Despite their woes in the court room, iiNet are still moving ahead with their plans to launch IPTV services next month.

The ISP has already started trialling the internet television service with a group of its own staff.

iiNet are set to compete with a number of other companies due to launch similar services, including FOXTEL, Internode and Telstra.

iiNet chief executive Michael Malone said the service will launch commercially “towards the end of the month,” with a small group of internet savvy users. A more aggressive advertising push will take place next quarter.

The reason for the slow sign up period is because unlike the company’s last service/device — the integrated BoB router and telephone device — IPTV is still quite new in Australia.

“BoB — was fundamentally taking a lot of existing elements that were already pretty well tested in the Australian marketplace, and bringing them together in a single unit,” said Malone. “With IPTV, it’s testing a lot of stuff that’s fresh to the Australian market, [which] hasn’t been done before.”

iiNet doesn’t yet know what impact the service will have on its network.

During the company’s presentation on Thursday, Malone reveal more details on users can expect from the service.

iiNet will be offering the service through a subscription model, which will include the set-top box for connecting to users’ TVs.

The device will have “all the standard features”, like multiple free-to-air tuners, video recording, an electronic programming guide, video-on-demand and selected web applications.

There will also be what Malone describes as “linear channels”, including Discovery and National Geographic, channels previously only available to cable TV subscribers.

Unlike Telstra’s upcoming T-Box — which is based on NetGem’s software and hardware — the iiNet’s device will be custom built.

Pricing for the service and any content deals the company has signed are still under wraps.

Content providers are “all keen to get their content to market,” but are concerned about the digital rights management technology to ensure content isn’t pirated.

Source: apcmag.com

TV.com

TV.com is set to stream episodes of ‘Home and Away’ and ‘Neighbours’ for free to viewers in the UK.

The entertainment site, which is owned by CBS Interactive — a subsidiary of US broadcaster CBS, have partnered with the soaps’ UK broadcaster Five.

The move will give British audiences access to shows from Five’s catch-up TV service, Demand Five, which houses around 250 hours of content, including the two Australian soaps.

Five’s head of digital media, Jonathan Lewis, said, “Our partnership with TV.com is a further example of Five’s strategy to expand and grow the reach of its content beyond the smallscreen to premium secure digital platforms.”

It’s the first European partnership for TV.com, who are set to compete with the Fox, NBC and ABC backed Hulu.

Just last week, Hulu’s director of international business development Simon Gallagher announced the company’s plans to expand internationally, with both Australia and the UK in their sights.

TV.com which also operates in Australia, are believed to be considering similar distribution arrangements locally. The site could provide a single online destination for viewers to access programs from all free-to-air broadcasters.

Source: Variety, CBS Interactive

Television Sydney goes digital.

Late last year, the community television sector was granted $2.9 million in funding from the Federal Government to commence digital broadcast trials across Australia.

A band of vacant digital broadcasting spectrum, was temporarily allocated to C31 in Melbourne, TVS in Sydney, QCTV in Brisbane and Channel 31 in Adelaide to simulcast their services.

This week Sydney’s TVS commenced its digital trials on channel 44, which was previously allocated to the datacasting service Digital Forty Four.

Sydneysiders will need to rescan their television and set-top boxes to receive the new channel, which officially launches next week.

Perth’s community television station West TV are set to launch as a digital-only channel on March 1.

Melbourne’s C31, Brisbane’s QCTV and Channel 31 in Adelaide have yet to announce dates for their digital trials.

Mildura not ready for digital TV?

On June 30, the north-west Victorian district of Sunraysia — which includes Mildura — will become the first region in Australia to make the switch from analogue to digital TV.

It’s reported that 79 per cent of residents in the Sunraysia district have already adopted digital television, but federal member John Forrest, whose seat of Mallee includes Sunraysia, believes that up to 5000 people could be left without television reception come June 30.

“If you take the footy off my constituents, it’s going to be World War III,” said Forrest.

“We’re running out of time, and I’d like the government to consider deferral of the June 30 date until they can be confident.”

Concerns had also been raised over the digital upgrade to a transmission facility in Ouyen, one of 100 that the government had announced last month.

Some believe the facility would not be ready for the switch-off on June 30, however, Digital Switchover Taskforce executive director Andy Townend is confident that the Ouyen facility, plus another site in Underbool, are both on track to meet the deadline.

”That should deal with the vast majority of blackspot signal deficiencies in the area,” said Townend.

The first country to make the switchover to digital broadcasting was Luxembourg, which took place in 2006. Since then, ten other countries have made the transition including, the Netherlands also in 2006; Finland, Andorra, Sweden and Switzerland in 2007; Belgium (Flanders) and Germany in 2008; and the United States, Denmark and Norway in 2009.

Canada’s analog switch-off is scheduled for August 31, 2011, followed by July 24, 2011 in Japan, and by 2012 in the United Kingdom.

Australia will be one of the last developed countries in the world to make the digital TV transition, with the switchover scheduled to take place over a three year period — beginning in Mildura on June 30 and rolling out across the country through to metropolitan cities in late 2013.

Source: The Age

The ratings system which all television programs are classified under.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority has announced plans to develop a parental lock standard for digital television.

The parental lock feature would allows controlled access to television programs based on their classification — G, PG, M or MA15+.

There are already some devices on the market that include a built in parental lock system, however, there’s no industry wide standard. The ACMA’s goal is to create an industry wide standard, so that it can be mandated and included as a feature in all devices.

“Mandating the inclusion of parental lock in digital receivers will support parents and guardians in protecting their children from inappropriate or harmful content on television,” said ACMA Chairman, Chris Chapman.

The ACMA are seeking industry and public comment to help determine a technical standard that will make the parental lock a required feature for all digital televisions and set-top box receivers.

“The ACMA’s primary aim is to ensure this standard meets consumer needs for an appropriate and effective protection mechanism for their children. This is best achieved through consultation to assist in the development of a standard that is clear, unambiguous and readily understood by industry,” said Chapman.

A discussion paper outlining the approach the ACMA intends to take in determining the parental lock standard is now available on their website.

Several issues that the ACMA are seeking industry and public opinions on are:

• Whether particular classes of equipment should be exempt from the parental lock standard.
• The compliance arrangements that should accompany the parental lock standard.
• The date on which the parental lock standard should commence.
• How the requirement for equipment to have parental lock capability should be expressed in the parental lock standard.

The closing date for comment is Friday, April 2, 2010.

For more information visit acma.gov.au

Source: Australian Communications and Media Authority

Sony's Emmy Award winning XMB (XrossMediaBar) interface.

Things are really heating up in the IPTV arena. Today, Sony unveiled its new lineup of Bravia televisions, most of which include internet connectivity for IPTV.

As part of the unveil, Sony also announced a partnership with Yahoo!7 to deliver content from the Seven Network and other providers directly on Bravia Internet Video capable sets.

18 of Seven’s top television shows will be available, including ‘30 Rock’, ‘Border Security’, ‘City Homicide’, ‘Heroes’, ‘Sunrise’, ‘Seven News’ and some of those already available on PLUS7. More shows are expected to join the lineup over time.

Yahoo!7 will also provide a number of TV widgets including weather, news, and Flickr, with select Bravia models including additional widgets for Facebook and Twitter.

Other content providers, include SBS, Billabong, Wired, Golflink, eHow, Epicurious, Style.com, Blip and YouTube.

Content will be accessed via Sony’s Emmy Award winning XrossMediaBar (XMB) interface, which PlayStation 3 customers will already be familiar with.

Sony said that they’re in talks with other TV networks and content providers to bring to the service later this year.

There will be 15 channels available from launch, with plans for pay-per-view movies and content in the future.

They also promised that more devices (presumably Blu-ray players and set top boxes) will come with the Bravia Internet Video service in the future.

Source: Gizmodo Australia

Hulu eyeing Australia in international expansion plans.

Popular video streaming site Hulu could be heading down under, according to the company’s director of international business development Simon Gallagher.

Gallagher spoke at the Media 2010 event in Sydney on Friday, at which he revealed that Australia was in the top ten countries the company was eyeing for international expansion.

Originally conceived as way of combatting online piracy, the collaboration between 20th Century Fox, NBC Universal and The Walt Disney Company has seen explosive growth over the past three years, since its launch in 2007.

The free ad-supported service allows viewers to watch TV shows online immediately after they have finished broadcasting across all US states — the latest timezone being Hawaii.

The strategy has worked, according to Gallagher, who cited figures that show a significant decrease in pirated content when the the TV programs were made available on Hulu.

Collaboration between the television networks and the speed and price of broadband are two potential hold ups on Hulu’s plans to come down under.

Getting networks on board to deliver content should be the easy part, considering all free-to-air networks already have deals in place to provided catch-up TV online. Providing this content to the bandwidth capped population may be a little more difficult.

But with a large proportion of internet users wanting to view video online, it seems only a matter of time before we see these bandwidth caps eased — if not lifted. Just last week internet service provider AAPT announced the country’s first truly unlimited residential broadband plan.

Meanwhile, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, who’ve raised the bar when it comes to embracing the internet as a medium for content delivery, have expressed interest in bringing their content to Apple’s forthcoming tablet device, the iPad.

The iPad’s mobile Safari browser will not support Adobe Flash, which ABC have built their iView catch-up TV service on. However, Adobe has developed tools to repackage Flash-based content, allowing it to run as a native app on Apple’s multi-touch devices.

A senior executive at Adobe revealed that the ABC had contacted the software giant directly, to discuss a potential partnership deal between the two companies.

Adobe’s AIR platform, which utilises Flash and other technologies, has already been demoed by media companies around the world for delivering content on similar tablet devices — most notable Wired Magazine’s tablet app demonstration.

Source: The Sydney Morning Herald, The Sydney Morning Herald

The Seven Network, in partnership with Yahoo!7, have followed through with their plans to launch a new catch-up TV portal. The service launched today, under the name PLUS7.

