Google TV has confirmed that this update is in the pipeline through their Google TV Twitter account.

They are promising to have the new firmware ready “this week.” this update will only apply to Sony Internet TV’s from about a year ago, and that 3D part only applies to a small amount of Sony Blu-ray players that has Google TV as well.

It will not include Logitech Revue which was abandoned due to poor sales. Google TV are hoping that a major comeback in 2012 will happen, as support has finally been confirmed from some of the other highend TV manufacturers.

But the question stays as whether consumers will see any value in having a computer built into their TV sets, that still is a largely passive consumer electronic device. The main thing it lacks is a collection of apps and content that can add to the TV experience.

Incoming TV searches:

No related posts.

Sky IPTV service due before July

The new streaming station will contain a collection of Sky’s existing popular channels that can be streamed to a selection of devices.

Chennels that will make the move should include popular movies and sports channels. Sky’s move will have been motivated by the arrival of US movie streamer Netflix to the UK and the price and content fight with local rival the Amazon-owned Lovefilm.

Both those streaming services are limited in the range of material they offer to viewers. Sky is fortunate that it has plenty of content and since it already has the rights to stream much of that material to its customers, it’s in a good position to extend those rights deals to pay-as-you-view customers that are not subscribers.

Costs and other financial drtails are still unclear. Sky already streams much of its content available to satellite subscribers using the Sky Go service.

Incoming TV searches:

No related posts.

Later this year BBC’s iPlayer will become accessible to Sky customers on their home TV sets. Using BBC’s iPlayer, viewers can catch-up on BBC programmes in the familiar iPlayer experience that they may have missed.

To access the BBC catch-up TV service, users will need a broadband connection and access to the AnyTime Plus internet TV service. Viewers will also be able to use the ITV vod service, ITV Player from today.

The BBC’s goal is to reach all viewers it can, so with Sky’s plan to bring its Anytime+ to customers regardless of who their internet provider is, is a major development in helping to bring BBC iPlayer to around 5 million new homes in 2012 and at no extra charge.

This deal builds on seeing the BBC’s iPlayer on platforms like Virgin Media, BT Vision, FreeSat, Freeview, PlayStation, Wii, along with mobile phones, tablets, and Internet connected TV’s. Launching on Sky Anytime+ rounds off the picture in which BBC’s iPlayer is available on pretty much all major UK TV platforms.

The BBC Director General Mark Thompson said “Having the BBC and Sky work together to further build on the BBC iPlayer success story can only be fantastic news for audiences. Making BBC iPlayer available on all platforms is key to our commitment to universal access and this agreement takes us one step further towards that goal. I’m delighted to take this first step on a story of innovation for both organisations.”

Sky’s Chief Executive Jeremy Darroch, added “Sky Anytime+ will go from strength to strength in 2012 and we are delighted that the addition of BBC iPlayer will allow Sky customers to enjoy the best of the BBC whenever they want.”

Incoming TV searches:

No related posts.

The number of smart TV owners in the UK has been reported as increasing by just 1% during December, after separate results from November claimed that 10% of people surveyed owned a connected TV.

Further results show that 15% of respondents have firm intentions of purchasing a smart TV in 2012, while an additional 16% were open to the possibility of doing so.

The latest survey claims that the level of people that ‘might’ buy a connected set is now at 25%, and that 16% are now set to buy one ‘for certain’, meaning that while potential consumers are warming to the idea of a smart TV (with a total of around 52% currently showing an ‘active interest’ (owning or at least some intent to buy) in the format), sellers could be worried that it is happening at a slower rate than previously anticipated.

YouGov also discovered that games console owner numbers naturally ’saw a big uplift’ during the Christmas period, a medium which they note also provides a form of internet-connected TV services, claiming that this shows the online TV market as a whole is on the rise. Total figures for flat-screen TV sets were also on the increase, with ownership levels reaching 59% of those surveyed, which could be considered as under numbers that some people might estimate.

While it seems as though more alternative TV viewing methods are being looked into by consumers, how fast will the newer and more interactive approaches be taken up by the majority of viewers?

No related posts.

Videoscape now brings video from the cloud

The Videoscape system was launched a year ago at the CES, and was billed as “both an experience and a solution, purpose-built for delivering and reinventing the next generation of TV experience. Together we will bring , entertainment, social media and communications and mobility together to transform how users engage with video.”

