(Phil Lelyveld question: what new descriptive language do you think will be needed for 3D content?  Submit your thoughts below.)

WASHINGTON: A bill that will reinstate mandatory video description is scheduled for a presidential signing ceremony tomorrow. The 21st Century Communications & Video Accessibility Act brings back FCC rules requiring a verbal play-by-play of programming for the blind.

Boston PBS member station WGBH-TV developed descriptive video service in the 1990s. The service is carried in the Second Audio Program channel as an option, much the way closed captioning can be turned on and off.

The bill on the president’s desk requires the FCC to issue a rulemaking to reinstate its video description regulations, which first went into effect in 2000 amid objections from Hollywood and broadcasters. A federal court struck them down in 2002.

The video description rules required the top four network-affiliated TV stations in the top 25 TV markets to provide at least 50 hours per quarter of prime time and/or children’s programming with video description. Cable and satellite operators with at least 50,000 subscribers were subject to the same requirement. All other TV stations and cable operations were required to pass through the service if they had the technical capability to do so.

The Video Accessibility Act directs the FCC to update its list of the top 25 TV markets, and the top five national nonbroadcast networks with at least 50 hours per quarter of prime time programming. Other provisions in the bill cover cell phone communications and Internet use.

“When signed into law, this legislation will give individuals with vision or hearing loss improved access to television programming, smart phones, the Internet, menus on DVD players, program guides on cable TV, and more,” the American Foundation for the Blind said in a press release.

The bill requires wireless providers to make Wi-Fi phones, Web browsers, text messaging and e-mail on smart phones fully accessible to people with vision and/or hearing impairment. It covers emergency broadcast information and allocates $10 million a year for developing assistive technologies.

“Once enacted, this legislation will ensure that the 25 million Americans with vision loss, and the millions more with other disabilities, can fully take part in the digital era,” said Paul Schroeder, vice president of the AFB. “It will improve job opportunities, education opportunities, and more.”

President Barack Obama is set to sign the 21st Century Communications & Video Accessibility Act tomorrow in the East Room of the White House at 2 p.m. Eastern. He’ll be joined by Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), who introduced the legislation in June 2009. —Deborah D. McAdams

original post: http://www.televisionbroadcast.com/article/107486

Dolby Laboratories, Inc. (NYSE: DLB), MikroM GmbH, USL, Inc., and XDC together announced an alliance to promote greater interoperability within the digital cinema market. The companies joining in this collaborative effort, referred to as the Digital Cinema Open System Alliance (DCOSA), are working to establish open interface standards for core system components.

Initial goals of the DCOSA are to develop common interface specifications between digital cinema servers and integrated media block (IMB) products and to promote these specifications for use across the cinema market. By introducing these open standards, the DCOSA hopes to drive down the cost of development, to increase flexibility, and to provide a platform for innovation.

“The cinema industry is interested in moving away from having a tightly coupled server and media block available only from a single vendor and moving toward an IMB built using open interface specifications,” said Robin Selden, Senior Vice President, Marketing, Dolby Laboratories. “An open platform will increase competition within the industry and encourage cutting-edge development.”

“With the rapid pace of advancement in hardware technology, the DCOSA hopes to decrease time to market by enabling flexibility in the choice of core system components. These systems have not been designed for interoperability in the past because of the lack of interface specifications,” said Holger Krahn, Chief Executive Officer, MikroM.

“Effectively, this initiative will provide exhibitors with more options in the selection of system components.”

“As the digital cinema industry continues to evolve, there is an increasing need for well-defined interfaces,” said Larry Hildenbrand, Director, Engineering, USL, Inc. “The DCOSA will help to deliver open standards allowing for greater flexibility in system design and enabling exhibitors to create custom installations.”

“As more and more playback technology moves into the projector, it is critical that the industry adopt common interface standards,” said Jérôme Delvaux, Vice President, Technology, XDC. “We are excited to be a part of the DCOSA, since establishing interoperability will be instrumental in the ultimate success of this market.”

The DCOSA plans to make its server and IMB interface specifications available as an open standard for use by the digital cinema industry.

The specifications are expected to be completed and available in the first half of 2011. Information regarding specific product availability can be obtained directly from the member companies.

About Digital Cinema Open System Alliance

The Digital Cinema Open System Alliance (DCOSA) is an industry group formed to promote greater interoperability within the digital cinema server market by establishing open interface specifications for core system components. By supplying open standards, the DCOSA seeks to encourage flexibility in system design, to increase innovation and competition within the industry, and to benefit the consumer with high-quality custom installations at economical prices. Member companies of the DCOSA include Dolby Laboratories, MikroM, USL, and XDC. Visit www.dcosa.org :  for more information about the DCOSA.

Dolby LaboratoriesJoshua Gershman, 415-645-5611 joshua.gershman@dolby.com : mailto:joshua.gershman@dolby.com orMikroMHolger
Krahn, 49-30-398-8390 holger.krahn@mikrom.com : mailto:holger.krahn@mikrom.com orUSL,
Inc.Larry Hildenbrand, 805-549-0161 larryh@uslinc.com : mailto:larryh@uslinc.com orXDCCamelia
Vajeu, 32-4-364-1200 cva@xdcinema.com : mailto:cva@xdcinema.com

original post: http://www.pr-inside.com/digital-cinema-open-system-alliance-announces-r2163710.htm