The service, similar to ABC’s iView, will allow viewers to catch-up on all Seven’s most popular television shows online.

The shows will be free and ad-supported with an estimated 3-4 mid-roll ads per episode. The latest episodes will become available immediately after broadcast and remain online for 7-28 days (depending on online delivery rights).

Shows currently on offer are 30 Rock, Airways, Better Homes and Gardens, Border Security, Brothers and Sisters, Castle, Cougar Town, Criminal Minds, Desperate Housewives, Flash Forward, Gangs of Oz, Grey’s Anatomy, Heroes, Home and Away, LOST, My Kitchen Rules, Parks and Recreation, Private Practice, RSPCA Animal Rescue and Ugly Betty.

Seven have yet to partner with any ISPs (unlike ABC iView), so viewers should take note of the expected data requirements per episode. A 22 minute episode will consume between 45mb and 160mb, while a 42 minute episode will consume between 90mb and 370mb.

PLUS7 can be accessed from yahoo7.com.au/plus7

With all the buzz surround 3D at the moment (thanks to James Cameron’s ‘Avatar’ and all the 3D TV displays at CES last week), it comes as no surprise that FOXTEL have responded with plans for 3D TV trials in 2011.

Gizmodo Australia contact the pay-TV provider, here’s what they had to say.

FOXTEL CEO Kim Williams:

“FOXTEL has been closely monitoring 3D developments since January of 2009 and has an active program for 3D broadcasting in its Engineering Development Labs,” said FOXTEL CEO Kim Williams.

“3D is an exciting development in broadcasting and FOXTEL HD set top units have already carried 3D signals in our premises with terrific picture clarity. FOXTEL will continue to run laboratory trials on 3D transmissions over the next year,” Mr Williams said.

Commenting on timing for 3D release Mr Williams said, “I expect that FOXTEL will bring its first test broadcasts in 3D to subscribers in 2011 when full product details will be revealed. It will be an exciting addition to our range of high quality HD products which now encompasses the most comprehensive offering in Australia with 15 twenty-four hour HD channels (including all mainstream sport and movie channels) and which will see the first all HD transmission of the Vancouver Olympic Winter Games via four HD Channels in February – an exceptionally exciting Australian and world first for any Olympic broadcast.“

So there you have it. No need to fret, 3D is coming down under. But like all good things, you’ll just need to wait.

Source: Gizmodo Australia

According to The Wall Street Journal, CBS Corporation and The Walt Disney Company are seriously considering a proposal from Apple to kill off cable TV with a subscription based TV show service through iTunes.

The report explains that under Apple’s proposed subscription model, users would have “access to some TV shows from a selection of major networks” and basic cable channels for a flat monthly fee of around $US30.

CBS Corp. could offer programs from both CBS and The CW, including ‘NCIS’, ‘The Good Wife’ and ‘90210′; while The Walt Disney Co. could offer programs from ABC, ABC Family and Disney Channel, including ‘Lost’, ‘Desperate Housewives’, ‘Greek’ and ‘Hannah Montana’.

As to how this could kill off pay TV, the WSJ notes that the networks could actually make more money per subscriber via iTunes than they do from cable TV providers, with broadcast networks receiving up to $US2-$US4 per subscriber, and basic-cable networks receiving $US1-$US2 per subscriber.

While CBS and Disney have plenty to gain from an iTunes subscription service, the two companies are also quite nervous about giving Apple more control and market-share. Apple already have a stranglehold over TV episode pricing on iTunes, with all episodes priced at a fixed $US1.99 — which lead to a brief fallout with NBC in 2007.

Even if Apple can win over CBS and Disney, the California-based company will have a tough time convincing other networks to join the bandwagon, with NBC Universal and Warner Bros. Television holding significant cable TV interests — with Comcast’s recent acquisition of NBC and Warner’s own TimeWarner Cable.

How this could affect the Australian market remains to be seen. Although it’s worth noting that all major US networks and content providers (sans CBS) currently distribute shows via the Australian iTunes Store.

Provided the local networks have no objections (though that could be a whole other can of worms), would you be interested in seeing a subscription based iTunes TV show service?

Source: The Wall Street Journal via Apple Insider

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation app now streams free 90-second news bulletins.

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation have once again extended their lead over other networks by introducing a free news bulletin service for iPhone/iPod touch devices.

The network’s iPhone application — which has been downloaded over 290,000 times since launch — previously supported access to ABC television podcasts directly from the device over WiFi, including ‘Good Game’, ‘At The Movies’ and ‘7:30 Report’.

Now the app has been updated to include up-to-date 90-second news bulletins, which can be streamed over WiFi and 3G connections.

The bulletins are broken down into various categories, including news, sport, world, weather, business and entertainment.

The update also introduces live radio streaming for ABC radio stations including triple j, NewsRadio, Radio National, ABC Dig Music, ABC Jazz, ABC Country and ABC Classic FM.

Currently no other Australian free-to-air network has invested in developing applications for the App Store, although FOXTEL recently launched an application allowing iQ users to browse the FOXTEL EPG and schedule recordings.

Download the Australian Broadcasting Corportation app free from the iTunes Store.

Source: Gizmodo Australia

Mischa Barton stars in Ashton Kutcher's 'The Beautiful Life' -- coming to YouTube.

Following its cancellation after just two episodes on the air, it seemed as though Ashton Kutcher’s modelling drama ‘The Beautiful Life’ was done and dusted.

Now, three months later, The CW drama will get a new lease on life online, via video sharing website YouTube.

“What we feel like we’re doing is creating, in some ways, an industry first,” said Kutcher. “A show that couldn’t find its legs on television, we believe can find its legs on the Web.”

The first three episodes of the New York-based drama are set to be posted online tomorrow, with the remaining two episodes to go live from Monday, December 21.

The 40+ minute episodes will be presented ad-free, thanks to a sponsorship deal with Hewlett-Packard.

Kutcher and YouTube believe that the broadcast quality episodes will help attract viewers to the long-form show, unlike its web competitors — which typically take the form of 5-15 minute segments.

“I would bargain that people will be willing to sit a lot longer if the picture looks a lot better,” said Kutcher.

Should the series attract sizeable audience figures online, Kutcher hopes to secure new sponsors to finance additional episodes of the drama series produced exclusively for the web.

It’s unclear at this stage whether the ‘The Beautiful Life’ episodes will be accessible by Australian YouTube users.

Source: Reuters

Media Release

Seven and Yahoo!7 to launch new Catch-up TV destination

Sydney, Monday 14 December, 2009 – Yahoo!7 and the Seven Network are poised to launch a new Yahoo!7 Catch-Up TV destination in January 2010. The new site will provide full-length episodes of Australia’s favourite television shows including 21 of the top 30 shows in Australia such as Home & Away, FlashForward, Greys Anatomy, LOST, Desperate Housewives, Heroes and the highly anticipated My Kitchen Rules.

According to Rohan Lund, CEO Yahoo!7: “Australians have already embraced Catch-Up TV with nearly two million streams of full episode TV shows each month on Yahoo!7 and we expect this to quadruple with the launch of the new Catch-Up TV destination. We’re privileged to have access to Seven’s stable of programs and the dedicated Catch-Up TV destination site will allow us to extend the range of shows we can make available while making it even easier for users to access the TV shows they love.”

The new site will launch with mid-roll advertising, an Australian first for online video.

According to James Warburton, Chief Sales & Digital Office, Seven Media Group, the new offering will mean even greater opportunities for SMG Red to deliver cross platform solutions to Australian advertisers.

“Catch-Up TV is a huge opportunity for advertisers to increase their audience reach across both TV and online and we’ve already had a lot of interest. To date the challenge has been for advertisers to access enough premium online video inventory which the new Catch-Up TV destination on Yahoo!7 will deliver. Our ability to provide advertisers with sponsorship and advertising campaigns across TV and video online is now magnified,” he said.

The site will be browser-based streaming video which requires no special software, is easy to use and does not require the user to wait for a download to complete.

Source: Seven Network

Gossip Girl – Season 3

The Vampire Diaries – Season 1

The Mentalist – Season 2

The Big Bang Theory – Season 3

Fringe – Season 1

Supernatural – Season 3

Friends – Season 10

Hybrid TV, the exclusive licensee of TiVo in Australia and New Zealand, today announced updates to their TiVo product line.

The company will introduce a new 320GB TiVo Media Device — double the capacity of the previous 160GB model — which will come bundled with the Home Networking Package (valued at $199) for the holiday season for $699.

The original 160GB TiVo will receive a $100 price drop, down to $599 until December 1 — when it will be phased out in favour of the new $699 320GB model.

The company also announced “CASPA On-Demand”, a new broadband entertainment portal. The new service will give TiVo customers access to new release movies, TV shows and other video content directly from their remote.

CASPA won’t replace the current BLOCKBUSTER OnDemand service, it’s simply an additional service offering a wider variety of film and television titles. New release rentals will cost $5.95, while library titles will cost $3.95.

TiVo customers will also be able to watch music videos, concerts and interviews with bands and artists from all of the major record labels, through CASPA’s integration with Bandit.fm.

CASPA will offer both free and pay-per-view content, with plans for advertiser-funded content by Q2 next year.

At launch, TiVo expects to have more than 1000 hours of broadband content available through CASPA. The service will become available to all new and existing TiVo customers from December 1.

Press Release

Hybrid TV launches new TiVo and premiers broadband portal

TiVo hard drive size doubles to make way for more free-to-air TV recordings plus access to movie, TV and music on-demand

Sydney, Australia, 26 November, 2009 – Hybrid Television Services (ANZ) Pty Limited, the exclusive licensee of TiVo® in Australia and New Zealand, today announced their new TiVo product and proprietary broadband entertainment portal, CASPA On-Demand.

The TiVo media device, launched in July 2008, originally came with 160GB on-board storage capacity. The TiVo hard drive has now doubled in size to 320GB to meet the recording demands of Australians wishing to capture programs across all the Freeview channels including new digital channels such as 7TWO, Go!, One Sport and the pending ABC Kids channel, ABC3.