Cisco announced the new features of the Videoscape suite that include ActiveVideo Networks CloudTV network-based interactive TV software, enabling service providers to deliver apps and features to legacy set-top devices. Other software includes Voyager Vantage, software connecting to the cloud for video-on-demand and interactive program guides amongst other features.

Cisco say that, “With this new technology, service providers can offer complete ‘any screen TV’ capabilities that deliver live video and on-demand video experiences not only to PCs and Macs, but also across iPads, iPhones, and Android devices.”

They also announced that, “several major video service providers, including Rogers Communications of Canada, YES of Israel and Numéricable of France, have selected Videoscape to deliver their next-generation video services.”

More details on the CloudTV platform here.

Incoming TV searches:

Related posts:

1. Optus 3G Mobile Customers Can Record TV In The Cloud
2. Sony Deal With Lovefilm Brings More Internet Movie Rentals
3. Blu-TV Brings IPTV To PS3

It has been suggested for a long time that Apple were planning to make the next step in their series of technological developments a TV product, with reports claiming that the set will have the voice control of Siri amongst a series of potential innovative features, with the company’s senior engineer Jeff Robbin thought to be in charge of the product’s creation.

Peter Misek, who is an analyst for American bank Jefferies said of how rivals have reacted to the news: “Other TV manufacturers have begun a scrambling search to identify what iTV will be and do. They hope to avoid the fate of other industries and manufacturers who were caught flat-footed by Apple.”

In addition to the Siri addition, compatibility with other Apple devices and Internet connectivity, Apple’s TV set is now rumoured to also be including a motion sensor-based control system, in a format not too dissimilar to the Kinect add-on to the Xbox 360 games console. This is supported by the fact that the company last month filed for a US patent under the description of: ’real time video process control using gestures’, with plans also listing the use of infrared and motion recognition, amongst other sensors.

The product, if made could become another tribute to Apple’s late co-founder Steve Jobs, who put the wheels of the project in motion with his apparent plans for a TV set, of which he said at the time he had finally ‘cracked’.

While Apple’s first entry into the TV market (with a set-top box) did not run so smoothly, will a more serious attempt end up with groundbreaking new technology becoming the standard bearer for TV sets, or could the planned new features be written off as unfunctional gimmicks?

Incoming TV searches:

Related posts:

1. Apple Plan Development Of Remote-Less TV
2. Apple And ITV In Battle Over New Apple iTV
3. Apple iTV Arrives in September Says Digg Founder

Samsung now claim to be in ‘last-stage’ talks with Google on the product, although details of what the TV will contain are currently unconfirmed, although the two companies will carry experience into the deal, having previously worked together on mobile phone products, as well as planning ’companions’ (set-top-box and Blu-ray player), designed specifically for Google’s range of TV’s.

Whatever is included on the new version, Google will be hoping that it is a vast improvement on their first attempt at creating a connected home viewing experience, with the first edition of ‘Google TV’, which has been widely regarded as a disappointment by customers and critics alike. The company themselves agreed, stating last month: ”The initial version of Google TV wasn’t perfect, but launching it gave us the opportunity to learn. These are still early days, and we’re working hard to move forward with each update.”

Yoon-Boo Keun, the president of Samsung’s TV division, said of the developments with Google: “We are in our final stages of talks with Google over releasing our version of a Google TV. The product will be revealed next year for sure but not at the CES in January, although we would probably be able to comment on the release date in Las Vegas.”

While Google are a huge name in the online search industry, have they left it too late to make a big impact with online TV’s?

Incoming TV searches:

Related posts:

1. Samsung To Launch Google Powered Smart TV Devices
2. Smart TV From Samsung Delivers IPTV Without Need For Set Top Boxes
3. Samsung Adds 3D YouTube To Smart TVs

Online content advertising specialists Tremor Video are thought to be planning a change in their attentions towards connected TV (on Smart TV systems), claiming that their are fast developing into a vital area of promotional campaigns.

