Announced in the THQ annual earnings report, South Park: The Stick of Truth (which was recently revealed by Xbox Marketplace as the game’s title) is now set for release at some point during the ‘fourth quarter’ of the company’s ‘fiscal year 2012-13′. However, the report also noted that the game is now due to also be released on PC as an additional third platform to the already-confirmed consoles Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

The ‘fourth quarter’ for THQ is for what would generally be described as ‘Q1′ in most cases, meaning that a release for The Stick of Truth in the first three months of 2013 (1 January-31 March) is now the period in which fans can anticipate a release of the role-playing game, as opposed to the now-unlikely previous plans of ‘late 2012′.

Written and voiced primarily by Parker & Stone, the game is due to feature an appearance and style which makes it seem as though the player is ‘playing an episode’ of the show, with the storyline expected to incorporate a number of well-known one-off and recurring characters from the past, as well as the most popular and background characters from the present.

THQ vice-president Danny Bilson had recently said of how they ‘couldn’t afford’ to mess up on the project’s release date by bringing it to shelves too soon: ”Matt and Trey won’t ship until it’s their vision of this ultimate role playing game, where you’re the new kid in town and it’s like being in a South Park episode.”

The Stick of Truth has been hit by a number of difficult obstacles since being announced in late 2011 (including a number of project staff being made redundant at development company Obsidian Entertainment), and while it seems unlikely that it will now be a direct challenge to the planned new Family Guy game from Activision, the longer window of development time increases the likelihood of a licenced content video game being a match in quality to more original game counterparts. Will South Park (eventually) be one of the few brands to buck the trend?

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With the rumoured deal currently set to just encompass the ‘Apple TV’ set-top box, the talks seem to lean more towards the present, as the Disney-owned sports broadcaster look to enhance their platform reach, while Apple look set for more sports content available on their service, should the proposed partnership go ahead.

The service would probably be similar in structure to the ‘WatchESPN‘ iPad app (pictured) or their recent arrangement with Comcast, offering a range of select live content, highlights, and interactive features, with the platform available to subscribers of the sports network.

ESPN marketing executive Sean Bratches said of the Apple TV rumours: “We’re a platform-agnostic content company. To the extent that in the future there’s an opportunity with Apple to authenticate through the pay-TV food chain as we’re doing with Microsoft, that’s something that we will participate in.”

However, this is a rumour that is being denied on both sides, as representatives of Apple declined to comment, while ESPN spokesperson Amy Phillips later stated: “We’re not having conversations with Apple about authenticating WatchESPN.”

The main sports coverage currently available on ESPN are officially-licenced ones from three of the country’s major professional sports leagues (NBA, MLB, and NHL), all of which require a stand-alone annual subscription to watch, meaning that a deal with ESPN (similar to the ones in place on the iPad and iPhone) would give Apple TV their first app that could provide more widely-accessible sporting content. Is this a partnership set to happen, or is the supposed denial strategy from either side a genuine dismissal of the plans?

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ABC, which like comic book/film producers Marvel are owned by Disney, seem to have delayed the series from their original estimate, but believe that late 2013 will be when the big green man arrives on the small screen, although details of the format and the plot are currently undetermined.

Paul Lee (who’s namesake Stan Lee was a co-creator of the character in 1962) said of the plans: “The Hulk is in development. It wasn’t going to be ready for this season (2012), but we hope it will be ready for next season. We would like to see some Marvel projects move to television.”

He added of the prospects of other Marvel series (based on some of the other featured characters in The Avengers), and of the status of other proposed Marvel project AKA Jessica Jones: “We’ve got some in development, but none that I can talk about at this point. Of course, we’re immensely proud to be in a company with The Avengers and… we’re going to continue to develop aggressively. We did not pick it [AKA Jessica Jones] up for this season and have another development which is further at the front of the queue.”

When the project does get going, it is expected to be produced by Guillermo del Toro (Hellboy) and David Eick (Battlestar Galactica), but will their plans face further delays, or is the Hulk finally set to be coming to ABC’s screens next year?

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Launching in time for the BBC’s coverage of June’s annual Wimbledon Tennis Tournament, the app will provide featured highlights from events covered by the broadcaster, starting with the inclusion of Wimbledon, Formula One, and the 2012 Olympic Games (which on its own will provide over 2,500 hours of content) this summer.

Live coverage will also be expected to feature, as streams of highlights are set to be aired in HD with an interactive range of camera angles. As would be deemed almost compulsory for a BBC service in its home region, access to the content will be free to download, with the exact launchdate of the app unconfirmed, but guaranteed to be before the beginning of Wimbledon on 25 June.