The new product is branded the TiVo 320 Media Device and will replace the TiVo 160 Media Device from 1 December 2009.

To coincide with the launch of the TiVo 320 Media Device, the Home Networking Package will be included free-of-charge ($199 value) as a Holiday Edition release for RRP$699*. The original TiVo (160) Media Device will be re-price positioned from RRP$699 to RRP$599.

The Home Networking Package has never before been offered in retail stores and has experienced significant uptake by customers with more than 45% purchasing the software online.

The Home Networking Package provides three additional capabilities: 1. Allows TiVo owners to transfer their Freeview TV recordings from their TiVo device to their PC or portable devices such as an iPhone, iTouch or Playstation Personal (PSP); 2. Enables family photos, music libraries and home videos to be enjoyed on the TV; 3. Provides the ability to transfer and view recordings between two TiVo devices in the home.

In addition to the launch of the new TiVo 320 Media Device – all customers will have automatic access to Hybrid TV’s proprietary content and service portal, CASPA On-Demand.

From 1 December 2009, the TiVo home page, TiVo Central, will replace “Video On-Demand” with “CASPA On-Demand”. Through CASPA, all TiVo customers will have access to new release and library movies, hit TV programs and music videos, concerts and music artist interviews. The CASPA service will provide both free and pay-per-view content with advertiser- funded content playing a significant role from Q2 next year. At launch, there will be more than 1000 hours of broadband content available through the TiVo device and the content portfolio will continue to grow with cumulative hours reaching in the tens of thousands over time.

“The TiVo device is a true representation of the best of broadcast and broadband delivered directly to the living room for the enjoyment of you, your family and friends on the television. CASPA is our means of bringing Australians content and services that can be easily accessed through a TV remote and fairly priced or free, wherever possible. This new service proves the TiVo mandate of providing continuous features and benefits delivered over broadband as all our customers will be able to access CASPA from 1 December.

“With our proprietary broadband proposition it demonstrates how vital our internet partners, like Internode, Primus and iinet are, as they will unmeter CASPA downloads on the TiVo for customers on compatible plans. In addition some ISPs are providing larger capacity plans, unmetered plans or unmetered timebands like AAPTs 8pm to 8am all-you-can-download offering.

“Taking this one step further into our future NBN-world, where we will have ubiquitous high speed broadband connections over fibre-optics achieving speeds starting at 100Mbps. This makes our existing copper connections look like a dripping tap with its meager 512Kbps to 8Mbps.

“Internet speeds achieved through fibre-optics will mean that content consumption and service delivery can reach beyond PC screens and laptops and jump onto the television. We have a near 100% penetration of TVs – but not so with computers. With CASPA, Hybrid TV is poised to be Australia’s premier telco-agnostic content service provider.” said Robbee Minicola, Chief Executive of Hybrid TV.

Pricing and availability:
*Holiday Edition TiVo 320 including free HNP will be available until 31 January 2010 for RRP$699.

Source: Hybrid Television Services

iView is now accessible from the PS3.

Those with PS3s will probably notice a new icon smack bang in the middle of their PlayStation’s XMB, a TV icon.

Under this new menu item, you’ll be able to access Sony’s upcoming PlayTV (add-on accessory) and the ABC’s iView catch-up TV service — which has been a browser only service up until now.

While the service was expected to receive a custom user interface for the PS3, it appears now that clicking the icon simply launches iView in the PS3’s browser full-screen.

This makes things a little difficult to navigate with your controller, as it acts just like it does on a desktop. Scrolling through lists requires you to click and drag.

Furthermore, the PlayStation 3 bluetooth remote doesn’t even work with the new service. You’re limited navigating with to the game controller.

Video loads quite fast and is of reasonable quality, but the the lack of a remote friendly user interface makes for a rather frustrating experience.

The arrival of iView on the PS3 was expected to be just the first in a number of devices providing set-top access to the public broadcasters streaming service. However, if the service isn’t even being customised for remote control navigation, it’s going to be a difficult task porting iView to remote control only devices, such as TiVo and other PVRs.

Several hundred customers will begin using Telstra’s ‘T-box’ this Thursday, ahead of the device’s launch next year.

The digital set-top box will enable Telstra customers to download and watch films from BigPond movies and IPTV channels directly from their television sets.

A device is also believed to feature TiVo and Foxtel iQ-like features — including live TV recording and scheduling.

While Telstra currently owns 50 per cent of Foxtel, the new device isn’t expected to directly compete with the iQ, which the company regards as premium service device.

Instead the telco are setting their sights on the free-to-air network’s latests multi-channel efforts — including GO! and 7TWO — which provide an array of alternate programming for viewers.

Telstra hopes to snag a little bit of their market share by providing customers instant access to their catalogue of online films and television shows.

Internet connected TVs and set-top boxes are increasingly becoming the norm, with many companies including ethernet or WiFi connectivity in their devices.

With Freeview expected to launch an online catch-up TV service next year, it’s likely we’ll see an even greater influx of such devices flood the Australian market.

Telstra’s ‘T-box’ will be available next year, with BigPond content unmetred for Telstra customers.

Source: The Australian

As we reported last week, Sony are readying the release of their PlayTV add-on for the PS3 — details below.

Sony will be holding an event on November 24 to discuss PlayTV in more detail plus some more TV/Ps3 developments — perhaps they’ll finally announce a date for ABC’s iView catch up TV service will also become available for PS3.

PlayTV to launch in Australia Unlock free-to-air digital HD TV on PlayStation®3

Watch, record and replay TV shows on demand Turn PS3 into a High Definition digital TV tuner and video recorder

Sydney, 2 November 2009 – Sony Computer Entertainment Australia (SCE Aust.) announced today the introduction of PlayTVTM – the device that turns PlayStation®3 (PS3TM) into a Personal Video Recorder (PVR) and High Definition digital TV tuner. PlayTV will be available in Australia on 26 November at a compelling recommended retail price of $169.95 and is set to become a favourite on the gift lists in time for the festive season.

With the ability to watch, pause and record free-to-air TV, PlayTV reinforces PS3’s rightful place at the heart of the family’s home entertainment needs. With twin HD tuners, PlayTV allows you to watch one program while recording another, or even record while playing a game or enjoying a Blu-ray movie. PlayTV offers a simple solution to the Australian family’s TV needs.

“PlayTV further extends the broad entertainment credentials of PS3, and makes it a must-have item for every Australian family,” said Michael Ephraim, Managing Director of Sony Computer Entertainment Australia and New Zealand. “PS3 already provides the best High Definition gaming, Blu-ray Disc movie playback, VidZone music video streaming, video, photo album, web browsing and PlayStation®Network content. With the introduction of PlayTV’s state of the art TV tuner and PVR functionality, PS3 continues to be the best choice for the home entertainment needs of the Australian family.”

PlayTV also makes it possible to watch TV programs on the go via Remote Play on PSPTM (PlayStation®Portable) or via WiFi or 3G with Sony Ericsson’s AINO phone. Visit the new www.playstation3.com.au website to find out how to start getting more entertainment out of your PS3 console.

Feature List

PlayTV provides the sort of features you’ll only find on top of the range PVRs:

• Two High Definition TV tuners: both able to watch, pause and record TV in High Definition, as well as Standard Definition. Ability to record TV while playing games or watching a Blu-ray movie or DVD.
• Electronic Program Guide: an incredibly user-friendly, seven-day interface, that provides the navigation for programming the PVR features of PlayTV – it’s fast and simple to use, with either SIXAXIS controller or the Blu-ray Remote Control for PS3.
• Compatibility: PlayTV operates on the widely available Digital Video Broadcasting – Terrestrial (DVB-T) format.
• Easy to use: Intuitive controls, single button help features, tutorial videos and simple navigation make PlayTV a joy to use compared with the complex navigation of other PVR models. Optional on-screen graphical display provides a wealth of information about the status of PlayTV and enables quick access to program information, stored TV programs and the controls to pause or record live TV. PlayTV will also determine the correct settings for either Standard Definition or High Definition displays automatically for a hassle-free viewing experience.
• Portable viewing with PSP: Seamless PSP connectivity allows you to set recordings, watch live TV and recorded TV programs remotely on the PSP, via a WiFi connection (using Remote Play feature).
• Portable viewing with Sony Ericsson AINO: Remote Play via a WiFi or 3G connection.
• It’s future-proof: PlayTV will evolve with time – with new features added and updated via PlayStation Network.

With PlayStation 3, the game is just the start. PS3 is so much more than a games console; now it’s a TV tuner and recorder as well – PlayTV is one more reason why PS3 kick starts the home entertainment experience in the living room.

Source: Gizmodo Australia

UPDATE: It’s official, PlayTV is arriving November 26 for $169.95, details here.

PlayTV, Sony’s digital TV add-on for the PS3 has been due for release in Australia for quite some time now — ever since they missed their announced deadline last year.

According to a new brochure promoting their newly redesigned PS3, it seems the company are now targeting a late 2009 launch for the digital tuner box as well as the ABC’s iView service for PS3, which was announced by ABC’s Director of Television, Kim Dalton, back in August.

Coming late 2009, you can access catchup TV via the ABC’s iView service as well as watch, pause and record live TV with PlayTV.

PlayTV contains twin DVB-T tuners, meaning it’ll be able to record one TV channel, while you watch another. Like all Freeview compliant PVR’s, PlayTV gives you total access to an EPG (Electronic Programming Guide) for scheduling and recording programs. It also allows you to remotely view recordings from your Sony PSP or Sony Ericsson mobile.

PlayTV's main menu.

PlayTV Library, showing all recorded programs. Live TV continues to play in the background.

Some PS3 owners have already imported the PlayTV device from the UK, which now works with most Australian television channels thanks to a new firmware update.

