India has slapped a 20 per cent import tariff on set-top boxes, up from 10 per cent, as part of its scheme to encourage more local production. Most locals see the move as a means of curbing the supply of equipment from China. Typically, the country imports about 10 million STBs a month, while the […]
UK crime reporting and awareness initiative Crimestoppers has launched a campaign warning of the dangers of illegally modified streaming devices. “Advances in technology have allowed us to enjoy on-screen entertainment in more ways than ever before, with ever increasing amounts of exciting and original content. However, some people are avoiding paying for this content by […]
Detectives from Belfast Criminal Investigation Branch investigating organised criminality have carried out 18 searches across the Belfast, Derry/Londonderry, Dundonald and Banbridge areas of Northerm Island in conjunction with HMRC (Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs – a non-ministerial department of the UK Government responsible for the collection of taxes) and UK intellectual property protection organisation FACT […]
A Parks Associates report finds that makers of smart TVs and streaming media players (SMPs) are shifting strategies to focus on the user experience (UX) as device sales start to flatten out. According to Parks Associates’ Market Snapshot – Smart TVs & the User Experience, 45 per cent of US broadband households have a smart […]
US consumer-orientated coalition the Digital Citizens Alliance has launched new efforts to educate law enforcement, regulators, and parents about the dangers of pirated content, releasing a new video demonstrating the potential dangers of pirated movies and television shows that gets into peoples’ homes. According to the Alliance, the rise of illegal streaming devices (ISDs) has […]
A survey of consumers over the past year in Europe and the US, by S&P Global Market Intelligence, has revealed that the vast majority of Internet households view online video on their in-home TVs. Yet, the devices consumers prefer to use to deliver online video content to the TV varies substantially in Europe and the […]
Following a joint investigation in Australia by global content protection body the Alliance for Creativity and Entertainment (ACE) and regional cable and satellite trade association CASBAA’s Coalition Against Piracy (CAP) into a large supplier of IPTV set-top boxes, pre-loaded to play pirated movies, television shows, sports programming, and other content has had these operations closed […]
Sky Italia has launched the Sky Q platform that allows customers to watch linear content, on-demand and recorded, on multiple TV sets and cable-free devices. The Sky Q Platinum digital box, which connects to the satellite TV dish and the Internet, connects all home screens without any extra cables. It communicates wirelessly with other TV […]
The UK’s Intellectual Property Office (IPO) has issued guidance on illicit streaming devices (ISDs) aimed at helping consumers understand why so called ‘Kodi’ and other illegal IPTV set-top boxes and sticks should be avoided. It tables five frequently asked questions, setting out its advice as follows: What is ‘illicit streaming’ and what devices are commonly used? […]
A series of product safety tests on popular illicit streaming devices entering the UK have found that 100 per cent fail to meet national electrical safety regulations. The findings are a result of a joint initiative between UK intellectual property protection organisation FACT (Federation Against Copyright Theft) and safety awareness body Electrical Safety First which […]