. On the CDMA side, the video broadcast of football matches during the 2002 FIFA World Cup in Korea was the hallmark of the 3G technology marvel. However, it was not really a live TV broadcast, it was simply video streaming.

DVB-H is gaining momentum. Sharp Microelectronic Europe is supporting the standard. The Japan-based company announced early last month that it had the core tuner chip for mobile devices based on the DVB-H standard. One key feature of this chip is low-power consumption, which is a challenge to conventional mobile TV sets. The standard is being developed by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI), while test projects are already completed or still underway in Finland, Germany and the U.S.

More importantly, this technology will open up yet another unlimited opportunity for the creative, media content entrepreneurs. Look at the 2006 time frame if you want to capitalize on the technology to launch your own service.

READ ENTIRE Jakarta Post News Article: Watching TV on your cellular phones

LG Unveils First Cell Phone With Digital TV Receiver

November 19, 2004, Korea's LG Electronics this week unveiled what it claims is the first cell phone that can receive and play terrestrial digital multimedia broadcasting (DMB) television signals. A recent spate of mobile phones are able to stream television broadcasts transmitted over the Internet. However, LG says it has put a tiny DMB television receiver in its phone. That means the phone can receive over-the-air television signals, although not sources such as cable and satellite broadcasts.

The system enables users to speak on the phone at the same time they are watching television, according to a statement released by the company. It said it used a team of 130 researchers to develop the technology over the last two years and has filed 150 patents related to the device. For good measure, the phone also supports MP3 playback and has a built-in 1.3 megapixel cameraphone. The company also insists the device has long battery life. The device has a 2.4-inch high-definition LCD screen.

READ ENTIRE Mobile Pipeline News Article: LG Unveils First Cell Phone With Digital TV Receiver

SBC Communications Selects Microsoft TV For Advanced IP Television Service

Nov. 17, 2004--SBC Communications Inc. (NYSE:SBC) today announced an agreement with Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq:MSFT) to provide next-generation television services using the new Microsoft(R) TV Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) Edition software platform. The SBC IPTV deal with Microsoft, valued in excess of $400 million over 10 years, is the first of its kind for any U.S.-based telecommunications provider.

"Our service will change the way people experience TV. Finally, customers will watch what they want, when they want - from a virtually unlimited and interactive content selection," said Edward E. Whitacre Jr., SBC Communications Inc. chairman and CEO. "We will deliver integrated communications and entertainment services to enhance the digital lifestyle of our customers."

SBC Labs has been testing an IP-based television service built on the Microsoft TV IPTV Edition platform since June 2004. SBC companies and Microsoft will begin field trials in mid 2005 and plan commercial availability of the IP-based television platform in late 2005.

In the first quarter of 2005, construction is expected to begin on the SBC Project Lightspeed, the company's initiative to deploy fiber closer to customer locations to provide new, feature-rich, IP-based services, including IP television, voice over IP (VoIP), and ultra-fast Internet access. Project Lightspeed is expected to reach 18 million households by year-end 2007.

PTV Potential Offerings - The new service will enable a next-generation digital video entertainment experience not previously realized in the mass market. The solution will take full advantage of the SBC expanding two-way broadband network to offer new, innovative services beyond today's existing broadcast-oriented digital TV networks.

Additionally, by using IP technology to deliver video, voice, data and other advanced services and applications over a single network connection, the services may be accessed and shared via any number of IP-enabled household devices, such as TVs, set-top boxes, PCs, PDAs or phones. Microsoft TV IPTV Edition also provides a comprehensive security system including subscriber and end-to-end digital rights management technology to protect the content across multiple devices.

The IP-based TV service is planned to include instant channel changing, customizable channel lineups, video on demand, digital video recording, multimedia interactive program guides, event notifications, content protection features and more.

READ ENTIRE BUSINESS WIRE Article: SBC IPTV deal with Microsoft to Provide VoIP / IP-based TV Service

Avaya IP Video Telephony Solution Available:

11/2/2004 - Avaya Inc. (NYSE: AV), a global provider of business communications software, systems and services, today introduced an Internet protocol-based video telephony solution that makes desktop videoconferencing as simple as a phone call. The solution integrates broadcast-quality video and office phone functionality into a single, easy-to-use interface, enabling business users to initiate videoconferences on their PC or laptop. This helps organizations quickly and cost-effectively deploy enterprise-class videoconferencing across a business, paving the way for enhanced collaboration and greater organizational efficiencies.