Sources say PlayTV may arrive November 26, just in time for the holiday season. There’s no word on pricing at this stage, but we expect more information to become available closer to launch.

iView for PS3 will likely arrive as a free software update around the same time.

Source: PlayStation 3 via Gizmodo Australia, Wikipedia

What is 7TWO ?

It is Seven’s new digital channel. Seven already have one main channel in both analogue and digital, plus 7HD in digital high definition. 7TWO is a new digital channel and it’s free.

How do I get it ?

To receive 7TWO, you’ll need to tune into channel 72 on a your digital TV, PVR or set top box.

If you have an analogue television you will need to connect your TV to a digital set top box, PVR, or digital recorder and tune in to channel 72.

If I haven’t got a Digital TV – what should I do to see the channel ?

Your old TV, in most cases, can connect to a digital set top box or PVR via standard composite cables, check the Freeview website for more help.

What is an EPG ?

The EPG stands for “Electronic Program Guide” and is automatically transmitted with the 7TWO signal. The EPG allows viewers to get information on programs, start times and finish times and allows you to plan your viewing in your own home. The EPG will also be available in Freeview capable homes.

Why is 7TWO called a standard definition channel ?

7TWO is being transmitted at the same quality as Channel 7 – that is called “standard definition”. For viewers who prefer higher quality viewing, Channel 7 is also available in high definition, however 7TWO will not be in HD as it is purely a standard definition channel.

What is 7TWO going to offer me ?

7TWO is a new entertainment channel delivering more great shows for free.

What sort of programs does 7TWO show ?

7TWO is more of what audiences love about Seven. More drama, more lifestyle, more reality, more comedy, more movies . . . more first class entertainment, free for everyone.

You can see brand new episodes of international hits ‘Lost’, ‘24′, ‘Heroes’ and ‘Ugly Betty’ alongside popular dramas ‘The Sopranos’, ‘Six Feet Under’, ‘Heartbeat’, ‘A Touch of Frost’ and ‘Prime Suspect’.

You can also catch new cooking programs from the world’s best chefs including Jamie Oliver, Curtis Stone, Rick Stein and Gary Rhodes.

There will also be plenty of daytime entertainment including ‘Coronation Street’, ‘Emmerdale’, ‘Shortland Street’, ‘The Martha Stewart Show’.

How do I find out about what’s playing  and when?

You can go to yahoo7.com.au/seven-two for a comprehensive program guide.

You can view the first week’s primetime schedule here.

What hours will it be running ?

7TWO will run 24 hours, 7 days a week.

When does it start ?

7TWO starts on Sunday, November 1, at 12.00pm for all digital free-to-air viewers.

What is happening to Seven’s high definition Channel 7HD ?

Seven will continue to run its high definition channel, 7HD on channel 70.

Will 7TWO be available on Foxtel ?

Yes the channel will be re-transmitted on Foxtel just like Seven’s main channel. It will be available on channel 127 in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane from November 24.

Source: Seven Network

UPDATE 1: It looks like Sharp is running a promotion too.
UPDATE 2: LG are getting in on the action as well.

If you’re thinking about buying a new HD television for those new digital channels GO!, 7TWO and the upcoming ABC3, then it might be a good time to make the jump.

Sony and Panasonic are giving away free HD extras with the purchase of a new HD TV.

With the purchase of a Sony BRAVIA LCD TV between October 22 and December 20 2009, you’ll be able to claim a bonus PlayStation 3 console, which they guarantee you’ll receive by Christmas — if you claim by December 1.

The qualifying BRAVIA models are as follows:

W Series
40″ KDL40W5500
46″ KDL46W5500

WE Series
40″ KDL40WE5
46″ KDL46WE5

Z Series
40″ KDL40Z5500
46″ KDL46Z5500
52″ KDL52Z5500

EX Series
40″ KDL40EX1
46″ KDL46EX1
52″ KDL52EX1

ZX Series
40″ KDL40ZX1

XBR Series
40″ KDL40XBR45
46″ KDL46XBR45
55″ KDL55XBR45

Over at the Panasonic camp, with the purchase of VIErA Plasma TV between October 24 and December 24 2009, you’ll be able to claim 1 of these 3 HD Bonus gifts.

• HD Tough LUMIX Camera pack valued at $643
• HD Blu-ray Home Theatre valued at $1,099
• HD Twin Tuner DVD Recorder with 250GB HDD also valued at $1,099

The qualifying VIErA models are as follows:

Z1 Series
54″ TH-P54Z1A

V10 Series
58″ TH-P58V10A
50″ TH-P50V10A

G10 Series
50″ TH-P50G10A
46″ TH-P46G10A
42″ TH-P42G10A

G15 Series
50″ TH-P50G15A
42″ TH-P42G15A

S Series
54″ TH-P54S10A
50″ TH-P50S10A
46″ TH-P46S10A
42″ TH-P42S10A

It seems Sharp wants to give away bonus stuff too, with the purchase of Aquos LCD TV between October 1 and December 31 2009, you’ll be able to claim an Xbox 360 Elite console, with 4 “premium” games.

The qualifying Aquos models are as follows:

LC40LE700X
LC40LB700X
LC42D77X
LC46D77X
LC52D77X
LC65RX1X.

If you buy an LG Full HD TV between 28 October and 31 December, you’ll be eligible to claim a bonus 23″ LG Full HD LCD TV valued at $899.

These are both all limited time offers based on supply, so get in quick if you hope to take advantage of them.

Visit the companies respective websites for terms and conditions and details on how to claim.

SONY – http://promotion.sony.com.au/BraviaPS3ConsumerPromotion/
Panasonic – http://www.hdbonus.com.au/hdbonus/
Sharp – http://www.sharp.net.au/lcd-promo/
LG – http://lgnovtv.campaign.net.au/

Media Release

IT’S TIME!

(Friday, October 23, 2009) Channel Seven today unveiled its eagerly anticipated free-to-air digital channel 7TWO, a broad entertainment channel set to bolster Seven’s leadership in the Australian television market.

7TWO is more of what audiences love about Seven. More drama, more lifestyle, more reality, more comedy, more movies . . . more first class entertainment, free for everyone.

The new channel will launch on Sunday, November 1, 2009 at 12noon on Channel 72.

Channel Seven’s Director of Programming and Production Tim Worner said 7TWO was created as a natural extension of Seven’s successful primary channel and would only increase Seven’s strong audience appeal.

“I am pleased to announce that 7TWO will be the new home for premiere episodes of our international hits including J.J Abrams’ Lost, Ugly Betty, Heroes and 24,” said Worner.

“We’ve been strategic in putting together a program schedule for 7TWO that allows us to grow our audience between our two channels, without sacrificing one for the other. It is a complementary relationship that will go from strength to strength maximising the opportunities for our audience and clients.”

Iconic programs including mob hit The Sopranos, much loved drama Six Feet Under and groundbreaking comedy Murphy Brown will screen on the channel alongside new, primetime episodes of The Jay Leno Show, five nights a week.

7TWO will feature the very best of British television from traditional, tried and true favourites A Touch of Frost, Prime Suspect, Judge John Deed, Rosemary & Thyme and Minder to premiere episodes of motoring hit Fifth Gear, Heartbeat, Holby Blue, Benidorm, Gavin & Stacey and Britain’s Best Dish.

Additional themed nights of programming include Action & Adventure, Lifestyle and Movies with the latter featuring an extensive catalogue of family titles from Disney’s studios.

Handpicked cooking programs from the world’s top chefs including Jamie Oliver, Curtis Stone, Rick Stein, Ainsley Harriott and Gary Rhodes will also feature on Monday to Friday afternoons.

A broad mix of new and classic programs – including Coronation Street, Emmerdale, Shortland Street, The Martha Stewart Show, Home and Away: The Early Years, Sons and Daughters, Magnum PI and Moonlighting – complete the channel’s daytime schedule.

Channel Seven also announced popular television presenter Tom Williams as the face of 7TWO.

With Channel Seven since 2001, Williams has reported for The Great Outdoors, the Torino and Beijing Olympics and co-hosted Gladiators. In 2005, he was crowned Series 2 champion of Dancing with the Stars.

Williams says 7TWO will have “something for everyone” catering to a range of TV tastes “from the weekend rev-head to the aspiring chef.”

“What I love about 7TWO is the great mix of the new and classic. I’m a big Leno fan so it will be great to be able catch that on a daily basis. And I can’t wait to see how the last season of Lost unravels.”

“It’s fair to say I’ll be booking in some extra time on the couch. I can’t wait for it all to kick off.”

7TWO is part of Australia’s Freeview digital television service. To watch 7TWO, tune into channel 72 on a high definition digital television or on an analogue or standard definition digital television connected to a high definition set top box.

Source: Seven Network

Will the Seven Network launch PLUS7 on November 22?

According to The Australian, the Seven Network are expected to launch their new free-to-air digital channel on November 22.

Sources say, Seven’s chief exec David Leckie, sent a letter to ratings provider OzTAM last week, giving them eight weeks notice of the November 22 launch date.

The eight weeks’ notice is required by OzTAM, so they can supply separate ratings data for the new channels, which GO! missed out on when it launched last month.

It’s believed that the letter sent by Leckie also confirmed that the channel would launch on digital channel 72, though the channel’s actual name is yet to be verified.

The network registered several names a few months ago, including 7PLUS and PLUS7.

Simon Francis, Seven’s corporate affairs chief, remained tight lipped on the new channel simply stating, ”while we can understand the speculation, we’ll maintain a polite silence until we choose to release our plans.”

The new channel is expected be a general entertainment channel, featuring several programs previously screened on Seven, including ‘Ugly Betty’ and ‘24′, as well as more youth-oriented programming provided by the network’s output deal with Disney.

Source: The Australian

Media Release

FOXTEL Next Generation

FOXTEL CEO Kim Williams AM, today unveiled the exciting new details of the next generation of FOXTEL.

The announcement was another history making step in the Australian television industry, with news the country’s number one subscription television provider, FOXTEL, will launch 30 additional channels this year.