Sony representative Edd Uzzell said of the planned integration of the BBC Sport app to their systems: “Televised sport is one of the biggest rating wins for broadcasters. This truly is a killer app and will provide a substantial amount of additional sporting content that you can’t get through the current broadcasting model. We strongly believe this will kick-start more widespread usage of the connected television offering, providing sport fans using the app with in-depth big-screen coverage of their favourite events. The app will also have extensive penetration in the UK thanks to its availability on PlayStation 3.”

Having initially launched for connected TV system Virgin-TiVo last month, the BBC Sport app is expanding to new frontiers, so will connected app form be the format in which users can see a fully-dedicated ‘BBC Sport’ channel?

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Known as the ‘G2 series’ of Google TV, the deal will see the product (which will be on display at the Internet Week New York for its duration between 14-17 May) aim to combine an LG L9 dual-core operating system alongside ’the power of Google services’ in order to offer a ’next-generation Google TV experience’.

Features set to be included are ‘ultra-fast processing speeds’ for graphics, fast uploading speed for connections and online features, integrated apps such as Google Chrome, Google Play Store, and YouTube, as well as non-Google related brands featured amongst the online services.

The L9 operating system is also thought to be a key source of supporting a fairly unique Google introduction of a QWERTY keyboard being sold as an additional control device, with the ‘traditional’ remote including motion-sensor and ‘wheel’ scrolling features, as well as voice-recognition, so there is unlikely to be any excuse for not being able to control the new product.

LG’s CEO and president Havis Kwon said of the product being revealed: “LG is excited to work with Google to bring Google services to TVs, making it easier for consumers to access a growing amount of content on the big screen. This all-new TV series reflects our work as a company to deliver the latest technologies to consumers so that they have an immersive and interactive home entertainment experience.”

User menus also have customisation ablilities to further the ‘ease of use’ experience, while like most new LG-branded TV sets, battery-free 3D mode is also a feature (under the ‘LG Cinema 3D‘ technology) that will add to the number of selling points of the product. Being sold later this month (initially online-only) in 47-inch ($1,699.99)  and 55-inch ($2,299.99 ) formats, the LG-backed Google TV will begin life on shelves with a very promising outline, but will the G2 perform as well with sales statistics?

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As had long been predicted by the media, it is popstar Britney Spears who has taken up one of the seats, believed to have signed a $15m deal to appear for one season with the returning Simon Cowell and LA Reid.

On the panel, she will be also be joined by 19-year-old former Disney Channel star Demi Lovato (another candidate long-tipped to take her place behind the table), who said: “I’m so thrilled to join this legendary group of judges. To be able to spend each week with Simon, LA and Britney watching the best that America has to offer is truly a dream come true.”

Simon Cowell said of the additions commented: “I’m absolutely delighted Britney and Demi are joining us. Britney remains one of the biggest stars in the world, she’s talented, fascinating – and I believe she knows exactly how to spot The X Factor. Demi’s had an amazing career in music, TV and film for someone her age. She’s young, confident, and enthusiastic. I think it’s really important that she speaks to our younger audience. The new panel will be dynamic and will work really well with the changes we are making to the show.”

Fox ‘president of alternative entertainment’ Mike Darnell added: “Britney is an unparalleled superstar. Her success in the music industry over the last two decades makes her a perfect fit for The X Factor judging panel. Demi has mass appeal and is beloved by her fans around the world. We are incredibly lucky to have them on board and we know they will bring so much excitement to the judging table for season two!”

Britney, who seemed to spoil the surprise for her Twitter followers by posting a picture of the new panel minutes before they were announced, stated at the reveal event: “I couldn’t be more excited to join The X Factor judging panel. I’m a huge fan of the show and now I get to be a part of the action. Simon and LA better watch out!”

The revised panel will have a bit more breathing space than the hectic contract-signing of last year, and while a new presenter still needs to be found to replace Welshman Steve Jones, the series, which will premiere its second season later this year, can move on with the filmed audition stage (taking place between late May-early July across five cities (Austin, Kansas City, San Francisco, Providence, and Greensboro)), knowing that most of their high-profile planning work is already done. Will the new judges manage to bring in higher ratings for Fox?

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Surprisingly, considering that they recently recorded a still below-par customer satisfaction rating, online streaming and movie rental company Netflix were earmarked as one of the key reasons (as well as ‘similar services’) that the USA are better connected through their TV sets.

