ITV

Tag: Roku

  • 4K content, TV and OTT players: Why India needs to take note

    4K content, TV and OTT players: Why India needs to take note

    MUMBAI: Here’s why Indian OTT players, TV broadcasters and content creators need to take 4K seriously. A new research report Digital TV & Video: Network and OTT Strategies 2016-2021 from Juniper Reseatch has predicted that 4K OTT services will attract over 189 million unique users globally by 2021, up from just 2.3 million this year, driven by greater content availability and compatible devices.

    While connected TVs will be the dominant platform, viewership will take place through a range of devices, including smartphones, tablets and PCs.

    The report points out that a large part of the adoption will take place in the US, as an increasing amount of viewers there take to 4K internet TV and video content watching taking number of the tribe up to 1 in 10 by 2021 as against the 1 in 500 consuming it, there will be offtake in India too. With the dropping of bandwidth and data costs courtesy telecom price wars, and the spread of 4G LTE, India which is a mobile rich country, should see increasing video – even 4K – being consumed on the go on hand held devices and at home.

    The new research found that although YouTube, Netflix and Amazon already offer some 4K video, network providers have been waiting for a critical mass of content to become available before launching their own 4K offer. However, 2016 has seen roll-out of a number of new 4K offerings, such as the launch of the Sky Q 4K service in the UK, coupled with new hardware launches to provide a means of streaming online 4K content.

    Indeed, device compatibility in the past has proved to be a significant barrier for online 4K video.

    Research author Lauren Foye explained: ‘The popularity of online video has seen the use of set-top boxes from vendors such as Roku and Amazon soar. However, delivery mechanisms for content have seen slower adoption, as the availability of 4K capable streaming devices is limited. New device launches, such as the 4K capable Xbox One S this month, among others, are likely to spur a boost in 4K usage.’

    Juniper is cautiously optimistic about the progress of 8K. Whilst there is one commercially available 8K TV currently on the market (priced at $133,000), 8K content is a long way from becoming mainstream. In a similar form to 4K, Juniper sees 8K smart TVs emerging first, followed by streaming devices and set-top boxes, making this a drawn out process.

    With Japan seeking to broadcast the 2020 Olympics in 8K, the industry is likely to use this as an opportunity to drive sales of 8K smart TVs. Juniper forecasts that 8K smart TV shipments will grow more than threefold between 2020 and 2021, to reach over 400,000 per annum by the end of the forecast period.

  • 4K content, TV and OTT players: Why India needs to take note

    4K content, TV and OTT players: Why India needs to take note

    MUMBAI: Here’s why Indian OTT players, TV broadcasters and content creators need to take 4K seriously. A new research report Digital TV & Video: Network and OTT Strategies 2016-2021 from Juniper Reseatch has predicted that 4K OTT services will attract over 189 million unique users globally by 2021, up from just 2.3 million this year, driven by greater content availability and compatible devices.

    While connected TVs will be the dominant platform, viewership will take place through a range of devices, including smartphones, tablets and PCs.

    The report points out that a large part of the adoption will take place in the US, as an increasing amount of viewers there take to 4K internet TV and video content watching taking number of the tribe up to 1 in 10 by 2021 as against the 1 in 500 consuming it, there will be offtake in India too. With the dropping of bandwidth and data costs courtesy telecom price wars, and the spread of 4G LTE, India which is a mobile rich country, should see increasing video – even 4K – being consumed on the go on hand held devices and at home.

    The new research found that although YouTube, Netflix and Amazon already offer some 4K video, network providers have been waiting for a critical mass of content to become available before launching their own 4K offer. However, 2016 has seen roll-out of a number of new 4K offerings, such as the launch of the Sky Q 4K service in the UK, coupled with new hardware launches to provide a means of streaming online 4K content.

    Indeed, device compatibility in the past has proved to be a significant barrier for online 4K video.

