Gol TV Nets Rights Deals

Gearing up for its upfront presentation to advertisers, Gol TV is buttressing its futbol roster with deals for 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches for three top European sides.

The soccer-centric service has netted deals for qualifying games involving the Italian, Spanish and German national teams, the third-, fourth- and fifth-ranked teams in the world, during 2008 and 2009, leading up to the World Cup in South Africa, said Gol TV founder and CEO Enzo Francescoli.

Gol, which offers both English- and Spanish-language audio feeds, also gained rights to the March 26 "friendly" between top-ranked Argentina and Egypt, the African Cup winner.

The deal with Germany, terms of which were not disclosed, gives Gol TV, which counts some 16 million subscribers, exclusive U.S.


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Virgin Media and BBC to bring iPlayer to TV

Virgin Media has announced a partnership with the BBC to launch BBC iPlayer onto its platform, making its customers the first in the UK to get the popular service via a TV platform. Viewers using BBC iPlayer on Virgin Media will be able to watch full screen pictures at full quality on their television set without the need for downloading.

As of today (30th April), Virgin Media customers will be able to catch up on their favourite BBC programmes by pressing the red button on any BBC channel. Access to BBC iPlayer through Virgin Media's EPG (Electronic Programme Guide) menu is due this summer.

BBC iPlayer allows viewers to catch-up on over 350 hours of TV programmes from the past seven days, at no extra cost. This includes shows such as Eastenders, Doctor Who, Gavin and Stacey, Top Gear and The Apprentice.



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Free Connected Home Whitepaper Identifies Increasing Adoption of Internet-Enabled Consumer Electronics Devices, ...

Adoption of an Internet Protocol (IP) interface is growing across virtually all TV-oriented consumer electronics devices, according to a new whitepaper recently released by MultiMedia Intelligence (http://www.MultiMediaIntelligence.com). Manufacturers of IPTV, cable, and satellite set-top boxes, video game consoles, Blu-ray DVD players, audio devices, digital media adapters and a new class of Internet-enabled TVs are adding an IP connection to their boxes. By 2012, MultiMedia Intelligence projects over 217 million Internet-enabled consumer electronics will be shipping annually.

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How to make the digital TV conversion

I am one of those few people who still get TV through a 'rabbit ear' antenna (no cable, no satellite). I know that in February 2009, analog transmissions will end and people like me will have to get a converter box to continue watching television. Will receiving digital transmissions that are converted into analog result in better, sharper picture quality on my TV? I realize that it will not be high definition, but will it produce a crisper, clearer picture and better sound? - N.J.

The quality of the broadcast will be significantly improved, says Shermaze Ingram, spokeswoman for the National Association of Broadcasters. You will no longer have to deal with issues such as blurred or wavy images, says Ingram, who compares the quality of the picture transmitted via the digital-to-analog converter box to that of a DVD.


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World Mahjong Tour, Inc Announces Strategic Partnership with Taiwan's MUCH TV on Mahjong Television Shows

The strategic partnership between World Mahjong Tour and MUCH TV grants MUCH TV the right to co-brand their upcoming Taiwan based mahjong television shows under the World Mahjong Tour name and will be played and filmed in Taipei during the month of May. .



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Gemstar-TV Guide Stockholders Approve Merger with Macrovision

Gemstar-TV Guide International, Inc. (NASDAQ: GMST) announced today that its stockholders have approved the proposed combination of Gemstar-TV Guide and Macrovision Corporation (NASDAQ: MVSN). Based on results announced at today's special meeting of stockholders, more than 90% of Gemstar-TV Guide's outstanding shares on March 17, 2008, the record date for the meeting, were voted in favor of the transaction. The parties currently expect the merger to be effective on May 2, 2008.

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Give us your questions about upcoming digital television conversion

American television stations will be required to broadcast using higher quality digital TV signals beginning in February 2009. They will no longer be able to broadcast traditional analog signals.

So what does that mean to Montana television viewers?

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