Online UK movie service Lovefilm has signed a deal with Disney UK to bring a library of TV series from ABC Studios to its subscribers. Branded as ABC TV On Demand, the portal will give members access to full seasons of shows such as Lost, Castle, Desperate Housewives, and more. Shows will air as full seasons soon before the next one airs on UK paid or free TV networks.
Netflix on Tuesday gave British and Irish viewers access to BBC shows. A new deal will stream all past seasons of key TV shows, including Doctor Who, Spooks, Top Gear, and others. For many, the subscription will act as a way to catch shows after they leave the BBC iPlayer.
BBC HD and Two are tonight airing a new documentary on Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, titled Steve Jobs: Billion Dollar Hippy. The special goes on at 9PM local time, and is said to include insiders like Steve Wozniak and John Sculley, as well as other personalities like actor Stephen Fry, and an inventor of the web, Sir Tim Berners-Lee. It is however described as presenting a more "ruthless image of Jobs," for instance revealing that Wozniak cried after he learned through a book that Jobs had scammed money from him during a game project for Atari.
Following changes to the Global iPlayer app, the BBC's core UK iPlayer app has also undergone a significant update. The title is now universal, supporting not just the iPad but the iPhone and iPod touch. In its iPhone form the app's interface has been simplified to cope with smaller screen space.
Global iPlayer will make it to the iPhone and iPod touch on December 8th, the BBC has announced. The paid video-on-demand service has been available on the iPad for about five months. A list of countries getting the iPhone app on the 8th includes Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Ireland, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.
In sync with the fall Xbox 360 Dashboard update, Microsoft has provided a listing of TV providers that will be ready to go this week. Along with existing access to ESPN, Hulu, and Netflix, the December 6 update will also bring EPIX authenticated video in the US, Lovefilm in the UK, MediaSet's Premium Play in Italy, Sky Go in Austria and Germany, Telefonica Espaņa's Movistar Imagenio, and MSNBC's Today in the US.
The BBC has expanded its Global iPlayer service for the iPad to Canada, says The Hollywood Reporter. Users can access BBC TV shows on demand, something normally reserved for UK license fee payers, who can tap various forms of iPlayer for free. In Canada iPlayer access costs $9 a month, or $85 a year. Content is based on local demand and rights, but some initial shows include Blackadder, Fawlty Towers, Whitechapel, Hustle and MI-5.
Microsoft as repeatedly rumored has kicked off its Xbox 360 live TV option. Cable and fiber TV providers such as AT&T, Comcast, Verizon, as well as individual TV stations such as Bravo, Epix, HBO, and SyFy, are all promising apps for the new Xbox Dashboard to watch TV online. Most if not all of the services will require that viewers authenticate to get access and will still need to have traditional TV.
The BBC has introduced a new iPlayer variant designed specifically for televisions, set-top boxes and other connected devices. Although the company several years ago released a "Big Screen" iPlayer for larger screens, the new offering is said to be redesigned, improved and supported on more than 300 different devices.
The BBC is rolling out the long-awaited global iPlayer service in stages, starting with availability in 11 countries in western Europe today and coming to Canada, the U.S. and Australia later this year in a one-year pilot experiment, says the UK's Guardian newspaper. The iPlayer online service, which allows UK residents to stream BBC television programs, has proven enormously popular in recent times, rivalling the rise of Hulu or Netflix in the United States.
The BBC is looking to more closely integrate the content it provides and the technology through which it is delivered. This strategy was outlined by their Director of Future Media in a BBC blog today. One way the BBC plans to do it is with dual screen companion devices, that provide supplemental information to augment what's being broadcast over the TV screen.
The BBC is developing a single app intended to allow its field reporters to file video, images and audio reports directly into the BBC News system from an iPhone or iPad, Journalism.co.uk reports. The new app, which will replace a hodge-podge of commercial apps like AudioBoo currently in use, will allow correspondents to broadcast live from an iPhone even using only a 3G signal.
BBC HD has started rolling out Freeview HD that combines 1080i video with 1080p content that switches on a Group of Pictures (GOP) basis. This is causing issues with some Sony HDTVs, according to early reports on Monday. Some recent Sony HDTVs with integrated Freeview HD tuners are suffering from audio dropouts during the transition from and to 1080i, however. This is likely due to the decoders temporarily losing track of the audio signal. The Freeview HD spec for set-tops requires handling 1080p material at 50FPS, which Sony's integrated receivers don't seem to support.
