Advanced Television

Broadcast

Digital Rights Group partners with Hulu

From Colin Mann at IPTV World Forum Marking Hulu's first UK deal, the online video service has signed with Digital Rights Group (DRG) to roll out titles from its catalogue. Hulu's US service, launched publicly in March 2008 now offers content from more than 1,200 shows, series and movie titles from more than 130 providers. […]

March 27, 2009

Joost and Hulu boost international

Hulu has further signaled its international intent with the hiring of a dedicated international SVP to acquire TV rights. Johannes Larcher had previously been search firm overture's international GM, the international VP for Friendster and most recently co-founded now-defunct social betting site Pikum. There had been much speculation about a Hulu UK launch but the […]

March 27, 2009

Netflix movie ratings on Facebook

Netflix is the latest media company to integrate with social networking website Facebook. Starting this week, Netflix users can use Facebook Connect – software that links individual Facebook pages to third-party Web sites – to share their ratings of Netflix rentals with their Facebook friends. Movie ratings will appear on Netflix subscribers Facebook pages if […]

March 27, 2009

Fremantle boss: charge 5p for on-demand shows

Tony Cohen, the chief executive of FremantleMedia, the production company of shows such as X-Factor, has called on the UK government to consider a system of charging consumers as little as 5p to view TV shows on-demand. Cohen, revealing details of FremantleMedia’s submission to the Digital Britain report, said there was a case to look […]

March 23, 2009

Brits accused in Spanish TV fraud

Seven Britons have been arrested in the Spanish coastal area of Orihuela for allegedly distributing pirated television signals to more than 15,000 clients, most of them also British. The Guardia Civil made the arrests in several urbanisations on March 17, with telecommunications and computer material also being seized. The group allegedly distributed the signal from […]

March 23, 2009

Downloaders reject pay model

A Knowledge Networks study offers clear evidence that streamers and downloaders of TV network video have embraced – or at least accepted – advertising as an alternative to for-pay models. Eighty per cent of network video downloaders favour watching ads in exchange for free video, up from 67 per cent in 2006; and 69 per […]

March 23, 2009

Meo VOD service sets new record

From Branislav Pekic in Rome Movie rentals via the Videoclube VOD service of Portuguese IPTV operator Meo have registered a new record with more than 5000 clients watching 'Mamma Mia' and 'The Dark Knight, in four days. In total, more than two million videos have already been rented by Meo clients, who can select movies […]

March 23, 2009

BSkyB concerned by BBC broadband role

The UK government's suggestion that the BBC should be part of the drive to make broadband universal in the UK would distort markets and distract the broadcaster from its main purpose in making programmes, BSkyB has suggested in its submission to the Digital Britain review headed by Lord Carter, the communications minister, BSkyB said the […]

March 23, 2009

Half of Britons choose VOD

Video on demand services have now been used by half the population of Britain, with millions of viewers claiming to use the service every month, according to a survey, commissioned by industry regulator ATVOD, which shows that 50 per cent of the population have used on-demand services, with 20 per cent using them every week. […]

March 23, 2009

Digital media grows 20% in 2008

According to Strategy Analytics Digital Media Strategies (DMS) research, the top 27 digital media companies in the world increased earnings by more than 20 per cent, to $74 billion in 2008 up from $61.5 billion in 2007. Among the top five digital media companies in the world, Apple's 'Other Music Related Products and Services' segment, […]

March 23, 2009