Tremor, who claim to reach over 176 million unique viewers through online TV (143m) and video on mobile devices (33m), have revealed that they have signed official advertising supply deals with a number of high-profile Smart TV developers such as LG, Panasonic, Philips, and Samsung. offering the company several platforms on which to host video advertising content.In addition, Tremor have added to their collection of ‘publishers’ after a software partnership deal with Israeli service justAd.TV.

Their new hosting deals are the main news, though, and will sit alongside their deals with connected set-top box providers Roku and Boxee.

The moves are thought to be a reflex action stemming from business rivals such as YuMe (producing Toyota adverts for LG connected TV’s) and Rovi (working with Sony and Samsung), though Tremor have expressed their desire to stand out in the market by offering ‘premium inventory to brands’ on smart TV campaigns whilst going on to measure the progress of those moves. However, the company themselves believe that there is a lot more to come from the market, and that no-one has figured out a solid strategy yet.

Tremor’s senior manager of business development Andrew Baisley said of his company’s new direction: “Scale and standardisation are the current challenges. Connected TV is a relatively new concept and, as such, is still relatively small. We’ll need to see greater adoption from the consumer to increase scale. At the same time, connected TV is, basically, the wild west. There are no standard formats or protocols.”

While the format might not yet be a fully recognised battleground in the advertising industry, it is certainly looking likely to become one in the near future with companies now looking towards it as a potential method. Could interactive advertising direct to TV’s soon push ahead of their browser-based counterparts in the popularity stakes?

Related posts:

1. Smart TV Is The Smart Choice For Advertisers
2. Hulu Plus Makes Inital Steps To Move Away From The PC
3. Smart TV From Samsung Delivers IPTV Without Need For Set Top Boxes

While Apple already have a connected set-top box (Apple TV), their planned product is an IPTV that carries similar features to those used by big-name rivals (such as Google and Samsung) in their connected TV’s.

However, the main selling point will be the likely application of the Siri voice recognition system, introduced in the recent iPhone 4S, onto the TV set, meaning that the only item close to a ‘remote’ would be a microphone-style handset where a user can simply speak their instructions to the TV.

Apple are thought to have been planning their own version of a ‘smart TV’ since 2007, with an current planned release for before mid-2013. Steve Jobs is reported to have been planning the move to fix an industry [TV] that ‘is totally broken’ and added his summary of the plans in his biography with Walter Isaacson: “Apple TV will have the simplest user interface.”

Other features planned for the phone include the iOS operating system, as well as additional compatibility with other Apple products (such as iPad, iPod, iPhone, and Mac computers / laptops), and the ability to perform ‘Facetime’ videochat, a key feature of all Apple’s recent products. The one that the company will make sure is above all the rest, though, is the Siri integration, but will users enjoy a product which can only be spoken to?

While there could be some potential copyright issues over a name such as ‘iTV’, will a voice-activated TV stand out from the crowd, or will the buying public just not want to listen?

Incoming TV searches:

Related posts:

1. Buy The Show From Apple TV
2. Apple Internet TV May Not Arrive Until 2013
3. Is Apple Smart TV Getting Closer To Launch?

For Optus, a fully-owned subsidiary of Singaporean company SingTel, the move will be one that they will want to challenge rivals such as Telstra and Foxtel in the Australian online subscription TV market, while FetchTV will be hoping that by seeing the new service onto Optus’ smartphone and tablet computer range, they will be able to gain some recognition in the field of portable viewing.

FetchTV chief executive Scott Lorson claims that this launch signifies the company getting down to serious business, claiming that the past 15 months since the company’s foundation have been building to a high-profile move such as this one. The product is thought to be able to enhance connectivity between a user’s Optus products, such as set-top box (for cable TV) and portable devices. The service will be subscription-based, with packages starting from a fixed-rate of $9.95 per month.

The director of Optus’ digital media division, Austin Bryan, said of the launch: “With an increasingly strong content line-up, thanks to our partners at FetchTV, and an innovative user interface and functionality. Optus MeTV with Fetch allows Australians to enjoy a great experience through the content they love, at a time convenient to them. The way we consume content is rapidly changing. Optus Digital Media is dedicated to developing products and services that meet this consumer need.”

Lorson added: “Optus is an ideal partner for FetchTV with scale, brand, innovation credentials and challenger attitude required to introduce a truly disruptive service and drive the next wave of pay TV growth in Australia.”