Sharp has teamed up with Japanese broadcaster NHK on a prototype 85-inch LCD set that is the first to support a native 7680x4320 resolution. The much denser image lets it receive NHK's recently tested Super Hi-Vision broadcasts without losing any detail. Super Hi-Vision offers 16 times the resolution of 1080p HDTV, and NHK plans on sending out trial broadcasts in 2020.
The BBC's iPlayer service will "definitely" become available internationally on the iPad later this year, according to director general Mark Thompson. Speaking at this week's Financial Times Digital Media & Broadcasting conference, Thompson added that foreign access would cost "a small number of dollars per month, definitely fewer than 10." The statement was likely made with US prices in mind, given the size of the potential market.
The BBC is holding an unspecified event which may be tied to an Apple announcement of the second-generation iPad, a British report suggests. Apple has a special press event scheduled for March 2nd in San Francisco, starting at 10AM local time. The BBC event is said to be a go for 6PM GMT that day, which could mean that some live interaction between the UK and US is planned.
The BBC is working on international access to iPlayer via the iPad, according to the Financial Times. iPlayer allows Internet-based consumption of BBC TV and radio shows, stretching back as far as seven days. Access is normally reserved for residents of the UK, who support the BBC through annual TV license fees.
The BBC, in conjunction with Japanese public broadcaster NHK, have collaborated to not only film a live performance with a Super Hi-Vision camera at 7,680x4,320 (8K) resolution, but sent the live broadcast to Japan. The Charlatans performed for the first-of-its-kind broadcast, which is four times sharper than 1080p HDTV resolution. Super Hi-Vision technology was developed by NHK.
A Freedom of Information request to the BBC completed just Thursday has revealed that Android use of iPlayer may have been hurt, rather than helped, by the use of Flash. As the Android version of iPlayer requires the still-rare Flash plugin to work, British viewers streamed just 6,400 episodes in July. In comparison, 5,272,464 shows streamed to iPad, iPhone and iPod touch owners.
Apple products are gaining special favor in Europe, reports say. In the UK, the BBC is currently said to be running limited internal trials of the iPad, in order to judge whether it might improve work efficiency while eliminating paper waste. The broadcaster's production, location and technical departments have been given units, as have some managers. The organization hopes that some people may be able to abandon dependence on desktop computers.
After a long wait, the BBC News app for the iPhone, iPad and iPod touch has finally been made available in the UK. The app has until now been blocked in its home country, as it was under consideration by the BBC Trust, which looked to determine whether or not a Public Value Test would be needed to allow mobile apps. No tests will be conducted, the Trust says.
The BBC's controlling trust on Friday approved Project Canvas but imposed a few important conditions. These include free-to-air access, access to the platform for content providers and ISPs and industry consultation. Project Canvas is a joint web TV venture between the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Five, BT, TalkTalk and Arqiva that would bring Internet content to the TV
In tandem with the arrival of the iPad in the UK, the BBC has updated its iPlayer web app in order to support the device's layout. iPlayer lets British residents stream BBC radio and TV shows after their original broadcasts. The iPad site has a tabbed interface, with larger text and images than its iPhone counterpart.
Google will heavily promote Flash when users upgrade to Android 2.2, some phone owners have discovered early. Adobe-made pages for both the Droid and Nexus One already exist that will load after the update and suggest a range of sites that will work using Flash 10.1 for Android. The samples on offer vary from video sites like the BBC and Sony Pictures to gaming like Kongregate and South Park Studios.
The BBC has announced plans for a brief series of Doctor Who games, which should be compatible with both Mac and Windows systems. Doctor Who: The Adventure Games will consist of four "interactive episodes," to be released over time in a scheme similar to that used by Telltale. The first episode is slated become available for download in June.
As announced last fall, TiVo will return to the UK market after a seven-year absence. TiVo will partner with the UK's Virgin Media, which will develop the cable firm's next-generation set-top box. While details on the hardware are thin on the ground, TiVo chief executive Tom Rogers said it will be heavily based on the TiVo Premiere slated for other markets and confirmed for the US.
The BBC has revealed plans to release two long in-demand iPhone apps, addressing news and sports. The BBC News app should be submitted to the App Store by April, and offer easier access to text stories from the BBC website, while simultaneously incorporating blogs, audio and video. Separating the title from some other news apps will be the ability to send comments and pictures straight to the BBC newsroom.