The fact that such internet TV services are generally more readily available (as well as the greater range of services, high subscriber rates and stronger multi-platform reach) being considered as a crucial discussion point as to why Americans more than three times as likely to be ‘regular users’ of a smart TV’s online features than their counterparts from Europe.

Officially, the statistics found in this department suggest that while just over a third of all American smart TV owners connect to the Internet at least once every week, just 9% of Europeans do the same, while 22% of Americans and 33% of Europeans owning a smart TV had never completed the connection set-up phase (settling only for the general TV capabilities), while ‘smaller numbers’ of each were marked as having completed the set-up, but not used the online services since. Again, the respective ‘availability’ of a range of services has repeatedly been considered key to these outcomes.

Report author and Strategy Analytics’ ‘senior analyst’ Caroline Park said of the findings: “It is essential that smart TV manufacturers and their partners develop compelling video services and content in the local language for non-English speaking markets. The success of Netflix with smart TV owners in the US has demonstrated that such services can drive usage of smart TV services and apps.”

Meanwhile, it was found that while a just a third of smart TV owners in both surveyed markets claimed to buy their set with the online connection feature in mind, 65% (around double) claim that the feature would be a key consideration on whether or not they would buy a new set. It appears that the security of having the latest technology in their living room is a key selling point in TV sets anywhere, but considering all televisions will be ‘Smart’ soon enough, when will users actually get round to seeing the features for themselves on a regular basis, especially outside of the USA?

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Airplay, what is it again?

The gaff came as he was telling reporters that there is’nt an easy way to get online TV to your television set. When told about Apple’s Airplay he said, “I’m not sure I know what AirPlay is.”

Adding further embarrassment to his internet TV knowledge (or lack of) he said, “Today we want to be on every screen. Today it’s a little bit clunky to get programming from the Internet onto the TV — not so hard to get it on your iPad. What’s hard is the plumbing, what wires do you connect, what device do you use. So the current Apple TV, the little thing, the hockey puck, really doesn’t do anything to help enable you to get Internet material on your TV.”

For those not so clued up, Apple’s AirPlay makes it simple to stream content from the web, or running on your iOS mobile device onto your TV set. Users can stream wirelessly from the iPhone, iPad and iPod touches onto Apple TV.

The news that a major executive in the TV world knows nothing about the streaming technology available shows that either, he is out of touch with reality, or that Apple do not advertise the product well enough.

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Netflix had a pretty rough year by anyone’s account,but things are looking up as a new report shows customer satisfaction levels have risen from a year ago.

Customers happy with Netflix, for now

Analytics company, Forsee have released the Top 100 E-Retail Satisfaction Index which measures consumer satisfaction, and for Netflix customers are happier now than they were at the end of 2011. Back then Netflix scored 79, but that has now crept up to 81.

After a torrid year where they hit customers with a painful price increase, added to the catastrophic decision to divide the DVD and Blu-ray rental and streaming business into two. Forsee CEO, Larry Freed said, “Despite the increase, Netflix is still obviously paying the price of its PR fiasco last year and it is nowhere near ts all-time high score of 87 two years ago.”

He says that Netflix have more work to do if they want to reach their previous heights though, “Once the darling of the e-commerce world in terms of customer satisfaction, Netflix clearly has a lot more ground to make up. What remains to be seen is whether this small increase of two points is the result of successful efforts to satisfy customers, or whether so many customers have jumped ship that only the most satisfied remain. Only time will tell.”

This would have resulted in creating a more confusing program for subscribers who wanted both that and the instant streaming, and at the same time it also increased prices for its subscribers.

Netflix posted a loss for Q1 of 2012, it’s first loss in seven years as the streaming business gets tougher, and also saw subscriber numbers slowing down.

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The service, which can be enabled through either a Foxtel hotline or the broadcaster’s official website, will allow users the chance to connect and catch up to episodes of shows from over 50 featured channels, with Fox 8, Showcase, Cartoon Network, and FX amongst the most notable.

It will be marked as a free add-on for Foxtel subscribers with catch-up limitations based on the nature of their subscription (meaning that if they do not pay for a specific premium network, they will not be able to access that channel’s content). Content will be available through Foxtel On-Demand on midnight after first airing, with a 28-day window in which to watch (and possibly save) the episodes.

A further note made by Foxtel is that their broadband speed for customers (with no monthly limit for those using the ‘Big Pond’ ISP) will be at 1.4mb/ps, with a maximum of 4mb/ps. One of Australia’s most high-profile names in subscription TV has now jumped on the on-demand bandwagon, but how will they fare in this venture?

