Advanced Television

VOD

Technicolor quits on YouView

Technicolor, one of the main suppliers named as a provider of STBs for YouView has pulled out of the supply deal. The French manufacturer, the world’s number three by units sold, was slated as a supplier of budget STBs. Technicolor hasn’t said why it is dropping the deal, though producing at the cost required to […]

May 13, 2011

VoD profits not offsetting DVD decline

A newly-released SNL Kagan study reveals that 2010 was similar to 2009 in that the domestic box office hit a record high, once again, while the domestic video retail market was continuing its steady decline. Consumers are now opting to sign up for streaming and/or rental services, like Netflix. They are using VoD services more […]

May 13, 2011

Dish ponders premium video

Dish Network, the second- largest US satellite-television provider, is considering a video-on-demand service to offer Hollywood movies about eight weeks after they’re released, said an executive. The service would likely have terms “similar” to those of DirecTV, including a price tag of about $30, according to Tom Cullen, a Dish executive vice president. DirecTV, the […]

May 13, 2011By Colin Mann

Five On Demand on SmartTV

Samsung has partnered with the UK’s Five to put the broadcaster’s catch-up TV app Five On Demand in its app store on Samsung Smart TVs. According to Samsung, Five is the first in a new range of partners including broadcasters, retailers and holiday companies that will be imminently announced for the Smart TV platform. The […]

May 13, 2011

MSO ‘will replace STB with connected devices’

In a filing with the FCC, Ron Wheeler, SVP of Content Protection for Fox Group stated that “in the course of renegotiating a contract with one of Fox’s multichannel video programming distribution (“MVPD”) partners, the MVPD has told Fox that it intends in the near future to make its subscription and on-demand video services available […]

May 12, 2011

Shaw ‘Everywhere’ for Canada

Shaw Communications has launched the Shaw Gateway, ‘the new standard in connected entertainment’ that combines the delivery of shared PVR, more than 1,200 HD Video On Demand titles and home networking capability that will allow customers to share pictures and content from their computer onto their television. Shaw says ‘the Gateway brings together the power […]

May 12, 2011

Ads power ITV upwards, player goes mobile

An interim statement from ITV reveals revenues up 11 per cent in Q1 to £500 million (€569m) driven by the strong advertising market with its take up 12 per cent, ahead of the market growth of 10 per cent. Viewing figures were also up, 3 per cent on ITV 1 and 11 per cent across […]

May 11, 2011

Cox launches TV Online

US cable MSO Cox Communications is increasing the viewing choice and flexibility available to its TV customers by introducing TV Online. The cabler’s customers now have the choice to view favourite shows: on TV, On Demand and now Online via the cox.com/tv site anywhere they have access to a broadband connection. With the launch of […]

May 10, 2011

YouTube ramps up movie rental service

YouTube is dramatically expanding its movie rental service with the addition of 3,000 titles from major Hollywood studios, positioning the online video service to capitalise on the growing number of Internet-connected televisions and portable devices. YouTube head Salar Kamangar revealed the initiative in a blog post, telling users that they would be able to watch […]

May 10, 2011By Colin Mann

VOD:TV set for SA launch

A video-on-demand service is set to make its debut in South Africa. VOD:TV, formed by the SouthTel Group, is promising to offer the latest movies and TV series before Multichoice-owned DStv, The service won’t offer live TV itself, but will allow subscribers to download and store content to the PVR for later viewing. Roughly half […]

May 9, 2011By Colin Mann