Along with the new channels, will come a state-of-the-art online television service, significant technological upgrades to FOXTEL’s television guide and new channel packages, designed to provide more flexibility and better value to our customers.

FOXTEL Next Generation will launch on Sunday November 15, 2009, with the FOXTEL Download service fast-tracked to kick off free to all subscribers Thursday October 1, 2009.

Williams said: “Since the launch of digital in 2004, this is the most significant milestone in FOXTEL’s history. With FOXTEL Next Generation, a new phase of television will be created for Australian consumers. We are moving forward, adapting technology to give our subscribers the power to tailor viewing to their needs.

“FOXTEL Next Generation and the iQ Value Pack options mean every subscriber will get an iQ for free, forever changing the way they experience television.

“There are twelve new iQ Value Packs which have been designed to offer the best value for money and range of choice to meet diverse tastes, needs and price points.”

“Having an iQ, powered by Next Generation, means there are three viewing options for every television program, special event or movie – watch it live, watch it On Demand, or watch it recorded to the iQ. FOXTEL Next Generation now makes it truly possible to watch what you want, when you want and with our new FOXTEL download service, where you want.

“We continue to improve our service and expand our channel offering, we now have almost 200 channels on the FOXTEL platform providing premium programming across all genres. FOXTEL Next Generation not only offers our subscribers more viewing options, it uses technology to take the FOXTEL television experience online, which gives our service great portability, adaptability and even better value.”

FOXTEL Next Generation will deliver exciting new benefits added to FOXTEL over the coming months:

• There will be 30 new channel choices including themed movie channels, new sports and documentary channels, and tailored general entertainment channels.
• The 12 new channels brands are LifeStyle YOU, 13TH STREET, The Style Network, Eurosport, KidsCo, FMC, STARPICS, showtime action, showtime comedy, showtime drama, Discovery Turbo MAX and Nat Geo Wild.
• FOXTEL HD+ will be home to 15 High Definition channels – including four dedicated HD sports channels and six new HD movie channels.
• The 10 new HD channels are FOX SPORTS 1HD, 2HD and 3HD, FOX8 HD, W HD, MOVIE ONE HD, showcase HD, showtime action HD, showtime premiere HD, STARPICS 1HD and 2HD, and UKTV HD.
• A brand new movie service with 16 dedicated movie channels tailored by genre with no advertising interruptions to any movie, ever.
• FOXTEL is also introducing eight new timeshift channels, these are 111 HITS +2, Discovery Channel +2, Discovery Turbo MAX +2, LifeStyle FOOD Channel +2, LifeStyle YOU +2, SCI FI +2, showcase two and STARPICS +2.
• New iQ Value packs that gives subscribers two choices – build your own package and add an iQ or take an iQ Value pack that includes an iQ for free.
• Australia’s best download service, FOXTEL Download – a FREE catch-up television service for subscribers at www.foxtel.com.au/download.
• A new FOXTEL Guide for iQ and updated guide for iQ2.
• New search functionality with an interactive TV Guide feature called iSuggest for iQ and iQ2 subscribers.
• Immediate recording details of favourite shows for iQ and iQ2 subscribers with Record Me, which sends shows straight to the iQ Planner simply by pressing the Green button on the remote during a show’s promo.
• Movies On Demand – A new FOXTEL Box Office with up to 40 recent release movies to choose from at any one time.
• New SKY News Local ACTIVE screens for each of Australia’s five capital cities and improved Weather ACTIVE.

Source: FOXTEL

In a recent submission to the federal government, the ABC have proposed that the national broadband network (NBN) should be exempt from including download charges for ABC and other publicly funded content.

“This principle of free carriage of publicly funded content should be included in the public interest objectives of the NBN company and the company should be legislatively obliged to devise an effective mechanism for implementing it,” said ABC’s managing director Mark Scott.

By removing the download charges for streaming content, the ABC would be able to serve their catch-up TV and iView services to a much larger market, particularly those restricted by small download quotas.

Under the new NBN, internet service providers would utilise government funded infrastructure for providing internet access. Should the government agree to pass the ABC’s proposal, all ISPs utilising the NBN would be required to instate unmetered access for publicly funded content.

Currently, only a small number of second tier internet service providers have opted to provided the ABC’s content unmetered, while Australia’s two largest ISPs Telstra and Optus, have refused to provided free access to these services.

Telstra refused to comment on the new proposal, while Optus said it was too early to comment on whether they deemed it reasonable.

Source: The Australian

UPDATE: Launching November 15

According to Gizmodo Australia, Austar’s highly anticipated MyStar HD set top box is set to launch mid November.

While the actual launch date is unconfirmed, the service is said to mirror Foxtel’s expanded HD+ service with around 15 high definition channels.

Some of the HD channels expected to launch with the new MyStar box include, Fox Sports HD, ESPN HD, BBC HD, Discovery HD, National Geographic Channel HD and Box Office HD.

The specs for the box are likely to match the iQ2, with a 320GB HDD and 4 x HD tuners (current model contains 2 x satellite, 2 x terrestrial). The model number of the new box is T600.

There’s no word on pricing just yet, but we’ll keep you posted if we learn anything new.

Source: Gizmodo Australia

For a limited time, iTunes are giving away the first episode of Movie Extra’s new Aussie comedy ‘The Jesters’ for free.

Take a peek below.

The Jesters is a slick, sick and darkly comic look behind-the-scenes of a TV comedy show that proves the old maxim that nobody likes a smart arse – unless, of course, they’re bringing in huge ratings.

From the absurd antics of the TV writers’ room to the even more absurd network board meetings, The Jesters reveals the key ingredients of what goes into making the people of Australia laugh: jealously, pettiness, treachery, extreme stupidity… all the things that make show business so much fun.

Get the pre-air episode of ‘The Jesters’ for free on iTunes.

The ABC are teaming up with Sony to deliver their iView service to the PlayStation 3. The announcement was made overnight at the Games Convention in Cologne, Germany.

PS3 owners will soon have access over 300 on demand programs delivered via iView’s trial PS3 service. The announcement comes just weeks after iView’s 12-month anniversary.

ABC’s Director of Television, Kim Dalton, says the trial is the first in a series of developments to extend ABC iView to a wider audience. “We want to make our content as accessible as possible to our audience. Increasingly, that means extending our online reach so Australians can watch what they want, when they want it.”

The agreement is also non-exclusive which means iView could potentially make an appearance on other set-top boxes and game consoles including TiVo, Xbox 360 and the new breed of web-connected televisions.

In it’s current web-browser only format, iView averages around 764,000 visits per month. With the shift to a set-top environment, the service will likely become exposed to a whole new range of on-demand viewers, who’ll have the added benefit of watching iView programs directly from their couch.

Source: Gizmodo Australia, Digital Media

PLUS7, just one of the trademarks approved on August 7th for the Seven Network. Image: Not actual trademark logo

TV Tonight has discovered a couple of trademark filings with IP Australia, which could be potential names for Seven’s new digital channel.

PLUS7, 7PLUS and  7TWO were all approved on August 7th to the owner Seven Network (Operations) Limited.

TV Tonight adds that this is where the name of “GO!” first appeared when it was first leaked by the site several months ago.

Seven currently remains the only network not to have launched a new digital channel for the Freeview platform.

It was revealed in June that the network had come to a decision on their new channel, but were just waiting for the right time to launch.

“We’ve determined our approach. Next decision will be timing on launch”, said a Seven spokesperson.

Details are sketchy, but the channel is widely expected to lifestyle/general entertainment channel.

Source: TV Tonight

J.J. Abram's 'Fringe' airs Wednesdays on GO!

What is GO!?

GO! is a new digital channel from the Nine Network, which will be bring the young, and young at heart, more choice and entertainment than ever before.

How do I get GO! on my TV?

GO! is available on digital channel 99 for Nine Network viewers. It’s available on digital channel 88 for WIN and NBN regional viewers.

As a result of the introduction of GO!, some viewers may experience a small disruption to their Nine/WIN/NBN service on their digital TV, digital set-top-box or PVR.

If you can’t see GO! or any of the afore mention shows, it’s recommended that you “rescan” your channels using your remote. This can be done via the automatic tuning option on most digital TVs, digital set-top-boxes and PVRs.

What’s playing?

Popular programs set to air on GO! include: ‘Gossip Girl’, ‘The Hills’, ‘Fringe’, ‘Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles’, ‘Weeds’, ‘The Wire’, ‘Survivor’, ‘The Bachelor’, ‘The Bachelorette’, ‘Hell’s Kitchen’, ‘Kitchen Nightmares’, ‘CSI’, ‘Seinfeld’ and ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’.

The upcoming drama ‘The Vampire Diaries’, from Kevin Williamson (‘Dawson’s Creek’ and ‘Scream’) is set to make its Australian debut later this year.

GO! launches 6.30pm Sunday, August 9th.

The initial prime time schedule for GO! will be as follows:

Sunday: GO NUTS!

6:00 Seinfeld
6:30 Wipeout
7:30 The Big Bang Theory (4 episode marathon)
9:30 Aliens in America*
10:00 The New Adventures of Old Christine
10:30 Movie of the Week

Monday: GO GET’EM

6:00 Australia’s Funniest Home Video Show
7:00 Entertainment Tonight
7:30 TMZ*
8:00 Seinfeld
8:30 Dog The Bounty Hunter (Double Episode)
9:30 Neighbours at War (Double Episode)*
10:30 Bad Lad’s Army

Tuesday: GO FIRST

6:00 Australia’s Funniest Home Video Show
7:00 Entertainment Tonight
7:30 TMZ’*
8:00 Seinfeld
8:30 Survivor: Gabon*
9:30 The Bachelor*
10:30 The Bachelorette*

Wednesday: GO BEYOND

6:00 Australia’s Funniest Home Video Show
7:00 Entertainment Tonight
7:30 TMZ*
8:00 Seinfeld
8:30 Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles
9:30 Fringe*
10:30 Eleventh Hour*

Thursday: GO GIRL

6:00 Australia’s Funniest Home Video Show
7:00 Entertainment Tonight
7:30 TMZ*
8:00 Seinfeld
8:30 Gossip Girl
9:30 Moonlight*
10:30 The Hills

Friday: GO INVESTIGATE

6:00 Australia’s Funniest Home Video Show
7:00 Entertainment Tonight
7:30 TMZ*
8:00 Seinfeld
8:30 CSI
9:30 CSI: Miami
10:30 CSI: NY

Saturday: GO INVESTIGATE

6:00 Seinfeld (Triple Episodes)
7:30 Dance Your Ass Off*
8:30 CSI
9:30 CSI: Miami
10:30 CSI: NY
11:30 Movie of the week

* notes that these are Australian Premiere Episodes.

