Cloud-based Magine international launch
April 9, 2013
Colin Mann @ MIPTV
Claiming that it blends the best of the Internet and broadcasting, Swedish cloud-based TV operator Magine announced its successful First Edition launch to Swedish homes late March 2013, and suggested the model could work in other territories.
The service has been adopted by national Swedish broadcasters, SVT and TV4, as well as by international channels/studios including CNN International, BBC, Eurosport, National Geographic, Nickelodeon and Cartoon Network, with more agreements on the way.
Unlike other market disruptors, which seek to compete with established players with set-top box or dongle-based offerings, Magine offers what it describes as “a pure TV service” that has removed the complicated installation of set-top boxes, dishes and cables by engineering a secure cloud-based architecture.
Magine also addresses the fragmentation in mobile TV, where currently there are different catch-up services on tablets and smart phones, by providing both live and catch-up in the same place across all devices. Magine is the result of two years work by a group of pay-TV experts, Internet professionals and technology specialists who asked themselves the fundamental question: “If TV was invented today what would it look like?”
Magine Chairman Michael Werner said the service re-defined TV by combining cloud-based live TV, catch-up and on-demand programming in the same place. “The company has pioneered technology that has never existed before and we are proud to have been accepted as a service that both viewers and content providers consider excellent,” he declared. “We’re making a system that’s attractive and economically viable,” added Michael Turner, Head of Content.
Magine suggests the service creates value for broadcasters by providing greater reach, a route to content discovery that really works and social interaction among viewers. This will lead to increasing returns on the vast library of content which broadcasters already have rights to. Magine suggests it enhances distribution by providing a viewer-designed experience which is supported by the TV value chain.
In terms of viewer appeal, Magine is a subscription service offering what it describes as “the ultimate freedom of watching live and recorded programming from all your favourite channels on all devices”: TV screens, smartphones, tablets or computers.
A phone or tablet can be used as a stand-alone viewing device and also as a remote control for the TV set or PC, guiding the viewer in content discovery and ‘second screen’ interactions.
Magine is currently available on Apple devices and in Samsung smart TV’s. Further TV platforms and Android tablets are planned.