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Hit sitcom Two and a Half Men has been confirmed as returning for a tenth series following the completion of the ninth season tonight (with season finale episode “Oh Look! Al-qaeda”) is completed, while CSI: Miami is on the list of series that the network is choosing to cancel.

In a more busy part of year in which new shows are announced, series are renewed, and final episodes are aired, CBS has now revealed some of their decisions, though most currently seem to be on the ‘cancellation’ side, with CSI: Miami joining A Gifted Man, NYC22, Unforgettable (all dramas), and Rob (comedy) as the shows confirmed as ending.

A CBS statement on their headline cancellation read: “CSI: Miami leaves an amazing television legacy - a signature look and style, global popularity and as a key player in CBS’s rise to the top over the past decade. We thank all the producers - led by Jerry Bruckheimer, Jonathan Littman and Ann Donahue - and its talented cast, led by David Caruso, for 10 outstanding seasons. Viewers around the world will continue to enjoy rebroadcasts of CSI: Miami in syndication and on key digital platforms for many years to come.”

The move marks CSI: Miami, which debuted in 2002 as the first spin-off to the long-running drama, as the first CSI-branded series to get cancelled, with the main series (CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, which was in March renewed for a thirteenth season) and CSI: NY set to continue for the time being. After 232 episodes, though, the Miami version has met its end, with a two-parter in March and April set to not only be the last episodes of season 10, but of the entire show. The analysis will show that CSI: Miami had a good run in its decade on-air, but what is the francise’s (and their network’s) next move?

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Having been voted as the best out of 11 acts in Saturday’s live final, Ashleigh and her pet now win £500,000 ($800,000) and a place in the Royal Variety Performance near the end of the year. While ‘bonus prizes’ could yet include a trip into space, format owner Simon Cowell is believed to have more tailor-made plans for the show’s first dog winner (an outcome which Cowell has repeatedly stated was his desire to happen over the past few years), as he reportedly announced an open invitation to the pair to visit LA, where several movie and TV auditions would be lined up for Pudsey in particular.

While there, Cowell claims that they would be welcome to stay at his home, where he would install a ‘luxury kennel’ ready-made for his latest act’s visits, and would allow them to travel to America and back via his private jet, as well as ensuring Pudsey visits a local ’pet beauty salon’ used by moviestar animals and celebrity pets.

He said of his planss: “He [Pudsey] is welcome at my home – I love dogs. And anyone who stays with me stays in luxury. I’m more excited about Pudsey than most of the singing acts I’ve found. That little dog is going to become the most famous dog in the world. I genuinely believe he will be warmly received by Hollywood. I can’t wait to see people’s jaws drop when I show them what he can do. I really do think he could become a worldwide star. Maybe our biggest star yet. Pudsey is the people’s favourite.”

This fact appears to be true statistics-wise, as producers of Britain’s Got Talent revealed the voting percentages for all of this week’s live shows, with Ashleigh & Pudsey claiming 50% of all votes during their semi-final, and a winning 39% (ahead of second-place opera singing duo ‘Jonathan & Charlotte’) in the final, which had a surprising lack of variety, with the line up showing just one act (synchronised swimming team ‘Aquabatique’) that might fall out of the description of ‘singer’ or ‘dancer’.

Overall, though, series 6 appears to have been a success ratings-wise, as the final recorded an initial 11.9m (%) viewership for their live event, and it seems that the notoriously hard-to-please Cowell has been impressed by the judging panel this year, as he claimed his desire to see himself, actress Amanda Holden, singer-dancer Alesha Dixon, and comedian David Walliams back at the table next year.

He stated of the line-up and Saturday’s show: “I can say that if they (the other judges) will accept my invitation, that all three and me will be back next year. Without question, I’ve done a lot of these shows. It’s been the greatest final we’ve ever done. I’ve absolutely loved it.”

With regards to his latest ‘signing’, while Hollywood ambitions might not happen instantly for Pudsey, it is rumoured that he is already lined up to be the ‘face’ of a high-profile dog food brand, a deal which is being finalised by an agent, meaning he is set to lead a lifestyle that most humans could only dream of. To see what all the fuss is about, a video of Ashleigh & Pudsey’s winning routine on Saturday can be seen below:

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The Loewe Invisio could almost be an Apple TV

The rumor comes from the AppleInsider website, and cites sources saying a bid is on the table for around $113 million and Apple are awaiting a response from the German company. But Loewe it is said, have been, “advised by its financial advisor to accept the offer and a final decision is scheduled to be announced internally before 18 May 2012.”

