North America Digital TV News

Verimatrix chosen for Digicel Play HD digital entertainment service
Jun 2, 2015 – Verimatrix has announced that Digicel New Media Ventures has deployed the Verimatrix Video Content Authority System (VCAS) for DVB to protect its Digicel Play high definition digital entertainment service offering.
News categories: Verimatrix, Digicel, Steve Oetegenn, Alan Constant, BroadcastAsia, Caribbean, Central America, Content Distribution, Content Protection, Digital TV, Oceania, Satellite, Set Top Box, Terrestrial

DIRECTV-15 and SKYM-1 satellites successfully launched
May 27, 2015 – DIRECTV is expanding its satellite fleet in both the U.S. and Latin America with the launch of two spacecraft that will increase HD capacity, secure the future of 4K Ultra HD and backup DIRECTV’s existing satellite fleet.
News categories: DIRECTV, SKY México, Phil Goswitz, Content Distribution, Digital TV, Mexico, Satellite, USA

Suddenlink to provide Hulu on TiVo devices
May 27, 2015 – Suddenlink and Hulu have announced an agreement that will give Suddenlink customers access to the Hulu streaming TV service through the same TiVo set-top boxes they already use to watch television.
News categories: Suddenlink, Hulu, Kathy Payne, Tim Connolly, Apps, Cable TV, Digital TV, Set Top Box, Streaming, USA

Connected TV in more than half of U.S. households
May 27, 2015 – Research from Leichtman Research (LRG) has found that 56% of all US households have at least one television set connected to the Internet via a video game system, a smart TV set, a Blu-ray player, and/or a stand-alone device.
News categories: Leichtman Research, Bruce Leichtman, Blu-ray, Digital TV, Gaming, Market Research, Set Top Box, Smart TV, Streaming, USA

Pay satellite TV homes to reach 265 million by 2020
May 27, 2015 – The number of pay satellite TV [DBS or DTH] homes will reach 265 million by 2020, up from 203 million at end-2014 and 143 million at end-2010, according to a new report from Digital TV Research.
News categories: Digital TV Research, Africa, Asia, Digital TV, Europe, Latin America, Market Research, Middle-East, North America, Satellite, Subscribers, Worldwide

U.S. cable performance improves
May 26, 2015 – According to IHS (NYSE: IHS), U.S. cable companies improved on normal quarterly losses in the first quarter (Q1) of 2015, losing only 132,900 subscribers since the fourth quarter (Q4) of 2014.
News categories: IHS, Erik Brannon, Cable TV, Digital TV, IPTV, Market Research, Satellite, Subscribers, USA

Charter to merge with TWC and acquire Bright House
May 26, 2015 – Charter Communications (Nasdaq: CHTR) and Time Warner Cable (NYSE: TWC) have announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement for Charter to merge with Time Warner Cable.
News categories: Charter Communications, Time Warner Cable, Bright House, Tom Rutledge, Robert D. Marcus, Steve Miron, Cable TV, Digital TV, MandA, USA

IPTV revenues in Canada up 39% in 2014
May 21, 2015 – The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission has released data on Canada's broadcast distribution companies. Overall, these companies' revenues increased 1.5% from $8.8 billion in 2013 to $8.9 billion in 2014.
News categories: CRTC, Cable TV, Canada, Digital TV, Market Research, Satellite, Subscribers

58% of Canadian broadband households have access to online video on their TV set
May 21, 2015 – Parks Associates research reveals 58% of Canadian broadband households have at least one connected CE device that allows online content to be accessed through a TV set, up from 48% in 2012.
News categories: Parks Associates, John Barrett, Brett Sappington, Canada, Digital TV, Gaming, Market Research, Set Top Box, Smart TV, Streaming