[LINK] Catch-up TV (IPTV)

[stephen at melbpc.org.au]

Hi all,

People may have missed this news item regarding 'catch-up tv' ..

--
Free-to-air networks unite on catch-up programs

PAUL MCINTYRE November 27, 2009
http://www.smh.com.au/business/freetoair-networks-unite-on-catchup-
programs-20091126-jumi.html

 
FREE-TO-AIR television networks which were fighting against the delivery 
of TV programming beyond the traditional broadcast signal have thrown in 
the towel.

Freeview, the industry marketing group that represents all free-to-air 
television networks, confirmed to the Herald that it will launch a 
Freeview-branded internet protocol television (IPTV) hub in the second 
half of next year, allowing shows from all the networks to be watched 
after broadcast.

The stampede to internet-delivered TV - which is confined mainly to PC 
screens at present but which will move to the lounge room from next year 
as dozens of broadband-enabled TVs reach the market - is reminiscent of 
the dotcom boom, and new internet TV aspirants are emerging almost weekly.

Yesterday Samsung confirmed that it will launch its own internet-
delivered TV service to Samsung TV sets in Australia by the March quarter 
of 2010, with video content negotiated globally by Samsung and local 
partners such as Channel Nine and ninemsn.

Sony has flagged its intent to launch Bravia Internet TV in Australia 
early next year and is talking to networks here to feature their 
programming along with Sony's international content deals. Its 
PlayStation 3 is already trialling internet-delivered content with the 
likes of the ABC's iView service.

A handful of other aspirants are racing to launch IPTV services next 
year. 

The services will deliver TV shows to lounge room screens and PCs and 
allow viewers to choose what they watch and when.

Any doubts among broadcasters about the need to embrace internet-
delivered TV are fading fast. 

The Hulu online TV portal, controlled by networks in the United States, 
has had a massive take-up this year. In October it streamed 856 million 
shows online, from the likes of ABC, NBC and Fox, up from 583 million in 
September. The number of people who viewed shows from Hulu in the US 
exceeded 42 million last month.

Hulu is now back in the Australian market, trying to launch with local 
broadcasters next year, though Australia is said to be ranked sixth in 
its priority for international expansion.

Freeview's chief executive, Robin Parkes, said details of her group's 
planned industry-wide service were still being worked on but it had the 
backing of all the commercial and public TV networks.

"It will be like the ABC's iView offer with catch-up TV initially and it 
will be across all channels," she said. "We haven't finalised all the 
details yet, but you may go to the Freeview [online] portal or [TV 
screen] icon and it might shoot you out to Yahoo!7 or ninemsn or ABC to 
view the catch-up episode.

''So you won't have to manually think where to go to view a TV show. It 
will all be under a central EPG [electronic program guide] from one spot. 
We haven't got the date yet but it will be the second half of next year. 
And by the time we launch, it may even be further along than [catch-up 
TV]."

Ms Parkes's confirmation is the first official signal by the industry 
that it will support a one-stop shop for free-to-air broadcasters, but 
some networks are already displaying caution for the initiative.

"We have said all along we would consider it, but we have not made any 
commitment," said Seven Media Group's chief digital and sales officer, 
James Warburton. The Ten and Nine networks are understood to be more 
enthusiastic about the Freeview venture than Seven.
--

Cheers,
Stephen