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ITV's Hub is its answer to BBC iPlayer and All 4
As more and more households embrace online TV services, broadcasters are changing the way they deliver content in order to better fit around their audience. Last year, the BBC updated the iPlayer website and apps, followed by Channel 4's rebranded All 4 portal in March. Now it's ITV's turn. The company announced today that it will scrap the existing ITV Player and ITV.com website and roll them into a new entity: The ITV Hub. It will house all of the channels you'd expect (ITV1, ITV2, ITV3, ITV4, CITV and ITVBe) and you'll be able to either watch live or stream on-demand via a smartphone, tablet, PC, connected TV or set-top box.
BBC iPlayer for iOS now gives you 30 days to watch downloaded shows
One of iPlayer's great features is the ability to download all of its programmes for offline viewing. The Beeb traditionally let you download and keep shows for up to seven days, allowing you to catch up on the commute to work, but as part of its iPlayer revamp, that period was extended to 30 days. After rolling out the feature on the Xbox One and Android devices last week, iPhone and iPad users can now join in the fun. Not only will you be able to download all the programmes you've missed today and carry them over until the New Year, the new update will also let you specify your location to access regional on-demand programmes via the TV Guide. Great if you're visiting friends and family over Christmas and need some entertainment during the post-dinner lull.
BBC iPlayer now gives you a month to catch up on programmes
Back in April, BBC Director General Tony Hall announced that as part of an iPlayer revamp, the default programme catch-up period would be extended from seven days to 30. It's taken just over six months, but the BBC has now agreed the necessary terms with rights-holders and widened its playback window for TV and radio programmes. The extension complements its recent redesign and cross-device resumable playback features, but not all content will adhere to the BBC's new availability rules: current affairs programmes like Match of the Day, Crimewatch and news reports will still be exempt, meaning you'll have to get catch up on those long shots and mugshots before that weekly playback period expires.
Sky's finally increasing the prices of its Now TV packages
It was back in May that Sky announced that Now TV bundles would cost you a little more each month, but never got around to implementing the rise. Five months later, and the company has now decided that the increases (£2 for Entertainment, £1 for Movies) will begin on October 16th. In exchange for more of your moolah, the £7 Entertainment bundle will offer Nickelodeon, Nick. Jr. and ITV Encore as well as an increased number of episodes to watch on catch-up and box-set services. Meanwhile, the £10 Movies package will now get a further 200 titles, as well as access to Sky Movies Disney, which shows around 150 extra titles from the House of Mouse. Hopefully some of that cash has also gone to resolving some of those long-standing reliability issues, too.
Channel 4 to replace 4oD with new 'All 4' service next year
Channel 4 basically pioneered online catch-up services when it launched 4oD for PCs eight years ago. Since then, 4oD has evolved and improved, most recently adding offline viewing for mobile devices and the ability to stream over 3G and 4G networks. Back in May, however, Channel 4 CEO David Abraham teased a "significant upgrade" to the service -- incidentally, the BBC pushed its iPlayer redesign out around the same time -- and today we're learning more about what that will entail. For starters, 4oD will be renamed "All 4" to reflect its comprehensive nature, with a new logo for good measure. It'll incorporate all the live channel feeds, on-demand content and Channel 4 shorts you can already find on 4oD, but packaged in a brand new user interface.
4oD catch-up apps now support mobile streaming
While Channel 4's catch-up service 4oD has been available on mobile for a number of years, viewers were always limited to streaming their favourite shows over a Wi-Fi connection. That changed at the start of the month when the broadcaster updated its iOS app to deliver streams over 3G and 4G connections. It took a couple of weeks, but it's now equipped its Android app with the same capability. That means you can now stream full Channel 4, E4 and More4 programmes when you're on the move and enjoy "4Shorts," hundreds of clips, extras and trailers from your favourite shows. If you wanted to stream Countdown while on your daily commute, you can now do so on either your iOS or Android device.
BBC to extend iPlayer catch-up period to 30 days
Remember when the BBC's latest chief pledged to revamp the iPlayer? His bosses at the BBC Trust have just rubber-stamped the decision to extend the catch-up window from seven days to 30. The changes will take some time to implement, since there's various technical and legal hoops to jump through, but the corporation expects the new system to be in place by the summer. Happy viewing.