    Research author Lauren Foye explained: ‘The popularity of online video has seen the use of set-top boxes from vendors such as Roku and Amazon soar. However, delivery mechanisms for content have seen slower adoption, as the availability of 4K capable streaming devices is limited. New device launches, such as the 4K capable Xbox One S this month, among others, are likely to spur a boost in 4K usage.’

    Juniper is cautiously optimistic about the progress of 8K. Whilst there is one commercially available 8K TV currently on the market (priced at $133,000), 8K content is a long way from becoming mainstream. In a similar form to 4K, Juniper sees 8K smart TVs emerging first, followed by streaming devices and set-top boxes, making this a drawn out process.

    With Japan seeking to broadcast the 2020 Olympics in 8K, the industry is likely to use this as an opportunity to drive sales of 8K smart TVs. Juniper forecasts that 8K smart TV shipments will grow more than threefold between 2020 and 2021, to reach over 400,000 per annum by the end of the forecast period.

  • Care World TV now live on Apple TV

    Care World TV now live on Apple TV

    MUMBAI: Care World TV, the global healthcare television channel is now available on Apple TV. Besides being available on Apple TV, the wellness channel is also available on popular streaming players including Roku, Yupp TV and a host of other platforms.

    Care world TV says that introducing itself on Apple TV is an attempt to take advantage of opportunities offered by digital media even with the hold of DTH today. “With technological advances the industry is going through a phase of transition. While Direct To Home (DTH) and cable is relevant today and will continue to remain relevant for a long time, it is also a fact that we are seeing action in digital media streaming services, as is evident by the success of movies and TV series providers like Netflix and Amazon.” says Care World MD Mr. Ajit Gupta.

    The channel has shows which are dedicated to health, beauty, diet, wellness, sex and also has an interactive show where audiences can consult doctors directly.

    Gupta says that Care world TV is also extending its reach through mobile apps on android and iOs, online channels and the latest being the content streaming devices. Gupta reveals,“Care World TV has become synonymous with the world of health, fitness and wellness. Nine years ago, when we had set out to explore this domain and to bring to the audiences the crux of a wholesome, healthy lifestyle, we had imagined this day to come. The channel’s reach extends via a host of platforms including Android and iOS apps.

    The channel claims that its programming is focused on physical and psychological aspect of human health, and it incorporates various aspect of the subject. “Our aspiration is to provide everyone access to legitimate advice on health and to meet this cause we will continue to evolve and better the quality and reach of our programmes,” concludes Gupta.

  • Care World TV now live on Apple TV

    Care World TV now live on Apple TV

    MUMBAI: Care World TV, the global healthcare television channel is now available on Apple TV. Besides being available on Apple TV, the wellness channel is also available on popular streaming players including Roku, Yupp TV and a host of other platforms.

    Care world TV says that introducing itself on Apple TV is an attempt to take advantage of opportunities offered by digital media even with the hold of DTH today. “With technological advances the industry is going through a phase of transition. While Direct To Home (DTH) and cable is relevant today and will continue to remain relevant for a long time, it is also a fact that we are seeing action in digital media streaming services, as is evident by the success of movies and TV series providers like Netflix and Amazon.” says Care World MD Mr. Ajit Gupta.

    The channel has shows which are dedicated to health, beauty, diet, wellness, sex and also has an interactive show where audiences can consult doctors directly.

    Gupta says that Care world TV is also extending its reach through mobile apps on android and iOs, online channels and the latest being the content streaming devices. Gupta reveals,“Care World TV has become synonymous with the world of health, fitness and wellness. Nine years ago, when we had set out to explore this domain and to bring to the audiences the crux of a wholesome, healthy lifestyle, we had imagined this day to come. The channel’s reach extends via a host of platforms including Android and iOS apps.

    The channel claims that its programming is focused on physical and psychological aspect of human health, and it incorporates various aspect of the subject. “Our aspiration is to provide everyone access to legitimate advice on health and to meet this cause we will continue to evolve and better the quality and reach of our programmes,” concludes Gupta.

