Advanced Television

Catch Up

On-demand TV in demand, HD & 3D failing to impress

HD and 3D TV are failing to impress, as the UK’s TV viewers put digital recording features, on-demand content and subscription-free viewing on their list of ‘must have’ TV features, according to research from set-top box provider Humax. The survey of 2,000 UK adults reveals

November 13, 2013

FreeviewPlus HbbTV for Australia

In what it describes as one of the most important developments in its five year history, Australian DTT platform Freeview has announced plans to unveil the most advanced free-to-air EPG service ever seen in Australia with the launch of FreeviewPlus in the first half of 2014. The FreeviewPlus service will provide Australian viewers with a […]

November 11, 2013By Colin Mann

Karl Pilkington series sets On Demand viewing records

BSkyB has revealed that its Sky 1 travelogue programme The Moaning of Life, featuring television personality Karl Pilkington has become the biggest home-grown show on Sky 1 so far this year, as well as generating record On Demand and Sky Go viewing figures. Writing in the Sky Views blog, Stuart Murphy, Director, Entertainment Channels, notes […]

November 7, 2013By Colin Mann

YouView provides more catch-up TV than Sky

Decipher’s latest VoD Audit reveals YouView is now the largest catch-up TV provider in the UK, growing by 24 per cent to offer 2,677 assets. This gives it the lead over Sky by 85 assets with the satellite provider’s catch-up service totalling 2,592 assets, reflecting 11 per cent growth since June. Importantly however, Sky’s claims […]

November 6, 2013

SES HD+ in 2.7m German homes

HD+, SES Astra’s German DTH platform, has reported 1,280,783 paying homes as of September 30th 2013, a growth of 35 per cent for the year. The total number of homes receiving the HD+ service has now reached 2.68 million, although 1.4 million are still in a free 1-year trial period. HD+ added 87,899 subscribers in […]

November 4, 2013

Pact strikes new iPlayer deal with BBC

Pact has signed a new business framework agreement with the BBC. A public focus of the agreement has been the extension of the use of indies’ programmes on the BBC iPlayer, from seven to 30 days. That aspect is one part of the Pact-BBC deal that has been agreed.  Independent production companies will benefit under […]

October 18, 2013

iPlayer will be BBC’s “fifth channel”

The BBC is creating a “Controller of iPlayer” role, with the aim of developing the catch-up TV service into the corporation’s fifth channel. Danny Cohen, the BBC’s director of television, said he hoped that by creating the role people will “begin to see” iPlayer as a “fifth channel … [so it] has that status”.  The […]

October 16, 2013

DG Hall outlines a “personalised BBC”

Outlining his plans for the future of the BBC, Director General Tony Hall promised it would have a closer relationship with its audience going forward, treating them as “owners” rather than licence fee payers. A “personalised BBC” will allow viewers to rate and discuss programmes, and that “will influence what we commission,” he said. Hall’s […]

October 8, 2013

BBC1 launching +1 channel

The BBC is launching a +1 “timeshift” channel, which will offer viewers the chance to watch programmes an hour after they are originally broadcast. BBC Director General Tony Hall said: “It’s what audiences expect, especially younger ones, and it means people can get more of what they’ve already paid for.” All the BBC’s commercial rivals […]

October 8, 2013

BBC readies next-gen iPlayer

BBC director general Tony Hall will unveil the next generation BBC iPlayer in a keynote speech on October 8th at Broadcasting House. In the speech, called “Where Next?” Hall will address the technological challenges facing the BBC and, in particular, how it needs to adapt to the consumption of digital content on devices other than […]

October 7, 2013