State of the Art - Utgiver: Mediaplanet AS - Distribusjon: The Evening Herald

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FEBRUARY 2008

STATE OF THE ART A GUIDE TO HOME ENTERTAINMENT

A crystal-clear image

Ready for HD?

The sound of music

Digital services for all

LCD TVs are setting the How the TV networks are Traditional ways of buying How to get several digital standard for home viewing fighting the threat of the Web music have changed for good services from one place Page 5 Page 6 Page 8 Page 12

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Highly defined entertainment Technology moves quickly – sometimes so quickly that it’s easy to forget where it’s going. Ten years ago, a living room was a different thing to what it is now, writes Ben Cleary, sound engineer/producer o what exactly has changed?

Well, take for instance, the CD collection. Back then, a collection of two hundred albums on CD was an admirable one. Nowadays, we have two thousand or more albums on a little device smaller then one CD box. And it doesn’t stop there. The living room has become a place packed to the brim with things to stimulate the senses and entertain.

High-definition digital television, blue-ray technology, online poker, modern comfortable furniture and all manners of high tech gadgets now live within our homes.

Home entertainment has entered a new realm - quick, affordable, easy to use and unprecedented for quality. Never before have so many colourful entertainment options been available to so many.

Laptops are super machines. The internet is becoming lightening fast and will soon be wireless everywhere you go. Nowadays, entertainment can be at your fingertips in every square foot of every room in your home.

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Flat screen televisions of all shapes and sizes occupy the living room. Hung like proud Rembrandts, they have become part of home living in a big way. Never before have we seen such a clear replica of what the cameras set out to capture. Figures appear as though they were standing in the room with you, animations look like the real thing, landscapes have almost as much detail as can be picked up with the naked eye. High definition certainly does what it says on the tin. However, it’s not just the visual side of things that are set to stun. Surround sound turns your front room into an action packed war zone. Bullets whiz by your ear, the on screen atmosphere swirls around the room, explosions resonate throughout your body.

Alfred Hitchcock said: ‘If it’s a good movie, the sound could go off and the audience would still have a perfectly clear idea of what was going on.’ We know that this was certainly true of his movies. We also know that Hitchcock was a staunch

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opponent of television, mainly due to what he saw as a dull and lifeless experience compared with a trip to the movie theatre. However, in the context of the current state of home entertainment, the quote left a few questions lingering in my mind.

What would Hitchcock make of today’s surround sound home experience? What would his reaction be to seeing one of his movies come to life in front of him, crystal clear, just

as he had seen it with his own eyes?

How would he feel, sitting back in your front room, nice and snug, immersed in the incredibly realistic sounds, pulsing to the picturesque images on screen?

Maybe, the whole thing would be too sterile for his liking, too dependent on sound to enrich the experience. Or maybe, just maybe, your front room would have blown him away.

Plasma vs LCD

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Essential gadgets

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A crystal-clear image

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Knock, knock! TV licence man

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Ready for HD?

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Blu-Ray

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The sound of music

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Dublin free trade

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Supercharged gaming

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An ace in the pack

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Riding the digital airwaves

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Digital services for everyone

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The next generation of broadband 14 Hook up your home

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Plasma vs LCD s large-screen televisions become a standard fixture in our living rooms, viewers are becoming increasingly aware of the technical aspects of the new generation of TV sets.

However, whether consumers are actually aware of the differences in the types of televisions that are available on the market is a different matter.

Like the format ‘war’ between Blu-Ray and HD-DVD that has broken out in that sector of the technology market, there is a similar battle raging as manufacturers try to persuade everyone to upgrade their televisions. In this instance, the challenge is between plasma and LCD. Plasma, developed in the sixties in its most basic form, was the format of choice for most manufacturers of large-screen televisions when the home entertainment market for such equipment was really starting to take off in the nineties. Put simply(ish), plasma displays function through the means of cells that are installed between two glass panels. Those cells contain a mixture of neon and xenon gases.

Stimulated with electricity, the gas is turned into plasma, which then motivates phosphors to emit light signals, which are then translated into an image on the screen.