Incoming TV searches:

Related posts:

1. FetchTV Signs Optus For Its Mobile And Tablet Move
2. Optus 3G Mobile Customers Can Record TV In The Cloud
3. HBO Go Brings Streaming Service To Consoles And Connected TV

The new Roku 2 still comes in three flavours, starting at the same competitive $60 for the Roku 2 HD, $80 for the Roku 2 XD, and $100 for the Roku 2 XS, which replaces the Roku XDS.

When the last player was released around a year ago, the Roku’s biggest competitor then was Apple TV, but Roku was able to keep out of Apple’s shadow by offering a selection of ports that include HDMI, component inputs and optional 1080p resolution.

But the thing that impressed the tech guys the most was its bigger selection of content compared to Apple TV. The Roku 2 now has 300 channels, althought some require subscription. The device also has Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon Video on Demand, YouTube, and other popular streaming channels.

The Roku 2 also offers advanced features and the same resolutions as before but now the new Roku is a gaming device as well with the inclusion of Angry Birds. If the new gaming enabled remote feels reminiscent of the Nintendo Wii controller, you’re not the only one.

While the gaming option is a nice bonus, dont let your expectations get the better of you as the Roku 2 is not rival the Xbox 360 or PlayStation PS3. More games expected in Roku’s selection soon.

The Roku 2 is a stronger contender as a streaming device. Its content line up and its attractive design gives users another reason to cut the cord when it comes to cable.

Incoming TV searches:

Related posts:

1. Roku 2 Streaming Media Boxes Add Motion Sensor Gaming
2. Roku XD Streaming Set-Top Box Goes Mainstream
3. Roku Gets Rockin With 15 Mllion Channel Downloads

Hulu said it would launch its service probably Hulu Plus on PCs, TVs, mobile phones, and tablets, all for a single low price. Interested people visit hulu.jp and sign up for its launch, the company said.

“Since the very beginning of Hulu, we have had our aspirations firmly set on serving audiences around the globe,” Johannes Larcher, Hulu’s international vice president, said in a blog post. “We recognize that entertainment fans beyond the U.S. have the same desires as those on our home shores: find and watch the world’s premium content when, how, and where they want. Today, we are taking a first, but significant step in realizing that vision.”

At the conference in sponsorship with investment bank Allen & Co, Disney CEO Bob Iger said said a sale is more than likely but he would not say when it would take place, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal.

While Hulu plans to set up in Japan for now, Netflix has bigger ideas, with plans to set up in 43 different countries all at once, executives have said, across Latin and Central America and Europe.

Larcher identified Japan as both a large consumer and producer of content, not the least of which is the anime that pervades Hulu’s animation channels, as well as other services like Netflix.

“We believe Japan is a vibrant market for premium video content distribution online, and are committed to our Japanese service for the long-term,” Larcher added. “We have opened offices in Tokyo, with a dedicated Japanese team designing and running the service, and are hard at work finalizing preparations for launch later this year.”

Netflix, has reportedly played down there interest in buying Hulu, and DirecTV is also doing the same according to reports.

Related posts:

1. Hulu Plus Makes Inital Steps To Move Away From The PC
2. Where Is Internet TV Heading In 2011?
3. Hulu To Change Business Model In The Fight For Paying Viewers

Those of you with Android based set top boxes can experience IPTV for themselves with NetUP’s NetUP.tv, that allows users to enjoy all the IPTV features without buying different solutions.

Bringing together all of our favorite Android features with IPTV features, including on Demand, pause and rewind and program guides, the NetUP.tv application provides a fast GUI, Android Web browsing, social networking & gaming.

Current NetUP middleware users do not need to purchase new middleware or software, and it is compatible with Android based set top boxes 1.7 and later.

Connected TV users are keeping pretty close to the line with mainstream entertainment services like Netflix, YouTube, Hulu Plus, Pandora and iPlayer making up the lion’s share of the apps used.

As our TV sets end up becoming giant computers that have access to streaming content, it makes you wonder if online video viewing will overtake cable subscriptions altogether.

According to a study movie and TV show video viewing rose from 16% to 32% of adult Internet users and that was in 2010. As online content becomes more widely available, the need for cable boxes and a subscription are becoming more and more obsolete.

