Wednesday Media Digest

TV:
* MPEG-4: DirecTV starts, target 1500 local and 150 national channels by 2007
* Regulation: EC plans clearance for product placement; FCC plans endorsing a la carte cable subscriptions (source: WSJ)

STB, DVR, Home Gateway:
* TiVo and 5 ad firms (Interpublic, OMD (Omnicom), Starcom Media Vest (Publicis), Richards Group, Comcast Spotlight) plan commercial search, bid for placement spring 06; TiVo plans launch in Taiwan with TGC
* IT’s Logic launches LamaBox (P2P files downloaded and played on TV or burnt to DVD), EUR 280
* Google speculated to work on Google Cube (source: I, Cringely)
* Apple rumoured to work on new Mac mini (‘Kaleidoscope’) with Front Row 2.0 (place-shifting), DVR and iPod dock (source: Think Secret)

Corporate:
* IPO: plan Opus Media (Bollywood.com portal with movie rights; streaming technology) early 2006 in London (raise GBP 50m)