Advanced Television

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Netflix spends $90m on Mad Men

Netflix has bought the rights to stream all seven series of the acclaimed TV show Mad Men, in a deal reported to be worth $90 million. It will pay close to $1 million per episode to show the 91-part series, after signing a deal with producer Lionsgate. Under terms of the the deal, Netflix viewers […]

April 7, 2011

Premium VOD pricing undermines demand

Premium VOD services which offer restrictive rental windows are priced too high to support significant demand, according to a report from The Diffusion Group (TDG). The report names the new ‘Home Premiere’ VOD service as an example. The premium service, which joins pay-TV operators in the US and Hollywood studios such as Warner Bros, Universal […]

April 6, 2011

Hulu Plus to reach 1m+ subs this year

Hulu’s chief executive Jason Kilar has confirmed figures first released at IP&TV World Forum stating Hulu+ will have over a million subs by year end. Kilar also reiterated that the company is on track to approach $500 million in revenue in 2011, up from $263 million in 2010. Its first-quarter revenue grew 90 per cent […]

April 5, 2011

Orange, Bluestreak bring movies to mobile devices

Bluestreak Technology, a specialist in delivering software presentation solutions on multi-screen wireless and wired embedded devices, has been selected by Orange  to deliver the new Orange cinéma séries on demand service to mobile devices and tablets.  Consumers who subscribe to the popular Orange cinéma séries service can now download movies to their mobile devices and […]

April 5, 2011

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

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

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

Kabel Deutschland finally launches VOD

Kabel Deutschland, Germany’s largest cable operator has launched its VOD offering ‘Select Video’ in the cities of Berlin, Hamburg and Munich. With this initial launch, approximately 2.3 million households can receive the VOD offer which currently includes 2,500 hours of Hollywood movies, Pay TV and Free TV content. More than 60 per cent of the […]

March 23, 2011

HBO GO app on Samsung TVs

Samsung Electronics has revealed that its Smart TVs will soon offer immediate access to more than 1,400 titles of HBO programming through an upcoming HBO GO app to be offered via Samsung Apps later this year. The app, which can be installed onto a Samsung Smart TV or Smart Blu-ray player, will be available at […]

March 21, 2011