Leading the charge for plasma is equipment manufacturer Panasonic. Whilst the company makes both plasma and LCD television sets, it is actively promoting its plasma products over

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LCD, even to the point of restricting the size of its LCD sets in an effort to persuade consumers that plasma displays are better for larger screens.

In December 2006, Panasonic ran advertisements in the US under the heading ‘Six facts you need to know before you buy a large flatpanel TV,’ highlighting the benefits of plasma compared to LCD, such as colour saturation, picture sharpness and contrast. Rival manufacturers of LCD equipment have also produced similar campaigns, extolling the virtues of their preferred format.

It is interesting that all companies are quite comfortable in focusing on the technical aspects of both formats in their advertising campaigns. With a heightened awareness of technology generally, it is notable that many people refer to such television sets as ‘plasma screens’. For manufacturers, this is one area of consumer technology that still requires explanation.

Speaking to the New York Times at the time of the campaign, Bob Greenberg, Panasonic’s VP for brand marketing commented that ‘field research shows that the dialogue is changing.

Once you point out that the blacks in plasma are blacker than in LCD, it is like pointing out the rabbit in the painting.’

Television is changing. As consumers want a cinema-quality experience, whichever format can deliver the best resolutions possible will win the war.

Essential gadgets Apple iPod Touch The latest in the ubiquitous iPod range is the Touch – you touch the screen to access the functions, of course. With wireless internet capability, along with other nice touches such as email, direct iTunes access, a YouTube application, and much more, the iPod Touch also plays music!

Nespresso Essenza Good coffee is at the touch of a button. No more messing around with grinds or scoops, simply insert a pod for espresso.

A handy milk steamer allows for café-style lattes and cappuccinos too.

Compact enough to sit in the corner of a kitchen or home office, coffee will never be the same again.

Sony PlayStation 3 Profiled elsewhere in this supplement the PS3 has got it all. Supreme games playability combines with a raft of online features to interact with other players and download accessories. The real jewel in the PS3’s crown, however, is its integrated Blu-Ray disc player.

Sky HD With high definition TV changing the way we watch TV forever, this amazing box combines the very best in imaging with the hard disk recording capabilities that are now demanded by the average viewer.

TomTom GPS When you eventually do get out of the house, how will you find your way around? GPS (SatNav, for those who prefer marketing names) uses satellite technology to accurately pinpoint your location to within something like 10m. With recently updated maps for Ireland, GPS is now coming into its own. With voice-guided routing, you will never be lost again.

Philips VoIP Phones Using broadband internet to cut call costs is easier than ever. Units such as this Philips phone can use the Skype Voice-over-IP network to make free calls to other Skype users anywhere in the world, and vastly reduced rate calls to standard phones.

Bang & Olufsen Beolab If you’re going to invest in a sound system, why not go the whole hog and go for the most stylish?

Bang & Olufsen’s iconic Danish design is coveted across the world. Not cheap in the slightest, it does look good, doesn’t it?

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KNOCK, KNOCK! TV LICENCE MAN

A crystal-clear image LCD (liquid crystal display) televisions are rapidly setting the standard for home viewing equipment. As the cathode ray takes its place in the museum, LCD is now the most efficient way of reproducing the light, colour and clarity of images. ut in very simple terms, a LCD display is comprised of a very thin liquid crystal gel, held in place by two thin panels either side of it.

The gel is divided into small pixels, which become lighter or darker according to how much electricity is used to power it. In essence this is how LCD works – early examples of such displays include digital watches and clocks.

One major aspect of LCD televisions is the amount of space required. Even though the technology allows for considerably bigger screens, the thinness of the sets themselves mean that they can be placed in a corner, or wall-mounted,

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with little disruption. ‘Space in homes is at a premium these days,’ says Derek Boyle of Toshiba Ireland.

‘As living spaces become smaller, flat panel TVs are ideal for the home environment.’

Obviously, one major aspect of LCD TVs is their versatility. No longer solely required for television viewing, the enhanced image quality of LCD means that it can also reproduce console games in better quality than ever before.

