Advanced Television

VOD

Four studios agree early pay-TV window

Four Hollywood studios have agreed to make their films available on pay-television two months after their theatrical release. Warner Brothers, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Universal Studios and 20th Century Fox have agreed to release their films on a “premium video-on-demand” basis with DirecTV. The move sets up a showdown with movie theatre chains. Subscribers will have […]

April 1, 2011

‘Mobile TV opens door for 3 screen services’

Mobile TV and video has always been perceived as a standalone service, but in fact it is the key to delivering an integrated 3 screen service; providing a seamless experience between the STB, PC and a smartphone or tablet device, says Ray DeRenzo, Chief Marketing Officer at MobiTV Inc. In the last year MobiTV more […]

April 1, 2011

Netflix curtails data stream in Canada

Netflix has made adjustments to its Canadian video streaming service to cut down on the amount of data it uses in a country where Internet usage is typically metered. Netflix said its streaming service in Canada will now use two-thirds less data on average, with only a minimal impact to video quality. Thirty hours of […]

March 29, 2011

3D VOD on Kabel BW

German cable operator Kabel BW is to add 3D films to its VOD library. The films will be available across the operator’s entire network. Users will require a HD receiver and 3D TV to view the films, and a broadband connection to view the library and use trick-play functions. “The launch of 3D content in […]

March 29, 2011

Games on-demand won’t outplay VOD anytime soon

IMS Research estimates that at the end of 2010, 13.2 per cent of the world’s digital pay-TV subscribers were requesting VOD content via their set-top box. The number of pay-TV households using VOD services is forecast to triple over the next five years, from 53.9 million at the end of 2010 to 157.3 million at […]

March 29, 2011

More movies on Facebook

Warner Brothers will offer five additional movies for rent on social networking website Facebook. Warner Bros said the films on offer would be “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets,” “Inception,” “Life as We Know It” and “Yogi Bear.” Earlier this month, Warner Bros said it would make some […]

March 28, 2011

Showtime and Starz delay Netflix supply

Two of the OTT and DVD service’s most important content providers have changed their distribution agreements with the company, reflecting growing anxiety about the pace of growth at the DVD subscription and movie streaming company. Showtime, the pay-TV service owned by CBS, this said it would remove all of its first-run programming from Netflix’s streaming […]

March 25, 2011

YouView names content sign-ups, including Sky

YouView has announced the names of the 29 organisations with which it is working closely to shape and test the processes for making content available via the platform. The content providers working with YouView are Blinkbox, Blinkx, BSkyB, Film4oD, Golant Media Ventures, Guardian News & Media, IndieMoviesOnline, LOVEFiLM, Pushbutton, Radioplayer, Stream UK,  STV, Travel Channel, Tvinci, […]

March 24, 2011

Netflix targets mobile

Netflix is targeting mobile devices as its next big market says to Bill Holmes, vice-president of business development. Holmes told the IP&TV World Forum that mobile represented a huge market opportunity but the service would have to adapt significantly in terms of pricing and perception, as mobile was a much more personal media. Holmes also […]

March 24, 2011

BBC digital chief: Catch-up will not pass 10% by 2015

Ralph Rivera, the BBC’s newly appointed head of digital media, has predicted that catch-up viewing would not surpass the 10 per cent mark by 2015. Speaking at the Guardian Media Festival the former AOL exec agreed with other contributors that the importance of mainstream linear TV would remain. On future media at the BBC he […]

March 24, 2011