  • NBCU’s Fandango acquires Warner’s Flixster & Rotten Tomatoes

    NBCU’s Fandango acquires Warner’s Flixster & Rotten Tomatoes

    MUMBAI: Once known simply as an online movie ticketer, NBCUniversal’s Fandango has made impressive strides over the last several years to evolve its business into an experience brand that super-serves consumers throughout a movie’s lifecycle.

    Now going a step further, Fandango has signed an agreement to acquire digital movie brands Flixster and Rotten Tomatoes, owned by Warner Bros Entertainment.

    The addition of Flixster and Rotten Tomatoes, along with Fandango’s recent acquisition of on-demand video service M-GO, will expand the company’s theatrical ticketing business and create the industry’s premier digital network for all things movies.  

    With this acquisition, Fandango’s combined audience reach will grow to over 63 million unique visitors per month and more than 100 million mobile app downloads, and offer consumers the most comprehensive resource for movie information, theatrical ticketing, movie trailers and original video content for movie discovery, and home entertainment.  

    Flixster and Rotten Tomatoes, including its world-famous Tomatometer rating tool (representing the percentage of positive professional reviews for a given film or television show) will continue as consumer-facing brands, as well as exciting new additions to Fandango’s digital network. As part of the deal, Warner Bros. Entertainment will take a minority ownership stake in Fandango and serve as an ongoing strategic partner. Fandango will remain a unit of NBCUniversal.

    “Flixster and Rotten Tomatoes are invaluable resources for movie fans, and we look forward to growing these successful properties, driving more theatrical ticketing and super-serving consumers with all their movie needs,” said Fandango president Paul Yanover. “Our new expanded network will also offer unparalleled capabilities for all of our exhibition, studio and promotional partners to reach a massive entertainment audience with innovative marketing and ticketing opportunities,” he added.

    In January, Fandango acquired M-GO, a leading digital distributor of new release and catalog movies to a wide variety of connected, over-the-top (OTT) and mobile devices including Android, iOS, Samsung, LG, Roku, and others. With M-GO (to be rebranded later this year), Fandango plans to work with exhibitors and studios to build streamlined solutions for “super tickets,” theatrical ticketing and home entertainment product bundles, gifts with purchase and other new promotional opportunities.

    Fandango’s vision for super-serving consumers throughout the movie lifecycle is also extending globally.  Just four months ago, Fandango made its first move internationally and acquired Brazil’s Ingresso.com, the top online ticketer in South America’s largest movie marketplace.
    The addition of Rotten Tomatoes will also strengthen Fandango’s presence overseas, as the Tomatometer is also used by international movie lovers.

    Fandango’s most recent acquisitions follow on the heels of the company’s record-breaking year in 2015, where it experienced 81 per cent growth in US ticketing, and for the first time in a single year, received more than one billion visits.

  • NBCU’s Fandango acquires Warner’s Flixster & Rotten Tomatoes

    NBCU’s Fandango acquires Warner’s Flixster & Rotten Tomatoes

    MUMBAI: Once known simply as an online movie ticketer, NBCUniversal’s Fandango has made impressive strides over the last several years to evolve its business into an experience brand that super-serves consumers throughout a movie’s lifecycle.

    Now going a step further, Fandango has signed an agreement to acquire digital movie brands Flixster and Rotten Tomatoes, owned by Warner Bros Entertainment.

    The addition of Flixster and Rotten Tomatoes, along with Fandango’s recent acquisition of on-demand video service M-GO, will expand the company’s theatrical ticketing business and create the industry’s premier digital network for all things movies.  

    With this acquisition, Fandango’s combined audience reach will grow to over 63 million unique visitors per month and more than 100 million mobile app downloads, and offer consumers the most comprehensive resource for movie information, theatrical ticketing, movie trailers and original video content for movie discovery, and home entertainment.  

    Flixster and Rotten Tomatoes, including its world-famous Tomatometer rating tool (representing the percentage of positive professional reviews for a given film or television show) will continue as consumer-facing brands, as well as exciting new additions to Fandango’s digital network. As part of the deal, Warner Bros. Entertainment will take a minority ownership stake in Fandango and serve as an ongoing strategic partner. Fandango will remain a unit of NBCUniversal.