‘LCD TVs have excellent resolution for gaming,’ says Boyle. ‘With the extra ports available, particularly for HDMI [high definition connection], users can play high definition games

in great detail. All of our TVs are HD-ready, and most of them function in 1080p, which is full high definition resolution. The difficulty at the moment is that most broadcasters are still not able to broadcast in full HD, and are only broadcasting in the average 720 resolution. Many people who are buying LCD TVs are not aware that they will not be able to enjoy the full resolution on their new sets because of this.’

The fact that most LCD TVs can process HD data that is not generally available, means that, for once, consumer technology is actually ahead of professional broadcast technology.

The one good thing to come out of this situation, however, is a ready audience as and when HD broadcasts actually do become the norm.

As television technology becomes ever more complex, LCD is leading the way in creating a completely different viewing experience.

For the 99 per cent of Irish homes or other premises with a television set, purchasing a licence fee is a legal obligation.

For the most part, this law is effective, with over 87 per cent of those homes with a current licence. However, for the remaining minority, there is little chance to escape.

Costing €160, equating to around €3.77 a week, the TV licence is used to help to pay for most of the television services provided by RTÉ, including RTÉ 1 and 2, Radio 1, TG4, and the RTÉ Concert Orchestra, amongst others.

Collected by An Post, the coordinating the TV licence scheme is a comprehensive undertaking, ensuring that every liable premises in the country has purchased their licence, or that those entitled to free TV licences (more information on this below) have been properly registered.

‘There are a team of inspectors who call to unlicensed households or premises,’ says Mary Harrahill, of An Post. ‘There is a complete database of all households across the country, identifying which ones have licences, and the ones who do not.

‘The procedure is that those who have previously held a licence receive a reminder notice. Any household with no record of a licence also receives a notice. Usually, households receive up to two letters. If no response is received, then an inspector will call to the house.’

At this stage, the onus is on the householder to buy a licence straight away.

With no room for argument (not having received notification, and so on), the process of pursuing payment gets increasingly risky for those who continue to flout the law.

‘Inspectors, after showing their identification, will ask to inspect the premises to identify if there are any television sets present,’ continues Harrahill. ‘Many people admit right away that they do have a TV, in which case the inspector will notify them of their legal obligation that they need to buy a licence immediately. If that licence still has not been purchased, then legal proceedings will follow, with a summons to court after a further two letters to remind them to buy a licence after the inspector’s visit.

For a first-time offence, the fine imposed could be up to €634.87, rising to €1269.74 for subsequent failures to obtain a licence. Depending on the particular case, a prison sentence is also a possibility.’

It is important for TV owners to be informed of their obligations under the law. For more information on how licence money is collected, visit www.anpost.ie, or call your local TV licence office. For more information on how licence money is spent, and how some householders may be eligible for free TV licences, visit. www.rte.ie/about/licence.html.

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a Playstation, Xbox or Wii, with additional PC connectivity. People are spending more time in their homes, and are demanding a higher quality image that allows them to link up with their PC and gaming devices. The home is the newest entertainment spot and people want to invest in their enjoyment and down time. It’s now possible to have a cinema experience in your own living room that doesn’t cost a fortune.’

The 1080 standard referred to is one of the major selling points of HDTV. Promising widescreen display in the highest resolution possible, the viewing experience is enhanced.

The massive popularity of games consoles – all three big players offer HD resolutions – is also helping to promote HDTV as a multimedia platform.

BLU-RAY The recent decision by a major technology company not to continue its use of the HD-DVD (high-definition DVD) format has created a victory for Sony’s Blu-ray format, in a battle similar to that of the VHS and Betamax videotape standards in the 80s.

Consumer sentiment As companies like Microsoft continue to adhere to HD-DVD, it will be interesting to see how the technology fares, and if consumer sentiment can be turned in its favour. So how did Blu-ray manage to get such a commanding presence in the high-definition DVD market? Here are five essential facts about the format.

