Advanced Television

OTT

International iPlayer less than $10 a month

The BBC’s international iPlayer app will cost less than $10 a month when it launches later this year, according to Director General Mark Thompson. Speaking at the FT Digital Media & Broadcasting conference in London, Thompson said the global version of the corporation’s online catch-up service for iPads will launch “definitely this year”, adding that […]

March 2, 2011By Colin Mann

Cord-cutting: ‘Don’t panic!’

Shane O’Neill, Chief Strategy Officer at Liberty Global, has suggested that so long as the cable TV industry “continues to innovate, and quickly,” there is no need to panic at the threat posed by ‘cord cutting’, whereby subscribers churn out of their pay-TV subscriptions in favour of online content sources. He told delegates at the […]

March 2, 2011By Colin Mann

FilmOn set for autumn launch

Internet-based television service FilmOn is looking to launch in the US, Europe and the Middle East in autumn 2011, according to the operation’s founder and CEO Alki David. The service is currently the subject of a federal lawsuit filed by the major US networks which claims that FilmOn has been streaming the signals of numerous […]

March 1, 2011By Colin Mann

OTT enhances operator VOD

On-demand services from pay-TV operators are becoming more robust each year with more free content and integration of over-the-top (OTT) services. IMS Research projects that in 2011, 72 per cent of VOD requests via pay-TV platforms will be free transactions. OTT content delivered via set-tops will account for a fair share of free transactions, as […]

March 1, 2011

YouTube subscription movies for UK

Google’s YouTube is planning an unlimited subscription service for movies to take on Netflix and Amazon and the UK will be the test bed says a report in the New York Post. Google has been talking with Hollywood studios for months and is looking to launch the streaming service first in the UK and Europe […]

February 25, 2011

Telstra goes TV Everywhere with thePlatform

White-label video publishing company thePlatform has been selected by Australian telco Telstra to serve as the central video management system for Telstra’s BigPond TV service across IP-connected devices. Telstra is using thePlatform’s mpx video management system to enable Australian consumers easily to access and enjoy high quality movies and television content across a broad range […]

February 24, 2011

WebTView launches OverCast

WebTView, a specialist in OTT video content delivery to connected devices, has unveiled its new mobile-based disruptive innovation called OverCast, an extension to the WebTView Video Platform. OverCast splits user experience into two screens – personalised video content search and sharing done on a smartphone or a tablet, selecting a TV show or a movie […]

February 24, 2011

MTG goes TV Everywhere with Viaplay

Entertainment broadcasting group Modern Times Group (MTG) is to launch a multi-screen on-demand pay-TV service in Scandinavia in March. The new service – Viaplay – will enable a Viasat subscriber to use a single ID and password to access Viasat pay-TV content on any Internet-connected device. The OTT portable solution is claimed to be the […]

February 23, 2011

ivi streaming ‘illegal’

A US District judge has ruled that Internet TV service ivi is breaking the law by offering live streams of network and cable television. ivi, which offers online broadcasts of 55 stations in the Los Angeles, Chicago and New York area for under $5 a month, was ordered to cease operations immediately as a result […]

February 23, 2011By Colin Mann

Canada broadcasters plot OTT defence

Canadian Broadcast industry groups have met in Ottawa to plan strategy for dealing with online content providers such as Netflix. Cable companies, broadcasters and union representatives were all represented, said Norm Bolen, the president of the Canadian Media Production Association, which arranged the meeting.  The session was about understanding the impact of online services “competing […]

February 21, 2011