Syabas preluded CES today with its most ambitious media hub to date. The Popbox replaces the Popcorn Hour as the flagship media hub and revolves around a major, much more polished interface overhaul designed by Moxie's inventor and former Microsoft executive Dewey Reid. In addition to showing visual thumbnails of virtually everything and universal search, the interface has applets known as Infopops that show weather, Twitter feeds and other data whenever the viewer pauses what's playing. As with the previously available Popapps, new Infopops can be added over time.
Publishing mockups of a dedicated iPlayer app for the iPhone was an unfortunate mistake, the BBC now says. The network recently released a PowerPoint document discussing October iPlayer data, within which was a pair of images showing what appeared to be a native iPhone client. The app would theoretically support features like messaging, downloads and live viewing.
The BBC is indeed preparing a native iPhone iPlayer client, press material from the broadcaster suggests. The network recently released a presentation of October iPlayer figures, within which can be found a mockup of an iPhone app. Beyond simplifying and accelerating iPlayer for Apple handhelds, the app would appear to support downloads, as well as sending messages to show hosts. Users would likely continue to need a TV license.
BBC Worldwide, the parent company of BBC, is considering launching a premium version of its iPlayer online service that would be accessible by global audiences. Such a service would allow viewers from outside of the UK to watch popular BBC programs, such as Top Gear and Torchwood as well as listen to streaming BBC radio stations. BBC executives have yet to commit to pricing but suggest they could charge per episode, potentially as high as $10 depending on the content.
Sony at its Gamescom keynote today expanded some of its non-gaming services with the more formal launch of the 3.0 firmware for the PlayStation 3. The new update has a much improved interface that provides quicker access to the news section (now known as "What's New") as well as to shortcuts to the latest games and other downloads without having to leave the regular XMB front end. Users can also now see messages from friends directly from their profiles instead of having to burrow deeper into the system.
The BBC is reluctant to commit to iPhone development, a new report alleges. The network already has a small selection of apps available, including ones for Radio Times and Lonely Planet. It is believed, however, to be cautious about going any further, as a result of the terms and conditions imposed on developers at the App Store. Apple's wording would expose the BBC to "unlimited liability," according to claims.
Comcast on Tuesday announced that its recently-launched On Demand Online streaming video service trial will offer content from 17 more cable networks, thanks to a series of agreements. The new partners include Rainbow Media, Scripps, AETN, MGM Impact and the BBC. The service, accessible via Comcast.net and Fancast.com, should not add any cost for Comcast cable subscribers.
The BBC and Livestation have introduced a new app for the iPhone and iPod touch, BBC World News Live. Users are able to stream the BBC's 24-hour TV news feed, using either a 3G or a Wi-Fi connection. Low- and high-quality versions of the feed can be selected, though only the former is available over 3G.
The free online video-on-demand (VOD) service, Hulu, may be expanding for the first time to a market outside of the US, with a launch in the UK as soon as September, the UK's Telegraph reported on Wednesday. Sources close to the negotiations tell the daily newspaper that Hulu is in talks with the UK's ITV and Channel 4 for content partners, and the service would bring over more than 3,000 hours of American TV content. Content from the BBC is also being negotiated.
The BBC has released a completed version of the iPlayer Desktop, a cross-platform application that lets users download recent BBC programming, rather than simply view it on the web or TV. The app is based on Adobe's AIR platform, and is compatible with Mac, Windows and Linux systems. Access is restricted to residents of the UK however, and files are set to expire and delete automatically after a given timeframe, no longer than 30 days.
Philips in an out-of-season event today revamped its GoGear media players with a pair of new models that are higher-end than usual. The GoGear Ariaz is pitched to audiophiles as a boost in audio quality with Philips' FullSound audio engine improving the frequencies and sound stage of compressed files. A bundled set of noise-reducing headphones also improve sound by focusing attention on the music.
Movie studio MGM and YouTube today are set to announce a deal bringing the former's movies and TV shows to the web video portal. The deal is currently an experiment and will see MGM launch a handful of full-length and primarily action-oriented movies, such as Bulletproof Monk, as well as a limited range of TV that will initially be limited just to episodes of the original American Gladiators.