• Blu-ray is so-named because a blue laser is used to read the data on its discs (and record data onto them) – essentially, this means up to six times the amount of information can be stored on a disc, compared to a standard DVD • Blu-ray discs can be read by Sony’s PlayStation 3 games console. This instantly created a ready market of Blu-ray-capable households that did not have to purchase a compatible DVD player • Region codes still apply to Blu-ray discs – the world divided into three zones (as opposed to five before). Roughly, these are the Americas, Europe, Africa and Australasia, and Asia • Generally, Blu-ray disc players should be able to play standard DVD’s, although this is not guaranteed, depending on the manufacturer’s specifications A variety of companies support the Blu-ray format. Significant content providers include 20th Century Fox, Disney, Warner Bros and Apple.

Ready for HD? In the battle for hearts and minds (or rather just audience figures), the future of television is now being redefined. High definition TV (HDTV, or just HD), has become part of a two-pronged attempt – the other being digital broadcasting – by television networks to retain and attract viewers by means other than just programming. sing broadcast technology of a standard not available on a comparative level online, HD promises clearer, sharper images of a standard never seen before on ordinary television sets.

With consumers increasingly aware of how technology works, and of the availability of services elsewhere in the world (HD has existed for some time in Japan and the US), equipment manufacturers need to ensure that the standard of their prod-

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uct meets the heightened demands now expected in the marketplace.

‘We have seen a massive jump in the demand for HD and HD-ready televisions,’ says a spokesperson for the Kal group, the Irish distributors of Nordmende HDTV’s. ‘We feel the full 1080P HD screen is a musthave for TV enthusiasts everywhere. Our range comes equipped with 2 HDMI ports, facilitating the connection of a HD box simultaneously with another product such as

Digital box Actually watching HD broadcasts at the moment involves the purchase of a digital box that can process HD signals. In Ireland, RTÉ has hosted limited trials of HD, but it is not yet generally available (hence the use of the term ‘HD-ready’, to denote equipment that is ready to work with HD, as and when it becomes available). The British broadcaster Sky does offer its own satellitebased HD service, with dedicated channels showing specially created HD programming, or simulcasting existing shows in the HD format.

The BBC is actively making programmes in HD. With HD already a consideration for many consumers, the technology is more than likely to become a standard aspect of TV viewing in a relatively short period of time. Hopefully, this will lead to new, innovative uses of the technology to change the way we view for the better.

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The sound of music The recent turmoil at the huge music label EMI is yet another sign of the uncertainty in the music industry. ith a marketplace that is increasingly being undermined by the availability of cheap, downloadable music – from a variety of sources, legal or otherwise – the traditional process of signing an artist, creating an album and promoting it to sell units, has been changed for good.

MySpace, the social networking site, has been in instrumental force in changing the way new artists get their music to a wider public. In the face of indifference, or lack of resources, by established record labels, artists have discovered that they are not really needed to garner a fan base – good music, a page to upload it to, and a little promotion are all that it takes (in theory).

The availability of professionalstandard recording equipment has also played its part. Being able to produce studio-quality music is a must for all budding artists, and it is more affordable than ever before.

‘Basically, it is a process of taking a computer that you have already and turning it into a recording studio,’ says Enda Quealy of recording equipment retailer Futuresounds.

‘Software is now designed to process streams of audio – for instance, from microphones, guitars, and so on – into a computer sound card, which can then be used to produce tracks.’

With a wide variety of customers, Quealy has seen business take off into new directions.

‘We have been expanding at a rate of 35-40 per cent every year since we opened four years ago,’ he says. ‘We have a really wide customer base,

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from professionals to beginners. Our youngest customer is twelve years old.

The first time he came to the shop, he knew exactly what he wanted – a synthesizer, so he could make rave music!

Later on, he was requesting kick-drum samples and so on. Colleges and sound training centres are also acquiring a lot of equipment.’

Whilst the equipment may be selling faster than any CD would these days, Quealy also points out that buying such equipment is not the

same as picking up a piece of consumer kit.

‘We do tech tuition as well as selling the equipment. If we sell someone a recording studio, we can also teach him or her how to use it properly. Many people like the idea of setting up a studio, but have little idea of how to actually set it up and get going.’

