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WWE Network confirms UK launch… again

WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) has confirmed that the WWE Network will finally launch in the UK and Ireland on January 19th. WWE chairman Vince McMahon made the announcement in a video on the company’s website, stating: “… the WWE Network is coming to the United Kingdom and Ireland, on Monday, January 19th, and this time […]

January 5, 2015By Nik Roseveare

Seiki claims Freeview Connect first

TV display specialist Seiki has taken the opportunity of CES Unveiled Las Vegas, the official media event of the International CES show, to reveal that it will be the first major TV brand to introduce HD TV models in the UK featuring the new Freeview Connect TV service. Seiki will offer Freeview Connect in its […]

January 5, 2015

Netflix has Friends to the end

To ring in the New Year, Netflix has added all 10 seasons (236 episodes) of popular US sitcom Friends to its VoD service. Friends is available in HD and widescreen through Netflix. To remaster the show, Warner Bros had to rescan all of the episodes in HD from its original 35mm film. The images then […]

January 5, 2015By Nik Roseveare

Opera TV solution to debut on Android TVs

A Blink-based TV rendering engine, by Opera Software, will ship on the latest Smart TVs and entertainment devices based on Android L. The Opera Devices SDK (Software Development Kit) 4.x series will launch on Android TVs by long-term Opera Software OEM partner, Sony, with the Opera Devices SDK 3.x series delivered on connected-TV devices using […]

January 5, 2015

Samsung Smart TVs to be powered by Tizen

Samsung has revealed that all of Samsung Smart TVs in 2015 will be equipped with its new platform built around the Tizen operating system. According to Samsung, Tizen, a standardised open-source platform, enables flexibility with even more content and devices, allowing developers to easily create compatible content, while connecting users to a world of limitless […]

January 2, 2015By Colin Mann

Over 30,000 hours on-demand at YouView

YouView customers now have access to over 30,000 hours of on-demand films, box sets and TV series. The recent addition of Netflix adds to a collection of content that now makes up more than 40,000 titles. Other options include films from Sky Store, Sky Movies on NOW TV, plus free-to-air on demand films as well […]

January 2, 2015

Rostelecom, VGTRK form media JV

Rostelecom, Russia’s national telecommunications operator, is to create a media joint venture with the All-Russia State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company (VGTRK), Russia’s leading producer of pay-TV channels for cable and satellite broadcast. The JV will be made up of VGTRK’s Digital Television and Rostelecom’s subsidiary NKS-Media. The main aim of the JV is to […]

December 30, 2014

TalkTalk tipped for blinkbox buy

Following earlier reports that UK MNO Vodafone was considering buying the Tesco-owned video and music streaming service blinkbox to give it access to content as it gears up to become a quad-play operator, existing market player TalkTalk is now understood to be in discussions with the UK supermarket retailer regarding a potential acquisition, with Vodafone’s […]

December 30, 2014By Colin Mann

2m streams for The Interview

According to figures released by Sony Pictures, in its first four days of release, controversial comedy The Interview was “rented or purchased online more than 2 million times” between December 24th, when it was released, and December 27th. “Total consumer spending through Saturday for The Interview online is over $15 million,” Sony said in a […]

December 29, 2014By Colin Mann

Court allows Aereo asset auction

A ruling by a US bankruptcy court will allow Internet entertainment streaming service Aereo to auction its TV streaming technology assets. It had filed a voluntary petition for Chapter 11 reorganisation in the US Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York on November 21 following the suspension of its operations June 28th after […]

December 29, 2014By Colin Mann