    “Flixster and Rotten Tomatoes are invaluable resources for movie fans, and we look forward to growing these successful properties, driving more theatrical ticketing and super-serving consumers with all their movie needs,” said Fandango president Paul Yanover. “Our new expanded network will also offer unparalleled capabilities for all of our exhibition, studio and promotional partners to reach a massive entertainment audience with innovative marketing and ticketing opportunities,” he added.

    In January, Fandango acquired M-GO, a leading digital distributor of new release and catalog movies to a wide variety of connected, over-the-top (OTT) and mobile devices including Android, iOS, Samsung, LG, Roku, and others. With M-GO (to be rebranded later this year), Fandango plans to work with exhibitors and studios to build streamlined solutions for “super tickets,” theatrical ticketing and home entertainment product bundles, gifts with purchase and other new promotional opportunities.

    Fandango’s vision for super-serving consumers throughout the movie lifecycle is also extending globally.  Just four months ago, Fandango made its first move internationally and acquired Brazil’s Ingresso.com, the top online ticketer in South America’s largest movie marketplace.
    The addition of Rotten Tomatoes will also strengthen Fandango’s presence overseas, as the Tomatometer is also used by international movie lovers.

    Fandango’s most recent acquisitions follow on the heels of the company’s record-breaking year in 2015, where it experienced 81 per cent growth in US ticketing, and for the first time in a single year, received more than one billion visits.

  • NBCU’s Fandango snaps up DreamWorks & Technicolor’s movie streaming service

    NBCU’s Fandango snaps up DreamWorks & Technicolor’s movie streaming service

    MUMBAI: NBCUniversal’s Fandango has acquired the movie streaming service M-Go, which is jointly owned by Technicolor and DreamWorks Animation.

     

    M-GO offers new release and catalog movies from studios and television programming to a wide variety of connected, over-the-top (OTT) and mobile devices including Android, iOS, Samsung, LG, Roku, and others.

     

    The acquisition comes on the heels of Fandango’s record-breaking 2015, when the company experienced 81 per cent growth in ticketing dollars year-over-year and added more than 1,600 new screens, bringing its total US screen count to more than 27,000. 

     

    “With the addition of M-GO, we’ll be able to accelerate the ticketing momentum achieved in a record-breaking 2015 by creating compelling new digital products that serve consumers throughout the movie lifecycle,” said Fandango president Paul Yanover. “We’re excited to start working with our studio and exhibition partners to bundle theatrical tickets and home entertainment products in the form of ‘super tickets,’ gifts with purchase, and other promotional offers.”

     

    By creating theatrical ticketing and home entertainment bundles, Fandango will offer compelling “super ticket” products such as special “movie catch-up” bundles with franchise movie instalments, home entertainment pre-sell opportunities, and bundles with bonus content, collectible memorabilia, fan experiences, and more. 

     

    Furthering its goal to super-serve moviegoers, in 2015 the company increased its investment in ticketing and launched FandangoLabs, a new research and development group that was formed in collaboration with movie and technology industry leaders to innovate and enhance the moviegoing experience. Moving forward, FandangoLabs will utilise the capabilities of the M-GO platform in the creation of new moviegoing products and services.

     

    Along with the acquisition, the Universal Filmed Entertainment Group and Technicolor will work together to explore opportunities to collaborate on next-generation video technologies, inclusive of augmented and virtual reality, to accelerate innovation in this immersive space.

  • NBCU’s Fandango snaps up DreamWorks & Technicolor’s movie streaming service

    NBCU’s Fandango snaps up DreamWorks & Technicolor’s movie streaming service

    MUMBAI: NBCUniversal’s Fandango has acquired the movie streaming service M-Go, which is jointly owned by Technicolor and DreamWorks Animation.

     

    M-GO offers new release and catalog movies from studios and television programming to a wide variety of connected, over-the-top (OTT) and mobile devices including Android, iOS, Samsung, LG, Roku, and others.