However, it is clear that more and more musicians want to take control of their artistic output. The audience has shown that it is willing to accept such changes, and today’s artists are more than willing to oblige.

DUBLIN FREE TRADE Dublin’s Free Trade is an innovate scheme that allows people to give their unwanted household items to someone who can make use of them. A swap shop, in essence, the scheme is an online directory of items that can be viewed, and then provides contact details for the owner, to arrange collection. Created with the aim of reducing the amount of unnecessary waste in Dublin’s landfill sites, Hugh Coughlan of Dublin City Council discusses the scheme’s success.

‘Dublin’s Free Trade provides an outlet for people to reuse household items, instead of throwing them away. People can pick up, or pass on, unwanted goods, for free.

‘There are about 20 categories of items featured on www.dublinwaste.ie (click on Dublin’s Free Trade), which can range from baby goods, to bikes, to furniture, and so on. It is an online reuse service that has been in operation for the last 18 months or so. It was set up in line with national policy and our own waste management plan for the Dublin region, which has reuse as a solution.

‘It has been phenomenally successful for us. Since it came online in Autumn 2006, we have had around 1.5m hits. About 8000 items have been ‘free-traded’. We think that the potential diversion of such items from landfill has been substantial – about 450 tons, according to our engineers.

‘We have about 50,000 members, all of whom can go onto the website, and advertise what they have to offer, for free. For those looking for items, they can also go onto the website and request specific things. At any one time, there is usually about 400 items available – the process is very fluid.

‘People are passing the word that the scheme is fantastic. In the past, people have given away good-quality fitted kitchens, conservatories, leather suites, and so on. Other giveaways have included record collections, mixing desks, and even old school gym horses. Someone did try to trade a budgie, but we didn’t allow it to be placed online!

‘The scheme is helpful to those who are renting, or maybe moving into a new home. We have also made progress in translating the information available into languages such as Polish and Chinese. We’re giving everyone a helping hand, and the scheme is helping to foster a new sense of community spirit. You help yourself, and help the environment.’

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Supercharged gaming Sony’s PlayStation 3 has been a worldwide success since its launch in late 2006 in Japan. In a fiercely competitive marketplace, where innovation is key, and winning the hearts and minds of fans means that the product has to evolve to stay relevant, the PlayStation has managed to remain at the top of its game. By David Jørgensen steeper. The PlayStation 2 was launched in November 2000, so it was around for almost eight years.

DJ: What do you think attracts consumers to the PS3?

NO’H: First and foremost, the games are the most important part of the PS3, in terms of the depth and breadth of them, graphics, and how the PS3 handles those games. In terms of how gaming has evolved, online services and downloading additional content is a huge part of the PS3.

DJ: Has Blu-Ray influenced sales, do you think? iall O’Hanrahan, MD, Sony Computer Entertainment Ireland (pictured above), discusses the success of the PlayStation 3 from an Irish perspective.

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DJ: How long has the PlayStation 3 (PS3) been available in Ireland?

NO’H: The PS3, launched at the end of March 2007, has been out for around ten months on the Irish market. Over 100,000 units have been shipped to date. We reached the 100,000 milestone around three months faster than with the PS2, so the sales curve has been a lot

NO’H: There has been somewhat of a format war between Blu-Ray and HD-DVD. It would appear that BluRay is going to win that battle, and the fact that the PS3 has an in-built Blu-Ray player is a huge advantage.

[On the day of our conversation, there were news reports that Toshiba had just removed its support for HDDVD].

It is difficult to say how much Blu-Ray has influenced the sales of the PS3 in Ireland. If one looks at the sales of Blu-Ray discs, and sales of stand-alone Blu-Ray players, then the number of players sold isn’t great in the Irish market. Therefore,

one could assume that the majority of disc sales are by people who have bought a PS3. It would certainly seem that the consumers of PS3’s have at least bought at least one Blu-Ray movie too.

DJ: What else can the PS3 do?

NO’H: Other uses for the PS3 include using it as a storage

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centre for music, photos, using the web browser, and so on – it is a full media centre.

sistance: Fall of Man. Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune, and Ratchet & Clank are two big sellers. Also, SingStar, a karaoke singing game, is now available on PS3, and has been a great success. Part of the game involves downloading video and music, and that has also been very popular.