The Loewe company are a manufacturer and distributor of HDTV’s, integrated entertainment systems and audio components. They have 1000 employees and are known for their high quality flat screen TV’s such as the Invisio transparent TV. Loewe are part owned by Sharp (28%) and have a very similar set of values to Apple, “minimalist design, meaningful innovation and exclusive individuality.”

The new Apple TV set is said to be called iPanel, and will come with Siri voice control and Facetime built in. More news as and when it comes in.

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AMC see internet TV in a positive light

AMC content is streamed quite a lot online, Netflix have the exclusive online rights for the zombie show, The Walking Dead. of which the first season can be watched now with more coming online. They also have rights to back catalog episodes of Mad Men and Breaking Bad.

For AMC, streaming older content online appears to be working. Revenue for the company was up around 40% in the first quarter of 2012, leading to a profit growth of 20% on the previous year.

CEO of AMC, Josh Sapan says that streaming services from Netflix and Amazon played a part, saying, “2012 got off to a strong start for AMC Networks, with double digit increases in net revenues, and operating income. Continued viewer enthusiasm for our programming resulted in ratings gains for our national networks, most notably AMC’s The Walking Dead, which ended its second season with nine million total viewers, an increase of 50 percent over last season’s finale. The series reigns as the highest-rated scripted drama in basic cable history in advertiser’s key demos. The fifth season of AMC’s Mad Men currently ranks as the most watched season ever of the series, outperforming the prior season by double-digits. These successes underscore the strength of our original programming strategy, which continues to drive audience and advertiser demand for our networks.”

He said that they has struck digital deals in an “extremely careful” way, making sure that content went digital at least a full year after broadcasting on TV. That “seems to make sense” and, “It hasn’t hurt the network, but is actually helping to drive the pay TV ecosystem for AMC.”

While distribution via the web is going well, it could also be the cause of problems with traditional Pay-TV operators. AMC currently have a problem with the satellite company Dish who plan to drop AMC content. And the cause of the problem (according to DISH) is that the online deals devalue the content.

However, Sapan puts it down to the on-going litigation between the two companies which stems from a previous HD channel business. He said the threat by DISH to drop AMC Networks content is, “a direct result of the litigation,” and he does’nt think subscribers will like it, adding they (DISH) are, “not acting in the best interest of its subscribers.”

Not everyone agrees that internet TV has no effect on ratings though, research has shown that Netflix streaming has led to a 6% drop in ratings for the Nickelodeon channel.

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Youtube looking to sell premium content

The report in the NY Post says that all existing video content would be safe from any paywall, and the system could be used for premium events such as live sports events and music concerts.

YouTube who are owned by Google already have pay models in place, they have a movie streaming rental service with major companies including Disney. They also as well as  pay-per-view cricket games via a partnership with WillowTV.

Youtube have recently started rolling out a 100 channel line-up of original content that will create 25 hours of ostreaming every week. Youtube CEO Salar Kamangar confirmed they are exploring all possible options when he said back in January that, “We’re a media platform and we want to have a business model that media partners demand.”

Talking about the possible pay wall, a Youtube spokesperson said, “We have long maintained that different content requires different types of payment models. The important thing is that, regardless of the model, our creators succeed on the platform and viewers find more content to watch.”

YouTube who have around 800 million worldwide users who consume three billion hours of video per month, may be using the system as a precursor to creating their own original content just like competitors Netflix and Hulu are currently doing.

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Both being given a new 22-episode season, American Dad! will be back for an 9th season since premiering in 2005, while 1999-startup Family Guy is now guaranteed an 12th, with both set to air the year after next in September as part of host network Fox’s Sunday evening ’Animation Domination’ programming block.

Fox claim that in the meantime, with a longer period in which to make a choice, they have postponed their final decision on ordering a fifth season of The Cleveland Show, with the Family Guy spin-off still to air its fourth later this year after the third (currently airing) concludes this month on the same schedule as its network counterparts.

The three were notable for last year airing a cross-over night called Hurricane, which featured an episode from each series linking in with the others into the themed story, the first time the characters from each MacFarlane show had been incorporated fully into the same plot, an event which had been postponed for a year due to a real-life hurricane in the USA at the time.