The Associated Press reported that “analysts view this trend as bad for not only the cable companies, but the subscribers as well”. They feel it will lead to “more restrictions and more expensive packages for online video viewing and broadband access as the need for more bandwidth increases”.

Analysts feel that the economy, along with escalating fees are the reason for all the subscriber losses. 13% of US households that don’t subscribe to some form of pay TV service, about 60% have broadband.

Incoming TV searches:

Related posts:

1. Xfinity TV app Mark 2 For Android Released
2. Xbox 360 May Get IPTV Services From AT&T U-Verse
3. Vidtonic To Introduce HomeBrew IPTV Kit At CES Show

A lot of people who have bought smartphones like the iPhone or an Android powered phone and are on AT&T’s network were originally promised unlimited data use.

Even when AT&T finished offering their unlimited option, they still allowed their older customers to continue on an unlimited plan. Starting October 1, this will no longer happen as AT&T will start policing all their customers, this also includes those who tether their smartphones.

AT&T claim that “these data gobbling hogs use 12 times more data than their average customer, and that most customers are not going to be affected. This change will not impact users who are on a tiered data plan at all, and is unlikely to affect the average customer with an unlimited data plan.”

AT&T has said in its press release that it is targeting the “top 5 percent of heaviest data users” who are more than likely heavy users of streaming video. If you fall into A&T’s heavy user category, your download speed are going to be capped the next month.

This will likely affect people who use the Hulu Plus app on the iPhone or the Netflix app for the Android phone. Although such measures could be necessary for AT&T to stay in profit, it’s going to rub their customers up the wrong way

The details of AT&T’s new reduced speeds are not that clear in regards to how much usage will put you in the top five and the exact amount of throttling that will happen. Hopefully as October 1st approaches, AT&T will release more information.

Related posts:

1. Sky Puts 2GB Cap On Anytime+ VOD For Light Broadband Users
2. AT&T Caps Broadband For DSL And U-Verse Users
3. Where Is Internet TV Heading In 2011?

The data comes from the market research company IHS who have suggested that in 2015 the main forms of non linear TV programming, like VOD and DVR, would only account for 15.8% of TV viewing in the USA. This would reflect an increase from 9.9% in 2010, the usual linear programming would account for the rest of it.

The report also shows that the usage of on demand services is trailing behind DVRs. At the close of 2015, DVRs will reach almost half of all American households. The use of on demand services, currently, is going to be hampered by content fragmentation and restrictions across different portals and services.

“Linear TV has not stood still as non-linear distribution mechanisms have developed,” Richard Broughton, senior analyst of TV at IHS said. “Alongside the evolution of Internet video and DVR technology, broadcasters have introduced HD channels, now received by more than 40% of US households.”

“In contrast, the Internet in many markets still struggles to cope with HD content and the high bandwidths required for its delivery. Streaming HD remains relatively rare, and downloading takes time, diminishing the appeal for consumers,” Richard Broughton concluded.

Related posts:

1. Research Shows 10% Of Pay TV Customers Plan Moving To Internet TV This Year
2. Why The Time For Internet TV To Explode Is Now
3. How long until ABC and CBS air shows on Hulu?

The service first premiered in the begining of 2010, and currently offers a selection of HBO’s movies and all past episodes of HBO’s original series to subscribers through web browsers, as well as iOS and Android apps.

But GigaOm reports that Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes confirmed in a company earnings call that the service would soon be expanding to consoles and connected TVs

The HBO Go service is currently only available to cable subscribers with an active HBO subscription, which must be confirmed online through the cable service provider.

The current HBO app has been a great success, with over 3 million downloads in under 2 months.

Details on which consoles would be getting access to the service have not yet been disclosed.

Video game consoles have become a popular method for watching on demand internet video in recent years, with half of all Netflix subscribers reportedly using a console to view the service’s streaming content, according to a recent Nielsen survey.

Subscribers to the Hulu Plus service can also stream TV shows and movies using the Xbox 360 and PS3 systems, though the service seems to have seen less use from console owners than Netflix does.

Game console owners are already well catered for online TV, Microsoft and Sony also have TV shows and movies to download for a fee through their online marketplaces.