DJ: Which games titles are proving most popular?

DJ: How is the PS3 adapting to the needs of its players?

NO’H: Two of the launch titles that came out with the machine are still selling well. MotorStorm, and Re-

NO’H: The PS community want to be able to communicate with one another. In the next firmware update, in-game chat will be a new feature – when people are playing a game against a group of people, they will be able to communicate with the other players, which is something they cannot do at the moment. We are always listening to feedback from customers, and this is certainly something that they want. The sense of community for PS3 players is a very important part of the appeal of the PS.

DJ: There are two other major console brands on the market.

What would you say puts the PS3 ahead of them?

NO’H: Fundamentally, the PS3 is the most powerful console available. It is some very strong, exclusive software in the pipeline. PS3 games developed in-house are strong, and appealing. In addition, the thirdparty games that are available stand head and shoulders above anything else that is out there. That it has the Blu-Ray player for HD movie playback, and the free online game playing, puts the PS3 at the peak of choice.

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An ace in the pack Poker has taken off in a big way in the last couple of years. Up and down the country, the game is being played for cash, or for fun, at all levels. By David Jørgensen

ainstream television channels are now showing live poker tournaments due to increased demand. One area in which poker is making serious inroads is online.

Business is booming for internet poker games, with all the major online gambling sites providing live poker as standard. Eric Booth, Marketing Manager for Paddy Power Poker.com (above) explained recently why online poker is becoming so popular.

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DJ: Why are people choosing to play poker online?

EB: First and foremost the accessibility and growth of the internet has had a major impact on the sport. It has resulted in greater flexibility for players who can now play poker 24/7 in an environment that they are comfortable in.

Over recent years the perception of poker has also changed. Thanks to the substantial media coverage on TV, it is now viewed by many as a sport and this has had a direct effect on the number of players deciding to give it a go online. Events such as the paddypowerpoker.com Irish Open, EPT and World Series have resulted in the sport becoming much more glamorous making it very appealing to the internet savvy market.

What many find fascinating in the short term is the fact that anyone can win and go onto compete against the world’s best for huge prize pools. Poker is definitely a skill game but luck plays a big enough role to make it very attractive for players who are only new to the game.

DJ: What are the benefits of playing online, as opposed to with other people in a room?

EB: The biggest advantage to playing online is the flexibility to be able to play whenever you want and from the comfort of your own home. In addition to this players also have a much greater game selection, so depending on your mood you can invariably find a game to suit you.

In addition to this there is, of course, the multiple bonuses and free money that you can get when signing up to an online site. Generally not only will players receive a sign up bonus but they will also receive more value back in terms of better promotions, loyalty schemes and other perks.

There is also the added benefit that playing online affords players more anonymity, which alleviates any intimidation players may feel in a live card room game.

DJ: What rewards are there?

EB: The rewards online are plentiful – apart from the game being fun and enjoyable every player signing up will receive a Sign-Up bonus to start with as well as being entered into a loyalty programme where they can earn additional monthly cash bonuses. In addition to this players can avail of a multitude of free to enter tournaments, exclusive value added promotions and other value added elements such as add-on poker software which help to improve your game.

The rewards however are not just restricted to online – many players can now win packages online to play in some of the Worlds biggest poker events such as the Irish Open and World Series of Aussie Millions. This gives the everyday player the chance to compete against the best in the sport at no cost to themselves.

However the ultimate reward is the feeling of dominance over your opponents at the table.

RIDING THE DIGITAL AIRWAVES We now take digital TV almost for granted. The growing numbers investing in digital boxes from various providers, the expansion of TV channel availability, along with the added content provided by digital broadcasting, is changing the way we watch television for good.

Radio, too, is undergoing its own changes. Prevalent throughout Europe and North America, the arrival of DAB – Digital Audio Broadcasting – has brought digital technology to the sound-only arena. Much in the same way that the old analogue VHF/FM frequencies were heralded as the revolutionary technology that would improve sound quality and reception immensely, so DAB is being marketed in a similar vein.

