iptv news_news 07/03/2014 08:32 Page 2
Disney, NBCU,
BBC deals for
Quickflix
A
ustralian online entertainment service Quickflix has
boosted its catalogue by
securing deals with The Walt Disney
Company Australia, NBC Universal
and BBC Worldwide ANZ to license
popular and award-winning TV
series for its streaming service.
Content licensed under these new
agreements include seasons of Emmy
Award-winning drama series Downton
Abbey, Golden Globe Award-winning
US comedy series Parks and
Recreation, BAFTA-winning Mrs
Brown’s Boys.
The TV series content will be made
available through the Quickflix payper-episode service and on a ‘Season
Pass’ basis, where available, adding
hundreds of hours of additional premium viewing.
Quickflix has also renewed its commitment with BBC Worldwide ANZ
under a multi-year deal to license quality drama content for its subscription
streaming service.
Quickflix CEO Stephen Langsford
said the content would service increasing demand from its existing
customers and attract new customers.
“We are committed to giving our
audiences the best and most affordable viewing experience and the
easiest access. We know customers
increasingly want to instantly watch
movies and premium TV series on
their device of choice.”
The new content deals form part of
a slate of content Quickflix is seeking
to add to its service and coincides with
growing demand for its streaming
service. The hours streamed by
Quickflix in the December 2013
quarter were 20% higher than the
previous quarter. Quickflix streaming
is available to customers via Smart
TVs; Blu-ray players; game consoles;
mobile devices and tablets.
8 IP television
Belgacom launches
TV Replay
elgian telco Belgacom has
launched TV Replay, a new
service that allows Belgacom
TV customers to watch programmes
up to 36 hours after they’ve been
broadcast, on their TV, computer,
tablet or smartphone. In the first
phase, TV Replay
will offer six channels, with seven
other channels
added in April.
Following a
successful four-month
test period with
10,000 Dutch-speaking Belgacom TV customers, Belgacom
launched the service in Flanders and
Brussels in February.
B
l TV Replay is available in two versions:
l TV Replay, which allows viewers to
watch programmes broadcast in the past
36 hours (€3 per month).
TV Replay+, which allows viewers not
only to watch programmes broadcast in the
past 36 hours, but also to fast-forward the
chosen programme (€7 per month).
Subscribers who sign up before April can
enjoy this new service free of charge for two
months.
In the first phase, the TV Replay offer
Ericsson Future TV Anywhere
‘transforms TV’
According to Ericsson, innovative
new technologies are redefining the
TV and media viewing experience,
but these technologies the
consumer TV experience can be
fragmented and frustrating.
Consumers use numerous video
services to find content and switch
between multiple devices with varying
content viewing abilities. TV service
operators are challenged to drive
innovation and efficiency at an
increasing pace.
Recognising these challenges,
Ericsson is enabling and building the
ecosystem for the future of TV - a
future where TV is anywhere on any
device and the experience evolves
with the consumer.
Ericsson's Future TV Anywhere platform, bringing modern Web technologies to the TV operator world, aims to
will consist of six channels (één, één HD,
Canvas, Canvas HD, Ketnet/OP12, VIER,
VIER HD, Belgacom 11, Belgacom 11+, and
Belgacom 5) and viewers will be able to
watch the programs of these channels not
only on their TV, but also on their computer,
smartphone or tablet via TV Everywhere.
In April seven channels will be added to
the TV Replay offer:
(Vijf, Vijf HD, VTM,
VTMHD, 2BE, 2BE
HD, Vitaya, JIM, anne
and VtmKzoom), the
MEDIALAAN-channels
only on TV. Later on,
more channels will complete the offer.
At launch, not all programmes across the
channels will be available via TV Replay/TV
Replay+, according to Belgacom, because the
channels do not have the rights to broadcast
all programmes time-shifted. Programmes of
the channels that allow TV Replay/TV
Replay+ are indicated in the TV Guide with
the TV Replay logo.
According to Belgacom, more than 90%
of test users were satisfied with the simplicity and user-friendliness of TV Replay+. The
test period for French-speaking Belgacom
TV customers began later and is still under
way.
enable operators to combine the
quality of service and content depth
of pay-TV with the interactivity and
multi-screen capabilities of OTT video
start-ups.
According to Per Borgklint, SVP and
head of business unit support
solutions at Ericsson, pay-TV at Web
speed is a critical element in
Ericsson's TV and Media strategy,
enabling fast innovation and implementation so that our customers can
win in this highly competitive marketplace. "Our investments in this area
further position Ericsson to help
operators deliver a consistent TV
Anywhere experience while also
monetising a wider array of services."
Ericsson has invested to further
extend its TV and Media leadership.
Ericsson's Future TV Anywhere vision
leverages the acquired assets from
Mediaroom as well the recentlyannounced intention to acquire Azuki
Systems.