Other Animation Domination shows that have been discussed in the past few months include The Simpsons (which had been renewed to season 25), Allen Gregory (cancelled), and its mid-season replacement Napoleon Dynamite, (currently yet to be renewed). Meanwhile, Seth MacFarlane’s remake of The Flintstones has been delayed until further notice, while his other planned new shows (including a female-centric pilot starring Family Guy‘s Alex Bornstein as its lead voice), do not yet have further details.

With a Fox-Activision video game also being released in Q3-Q4 of this year (Family Guy: Back to the Multiverse), it will be an exciting time for any fan of animated comedy shows (especially including Comedy Central series South Park, who also have a new batch of episodes and a video game (South Park: The Stick of Truth) for the second half of this year), so will similar news be reported this time next year?

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It is believed that the results are due to the fact that the much talked-about series is not easily accessible through anything but premium means, as it is broadcasted locally by subscription network HBO (and its customer-only additional online catch-up platform HBO Go), and around the world on channels such as Sky Atlantic (part of British Isles satellite TV broadcaster Sky).

Big Champagne’s ‘senior media analyst John Robinson said of his company’s findings to Forbes: ”It (Game of Thrones) certainly appears to be the most pirated show of the year [so far]. “The fact that it’s consistently at the top of the Pirate Bay’s top 100 TV shows chart seems like a pretty in-your-face leading indicator of the huge volume at which this is being shared. This is absolutely a reaction to the show not being available elsewhere online [other than official sites such as HBO Go]. It’s a very tricky game trying to create this kind of scarcity.”

In other news, well-known torrent website The Pirate Bay is facing further problems across Europe, as courts in Holland declare that, like the UK’s leading ISP’s, all major Dutch Internet Service Providers must comply with blocking the controversial Swedish torrent directory website, with the added stipulation that those that do not will be fined €10,000 (£8,000, $12,900) per day until the matter is resolved, with all concerned being given 10 days to get their blockades online.

While it has been proven in the past week that fans of torrent websites will do anything in the name of ‘internet free speech’ and being able to access free premium content, will the Dutch ruling have much of an effect, or will it at least manage to dampen the enthusiasm of those wanting to watch and listen to bootleg content?

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While they are part of a population of many service providers on this bandwagon, TiVo will be pleased to finally have the popular online services on-board for their Internet-connected userbase in a fully-updated manner, and while there are obvious limitations with the Netflix product (such as being a subscriber to the on-demand streaming service), it will be seen as a welcome addition (and additional platform) by those that can access it.

Thought to now be very similar in style to the official apps of the services that would be found on a plethora of other platforms and devices (including smartphones, smart TV sets, and games consoles (amongst others)), the new TiVo apps could be perceived as something which should have arrived a long time before now, though with the deals arranged and apps launched, the DVR makers will hope that with their pulling power as a brand name they become one of the most notable hosts of YouTube and Netflix.

The official company blog said of the updates: “We are pleased to announce the newest software release (version 20.2.1) for TiVo Premiere, Premiere XL and Premiere XL4 (Premiere Elite).  Boxes will automatically receive the update over the coming weeks, but signing up [at TiVo Priority] could get you the update a little sooner. We are excited to announce that with this update you will find a new Netflix and YouTube experience as well as parental controls in the HD Menus.”

While there is not yet any moves to make the rumours of updating Amazon Instant Video and addition of ‘Prime Instant Video‘ a reality, TiVo have revealed their intentions to continue updating their software regularly with the purpose of making their interface fully-HD. Will there be any ‘bonuses’ on their next update?

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Developed through the Dish Hopper, the ’Auto Hop’ is available with the ’Prime Time Anytime’ capability, with the ability to record all content from the prime-time line-up of the four major broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC) simultaneously and automatically, amongst other features.

However, the key selling point will be that under select conditions, all adverts during the show are cleared from the recording allowing for a fully seamless viewing experience, with any show that has been recorded to the ‘PrimeTime Anytime’ library. Activating today, the feature will still have the option of the more simply-produced 30-second ‘hop forward’ on Hopper, though the commercial-free system will be seen as a key addition to the service that the producer’s claim will work on ‘most’ shows recorded through the set-top-box.

Naturally, an obvious limitation of the system is that it is incompatible with live TV viewing, and it is believed that some networks have not yet agreed to the service for equally obvious reasons, but with a majority seemingly on-board with Dish (presumably due to being channels covered on the satellite service), there seems to be a very real potential for this system.