In Ireland, RTÉ is currently trialling DAB services in the Dublin and Leinster areas, with simulcasts of existing analogue radio services, both from its own stations and commercial broadcasters such as FM104 and Phantom FM. Digital radio listeners in those areas can, in theory, benefit from excellent-quality audio, with excellent reception. Most digital radios feature screens, detailing the station, and other information, such as the title and artist of the song being played, or contact details for phone-in programmes. Such radios are now on sale in shops in those areas where reception is available.

However, even though the Irish experience of digital radio is just starting, in the UK, where DAB has been available for the last couple of years, the love affair with digital radio is starting to falter.

With the BBC and Channel 4 at the vanguard of public-service DAB broadcasting, the increased capacity for more stations was destined to make radio available to all, and to appeal to a much wider variety of interests. In some ways, this has happened. The BBC, having launched stations such as BBC6, with its wide musical remit, 1Xtra, dedicated to music of black origin, and the Asian Network, targeted at the British Asian population, has received plaudits for its work. Similarly, Channel 4, with its burgeoning expansion, including Channel 4 Radio, an independent alternative to BBC’s speech-based Radio 4, and other music stations, has also provided a range of stations.

One particular threat to DAB is the wide availability of online radio. Anyone with a broadband internet connection can access thousands of radio stations from across the world, and listen in whenever, and wherever they want. The freedom to access such content, with comparable sound quality in many cases, puts the whole point of DAB into question: if we can listen to radio online, why bother with radio that relies on good reception, and a limited number of stations?

Those with a stake in Irish DAB services should be looking at the British experience closely. By no means a done deal, supporters of broadcast digital radio are quick to defend it. However, for those who have written it off, some with mutterings of ‘the new betamax’, DAB is just possibly a costly experiment that has already had its day.

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Digital services for everyone ‘We are changing the home, and transforming it into a digital home,’ says Anna Maria Barry of UPC, discussing the digital services offered by that company. hilst the variety of services that are now considered essential are available from a number of sources, many consumers are now finding that having to deal with multiple providers can be a costly and time-consuming experience.

With most services requiring the connectivity of a landline phone, this is just one company to be sending its bill through the letterbox.

Add to that the TV and broadband, and there are at least three different providers, all at liberty to change their service remit and tariffs.

For many home users, this represents a major amount of hassle, and if something goes wrong, it can be a long process of getting the problem resolved.

UPC, the parent company of both NTL and Chorus cable companies has recently launched its singlepoint services. With the major advantage of having an existing cable infrastructure in some of the highest-density areas in the country, this

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is an ideal way to provide digital services from one single source.

‘Essentially, it is now possible to get services such as broadband, digital TV, phone, and so on, from one cable point. This removes the reliance on multiple providers for different services,’ says Barry.

Cable services have been in existence in Ireland, perhaps surprisingly, for the last 30 years. With such a network in place, TV, phone and internet can be provided through the existing cable interface point in the home – one that does not require a traditional phone line.

‘The cable, in essence, is a massive pipe, through which tremendous amounts of data travel all the time, for home use, for business, for everything. And that is the beauty of cable - the service remains on all the time,’ continues Barry.

Two major growth areas in the provision of digital services are those of high-speed internet, and high definition television. Both require ever-expanding amounts of

bandwidth in order to reach the consumer – for which cable is the ideal conduit.

‘Broadband speeds are obviously critical – it is one of the most highly-sought-after always-on services,’ says Barry. ‘We offer 1MB,

3MB and 6MB services. Other services on offer include our digital video recorder (DVR) for pausing, rewinding and recording of TV. ‘We are also rolling out our HDDVR service this year. People want more value-added services on top of

what they are already getting, and this is part of the natural extension of such services.’

The future of consumer digital services could lie in services such as this. With one access point in the home, eliminating the need for multiple providers and ensuring an always-on service is the ultimate in easy-to-use technology that will appeal to the greatest range of customers.

