TV Everywhere International - Volume 13 No 2 TV EVERYWHERE_Vol 13 No 2 | Page 10

News

News

Google Play Movies for VIZIO Smart TV

Connected entertainment specialist VIZIO has added Google Play Movies & TV to its line of VIZIO Internet Apps Plus Smart TVs. The newly-added app brings a new dimension to the VIZIO Internet Apps Plus Smart TV experience by granting viewers access to tens of thousands of new release movies and next day TV shows, along with delivering what it describes as“ stunning resolution” on select titles. With Google Play Movies & TV, consumers can instantly rent or buy their favourite movies and shows to watch anywhere.

The VIZIO D-Series Smart TV collection is available in screen sizes ranging from 24” to
70”. VIZIO’ s intuitive smart TV experience is also easy to setup using the TV’ s built-in WiFi, and provides access to popular apps such as Netflix, YouTube and more.
“ An intuitive and well-rounded smart TV experience continues to be at the core of VIZIO’ s mission to provide consumers with expansive and seamless solutions for consumers to enjoy their favourite shows and movies,” said Matt McRae, chief technology officer, VIZIO.“ We’ re excited to announce that Google Play Movies & TV is now available through the VIZIO Internet Apps Plus smart TV platform. Thanks to Google Play’ s expansive library of movies and TV shows, consumers can now unlock more content than ever before.”
DNA launches Android TV DNA TV-hubi
Finnish multi-play operator DNA has confirmed the availability of its open ecosystem Android TV hub, DNA TV-hubi. The device combines a set-top box, Chromecast built-in and a smart phone-style app store for TVs.
DNA TV-hubi uses the Android TV operating system, with Katsomo, Yle Areena and Ruutu, the apps of the three major TV channels in Finland, available on the system, as well as YouTube and Deezer and a wide range of games and other apps. Netflix will also become available for the device in due course.
“ The pre-sales of DNA TVhubi
proved that there is a real demand for an Android TV device and a new way of watching television. We have already sold thousands of hubs in advance. People are accustomed to using apps on their phones, and DNA TV-hubi makes them easily available for television, too,” explained Mikko Saarentaus, Director at DNA Entertainment Business.
Users will be able to watch all terrestrial and DNA’ s cable channels, and the device is both HD and 4K compatible. The device includes software-based encryption for pay-TV channels, which means that users will not require a separate TV card.
DNA TV-hubi is manufactured for DNA by Sagemcom.
Analyst:‘ Virtual’ subs largely pleased with service value
According to new research from The Diffusion Group( TDG), though virtual pay-TV services are immature and years away from‘ five-9’ reliability, subscribers overwhelmingly consider service value to be very solid.
In TDG’ s Q2 Benchmarking the Connected Consumer project-- a survey of more than 2,000 US adult broadband users-- less than 5 % of ABUs were using a live streaming pay-TV service like Sling TV or DirecTV Now. Among these consumers, 49 % ranked service value as‘ very good’ and 37 % as‘ good.’ Only 11 % were neutral, and just 3 % ranked the services as having poor value.
“ Given that virtual pay-TV services are for the most part a value play, one premised on‘ skinny’ channel bundles
at lower-than-cable prices, user value perception is a critical metric,” notes Michael Greeson, president and principal analyst at TDG.“ Early evidence suggests vMVPD [ virtual multichannel video programming distributor ] providers are doing well in this regard. Users seem okay without the‘ full Monty’ of legacy pay-TV channels, and to be fairly tolerant of the shortcomings that haunt live streaming video, such as buffering, pixilation, and screen freezing.”
TDG believes that, as with SVoD in 2009, early vMVPD users offer a unique prism through which to view the future of TV and video-- if studied by the right firm using the right methods. Accordingly, TDG is launching multi-client research focused exclusively on vMVPD users to assess who they are, what drives their decisions and preferences, and how their behaviour may impact the future of TV.
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