Advanced Television

OTT

Kangaroo test-run before competition ruling

Project Kangaroo, the JV between ITV, the BBC and Channel 4, is planning a test launch in January ahead of a competition ruling that will decide its ultimate fate. It is currently the subject of a Competition Commission investigation assessing its impact on the online video-on-demand market, but is forging ahead with technical development of […]

November 18, 2008

Wizzgo online PVR most go

The three major French broadcasters – TF1, France Television and NT1 – have won an injunction against the online virtual PVR service Wizzgo. The programmes of TF1, France 2, France 3, France 4, France 5 and NT1 must be removed from the service within eight days. Wizzgo offers internet software allowing users to record programmes […]

November 18, 2008

Hulu looks to international

Hulu, the video website owned by News Corp and NBC Universal, hopes to expand internationally and is interested in Britain, France, Germany and Japan. Peter Smith, President of NBC Universal International, told reporters that his firm would love to roll out the online video joint venture further but that there were no concrete plans to […]

November 18, 2008

ITV catch-up for BT Vision

ITV has signed an agreement with BT to supply a range of current and library programming to customers of BT's digital TV service, BT Vision – ITV's first deal of this type with a VOD operator. BT Vision customers will also be able to enjoy a range of library content on demand.

November 18, 2008

11% of young adults watch TV online weekly

Eleven per cent of adults in the US aged 18 to 34 now watch TV online at least once a week, according to the latest findings by MultiMedia Mentor from Knowledge Networks. These young adults spend 80 per cent more time online than the general 18-to-34 population, and 16 per cent more time (about 1.25 […]

November 17, 2008

Online TV profits hard to get

Despite the popularity of online video, new research shows that European content owners are struggling to turn a profit as delivery costs in many cases exceed advertising revenues. By comparison, businesses in the US have been more successful at making money from online content, having negotiated better technology distribution deals and established more effective advertising […]

November 12, 2008

Highfield jumps from Kangaroo to Microsoft

Project Kangaroo's set back continue as CEO Ashley Highfield leaves the online venture before launch to become managing director for Microsoft UK’s online operation. He will be replaced on an interim basis by Rod Henwood, the former Channel 4 business director responsible for launching 4oD, the channel’s on-demand service, while a search for a replacement […]

November 12, 2008

Sky online TV service

BSkyB is to launch an online subscription service allowing consumers to watch channels including Sky Sports via the Internet for the first time. Mike Darcey, BSkyB chief operating officer, said the new service would be launched “in the next few months”. The online channels will be made available on the Sky Player and viewers will […]

November 11, 2008

BitTorrent lay-offs

As an open-source technology protocol, the file-sharing system BitTorrent represents about half the world's Internet traffic by some measures. But the San Francisco company, BitTorrent, is showing signs of serious trouble while it tries to commercialize the technology. BitTorrent has informed about half its employees, or 18 people, that they were being let go, according […]

November 11, 2008

Blinx narrows losses

Video site Blinkx lost $3.26 million between April and September – down from the $12.8 million loss recorded in the same period last year, when the company was spun off from Autonomy and floated on London's AIM market. What started as just a video search index has added a glut of products this year – […]

November 11, 2008