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THIS IS AN INDEPENDENT PULL OUT SUPPLEMENT FROM MEDIAPLANET DISTRIBUTED WITH THE EVENING HERALD

The next generation of broadband As devices such as MP3 players, PDA’s, and mobile phones become more reliant on wireless connections for the services they provide, people want to be able to avail of them whenever and wherever they are. hecking email whilst listening to music, or making a VoIP call on a phone, are now accepted aspects of such gadgets.

Whilst manufacturers may boast of such features when launching a new product, one part of the equation that is not a given is the reliability of the internet connection on

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왖 Emer Kennedy – BT Ireland

which all such gadgets rely; and not just gadgets - the availability of broadband connections is increasingly being seen by both businesses and leisure users as a given, rather than an added extra, in the home, as well as the office. ‘Broadband has become the centre of our customer’s lives – they literally cannot live

without it,’ says Emer Kennedy, Director of BT Ireland’s Consumer South Division pictured bottom (right). ‘Because of this, speed is now a huge consideration. We have put in place a next-generation network with ADSL 2+ technology, with services now available up to 8MB.’ The high-speed connection offered

by BT Ireland is notable in that it is one of the first dedicated services targeted at households. Recognising the changing ways in which broadband is being used, it is obvious that office speeds are now required across

HOOK UP YOUR HOME Automated features, long the stuff of sci-fi fantasy, are now an increasingly normal feature in the average living space.

From the simplest of timer switches, to the most comprehensively integrated total control systems, automation is now seen as a way to both enhance the feeling of a home, but also to save on energy costs.

At its most basic level, automation can be as simple a system as a thermostat, determining when heating should be turned on and off, or an immersion timer switch, ensuring that there is enough hot water in the tank, but that it is not being heated needlessly.

Evolvution This idea has evolved into full-scale solutions, offering total control of lighting, heating, air conditioning, window blinds and curtains, audiovisual equipment, and suchlike. Using a single interface – a LCD touchscreen, for instance – allows the homeowner to dictate when certain appliances should be activated, and for how long.

‘The homeowner can design how they want their lights to behave based on time of day, mood, motion, security and many other factors,’ says Gary Keegan of Irish automated system provider iLight Ireland.

‘Our lighting control system can also help reduce the operating time of light fittings through the use of time clocks, daylight sensing and occupancy detection sensors, thus reducing energy requirements by 35 to 50 per cent in most appliances,’ he continues.

‘This reduction in energy demand will prolong the life of a bulb; reduce overall maintenance while saving money on energy consumption. All of these factors

are helping to reduce Ireland’s carbon footprint.’ With future technological developments having to become increasingly more conscious of the environmental impact of progress, home automation is one area where such technology can actually have a measurable positive impact – not least on energy bills.

As automation becomes more available at lower prices, the futuristic homes of the past that now seem like quaint ideas could actually become a reality.

iLight have an established reputation as one of the world’s leading brands within the lighting control industry.

For more information contact sales@ilight.ie

the board. ‘Our customers are using the higher speeds for a variety of reasons,’ says Kennedy. ‘Speed is important for home workers and those running businesses, but also families – children wanting to play online games, downloading music, and so on. Multiple computers in a home can be online and still connected at a high speed.’

Part of the demand for such services comes from the way that the traditional ways of spending afterwork time are changing. Television is fast losing out to broadband as the preferred means of both information and entertainment for increasing numbers of people, as reflected in reducing TV audience figures. The fact is that many are finding that websites are breaking news faster than established television networks can manage, with raw, amateur reportage and video clips proving popular. Added to this, the wide availability of episodes of American shows to download that have just appeared on screens there, but will take months to arrive across the Atlantic, and it is clear that TV is facing an uphill struggle.

‘Broadband has really become part of the fabric of life’ continues Kennedy. ‘Instead of turning on the TV when they come in from work or school, people are now logging on.

It is an intrinsic part of daily life now. As expectations rise, quality of service is obviously becoming a much bigger factor.’

That quality of service is now reflected in the increasing speeds demanded by customers. As companies such as BT Ireland try to meet consumer expectations, it remains to be seen if Ireland’s communications infrastructure can also adapt to cope.