Take a look at some promos for GO! here.

Have Questions?

If you need help or have any enquiries, you can contact the GO! help line on 1300 152 231.

Source: NineMSN

Sony opened a new Blu-ray manufacturing plant in western Sydney last month, which produces both Blu-ray games and movies for distribution. It’s also the only one of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere.

The new plant is an extension of the existing Digital Audio Disc Corporation factory, which previously produced DVDs and CDs. The plant is now capable of printing 12 million Blu-rays a year.

Charlie Brewer from News Limited takes a look inside the new facility.

Rounds to flats ... each Blu-ray disc begins its life as a collection of small polycarbonate granules delivered to the factory by truck and stored in a silo. - Charlie Brewer

Master plates ... the artwork for every disc printed at the Sony plant is stored in this rack, ready to be loaded into the printer for another run. - Charlie Brewer

Flip and close ... the assembly packing line places the disc and insert into the box. At full production the machine can package 4500 Blu-ray discs per hour. - Charlie Brewer

For more pictures and a step by step tour, visit News.com.au

Source: News Limited (via Gizmodo) and CNET Australia

'City Homicide' returns with a 2-hour season premiere Monday, August 10th on Seven.

Catch-up with City Homicide on Yahoo!7

Fans of Australia’s favourite police drama City Homicide can fire-up for the upcoming new season premiere with last season’s final four episodes online at Yahoo!7 TV.

The last four episodes which aired earlier this year, featuring phenomenal performances from Noni Hazlehurst Detective Superintendent Bernice Waverly, can now be streamed in full and free-of-charge courtesy of Yahoo!7’s catch-up TV.

After catching up with the average 1.65 million viewers who tuned into season two, visitors to Yahoo!7 TV will also find an exclusive preview of what to expect from City Homicide’s third outing.

Since launching catch-up TV earlier this month Yahoo!7 TV has streamed more than one million full episodes of some of Seven’s most popular shows, including Home & Away, Packed to the Rafters, All Saints, World’s Strictest Parents, Double Take, Surf Patrol and Airways.

For the final four episodes City Homicide season two and a preview of season three visit: yahoo7.com.au/cityhomicide

Channel Seven Publicity
(02) 8777 7250

Source: Seven Corporate

Coming August 9th.

MEDIA RELEASE

New free-to-air channel announced

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Nine Network CEO, Mr David Gyngell, today announced a brand new multi-channel in Australia, to be called GO!

Coming in August to free-to-air television via channel 99, GO! will be bringing the young, and young at heart, more choice and entertainment than ever before.

The new free to air channel will bring the offering through Freeview TV to a total of 13 channels*.

Mr Gyngell said the GO! channel will offer a range of programs with a focus on the 14 -39-year-old audience demographic.

“Typical programs on GO! will be favourites such as Gossip Girl, The Hills, FRINGE, Terminator – Sarah Connor Chronicles, Weeds, The Wire, Survivor, The Bachelor, The Bachelorette, Hell’s Kitchen, Kitchen Nightmares, CSI and hit comedy series Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm.

“And later this year GO! will broadcast the most anticipated new show of the US television season, The Vampire Diaries, which is about a high school girl torn between two rival vampire brothers.

“This multi-channel is a natural evolution for Nine and for free-to-air television,” Mr Gyngell said.

“And that’s the key word – FREE. It means that within weeks our viewers will have access free of charge to a second channel offering quality and a great deal of first-run content through its schedule.

“It’s a win for our audience because it offers more diversity and substantially wider viewing choices than ever before, at no cost.”

Mr Gyngell said Nine was delighted with the quality, consistency and variety of content available long-term for the GO! channel, guaranteed by the network’s recent renewal of its long-term Warner Bros contract.

“Warners produce the best international programming across-the-board, no question. And Nine viewers will see the best of it both on our existing primary channel and the new GO! multi-channel,” he said.

CEO of PBL Media, Mr Ian Law said: “the launch of GO! is an important step in the evolution of free television in Australia. It means a significant increase in the choice available to viewers and advertisers on free to air television. We think the proposed schedule for GO! is exciting and as a Network we are focussing very much on having two channels with distinctly different content.

“We are already in the market talking with advertisers about our offering of NINE and GO! and it is a very exciting time for Australian television and the PBL Media Group.”

For further information: Nine Network Publicity 02 9965 2727

* The 13 Freeview Channels are 9, 7, TEN, SBS, ABC; 9HD, 7HD, ONE HD, ABC HD, SBS HD, ABC 2, SBS 2 and GO!

Source: NineMSN

GO! launching August 9th.

The Nine Network today officially announced their new Freeview channel GO! on ‘A Current Affair’.

The new entertainment channel will launch August 9th with a number of shows, including:

• ‘Gossip Girl’
• ‘Moonlight’
• ‘The Big Bang Theory’
• ‘The Hills’
• ‘CSI: NY’
• ‘Bad Lads Army’
• ‘Neighbours at War’
• ‘The Bachelor: Officer and a Gentleman’
• ‘Dog The Bounty Hunter’
• ‘The Wire’
• ‘Entertainment Tonight’
• ‘CSI’
• ‘Survivor’
• ‘Weeds’
• ‘Just Shoot Me’
• ‘Little Britain’
• ‘Aliens in America’
• ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’
• ‘CSI: Miami’
• ‘Eleventh Hour’
• ‘Privileged’
• ‘Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles’
• ‘Wipeout Australia’
• ‘Fringe’

Newcomer ‘The Vampire Diaries’ will also make its Australian debut on GO! later this year.

Themed nights will air weekly, with reality TV on Tuesday, scfi-fi on Wednesday and Thursday will target the girls with shows like ‘Gossip Girl’ and ‘The Hills’.

The channel will be predominately aimed at audiences 14-39 and will also attempt to lure some pay TV viewers away from subscriptions.

GO! will be available on all digitally enabled televisions and set top boxes via channel 99. It will also be available to WIN and NBN regional viewers on channel 80 88.

Watch the clip from ‘A Current Affair’ below.

With the second season of ‘Rush’ set to premiere this Thursday, Network Ten are really hoping to gain as much exposure for this hot action series as possible.

Having held back on selling Australian shows on the iTunes store until now, the network have finally eased up and have posted the entire first season for download. At $2.99 per episode, or $31.99 for the entire season, it makes for an easy way to catch up before the second season begins.

‘Rush’ Season 1

Also hitting the iTunes store is the second second of ‘Good News Week’, also for $2.99 an episode. For a whopping $99.00, you can get a season pass, which includes all past episodes and upcoming episodes for the current season.

‘Good News Week’ Season 2

Network Ten will post the first episode from the new season of ‘Rush’ online this Friday, almost two weeks ahead of it’s scheduled broadcast date.

The season premiere will be available online from 12pm this Friday, through to 12am Sunday night. Viewers can check it out at ten.com.au/rush.

In the meantime, the network are hoping to drum up as much buzz online as possible by asking fans to join and contribute to the show’s official Facebook page.

We’re surprised Ten haven’t jumped on Twitter yet.

ABC's iView service is currently unmetered for iiNet, Internode, iPrimus, Westnet and Adam Internet users.

Matt Costain, SBS’s online technical director, said the broadcaster is currently working with a number of internet service providers to find ways to make their online content available to their customers without eating into their monthly download caps.

“We’re in discussion with a number of ISPs regarding unmetering of content. We factored that into the design of the new infrastructure to ensure it would be possible (to do) once we decided to go down that path,” Costain said.

Unmetered access to their content is expected to occur within six months.

SBS’ current serve approximately 2.5 million video and audio streams a month. Long-form programs including ‘Mad Men’, ‘Shameless’, ‘Skins’, ‘RocKwiz’ and ‘Myth Busters’, special edition sports, news and current affairs programming and all of their radio content.

With the introduction of unmetered content, the SBS also plan to increase their online offerings to include all of their broadcast content.

They also plan to stream their entire ‘Tour de France’ series online for the first time and to run highlights of the 2010 soccer World Cup.

“Our overall ambition is to make all of our content available to Australian consumers however they want to consume it,” SBS’ online chief Marshall Heald said.

“So all our commissioned content is now contracted on a cross-platform basis and the large majority of our acquired content is licensed for online distribution as well so that as an organisation we’re platform agnostic.”

However, despite the amount of content being pushed online by the ABC and SBS, audience pick up has been slow, mostly due to the the fact that this content is counted in monthly bandwidth caps.

Australia’s largest ISP, Telstra, currently have a firm policy against unmetered access to the public broadcasters’ sites, while Optus are said to be considering their options. Smaller second-tier ISP’s iiNet, iPrimus, Westnet and Internode are all working with the ABC and the SBS to provide unmetered access.

“I think the broader issue is there’s been a lot of focus on the speed of the network but there’s never been a clear focus on the bandwidth costs and I don’t think that’s been properly addressed by regulation yet,” Heald said.

“We’re certainly operating in one of the most bandwidth expensive countries in the world where there’s also effective double-dipping, as both suppliers and consumers of content are paying for bandwidth. Obviously as the network gets faster, more people can consume more bandwidth, but our preference is to offer what we do on television, which is free content, on a truly free basis.

