Advanced Television

OTT

Wyplay, STMicro power Canal+ hybrid STB

Wyplay, creator of software solutions for pay-TV operators, and global semiconductor specialist STMicroelectronics have disclosed their contributions to the development of Canal+ Group’s new Cube S set-top-box. The hybrid OTT / broadcast set-top-box runs Wyplay’s open source Frog Client middleware, integrated by Wyplay’s professional services team on top of a hardened Linux kernel with the […]

July 20, 2015

French Netflix rival dropped

A plan to by a group of French broadcasters and telco Orange to launch an SVoD service in competition to Netflix has been abandoned, according to French financial daily Les Echos. Discussions had centred on Orange, TF1, M6 and France Télévisions pooling their SVoD offerings. A Letter of Agreement had been prepared, but never signed, […]

July 17, 2015By Colin Mann

Hulu considers ad free

Hulu is considering an advertisement-free option to its service for a monthly subscription of about $12-$14, the WSJ has reported. Codenamed “NOAH”: “No Ads Hulu”, the service may be launched as early as autumn. Hulu is a joint venture owned by NBCUniversal, Fox Broadcasting, and ABC who are all said to still believe in the […]

July 17, 2015

Rovi share slide on Netflix patent win

Rovi Corp shares dropped the most in three years after a judge ruled in favour of Netflix in the latest patent lawsuit defeat. A US District Court judge issued a ruling granting Netflix motion for summary judgment on five of Rovi’s patents, finding them invalid. The patents in question were related to features and functionality […]

July 17, 2015

Survey: Alternative platforms to eclipse cable and satellite

Americans are eschewing cable and satellite service in favour of a variety of ‘Over The Top’ video options according to a new survey that shows nearly half of consumers already using streaming video service such as Netflix, Apple TV, Amazon Prime and Hulu. The Zogby Analytics survey commissioned by CALinnovates,

July 17, 2015

Netflix eyes UHD boost

Netflix CEO Reed Hastings has suggested the Internet entertainment streaming service will benefit from the growth of 4K/Ultra-HD television. Speaking during Netflix’s Q2 2015 Results Earnings Call, Hastings noted that with the service’s top plan – the Ultra-HD four-stream plan – there were two drivers. “There’s people who have big families and want to watch […]

July 17, 2015By Colin Mann

Court victory for FilmOn in copyright licensing fight

Internet television streaming company FilmOn has won a surprise ruling that it is potentially entitled to a compulsory licence to retransmit broadcasters’ copyrighted programming. US District Judge George Wu ruled in Los Angeles that FilmOn should be treated like a traditional cable system in order to transmit broadcast network programmes over the Internet. Broadcasters contend […]

July 17, 2015By Colin Mann

HBO NOW available on Amazon Fire tablets

Amazon has confirmed that HBO NOW – the broadcaster’s OTT service – is available on Fire tablets, and will be available on Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick in the coming weeks. “If there’s one thing Fire TV and Fire tablet customers are telling us, it’s that they love to watch their favourite movies […]

July 17, 2015

BT reveals Ultra HD prices

BT has announced details of its new BT TV Ultra HD package, which includes Europe’s very first live sports Ultra HD (4K) channel, BT Sport Ultra HD, and the company’s new BT TV Ultra HD set top box. The new channel will launch with its first live broadcast being the FA Community Shield match at […]

July 17, 2015

Digital video at tipping point, DVDs remain resilient

Figures presented by the British Video Association (BVA) at the bi-annual Insight Forum, hosted by the BVA and supported by Entertainment Retailers Association (ERA) and Digital Entertainment Group Europe (DEG Europe) indicate that while the digital home entertainment market is at crucial mass market tipping point, physical product continues to hold its own and show […]

July 16, 2015By Colin Mann