Incoming TV searches:

Related posts:

1. Hulu Plus Brings Competition To Netflix On PS3
2. Why The Time For Internet TV To Explode Is Now
3. Games Consoles Are The Second Most Used Device For Watching Internet TV

WD TV owners are now able to watch hit TV shows, movies and catch up on previous seasons of their favorite tv shows.

Adding Hulu Plus rounds out the media players’ best class content offerings which already include Netflix, Blockbuster, Cinema Now, Pandora, YouTube, Facebook and many others. WD TV Live Hub users will now also be able to listen to thousands of radio stations via SHOUTcast.

The new Hulu Plus subscription service allows WD TV customers in the US. to watch nearly every episode from dozens of current hit programs all season long from top networks like ABC, Comedy Central, FOX, MTV, NBC, and VH-1.

It offers users a large selection of tv shows from The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, South Park, Modern Family and Grey’s Anatomy, to Glee and Family Guy, to The Office and 30 Rock, dozens of classic shows like Battlestar Galactica, The X-Files, Law and Order: Special Victims Unit, Arrested Development, Saturday Night Live, Miami Vice, Ugly Betty, Quantum Leap, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Roswell and Ally McBeal, and hundreds of movies as well.

Brian Miller director of business development for WD said: “WD TV is known for its ability to play almost any digital file as well as deliver hit movies, personalized music and user generated videos to the biggest screen in the house. With the addition of Hulu Plus, we add even more premier content services for our user community.”

Brian Miller continued: “We know our users will enjoy the ability to watch hit shows when they want.”

Incoming TV searches:

Related posts:

1. Orb Live Brings Streaming Online TV To Mobile Devices
2. Hulu Plus Going Mobile On Android Devices
3. Hulu Plus Comes To Xbox Live Viewers

Rovi who used to be known as Gemstar-TV Guide International Inc, contends that Los Angeles based Hulu is using protected technology for electronic programming guides, according to a complaint filed in the court.

“Rovi invests significant resources” in the development of its guides and related inventions for digital video streaming technologies, the Santa Clara based company said in court papers.

Rovi has sued Toshiba over three program guide patents towards the end of last year. Earlier this year, Toshiba not only agreed to a license, but will use Rovi’s TotalGuide interactive programming guide in its TV sets.

A long running patent infringement suit against Virgin Media has ended in a small victory, as Virgin was found guilty, but the patents in question were ruled invalid.

Hulu’s not the only online media company that Rovi has taken to court recently. In January, it sued Amazon, and Amazon’s IMDb property over five program guide patents.

We can more than likely expect there to be more of these lawsuits, as Rovi claims more than 1,100 patents related to program guides, which it has licensed to a number of distributors and consumer electronics manufacturers such as Apple, Cisco, Comcast, DirecTV, Microsoft, Samsung, Sony, Time Warner and Verizon.

Incoming TV searches:

Related posts:

1. Rovi Aquires Sonic Solutions In Attempt To Create Internet TV Big Shot
2. New TV guides section added to our Free TV database
3. Clicker TV Guide Expands To The Tune Of $11 Million

The iPlayer app is free to download and install but to watch BBC shows users will have to fork out €6.99 a month ($10), or €49.99 ($72) for an annual subscription.

The initial launch will only work if you live in Western Europe: “Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, The Republic of Ireland, The Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, and Switzerland”. Plans are in place to bring the global iPlayer to the USA, Canada and Australia by the end of the year.

The BBC iPlayer app has some differences from other iPad video apps like Hulu Plus or ABC’s video player. Notably, it can stream shows over 3G connections as well as Wi Fi, and users will be able to download and store shows for viewing while offline.

“When we were doing our user testing, the use case was picking six shows before going on a long journey, and leaving them to download to the iPad overnight,” Mark Smith, the global iPlayer launch director said.

“The way the iPad works, though, is it hibernates and stops you from doing that: you wake up the next morning and only half a show has downloaded. We have managed to override that functionality, and Apple are comfortable with us doing that.”

Subscribers are not going to be able to access to the entire BBC’s on air offerings, however. BBC Worldwide is said to have hired a team of editors to “curate” the content on the iPlayer, picking which shows to put on the app.

It also give them to go beyond the usual genre and title browsing by adding themed collections on subjects and events. As an example, the long running sci-fi show Doctor Who, collections surrounding specific Doctors will be available.