The new solution - The Avaya Video Telephony Solution: Desktop Edition - makes face-to-face collaboration convenient and easy. For example, office and home-based employees, as well as remote and mobile workers, can simply log onto the business network and make video calls that can be transferred, muted, or placed on hold just like a phone call. To initiate desktop videoconferences, a user only requires a colleague's phone number, unlike typical desktop video implementations, which also require knowledge of an IP address or separate video calling number. Videoconferences can be held over broadband or wireless LAN (WLAN) connections.

READ ENTIRE ContactCenterWorld.com Article: Videoconferences can be Held Over Broadband or Wireless LAN (WLAN) Connections

Cisco banks on IP Video

February 18, 2004 � Video killed the radio star, and now Cisco Systems is betting on it to help it sell IP telephony to large corporations. On Wednesday, the networking giant announced the latest version of its Internet Protocol-based PBX call manager software, which integrates video conferencing into its IP telephony solution.

Release 4.0 of the CallManager software incorporates a new feature called Cisco Video Telephony (VT) Advantage, which allows real-time person-to-person video sessions to be added transparently to telephone calls. With Cisco VT Advantage and Cisco CallManager 4.0, users can create an instant face-to-face video call. The company says that it can bring broadcast-quality video and sound previously unavailable to most video conferencing systems.

Cisco has sold more than 2.6 million of its IP telephones into the market. But Marthin De Beer, vice president and general manager of IP Communications at Cisco, admits that it hasn't been easy pushing a pure IP solution into the market place. Nortel Networks and Avaya, which sell hybrid PBXs, let companies migrate to IP telephony at their own pace. Companies can use existing digital phones and add IP functionality later. But Cisco provides a pure IP telephony solution that requires customers to deploy Cisco IP phones on every desktop.

READ ENTIRE CNET News.com Article: Cisco banks on IP Video

BBC TV Team Files News Report Wi-Fi Wirelessly

February 11, 2004 � A news team at BBC Bristol is claiming to be the first UK broadcaster to file a TV report using a wireless internet connection. On 5 February, BBC Bristol political correspondent Dave Harvey and his team filmed a report on the lack of broadband in rural areas. Using a laptop computer, they edited the piece to two minutes in length and used a Wi-fi connection to send the report back to the studio.

After sending the piece, the team broadcast live from location using a camcorder, laptop and Quicklink - special compression software that makes video files smaller and faster to transmit. "It's not that widespread right now, but I think we'll see an explosion in the use of Wi-fi in the BBC," said Andrew Butterworth, senior operator for the BBC's mobile technologies project.

Broadcast reporters enjoy the freedom of wireless and mobile reporting, says Mr Butterworth, because it means they do not have to wait for a satellite broadcast truck. And at the moment, most wireless networks are based in caf�s and pubs, which offers some incentive for reporters to take up the new technology. "At least it's a nice place to sit and edit."

READ ENTIRE Journalism.co.uk Article: TV Team Files News Report Wi-Fi Wirelessly

North American Hotspot Deployments Exploding: 85% of Mobile Phones will be Wi-Fi enabled by 2009

February 9, 2004 � North American hotspot deployments have exploded in recent months and are expected to grow from 10,000 in 2003 to nearly 200,000 by 2009, according to a recently released report by emerging wireless research firm, ON World. ON World predicts that more than 90 percent of laptops and handheld computers will be Wi-Fi enabled by 2007 and 85 percent of all mobile phones will be Wi-Fi enabled by 2009. The rapid expansion of Wi-Fi enabled devices will increase user numbers rapidly over the projection period up from 5 million users worldwide in 2003 to 86 million in 2009.

These emerging trends are leading to a hotspot land grab by the telcos, mobile operators and many new startups.

READ ENTIRE PRWEB Article: North American Hotspot Deployments Exploding

Why 802.11 is Underhyped: Wi-Fi will be Embedded in Every Electronic Product Under the Sun!!!

February 4, 2004, CNET News.com - In five short years, a backwardly compatible 802.11g chip began to offer about 25 times the performance at about one-twentieth the price of the first-generation radios in this market. As before, these low price points are leading to increased market opportunities and lower and lower prices. Currently, 802.11 radios are a 50-million-unit-per-year market, but history suggests that this is merely the beginning. With some 802.11 radio chips approaching $5 price points, Wi-Fi will likely be embedded in every electronic product under the sun.

Make no mistake about it: 802.11, or one of its backwardly compatible descendants, will dominate the wireless communications sector over the next 10 years the same way the x86 architecture dominates computing and that Ethernet dominates networking. There will be numerous doubters and numerous challengers, but they will all succumb to the inescapable power of the first true open-standard radio.

READ ENTIRE CNET News.com Article: Resistance is futile. Moreover, 802.11 is indeed underhyped.