BBC to offer 30-day catch-up and more online shows as part of iPlayer revamp
The BBC believes it's only just getting started with its iPlayer catch-up service and has laid out new plans for it to become the corporation's primary source of digital content. Led by Director-General Tony Hall, the BBC says it will commit to more exclusive content for online audiences, focusing on popular brands like Doctor Who and Eastenders, while extending the availability of catch-up shows from seven to 30 days so you can watch them back at a more convenient time. Hall's new "vision" will also include the launch of "BBC Store" -- an online marketplace that allows you to buy TV shows and keep them forever (if you live in the UK). Currently, TV shows can be downloaded to a number of devices, but are subject to time restrictions. The broadcaster wants to double its online audience by 2022 -- reaching 500 million users a week by the time it celebrates its centenary. In order to do this, the BBC wants to change the perception of iPlayer as a catch-up service and position it as destination that allows you to curate your own TV viewing schedule. With access to more content before it is on TV, the BBC will provide options to pause and resume viewing on one screen to another, also letting you provide feedback on the shows that you'd like to see more (or less) of. The BBC plans to relaunch iPlayer in the first half of 2014, putting it on a level footing with its traditional TV channels.
Sky adds 'The Wire' and other high-profile TV box-sets to its VOD collection
With the news that Netflix is being brought to Virgin Media's TiVo boxes, Sky needs to cook up some sort of response. That's why the broadcaster has thrown some money around to offer those premium US dramas everyone raved about before Breaking Bad (The Wire, The Sopranos and Mad Men). If you own a Sky+HD box and use Sky Go, you can now binge down on those shows, plus offerings like Seinfeld and Boardwalk Empire. The new collections will be added from tomorrow, nestled alongside existing domestic fare like I'm Alan Partridge and The Inbetweeners. At the same time, Sky has let slip that more channels will be coming to its Catch-Up TV service including Discovery, Star, Watch, G.O.L.D. and E! -- hopefully meaning we'll never again miss an episode of The Soup ever again.
ITV Player revamp brings ad-free TV rentals, keeps the free catch-ups
As a profit-driven network, ITV has its work cut out in the online streaming world when the BBC's iPlayer looms overhead. How do you compete with a cultural institution? Its solution these days is one of sheer choice: it's launching a publicly available beta of its ITV Player refresh that offers TV show rentals. While viewers will have free, ad-backed viewing for the last month's worth of programming, they'll also have the choice of renting 30-day access to archived episodes at 49p (79 cents) each without the pesky commercials in between. Anyone who just can't get enough Collision can spring for a 90-day rental of a whole series at a lower total price, and the broadcaster is even planning trials of streaming-first episode premieres -- if only we were so forward-thinking in the US. We'd question the wisdom of anyone who really, truly needs an uninterrupted The Only Way is Essex, but at least those who want fodder for water cooler chats can blast through their pseudo-reality TV at a record pace.
Virgin Media TiVo gets an iOS app, adds BBC iPlayer catch-up streams
The Virgin Media TiVo isn't done adding new features, as a staff member revealed that starting today the box has access to catch-up content from BBC's iPlayer. That comes just a few days after it followed up the launch of an Android remote DVR scheduling app with one for the iPhone, so some of the predictions we'd heard earlier may be coming true. The iPlayer links should be live now, hit the source link to grab the app from iTunes.
Catch up for Sentinel's Fate with a bonus exp weekend
Behind on your leveling? Stuck in a mire of experience? Looking for a quick boost to get you set for the latest expansion to EverQuest II, Sentinel's Fate? Well, starting at 3 PM PT today (6 PM for those of us on the east coast) you'll be able to get bonus experience to everything you do in EverQuest II! Leveling experience, alternate advancement experience, tradeskill experience, country experience, and western experience will all benefit from the bonus event. (Editor's Note: We don't remember country or western experience being in EQII, but hey, he is the executive producer, after all. He should know what he's talking about.) Your new experience buff will be running out on Monday at Noon PT (3 PM ET) so be sure to take advantage of it while you can! Get some more experience under your belt before Sentinel's Fate launches on Tuesday!