     

    The acquisition comes on the heels of Fandango’s record-breaking 2015, when the company experienced 81 per cent growth in ticketing dollars year-over-year and added more than 1,600 new screens, bringing its total US screen count to more than 27,000. 

     

    “With the addition of M-GO, we’ll be able to accelerate the ticketing momentum achieved in a record-breaking 2015 by creating compelling new digital products that serve consumers throughout the movie lifecycle,” said Fandango president Paul Yanover. “We’re excited to start working with our studio and exhibition partners to bundle theatrical tickets and home entertainment products in the form of ‘super tickets,’ gifts with purchase, and other promotional offers.”

     

    By creating theatrical ticketing and home entertainment bundles, Fandango will offer compelling “super ticket” products such as special “movie catch-up” bundles with franchise movie instalments, home entertainment pre-sell opportunities, and bundles with bonus content, collectible memorabilia, fan experiences, and more. 

     

    Furthering its goal to super-serve moviegoers, in 2015 the company increased its investment in ticketing and launched FandangoLabs, a new research and development group that was formed in collaboration with movie and technology industry leaders to innovate and enhance the moviegoing experience. Moving forward, FandangoLabs will utilise the capabilities of the M-GO platform in the creation of new moviegoing products and services.

     

    Along with the acquisition, the Universal Filmed Entertainment Group and Technicolor will work together to explore opportunities to collaborate on next-generation video technologies, inclusive of augmented and virtual reality, to accelerate innovation in this immersive space.

  • Sky to launch advanced Now TV box developed by Roku

    Sky to launch advanced Now TV box developed by Roku

    MUMBAI: Sky’s online TV streaming service Now TV will be launching its most advanced TV box later this year. The new Now TV Smart Box will bring together Now TV’s wide range of pay TV content and over 60 live free-to-air channels.

     

    Now TV worked with Silicon Valley based Roku Inc. to develop the new Now TV Smart Box, which will sit alongside the existing Now TV Box. The pricing details and further information will be made available later in the year. 

     

    Additionally customers with a Now TV Box will see new a brand new interface (UI) roll out to their TVs from February. The new-look UI will include a number of new features including a content-rich homepage offering editorial recommendations of what to watch across catch up TV apps and pay TV content from Now TV. A new ‘Best of Catch Up’ section, curated by content partners, will also arrive showcasing all the best shows our customers may have missed in one place.

     

    Now TV director Gidon Katz said, “The launch of our new homepage on the Now TV Box will make it easier than ever for our customers to quickly find and watch their favourite shows. And when the new Now TV Smart Box arrives later this year, it will be the perfect one-stop box to get a contract-free, flexible way of watching the best of pay TV and free-to-air content all in one place.”

  • Sky to launch advanced Now TV box developed by Roku

    Sky to launch advanced Now TV box developed by Roku

    MUMBAI: Sky’s online TV streaming service Now TV will be launching its most advanced TV box later this year. The new Now TV Smart Box will bring together Now TV’s wide range of pay TV content and over 60 live free-to-air channels.

     

    Now TV worked with Silicon Valley based Roku Inc. to develop the new Now TV Smart Box, which will sit alongside the existing Now TV Box. The pricing details and further information will be made available later in the year. 

     

    Additionally customers with a Now TV Box will see new a brand new interface (UI) roll out to their TVs from February. The new-look UI will include a number of new features including a content-rich homepage offering editorial recommendations of what to watch across catch up TV apps and pay TV content from Now TV. A new ‘Best of Catch Up’ section, curated by content partners, will also arrive showcasing all the best shows our customers may have missed in one place.

     

    Now TV director Gidon Katz said, “The launch of our new homepage on the Now TV Box will make it easier than ever for our customers to quickly find and watch their favourite shows. And when the new Now TV Smart Box arrives later this year, it will be the perfect one-stop box to get a contract-free, flexible way of watching the best of pay TV and free-to-air content all in one place.”