D-Link Debuts VideoPhone for Wi-Fi Networks

12/17/2003, Broadband Wireless Business Magazine - D-Link Systems Inc. is offering a new version of its i2eye VideoPhone that is wireless. The D-Link DVC-1100 system is compliant with both 802.11b and 802.11g wireless LAN technologies and turns any TV into a broadband videophone. The system captures and displays real-time streaming video images at up to 30 frames per second, according to an announcement issued by the company. Full-duplex audio is enabled, allowing users to speak naturally to one another through the unit�s built-in microphone.

The wireless i2eye VideoPhone uses the ITU-based H.323 protocol for video streaming over the Internet, and can connect with other devices based on the same protocol, including devices running applications such as Microsoft NetMeeting. The system�s Video Privacy function enables audio but not video reception for the caller. Audio Privacy allows callers to see but not hear the person answering the VideoPhone. The system also has a Do Not Disturb function that rejects calls altogether.

The system uses SSID filtering and 64/128/256 bit WEP encryption for transmission security.

MobiTV Mobile Television currently works on most Sprint PCS Vision-enabled phones:

MobiTV - Cool. VERY Cool. Introducing Live Television for Your Mobile Phone. MobiTV is a service that transforms your mobile phone into a TV, enabling you to watch the news, get sports updates, and catch your favorite shows wherever you are. MobiTV is live TV, not canned clips or slide shows. The same broadcast and premium channels you watch on your television at home are now available on your mobile phone. Sports, Headline News, Financial News, Entertainment, and more... The starting channel line up features MSNBC, CNBC, Discovery, TLC, Discovery Kids, CSTV, CMC, IMNTV, and more. With several more premium channels on the way, there is always something interesting to watch, wherever you are. With MobiTV's easy-to-use technology, you'll be surfing channels immediately. There are no complicated navigation menus to slow you down. If you can use your TV's remote control, you can watch MobiTV.

Links to Other Internet TV Broadcasters - iTV Broadband Entertainment Web Sites & Broadband Content Providers

Sprint and Sanyo Introduce First Video Phone to Include Press-to-Talk Service: PCS Ready Link:

Dec. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- Sprint and Sanyo today announced the PCS Vision(SM) Video Phone VM4500 by Sanyo, the first phone in the U.S. to feature the ability to shoot digital video clips of up to 15 seconds in length with sound and take VGA-quality digital photos, as well as Sprint's nationwide walkie-talkie service: PCS Ready Link. Users can instantly share both video clips and photos with family and friends or share them online using Sprint Picture Mail.

Sprint and Audiovox Offer Combination Video and Camera Phone:

Dec. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- Lights, camera, action ... the newest handset announced today by Sprint and Audiovox Communications Corporation, a subsidiary of Audiovox Corporation, gives PCS Vision(SM) customers the capability to take video and audio directly on their mobile phones and email it to anyone, anywhere on the enhanced Sprint Nationwide PCS Network.

Lights, Camera, Action! Sprint Introduces Video Mail:

Dec. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Sprint becomes the first carrier to truly deliver a Video Mail service for the masses by offering an easy-to-use, affordable and nationwide service for customers to communicate via video -- all at a true flat-rate price. Video Mail from Sprint, which is powered by LightSurf, allows customers to capture, view and share 15 seconds of everyday moments directly from their PCS Vision Video Phones to any email address or select PCS Vision Phones while on the Sprint Nationwide PCS Network. Video Mail is the latest PCS Vision(SM) service and compliments the popular Picture Mail service from Sprint. Video Mail allows customers to take up to 15 seconds of video directly from their PCS Vision Phone and share to any e-mail address or PCS Video Phone.

• Wainhouse Research   - Publishes news bulletins, articles, whitepapers, and industry reports, produces seminars, and provides consulting services related to the visual collaboration and rich media communications marketplace.

• Cincinnati International Teleport - Wireless videoconferencing systems. Mobile portable videoconference equipment and designs.
• CIT - Company specializing in wireless videoconferencing and wireless video utilizing ISDN or IP.
• Forgent Networks - Video network scheduling software and services company with global partners and alliances.
• Mobile Information Integration - Portable briefcase videoconferencing solutions.
• VFI - Videoconference furniture from monitor stands to podiums for distance learning.
• Video Conferencing Jobs - Site offers videoconferencing jobs only with a global online jobs database for both employers and job seekers.
• Videoconference Depositions - Videoconference deposition resource for lawyers and court reporters. Quick estimates for video conferencing depositions.
• VTCTalk - Online forum for videoconferencing professionals. Engineers can meet and discuss relevant topics.
• VTEL Users Group - A non-profit users group for VTEL videoconferencing equipment supported and managed wholly by its dues paying members.
• Zibex - Video tele-banking applications. Banking services using videoconference technology.