“And obviously as part of the public sector we’d like the Government to get more proactive in that.”

Both public broadcasters are said to be turning to the Government to take regulatory action against ISP’s who refuse to open up unmetered access to audiences.

Source: The Australian

LG announces the world's thinnest display, employing an edge-lit LED backlight unit to realise a 5.9mm thickness.

LG Display Co. Ltd. have unveiled what they claim to be the world’s thinnest 42- and 47-inch LCD television panels.

The new displays utilise the company’s edge-lit LED (light emitting diode) backlight system, instead of the commonly used CCFL (Cold Cathode Fluorescent Lamp). By employing the edge-lit LED backlighting system, the panel’s are able to squeeze into a profile thickness of 5.9mm.

The 42- and 47-inch LCD panels also weigh in at a petite 6.1kg and 7.3kg each, 50% lighter than similar sized conventional CCFL-backlit displays.

The displays can reproduce a rich range of natural-looking colors with color saturation level of 80 percent (NTSC). The panels feature LG Display’s 120Hz technology with a motion picture response time (MPRT) of 8ms, eliminating motion blur and boasting full HD (1920X1080) resolution.

Source: LG Display Co. Ltd. via Gizmodo

HBO are the latest studio to be added to the iTunes TV Show store.

A collection of programming from the premium US cable network are now available for download.

Concurrent with broadcast episodes of ‘True Blood’ & ‘Entourage’ and ‘The Wire’, ‘Flight of the Concords’, ‘Sex and the City’, ‘The Sopranos’ and ‘In Treatment’ are all available for $2.99.

Visit the iTunes store and catch up on these hot series.

ABC3 kids channel arriving before Christmas says SMH.com.au.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, the long time rumoured ABC3 kids channel will be arriving on all digitally-enabled televisions and set-top boxes before Christmas.

Current plans call for the new channel to run from 6am to 9pm every day and commerical-free, with programs targeted at primary school children and teenagers.

The channel will screen popular ABC shows, new drama programs, animation and news; interactive elements are also expected to screen on ABC3, including original content created by viewers.

The ABC managing director, Mark Scott, said yesterday he was thrilled with the Federal Government’s decision to create the channel as part of its response to last year’s 2020 Summit, where the ABC advocated the idea.

But funding will not be announced until the budget next month. It is believed it will cost $25 million to $30 million a year.

“We can create for Australian kids their own own television channel that will be able to dramatically increase the level of Australian content and it will be able to be received in every home free of charge and it will be commercial free,” Mr Scott said. A particular focus would be providing shows for primary school children and programs families could watch together in the evening.

The Communications Minister, Stephen Conroy, said the channel would encourage families to switch to digital TV. “I expect the new children’s channel will provide significant cultural and social benefits for Australian children.”

Mr Scott agreed ABC3 would help drive the Government’s campaign to persuade people to switch to digital TV, but he promised no children’s programs would be taken off ABC1 until analog TV was switched off in 2013. The ABC would commission programs in partnership with independent Australian producers and the Australian Children’s Television Foundation.

The Opposition spokesman, Nick Minchin, said the station was long overdue but Labor had pinched the Coalition’s 2007 election campaign promise to spend $82 million to create the channel. “Labor’s claim that the establishment of a new dedicated children’s television channel was one of the big ideas to come out of the 2020 Summit is a pure falsehood,” he said. “The Coalition announced this big idea in November of 2007.”

Source: SMH.com.au

So it looks like Freeview can push that “five more channels” up to six.

It still falls short of the original 15 expected digital channels, but hey, it’s a start.

The second phase of the Freeview marketing campaign begins this Sunday on all free-to-air channels.

The new 60-second spot will be simultaneously broadcast on ABC, SBS, Seven Network, Nine Network and Network Ten at 6:29pm.

According to TV Tonight, the new roadblock promo will be built around “why we love TV” and promises to relive the most memorable moments that Australians have ever witnessed on free-to-air television over the past 50+ years.

It will be designed around moving vignettes, from historic and world-changing events to favourite characters, with drama-filled scenes and moments in sport.

“Everyone has their favourite TV moments or remembers a time when they were absolutely glued to the TV – this reminds us all of why we love our free TV,” said Freeview CEO Robin Parkes.

“We’ve captured some of those moments – I’m sure people will have their own favourites too.”

Phase two arrives at the same time that Freeview-branded digital TV equipment is set to hit retailers across Australia.

The Freeview consortium will hold a media conference next week to announce more details about new campaign.

Clearly the next move in the entertainment arena is 3D technology, and Japanese conglomerate, Mitsubishi, are going all out.

The Mitsubishi tech arm have introduced a new 3D-ready home theater TV line, which includes the 737 Series (60, 65, 73 and 82-inch), 837 Series (65, 73-and 82-inch) and the massive standalone 82-inch WD-82737.

So why go to the cinema when you have a screen the size of a billboard in your living room?

So what does 3D-ready mean? Check out this post from CNET.

Apparently TiVo didn’t get the message that when you fast forward through ads, you’re actually trying to skip them.

The PVR/EPG maker has pushed a new update to all US based Series3 TiVo HD sets which will put pop up ads in your pause/fast forward/rewind menus.

This “new feature” was already enabled in the previous generation Series 2 TiVo back in December.

A related “more information” prompt will pop up for some shows, as seen below, but will show advertisements on other programs.

The prompt will only show up once per recording, but ushers in new form of advertising.

Now the only question that remains is, when will this new annoyance come to Australian TiVo’s? Cause we all know it’s coming.

Some good news for US TiVo users, according to a TiVo community member, the pop ups can be hidden by permanently hiding the progress bar with a remote code, but this means you’ll no longer be able to see how much of your recording you have left to watch. Click the Engadget link for details.

Sounds all too much of a hassle just to watch TV. Bring on streaming internet video!

TiVo showing a "more information" pop up while in pause mode.

Source: Engadget.com

TV and Radio hosts Hamish and Andy produce the no. 1 podcast on iTunes.

According to new research from Nielsen Online, Australians are consuming two additional hours of content online per week compared to traditional live TV and radio methods.

New data from the researcher’s annual Internet and Technology report (based on more than 2000 responses from internet users) has showed an increase in radio and television content being consumed online by Australians.

While traditional radio consumption saw a decline of more than an hour per week in 2008, radio content consumed online increased by almost two hours in metropolitan areas.

4.9 hours were spent per week consuming radio online in 2008, up from 4.2 hours in 2007.

Podcast have become an increasingly popular format for listening to new media and conventional radio programs after they air.

Also included in the study, half of metropolitan internet users admitted to viewing television content online, with 12% doing so on a regular basis.

“Australian connection speeds are constantly improving as more individuals move away from ‘fraudband’ connections which are slower than 1.5mbps and tap into faster and cheaper plans,” said Tony Marlow, research director at Nielsen Online,

“Online audio and video streaming will be one of the big growth areas of 2009, and faster connectivity just facilitates these increasingly popular activities.”

Australia is however currently lagging behind other developed nations when it comes to internet connectivity speeds claims Marlow, with regional and rural citizens lagging even futher behind. One quarter of Australian users have connection speeds slower than 1.5mbps.

20% of respondents indicated they plan to upgrade their connection speed in the next 12 months, with 34% intending to upgrade to a speed of 24mbps.

Marlow said the online medium presents a great opportunity for traditional broadcasters to cash in on changing viewing habits.

“There is a significant opportunity for television to take advantage of the internet as a delivery mechanism and monetise quality video content in the online environment,” he said, “We know that users widely accept advertising-supported models online.”

This week, the Freeview consortium announced plans for an online catch-up TV portal, similar to US based Hulu. However, the online service is still 9-months away, with internet enabled set top boxes 24-months down the line.

Hopefully by then we’ll have seen some movement in the online broadband arena in terms of speed and bandwidth quotas.

Source: Bandt

It’s common knowledge that the ABC have been planning a kids channel for some time now, but will we ever see it come to fruition?

While Seven and Nine are yet to formally announce their plans for Freeview, the ABC forge ahead with their third channel; all while facing strong opposition to their plans.

A war now rages over the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s plans for their third digital channel, as online and new media content threaten to overshadow the once staple centre of the Australian home.

Paul Kalina of The Age reports.

The Nine Network will be implementing a new sales model for its new digital channel when it launches in the second half of the year.

The new model will see ad spots that are bought by Nine’s long-term advertising partners on their current channel, “automatically optimised” and inserted into programs with the same key demographic on the new multichannel.

The additional air-time will be at no extra cost to the advertiser.

Analysis and post-analysis for the ads will be merged with the data for Nine’s standard channel.

The move by the network to give away free ad space hints at some of the difficulties network’s will face with monetising from their new digital channels, especially in these tough economic times and in the world of the internet.

“The new channels are becoming harder to monetise, particularly today as the world of content opens up,” says Peter Wiltshire, Nine’s network sales director.

“And internationally it’s not a great story. Multi-channelling is a difficult business for networks and many are now managing decline. Delivering TV is getting more complex and more expensive.”

Wiltshire claims that Nine’s “new approach to the marketplace” will simplify the way ads are sold on the new channel and give advertisers greater value for money.

“Advertisers are looking for security in their investment in TV in an environment where they are facing new channel choice and an unknown future of content, and therefore the potential likelihood of fragmentation of audiences threatening the security of their primary investment,” he said.

“We’ve opted for the security offer to give advertisers certainty in uncertain times.”

Wiltshire says that its new sales model will be just one side of how it plans to support the “inevitable shift” to digital. He believes creativity and relationships with advertisers will be vital to television’s future.

Nine’s new sales model, while great for advertisers is however, a launch initiative from the network; and is subject to change once the new channel goes live.

Nine has yet to formally announce their plans for their new digital channel, however its widely believe to be a general entertainment channel and will broadcast the content from the network’s huge catalogue of un-aired content.

