Advanced Television

Portable Media

UltraViolet set for Tesco boost

Digital content ownership ecosystem UltraViolet is set to receive a boost to its adoption in the UK, according to research specialist YouGov. Discussing industry dynamics during a London briefing on ‘Content on Demand’ organised by the Digital Television Group, Shaun Austin, associate director for media consulting at YouGov, suggested that moving forward, supermarket group Tesco […]

July 30, 2013By Colin Mann

Foxtel Play goes live

Australian pay-TV operator Foxtel has confirmed that its Foxtel Play OTT service has gone live ahead of its official launch on August 11th. Foxtel Play aims to allow a larger number of Australians access to Foxtel’s programming. Delivered over the Internet initially to eligible Samsung Smart TVs, Xbox 360 and PC and Mac computers, Foxtel […]

July 30, 2013By Colin Mann

YouView seeks multi-device expansion

Open IPTV platform YouView – backed by a consortium of the UK’s broadcasters and telco providers – is looking to develop the service beyond its set-top box-based launch, reports the FT. Sources suggest that some shareholders are keen to extend service across a range of devices, including connected TV sets, smartphones and tablets. Any such […]

July 29, 2013By Colin Mann

Google pulls Chromecast free Netflix promotion

Google seems to have hit the sweet spot with launch of its Chromecast multi-device TV streaming dongle. Barely 24 hours after launching the device, Google has brought an abrupt end to a Netflix promotion tied to the launch. The promotion gave users, new and existing, three free months of Netflix’s video streaming service, valued at […]

July 26, 2013By Colin Mann

Channel 4 offers free mobile downloads

Channel 4 has launched a new mobile offline viewing service for 4oD, its catch-up VoD platform. The free feature, supported by ads, gives viewers the opportunity to download and catch up with many of their favourite Channel 4 shows from the last 30 days – on the move, on their smartphone or tablet. The mobile […]

July 26, 2013

Record mobile traffic for iPlayer

The BBC’s iPlayer received a record level of mobile traffic in June, whilst viewing on PCs dropped to an all-time low in terms of viewing percentage. The BBC reports that a record 32 per cent of total iPlayer programme requests for TV and radio in June came from mobile and tablet devices, with 44 per […]

July 26, 2013

Tablets in 48% of US broadband homes

Competition among Apple, Amazon, Samsung, and Microsoft has lowered price points on tablets and helped expand adoption, with 48 per cent of US broadband households owning at least one, according to Parks Associates. Tablet ownership increased by nearly 33 per cent in one year, with 22 per cent of households reporting a tablet purchase, while […]

July 26, 2013

Chromecast multi-device TV dongle from Google

Google has unveiled a device to enable the delivery of OTT Internet video to HDTVs. Chromecast is a $35 two-inch dongle that plugs into the back of a television and enables users to access content from sources such as YouTube and Netflix, using a mobile device as a remote control. Writing in the Google Chrome […]

July 25, 2013By Colin Mann

Smaller devices drive up mobile TV attention

Mobile TV viewers are more focused on TV content when viewed on their smartphones than on larger devices, according to the findings of additional analyses of a study conducted by Boston-based market research firm Chadwick Martin Bailey for the Council for Research Excellence (CRE). The study – TV Untethered – was launched in November 2012 […]

July 25, 2013

Mobile connected devices drive CE industry

Mobile connected devices, including smartphones and tablets, continue to drive consumer electronics (CE) industry sales, according to The US Consumer Electronics Sales and Forecasts, the semi-annual industry report released by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA). The report also finds positive growth in segments within automotive technology, audio products and TV displays. Overall CE industry revenue […]

July 25, 2013