“This is not a catch up service: this is a video on demand service,” BBC managing director Luke Bradley Jones said. “We will have content from the last month, but also the best from the catalogue stretching back 50 to 60 years.”

The content at launch is going be the same accross all the 11 countries, but the BBC has the ability to change the content of the app to allow us to meet the demands of each region/country.

This will likely factor more highly in the introduction of the global iPlayer to the USA, where licensing rights for TV shows can be more very complicated. According to reports, once the BBC works out the rights issues, the iPlayer content shouldn’t affect the company’s offerings in iTunes, Hulu, and Netflix.

“We see the global BBC iPlayer very much as another ‘Channel’ operating in Western Europe,” BBC spokesman Alex Fulton said. “By adopting windowing strategies for our content, we are able to ensure that our broadcast partners and Channels around the world are able to entertain their audiences with our shows.”

The subscription price is interesting because it is lower than the BBC license fee in the UK, making it cheaper to watch the BBC abroad. This may have some residents up in arms.

Incoming TV searches:

Related posts:

1. BBC iPlayer App For iPad Tablet And iPhone Gets Closer To Launch
2. The iPad Is The Device For BBC iPlayer in the US
3. BBC iPlayer Plans International Launch Next Year

Logitech Revue going cheap

Google TV was launched in a blaze of glory with the Logitech Revue in October 2010. The system promised a marriage of web and TV content along with on-demand video, but problems befell the system soon after. A lack of content, complicated software and bug ridden were just some of the complaints.

Within a couple of months Logitech had to deny reports that it had stopped production of the Revue, and were quoted as saying, “We at Logitech are enthusiastic about Google TV and our role in bringing this new platform to US consumers.”

Talking about the drop in price, Logitech said, “We believe that this action will remove price as a meaningful barrier to broad consumer acceptance.” In other words, nobody is buying at the higher price point.

However, it does not seem to be the end of Google TV, A spokeswoman said search engine monolith will still be pursuing TV projects, saying, “It’s still early days for smart TVs and we’re investing to continue to bring innovation and progress for our partners and users.”

They are known to be working on the next generation of the Google TV system which is due for release later this year, and with an Android TV OS in the works there must still be life in the old dog. But with a first quarter operating loss of $45 million, that will be scant consilation for Logitech.

Incoming TV searches:

Related posts:

1. Amazon Drops Price Of Google TV Logitech Revue
2. Dish TV Joins Logitech At The Google TV Launch Party
3. Logitech Revue Google TV Box Gets Blocked By Hulu

The remote will also allow you to navigate the dashboard, also it can control DVDs and CDs, and also control live TV if your location supports it and your Xbox 360 is set up for it.

The remote replaces the old one, matches the new Xbox 360 “Slim” models and has less buttons on it so it only includes the more often used features.

The new Xbox 360 Bluetooth headset is an in ear the model that pairs with your Bluetooth enabled Xbox 360, and will in the end replace the current wireless headset. It comes with a several ear adapters out of the box so you can find one that’s comfortable for you to wear.

It’s not officially supported, but the new Bluetooth headset also pairs well with phones and computers for voice communication. Microsoft wants you to know this as well they go out of their way to note it as a selling point, even though they likely won’t support pairing with other devices though.

Even though it’s branded and sold for use with the Xbox 360, early reviewers note that it’s a solid mobile headset for use with a phone, and the audio quality is quite good.

The media remote will go on sale for $19.99, and the Bluetooth headset will have a price tag of $59.99. Both will be available to buy early November 2011.

Incoming TV searches:

No related posts.

Sony connected TV say no to YouView

The BBC backed internet TV platform has been beset with delays and and the loss of Thomson owned, Technicolor set-top box which  jumped the YouView ship back in May.

It still leaves the project with several device manufacturers that are committed to the IPTV system in Huawei, Manhattan, Pace, Vestel, Cisco and Humax.

YouView is comprised of six partners, the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Five, BT, TalkTalk and Arqiva. Arqiva own the catch-up TV service SeeSaw that was due to be closed down June 30th. However that has not happened possibly due to finding a last minute buyer.

YouView should have been available in 2010, but due to delays is now on launch schedule for sometime in 2012.