The UK's official broadcaster, the BBC, has announced expanded support for the iPhone/iPod touch version of its iPlayer service. As of today the software now supports radio, allowing users to listen to episodes from a variety of programs up to seven days after the original airdate. The BBC's Mark Friend says that the option comes from adapting the network's normal digital delivery to suit the unique restrictions of Apple handhelds.
Later this week, the BBC will update its iPlayer streaming service with H.264 and AAC+ compression schemes, the UK broadcaster has announced. The move is aimed at supporting open standards, and additionally improving steaming quality, jumping bitrates from 500 to 800Kbps, according to Macworld. The compression schemes will offer improved visuals and sound for users streaming over Flash, currently the only way to access the BBC's media on a Mac. The network has already been broadcasting in non-Flash H.264 and AAC for its iPhone and iPod touch streams.
The BBC is planning to build its own set-top box for iPlayer users, a report reveals. iPlayer is a free web service which allows TV license payers to stream the past week of BBC programming for free; it is typically accessed via computers however, with the exception of devices like the iPhone and the Nintendo Wii. The new set-top will hook up directly to a TV, and feed data from a broadband connection to effectively create an IPTV link.
YouTube has begun letting companies offer videos longer than the official 10 minutes on its site, according to a memo allegedly being sent to these firms. The message gives those with official presences on the video website permission to post videos that fit within a 1GB file size cap as well as to attach advertising to those clips. The reported official move follows known experiments that have included both the release of an independent movie last year and the more recent promotional release of an episode of The Tudors.
Americans browse the web on their cellphones almost twice as often as their British counterparts even without the help of web-friendly devices like the iPhone, according to a new study by M:Metrics. Despite the reputation of Europeans as more openly embracing smartphones, Americans in March were known to spend an average of four hours and 38 minutes per month on websites using their phones versus almost exactly two and a half hours for British users. The difference is largely attributed to the prevalence of flat-rate data plans in the US, which give customers either a block of data or unlimited access instead of the metering that more often exists in Europe.
BBC today has announced that its programming is now available through the iTunes Store in the U.S. Starting today on iTunes, customers can purchase single episodes and complete seasons of BBC America's sci-fi series Torchwood, the the comedy Little Britain and hit drama series Robin Hood -- which premiered its second season Saturday on cable channel BBC America. During the run of the new season, Robin Hood episodes will be available on iTunes 24 hours after its premiere, Saturdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT. Like other shows on iTunes, BBC's programming the U.S. for $1.99 per episode and can be viewed on a Mac or PC, iPod with video, iPhone or widescreen TV with Apple TV.
NBC's Hulu TV streaming service is likely to expand beyond its web-only presence of today, the service's CEO Jason Kilar said this week at the NAB video production expo. While not committing to any one format, the company head explains that cellphones and "anything connected to the Internet" would be an ideal platform for the feature, which allows users to stream (but not download) episodes of NBC and Fox shows.
The BBC today said that its iPlayer is now available through Nintendo's Wii, marking the first time the TV catch-up service can be accessed through a game console. Currently in a test phase, the feature is available from a dedicated channel and lets UK-based gamers watch episodes of recent BBC shows as much as they like while they remain available on the site, which often keeps content for one or more weeks before they are removed for copyright reasons.
The BBC has put an end to an exploit which allowed people to download its TV shows permanently, according to the network's news agency. By altering the user string of a URL on a desktop system, people were able to fool the BBC iPlayer into thinking it was operating on an iPhone or iPod touch. While the latter devices are only able to stream shows from iPlayer, the exploit enabled Mac or PC users to save clips, which could then be played any time after the seven-day window the BBC sets for iPlayer material.
(Updated with BBC commentary) The early indications of a beta iPlayer client for the iPhone have been confirmed. Beginning today, mobile visitors to the iPlayer website can now watch a limited number of BBC TV shows, such as Whistleblower. The video has been specially converted to cope with the limitations of Apple's Safari browser, which cannot play Flash; it is most likely then that episodes are being encoded in streaming QuickTime.
MacNN has discovered that the BBC is reportedly working on a version of its iPlayer software for the iPhone and iPod touch, which was spotted ahead of Apple's announcements at 10AM Pacific. When visiting the BBC iPlayer website through the portable devices, a small, inactive link appears in the corner of the main window, indicating that a beta version of the player software will soon be available. Details have not been released, but with the SDK event due any moment, the BBC will hopefully put an official spin on the find.
