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Apple loses video streaming patent case in Germany
OpenTV might not be able to beat Apple in a popularity contest, but it just won a court case against Tim Cook and his crew in Germany. The software maker filed a lawsuit against Apple in 2014, accusing the company of infringing on five patents related to video streaming technologies used by iPhones, iPads, Macs and Apple TV. Well, Cupertino has recently received some bad news, because the Dusseldorf District Court has ruled in OpenTV's favor. The court told the tech titan that any product it sells in Germany must not use the technologies that infringe on OpenTV's patents.
OpenTV owner sues Netflix over patent infringement
OpenTV isn't a name on the tips of most consumers tongues. Neither is Kudelski SA, the company behind the video middleware platform, most commonly found on cable set top boxes. But brand recognition may increase now that the firm is taking streaming video giant Netflix to court. At issue are a collection of patents related to content delivery and DRM which Kudelski says Netflix has refused to license from it. The company now feels its only course of action is to take Reed Hastings and his crew to the mat in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware. Unlike some other markets we can think of, the streaming video field hasn't yet devolved into constant patent battles. But as more companies enter the fray, like Walmart and Amazon, there's a chance we'll see the number of courtroom brawls explode.
Fandango iTV app comes to DISH Network
We've never really understood the premise of at-home theater ticket buying unless you're trying to beat the crowd to a hot showing. Is it really that much more convenient to wait in line to present a Fandango confirmation compared to waiting in line to buy tickets? For DISH Network subscribers who've got it all figured out, you'll be elated to know that a new Fandango iTV application has just arrived to provide on-couch ticket ordering. Best of all, the functionality isn't set-top-box specific; anyone who tunes to channel 100 will have the option to buy, and all you have to do is show the credit card at the cinema to gain entrance. You can go ahead and color us underwhelmed and out of the loop simultaneously if you choose.
OpenTV brings movie portal application to Canada's Bell TV
For Bell TV subscribers looking for hints of anything new, we've finally something to share with you. OpenTV, an interactive TV middleware provider, has just launched a "movie portal application" that will deliver content from programming partner Super Channel. As expected, it provides viewers with a "themed search option, as well as a scheduling option that lets viewers set up recordings and reminders several weeks in advance of a movie's broadcast." Underneath, this seems to be just another attempt to highlight certain programs and get non-subscribers to subscribe, but when new material is this hard to come by, it's tough to complain.
Foxtel gets official with quad-tuner iQ2 HD DVR
Foxtel's HD+ services may have launched a few days back in Australia, but that's not stopping OpenTV from pushing out a release trumpeting the arrival of the iQ2. As you could likely guess, the set-top-box is powered by OpenTV's Core2 middleware, but frankly, that's not the part we're interested in. Merely hearing the words "quad-tuner" just gets our juices flowing, and with nearly "double the recordable capacity" of the current Foxtel iQ, we'd say it's a surefire winner for Aussies looking to delve into the beautiful world of high-definition.
OpenTV gets inside 100 million set-top-boxes and TVs
For those unfamiliar with OpenTV, it's best known for its interactivity software that sits within a whole slew of DVRs on the market and in homes today. Recently, the company passed the rather impressive 100 million milestone, as its technology has been integrated into "more digital set-top boxes and televisions than any of its competitors" since deployment began in 1997. It goes on to boast about its involvement with enabling DISH Network customers to complete polls and play interactive games, and while we'd assume the next hundred million will come a bit quicker than the first, we'll certainly pause and dole out kudos for making it this far.
Targeted advertising coming to a commercial break near you
Although Microsoft has patented an advertising "gotcha" to insert fresh plugs into previously recorded shows, Visible World and OpenTV are taking targeted advertising to a whole new level. While the systems have been trialed for some time now, Visible World's variable ad system will hit the mainstream when Wendy's commercials on Fox Sports' NFL broadcasts feature raccoons that seemingly know what just happened on the field. The 'coons will bust out comments about how boring the scoreless match is, how crazy that touchdown pass was, or how miserable that shirtless guy in the front row must be in the below-freezing weather. Eventually, both firms hope to focus ads right down to individual households, claiming that "dog-related advertisements" would show up primarily in dog-owning households, and that Ford commercials could be specifically shown to compete with local / regional competition in a given area. Still, for those programs that we can stand to watch later, we doubt a slightly clever advertisement will keep our fingers off the FF button, but at least this stuff makes those live broadcasts a bit less painstaking.