Wiltshire said the network is aiming for an August launch date for their new digital channel.

Source: Bandt

'7 is Heaven' will be the new name for daytime programming on digital channel '72'. While bizarre, not entirely unbelievable from the network with "Mr. TV Man" as their main mascot.

The Seven Network have finally put their money where their mouth is, and have announced their multi-channelling plans for the Freeview platform.

The network will launch with three distinct channels from November, including their current SD digital channel ‘7′, a re-launched ’7 HD’ and an all new ‘7 Extra’.

While speaking at the “Get ready for digital TV” forum in Sydney this morning, Seven’s CEO David Leckie said “the current economic crisis has put a lot of things into perspective. Our multi-channelling plans will address these issues.”

First up is the new HD channel. The network will continue using the ‘Seven HD’ moniker for channel ‘70′, which will be dedicate to all Australian content.

It will screen new first run lifestyle programs, time-shifted news and re-runs of Australian drama including ‘City Homicide’, ‘Packed to the Rafters’, ‘All Saints’, ‘Home and Away’ and older series like ‘Last Man Standing’, “HeadLand” and ‘A Country Practice’.

The channel will also show a simulcast of Seven’s regular channel ‘7′ in HD for select content, i.e., movies and other “must-see TV.”

Seven will re-launch ‘The Great Outdoors’, which has been MIA for some time now. Naomi Robson (‘Today Tonight’) and Charlie Delaney (‘Hi:5′, ‘Battle of the Choirs’) will be joining the travel show as globe trotting presenters.

‘Out of the Red’, is a new first run lifestyle program that will screen on the new 7HD. It will feature ‘Sunrise’ hosts, Mel and Kochie, as they help people bogged down by the current economic crisis. The new series will see the duo help families with their debts and give them tips for getting”out of the red”.

The network announced that they have several other new lifestyle programs in development which will be announced at a later date.

“Lifestyle programs are much more cost effective for us to produce in this current economic climate. The smaller budgets mean we can experiment with various concepts and ideas without breaking the bank” said Leckie. “We’ll offset our new lifestyle programming on the new 7HD with our large back-catalogue of great Aussie drama,” he added.

The network’s plans for their second standard definition channel, ‘7 Extra’ (‘72′), is a little more interesting.

In a bold move for the commercial broadcaster, the new channel will outsource its programming blocks to various content producers.

Deals have been struck with Walt Disney, Bloomberg Television, the Australian Christian Channel and various community television stations from around the country.

“By outsourcing the programming to different content providers, we’ll be able to create a diverse programming line up,” Leckie added. ”We’ve established a new shared advertising revenue scheme with the content producers, which will see lower up front costs for content.”

Each programming block will be themed depending on the content producer. The four banner names will be: ‘7 is Finance’, ‘7 is Heaven’, ‘7 is Adventure’ and ‘7 is Community’.

‘7 is Finance’ will run during the morning programming block (6 am to 11 am) and will feature non-stop finance reports from Bloomberg Television.

“Keeping people up to date with the markets is just another way we’ll be helping people during these troubled times,” said Leckie.

‘7 is Heaven’ will run during the daytime programming block (11 am to 5 pm) and will feature a schedule developed by the Australian Christian Channel. The ACC have several new programs in development including a new music program produced in conjunction with the Hillsong Church. It will be hosted by ‘Australian Idol’ winner and renowned Hillsong member Guy Sebastian.

Classic TV dramas including ‘Touched by an Angel’, ‘Joan of Arcadia’ and ‘7th Heaven’ will run throughout the week, while Sunday’s will feature live sermons from around the country.

“All of our daytime programming will be aimed at spreading hope and optimism to our viewers,” said Leckie.

“But the ‘adventure’ really begins on ‘7 Extra’ during prime-time,” he announced.

‘7 is Adventure’ will run between 5 pm and 1 am. It’ll feature content from the network’s output deal with Disney/ABC Studios. It will screen all of Disney’s classic animations like ‘Sleeping Beauty’ and ‘The Lion King’, as well as more mature content from Walt Disney Pictures, Touchstone Pictures and Miramax Films. Titles will include film franchises ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’,'The Chronicles of Narnia’ and ‘Kill Bill’, as well as box office hits like ‘Pearl Harbour’ and ‘Gangs of New York’.

TV series from ABC Studios will join the ‘7 is Adventure’ block, with ‘Desperate Housewives’, ‘Lost’, ‘Grey’s Anatomy’, ‘Brothers and Sister’, ‘Ugly Betty’, ’Scrubs’, ‘Commander in Chief’ and ‘Alias’ will all be getting a re-run on the new channel. ‘Night Stalker’, ‘Dirt’, ‘Kyle XY’ and ‘Greek’ will also make the move to free-to-air under the new ‘7 is Adventure’ block.

Disney channel movies and TV series like ‘High School Musical’, ‘Camp Rock’ and ‘Hannah Montana’ will air Saturday nights under the new ‘adventure’ banner.

From 1 am to 6 am, ‘7 is Community’ will screen, with original programming from Sydney’s TVS, Melbourne’s C31 and other community stations from around the country.

“We really want to embrace the community as a source of great entertainment,” said Leckie. “The new shared revenue scheme will really benefit independent content makers and allow them to create more ambitious programs.”

‘7 Extra’ will be broadcast on digital channel ‘72′.

“As the leaders in television, our mission is to bring viewers diverse and entertaining programs.”

“We believe that we’ve come up with a great strategy for our multi-channelling line up, which will provide both variety and quality,” Leckie concluded.

So after several long months, Seven’s digital TV plans have finally been unveiled and the all-Aussie channel and the outsourced programming channel are both pretty bold ideas for the network. It’s definitely the most comprehensive and unique plan we’ve seen from a free-to-air broadcaster so far.

Too bad we’ll have to wait until November.

Oh, and by the way…April fools!

While everyone continues to criticise Freeview, the free-to-air broadcasters are fighting back with the announcement of plans to deliver digital content on demand over the internet by December.

However the good news was overshadowed by another announcement, that the standard Freeview electronic program guide, which had been planned for May, would now not be available until the end of the year.

While speaking at the “Get ready for digital TV” forum in Sydney, Kim Dalton, chairman of Freeview and head of TV for the ABC, said much of the content on the 15 channels would be available “on demand and online” through a Freeview catch-up website supported by all five free-to-air broadcasters.

“Freeview intends to offer its own TV online and on-demand service,” Mr Dalton said. “This will be the most extensive online TV service in Australia.”

Freeview chief executive Robin Parkes also announced that within two years, Freeview would offer their own internet-enabled set-top boxes to enable catch-up TV viewing from the couch. Until then, the on demand service would be restricted to viewing via a web browser on your computer.

“The box with an internet connection is probably 24 months away,” Ms Parkes said.

Similar services are already available in the US via Boxee compatible devices such as the AppleTV (with free content from Hulu).

The Freeview body has been plagued with criticisms over its vague and confusing advertising campaign, as well as allegations that its first TV ad plagiarised a Ford Fiesta Europe commercial.

The most recent criticism came from manufacturers claiming that the Freeview specifications for hardware were unrealistic within the demanded timeframe.

The organisation expects to have signed up 15 hardware manufacturers to release Freeview-enabled equipment, available in stores as early as May 1, with the accompanying EPG set to launch at the end of the year.

The second (and hopefully less cryptic) phase of the Freeview $50 million advertising campaign will launch April 26.

Source: The Australian via TV Tonight

You'll have until 2013, to decipher all this jargon.

If the Freeview campaign wasn’t already confusing and annoying enough, the federal Government will begin a separate $6.7 million advertising campaign and labelling scheme to raise awareness of the switch to digital television.

The campaign, “Get ready for digital TV”, was announced in Sydney today by Stephen Conroy, Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy.

The campaign will include television and radio ads which will help explain digital TV to people and what they need to do to be ready.

Another part of the campaign will be a labelling scheme, which will ensure television equipment is labelled “digital-capable”, “digital-ready for standard definition” or “digital-ready for high-definition”.

These labels will no doubt sit side-by-side with the already confusing vast number of proprietary slogans, logos and jargon used by the manufacturers, like SONY’s “Bravia Full on Full HD” and “MotionFlow”, Sharp’s “Aquos ASV” and Panasonic’s ”Viera Link” and “Built In Genius”.

The labelling system has already started in Mildura VIC, which will be the first area to have its analogue-TV signals switched off.

The government has set December 2013 as the final switch off date for analogue television in Australia, with Mildura beginning the conversion process in the first half of next year.

Sydney and Melbourne will be the last markets to make the change.

Digital Switchover Taskforce executive director, Andy Townend, said the campaign will point consumers to a government information site (www.digitalready.gov.au) and to the digital switchover hotline.

Shaun Brown, managing director of SBS, today announced plans for their new digital TV channel, SBS TWO, at the Get Ready for Digital TV conference in Sydney.

“SBS2 means more of the world’s best stories, more in-language and first-run films, more sport, more news and current affairs and more chances to engage with the best that the world has to offer.”

“SBS2 will not simply be a time-shifted version of SBS1, although we aim to increase the opportunity for Australians to experience our quality news, current affairs and sports content that is so popular on our main channel.”

The network also hopes to expand their channel offerings to SBS3 and SBS4, but are awaiting the announcement of the May budget in which they hope to secure additional funding from the government.

The additional funding will help them provide more foreign news services and children’s programs or English language tuition.

SBS has reportedly asked for an additional $70 million a year over the next triennial funding period.

“Obviously SBS’s full plans for digital television are contingent on receiving adequate funding in the May budget, which is why our ambitions to expand our in-language news services and add English language tuition and in-language children’s programming are on hold.”

Until the outcome of the May budget is know, SBS will initially launch with their SBS2 Freeview offering from June 1. The net will broadcast the Ashes in England and the Tour de France live throughout July on both channels.

SBS2 will also replay time-shifted SBS news programs, screen local and international films, foreign entertainment and documentaries.

Source: The Australian