Dish’s vice-president of product management, Vivek Khemka, said of the release of the ’Auto Hop’ (which launched at 1:00am ET): ”Viewers love to skip commercials. With the Auto Hop capability of the Hopper, watching your favorite shows commercial-free is easier than ever before. It’s a revolutionary development that no other company offers and it’s something that sets Hopper above the competition.”

While TiVo is notable for being the first major DVR creators along with a 30-second skip function, it is now a concept which has been implemented in many systems around the world, leaving its creators notable only as the brand that started the innovation, rather than its sole operator. How long will it be before all product developers go ad-free and leave Dish’s ‘Hopper’ in a similar status?

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The networks tell Skitter to stop streaming

The Skitter service which charges $12 monthly and streams feeds from Local TV affiliates in the Portland area and offer internet services such as Youtube along with local broadcast network affiliates, cable and satellite channels, both live and on-demand. The service works on a number of connected devices such as TV, PC, consolea and mobile devices.

They are not the first to fall foul of the broadcasters, other OTT services such as Aereo and iviTV have had court orders placed against them. Those companies have been hit with lawsuits preventing them transmitting TV signals over the web, although Aereo are fighting the case by counter-suing the broadcasters.

Skitter is a little different though as it has a strong relationship with the regional telcom company,  Stayton Cooperative Telephone Co., which included retransmission agreements.

Skitter offers live access to major Portland-area channels. But the local ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC stations have decided to review the retransmission agreements that are in place with Skitter.

Skitter has complied with the demand and stopped streaming all affected channels currently, they have dropped the monthly subscription to $6 and told subscribers that they have, “have made progress toward a new agreement but it is difficult to know how long this will take.”

Users of the service can still watch a number of local channels including The CW, PBS, PBS Encore, JCTV, KWVT, TBN, TCC, Enlace, SOAC and Retro TV.

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The series, which premiered in January 2011, and could air its 34th and final episode on 20 May (the second of 2 episodes remaining for the season), stars Kathy Bates in a role as an ‘unconventional defence lawyer’ Harriet ‘Harry’ Korn based in the city of Cincinnati. Currently co-starring on the series are Nate Corddry, Karen Olivo, and Christopher McDonald.

Despite an average weekly viewership of almost 9m, Kelley said of his show’s prospects with NBC, and joking of Harry’s Law‘s percieved target audience: ”[NBC are] liking their pilot development a lot, [which] doesn’t speak well for us. Word seems to be out that we’re a show for old people. If we could just more get younger viewers and keep some of our regular viewers from dying we’d be feeling better.”

However, Kelley was full of praise for NBC regardless of what their next move is, as he added of his ‘creative freedom’ in a franchise lower on the network’s priority list, and of how that status could help their chances: “They kind of let us do what we do. If it were one of their more cherished commodities, they might micromanage us more. There has to be places on everybody’s roster for utility players (that can step in if others fail).”

It is believed that NBC might not have room for Harry’s Law to continue with a number of new show pickups, having converted a number of titles from pilot to full series commission, including (amongst others): Guys With Kids (Jimmy Fallon), White House-based comedy 1600 Penn, vet sitcom Animal Practice , sports comedy Go On (Matthew Perry), Save Me (Anne Heche) and The New Normal (Ryan Murphy (Glee)).

With a large number of new formats coming into the network, will Harry’s Law survive, or has the gavel not quite dropped on them yet?

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Set for a Sunday evening slot again, The Talking Dead, as well as fellow AMC Sunday show Comic Book Men (an ‘unscripted series’ following the lives of the people working at filmmaker Kevin Smith’s comic book store), will both be renewed for a 16-episode run, with the former done entirely to fit in with The Walking Dead‘s new 16-episode season (as opposed to the 13-episode second season), while the move for Comic Book Men might be considered similarly as being put on the same broadcast schedule as The Walking Dead, which itself is a drama series inspired by a comic book of the same name.

Talking Dead presenter Hardwick said of the plans for the series (and joked about its future), in which he recaps episodes and interviews cast and crew members: “Talking Dead has been an amazing experience and I cannot pile enough hugs and thanks onto AMC for renewing it. I CAN’T WAIT for Season 3 of Walking Dead, so that we can finally talk about Rick meeting [SPOILER] and [SPOILER]-ing him with a heavy-duty [SPOILER] at the [SPOILER]. And let’s not forget all the rest of the [SPOILER]s getting in on the action! [EXPLETIVE] me! It’s going to be great…”

Meanwhile, Comic Book Men is due to go from a 6-episode first series to 16 in the second run, although downgrading from hour-long episodes into a 30-minute format. Show star Kevin Smith stated of the return of reality TV cameras to his store (‘Jay & Silent Bob’s Secret Stash’): “Pinch my fat ass, ’cause I must be dreaming! A thousand thank yous wouldn’t cover the gratitude I’m feeling right now. And as you might imagine, everyone at SModcast Pictures is in love with everyone at AMC today! Rest assured, Walt, Bry, Mike, Ming and I are suited up and ready to hit the ice for our second season with Team AMC.”

