Company Profile, Products & Technologies, Target Market

About PGK Media:
Founded in 2001, PGK Media is a Singapore-based firm specialising in the development of innovative technologies for the broadcasting, advertising and media industries. PGK Media R&D centre adopts a converged approach, merging solutions, productions and networks to provide a sustainable and open platform for the development of emerging media formats, technologies and services. Main activities are balanced between experimental interactive TV productions, R&D for digital media solutions and provision of test bedding and experimentation platforms. The company’s achievements include Mr Taxi and Mr. Taxi Smart, the first and largest digital mobile infotainment platform trailed on Comfort taxis and PGK Digital Video Billboard, both innovative world firsts in the public transportation and out-of-home advertising broadcast sector. In 2008 PGK Media presented a first-of-its-kind mobile location-based media distribution platform developed for the public transport system, currently operated by a leading media owner in Singapore. In 2006 PGK Media provided the impetus and launching point for Singapore’s first complete mobile TV trial, TV2GO, which culminated in 2008 with a Joint Venture with Broadcast Australia Pty Ltd member of Macquarie Group to found Singapore Digital Pte Ltd, an Independent Broadcast Network Provider to deliver digital TV services. PGK Media is supporting the development and propagation of digital technologies holding the Chairmanship of the Singapore Digital Audio Broadcasting Development Forum under the Media Development Authority of Singapore, Foundation Member of the Singapore International Advertising Congress under the Institute of Advertising Singapore and Partner of IDM Project Office under the FutureScape Initiative.

Broadcasting Activities:
PGK is been operating TV2GO, a DVB-H mobile TV trial in Singapore, since 2007. Currently all local telecom operators, cable operator and national broadcaster are trialling the technology. The activities leaded to the incorporation of Singapore Digital, a joint venture between PGK and Broadcast Australia, the world largest broadcast network operator and member of the Macquarie Communication Group. Singapore Digital is now planning the deployment and operation of a full scale nationwide digital broadcasting infrastructure in Singapore to support the planned analogue to digital switch over.

R&D, Experimental and Test Bedding Activities:
Within other PGK is an active partner of the MDA Media Development Authority of Singapore under the Ministry of Communication, Information and the Arts, which regulate and licence the media activities in the country and, throughout the years of collaboration has successfully deployed many joint R&D projects and initiatives. The latest activity will be the launch of PGK Station-F11, the first multi-platform play-out and development centre in the country that will support DVB-T/H, Internet & IPTV broadcasting and advanced interactive TV solutions. Station-F11 will operate Channel-F11, an experimental FTA channel which will provide a voice and consolidate content from different media institutes, universities and polytechnics. Station-F11 will also support and co-sponsor and grant experimental productions. 

Partnership:
Apart from strong ties with MDA and the joint venture with Macquarie Group PGK is also partner and supporter of IDM-PO Interactive Digital Media Project Office for R&D activities, joint developer with A*Star Agency for Science, Technology and Research for IPTV activities, founder member of the IAS Singapore Institute of Advertising International Congress for advertising activities, chairman of the Singapore Digital Audio Broadcasting Development Forum for DAB activities. PGK is also collaborating with NUS National University of Singapore, NTU Nanyang Technological University, Lasalle and Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts and has ongoing business relationship with Nokia, NCS Communication Engineering, CNBC, Disney, ESPN, Bloomberg and CNN.

References:
PGK Media has received wide coverage in the regional and international media, news bulletins and government press releases including mentions in Ministerial speeches. References and media clippings are available at http://www.pgkmedia.com/press while the TV2GO Mobile TV trial is available at http://www.tv2go.sg.

Brief description of proposed R&D project:

PictureRadio Project
PictureRadio intends to be the first Interactive Digital Radio able to support the simultaneous reception of FM, DAB (Digital Audio Broadcasting), DVB-T/H (Digital Video Broadcasting), T-DMB (Digital Multimedia Broadcasting), 2 way radio communication with the integration of 3G-Multiband and IP network modules for full interactivity. PictureRadio aims to offer Interactive Digital TV and Digital Radio with related EPGs Electronic Program Guides and datacasting services, Internet Browsing, IPTV, VoD and VoIP with enhanced interactive services. PictureRadio architecture will also support secure billing and content protection for PayTV and PayRadio services, content recording and scheduling, videoconferencing and security monitoring with the embedded webcam and will double at fully functional wireless multimedia Set-Top-Box with the integration of scalable A/V output. PictureRadio will also support an advanced IPod docking solution that will provide the real time conversion of any Digital Radio and Digital TV programme content to IPod format. PictureRadio will aim to become a commercial product to address the growing and planned introduction and switch over from analogue to digital broadcasting and IP delivering platforms.

Desired Profile of R&D Partner and its role in the proposed project:

PGK is seeking for leading companies with products and R&D capabilities in Multiband Digital Broadcasting and RF open modules, Set-Top-Box open design, middleware architecture and software integration. The partner role is the customization of existing product or R&D for a multiband digital broadcasting & RF module compliant with DVB-T, DVB-H, DAB+, T-DMB, 3G-multiband to be integrated with an advanced IP set-top-box and integration of software and middleware.