It is without doubt a kick in the teeth for YouView, as Sony along with other connect TV manufacturers are desperate for more content, and Panasonic have even opened a developers area to encourage more development on their Viera range.

Related posts:

1. Content Providers To Manage The Payment System Of YouView
2. YouView Would Welcome Sky Onboard
3. You Wont Be Viewing YouView Until 2012

Digital TV useage to double by 2016

This equates 1,189 million homes, or double the number in 2010. The report, Digital TV World Household Forecasts, was based across 73 countries and said that by 2016, 33 countries will be completely digital. At the end of 2010, Finland was the only completely digital country.

Digital cable will account for over a third of growth thanks to bundling says the report.  By 2016, 83% of subscribers will buy into broadband, phone and TV triple-play services, 10% will go for dual-play and just 7% will just be TV content subscribers.

Author of the report, Simon Murray said, “Of the 613 million digital TV homes to be added between 2010 and 2016, 256 million will come from digital cable. Primary FTA DTT [homes taking DTT but not subscribing to cable, DTH or IPTV] will bring in a further 154 million, with pay DTT adding 5 million. Pay IPTV will increase by 121 million, with pay DTH up 56 million and FTA DTH 22 million.”

Related posts:

1. Pay TV Market Slowing And On Demand Growing
2. Report – IPTV Subscribers Worldwide To Exceed 110 Million By 2014
3. New Report Shows Most TV Hardware Will Be Web Connected By 2014

Cable TV slowing down thanks to online and satellite

The report by Digital TV Research, called the World Revenue Forecasts report, says that Pay TV revenue will grow to $173 billion in 2016, a rise of $49 billion from 2006. But the rise from 2010 will be a much lower $18 billion, showing a much slower growth.

When it comes to online TV content, On-demand will grow quicker than subscriptions but will still only hit $5.7 billion (or 3.3% of the total) by 2016.

The report says that Cable TV will subs will drop this year, revenue will drop by $7 billion between the years 2010-2016 to $69 billion. It is not all bad news though as cable will sell more bundle deals including phone etc.

Author of the research Simon Murray said of the move to bundled TV packages, “Subscription revenues will stutter as more homes convert to bundles, thus reducing TV-related income.”

By the end of 2011, cable TV revenue will be surpassed by satellite TV, he added, whilst revenue from the internet on-demand websites will grow at a “much faster” rate than returns generated from subscription payments.

IPTV revenues will climb to USD 17 billion in 2016, up from $6 billion in 2010 and less than $1 billion in 2006. The US will be top IPTV income country and take a quarter of the revenue in 2016.

More on this story:-

Satellite TV revenues to overtake cable this year – Broadband TV News

IPTV revenues will climb to $17 billion in 2016 up from $6 billion in 2010 and less than $1 billion in 2006. The US will remain the largest IPTV revenue earner by taking a quarter of the 2016 total (down from a third in 2010). Pay DTT revenues reached …

Related posts:

1. TV On Demand Will Generate $10 Billion Revenue By 2014
2. Online TV Viewers Wont Cut The Cable Just Yet
3. Xbox 360 May Get IPTV Services From AT&T U-Verse

Microsoft have been keeping out of the online TV market, up until now. But rumors abound that the software giant are launching a subscription TV service for the Xbox, the news will be confirmed at the E3 held in LA.

Want to play games on my Xbox TV system?

Rumors are everywhere, even from Microsoft themselves! Winrumors are claiming the new subscription TV service will be called Diamond for Xbox Live users.

And Reuters have also reported that Microsoft was negotiating with media companies, presumably to secure content deals.

Microsoft themselves have said in a blog post that, “The Xbox home entertainment pot will be boiling over.”

Not much more is known, but Microsoft are known to be promoting the Xbox as not so much a games console but more a social entertainment hub.

Any IPTV Xbox service would also likely marry the motion controlled Kinect with the interactivity of Xbox Live.

Xbox users are already sold on the idea of internet TV, Microsoft say that 40% of Xbox use is for streaming services from the likes of ESPN, Netflix and Hulu Plus.

Related posts:

1. Watch IPTV On Xbox 360 With AT&T U-verse
2. Xbox 360 Getting Kinect Powered Netflix And Hulu Online TV on Demand
3. Foxtel To Stream Over 30 TV Channels On Xbox 360 Console