AMC executive Joel Stillerman added the cable network’s perspective on the renewals, stating: “AMC set out to build shows around authentic characters and original worlds, and Comic Book Men really delivers on both of these. Talking Dead is just great synergy and it gives our audience a destination to continue the conversation about The Walking Dead. We are thrilled that Chris is back to lead the discussion. He is genuinely knowledgeable about the genre, and truly entertaining.”

While The Walking Dead‘s third season is one of the most hotly-anticipated continuations of a TV show in the USA this year, will the new episodes of their support acts on AMC also be up to scratch?

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While the real Pirate Bay continues the fall-out from a recent UK High Cort order (which requires five major ISP’s to block The Pirate Bay’s website from their service), they claimed that a number of intermediate proxy websites are offering the chance to charge potential users for methods to individually ‘sidestep’ the site-blocking measures.

A Pirate Bay blog post on the matter read: ”A lot of proxies in support of TPB (The Pirate Bay) are popping up, which is a good thing. But not all of these proxies are nice. We’ve noticed at least 3 sites that are tricking users to buying access or similar. We do not condone this behaviour, The Pirate Bay is a free service. We’d want to encourage you to look for a reliable source on where to find a good proxy that works for you. Take care and don’t get tricked. There’s a war going on. It’s the mafiaa against the people. Let’s make sure that the people win.”

Proxy sites are generally used as a go-between to access other servers than the one they are on, meaning that websites operating in this structure can offer a way for users on one of the 5 affected ISP’s (Everything Everywhere, O2, Sky, TalkTalk, and Virgin Media) to get through to The Pirate Bay by temporarily tying the user to an alternative server.

It is fairly obvious that not all of the proxy websites will be able to be banned themselves, but even The Pirate Bay are seemingly now calling for some of them to be banned. After ‘hacktivist’ group Anonymous temporarily took down the website of Virgin Media this week, is the paid-for proxy issue set to be a further online challenge and test of the loyalty of The Pirate Bay’s supporters?

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Netflix and 20th Century Fox strike a Latin American deal

The deal will bring a raft of hit shows, including a selection of current and previous seasons of Glee, 24, Bones, Prison Break, The X-Files, Arrested Development and How I Met Your Mother to the subscription streaming service. Series will be available to stream from July 15.

Also heading to Latin America in the multi-year deal from July 1, will be ‘older’ classic movies such as Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Wall Street and Office Space. more films and TV series to be added over the next few years.

The Netflix service is now available in around 43 Latin merican Countries and territories including Brazil. The Netflix service streams movies and TV shows to a number of connected devices, if your an online subscribers.

Netflix are hoping the deal will boost it’s Latin subscriber numbers after a disappointing start since launching September 2011, reflected in their low Q1 results.

Latin America is a market that Netflix want to break even though it poses a few problems. In a conference call to investors back in April, CEO Reed Hastings said that subscribers in the region are not familiar with over-the-top streaming services, the not so great broadband service and payments using credit/debit cards are an issue due to the banking systems in the area.

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A report made by independent blogging site Cult Of Mac claims that an inside source has revealed a number of details of the operation of the new TV set. This includes a potential ‘mock-up’ of the product (pictured), and revealing details, including that the set is due to feature FaceTime (a webcam-style live video chat service) and Siri (the ‘intelligent’ voice control system first seen on the iPhone 4S last year).

Likely to be produced as a ’much larger version’ of the ’Cinema Display monitors’ from Apple, the service could also include Apple TV functionality as well as a number of regular smart TV features, and a connected Apple feature called ‘Airplay’ for direct video streaming being sent between the TV and other Apple products.

It is predicted that the iPanel (a likely name choice to avoid legal problems with London (England)-based TV network ITV) will hit shelves in 2013 (as opposed to rumours of a 2012 release last year), with further details currently unconfirmed by the American company.

It is one of the most discussed products in the world of technology rumours, but will Apple’s connected TV set be a little less anticipated now that information has been supposedly leaked, or will the developments generate a wave of new interest?

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