Focusing on the home, Broadband Entertainment offers a comprehensive overview of entertainment technologies that exist now or will be available before 2006. Broadband Entertainment proposes a new device that will bridge the gap between the online world and the entertainment world. This new device, called an entertainment server, will interface with computers, televisions, stereos, gaming consoles, and broadband networks. You can already view movies on your computer. This book shows how you can view those movies on your television as well.

Access to the Internet is an increasing problem in many areas of the world. As the popularity and usefulness of the Internet increases on a daily basis, lack of access to the technology is putting many groups at a disadvantage in terms of better education, better jobs and even in terms of higher levels of civic participation. However, creating a network infrastructure to serve outlying communities and sectors of the population is not straight-forward. This book brings together all the aspects of the problem – technical, regulatory and economic - into one volume to provide a comprehensive resource. It describes the latest technological advances that allow cost-effective network infrastructures to be built, and places them in the context of the applications and services that the infrastructure will deliver. A section on business models and case studies from North American and Europe demonstrate that the solutions are economically and practically viable. This book is essential for anyone looking to gain an understanding of the issues and technology surrounding the access debate. It will be of particular relevance to network engineers/designers/planners at the incumbent operator companies charged with delivering broadband access to as yet unconnected regions. Governments and regulatory bodies will also find this a useful guide to the problems that they may face.

Digital TV Over Broadband: Harvesting Bandwith offers a clear overview of how technological developments are revolutionizing television. It details the recent shift in focus from HDTV to a more broadly defined DTV and to the increasing importance of webcasting for interactive television. Digital Television examines the recent industry toward a combination of digital services, including the use of the new bandwidth for additional channels of programming, as well as some high definition television. The book discusses the increasingly rapid convergence of telecommunications, television and computers and the important role of the web in the future of interactive programming. This new edition not only covers the new technology, but also demonstrates practical uses of the technology in business models.

Interactive broadband services are currently in the process of being transformed into a new communications standard for all households. This book provides a unique overview and serves as a guide for companies faced with the evolution from traditional media to the new world of interactive broadband media. The challenge here is to achieve a good return on high initial investments. The authors provide actual examples of business models that are successful in the long term.

Offers profiles on many of firms in film, radio, television, cable, media, and publishing of various types including books, magazines and newspapers. This book contains many contacts for business and industry leaders, industry associations, Internet sites and other resources. It provides profiles of nearly 400 of top entertainment and media firms.

This volume features contributions from a conference held in Lusaka, Zambia, to explore the role and prospects of broadband in Africa as a video platform—with emphasis on the strategies and building blocks for deployment and advancement. While it may seem that such networks and their applications are not a realistic scenario for developing countries, it would be short-sighted and economically dangerous to ignore the emerging trends. The pace of introduction of next-generation networks in industrialized countries is rapid and the developing world will not be able to stand aside. The risks of falling behind are great and in any country there will be elements of business and society who wish to forge ahead. Policymakers and network architects need to be prepared. Media companies and broadcasters, in particular, must be alert to the new developments as should be medical and educational institutions. The availability of advanced high-speed business application tools in a country will affect its participation in international transactions and its economic growth. This volume features contributions from industry leaders, policymakers and scholars, representing a variety of perspectives, including technology and infrastructure management, economic development, marketing, education and health. The authors collectively discuss how broadband deployment as a platform with sufficient speed for video may be encouraged by public policy and regulation and how investment in broadband for this and related purposes can improve the quality of life and experience in Sub Saharan Africa in media and data, while being a financeable, commercially sound business.