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Virgin Media's TiVo UI is getting a welcome makeover
If you were one of Virgin Media's early TiVo adopters, you won't have noticed the user interface change much over the last four years. Well, Virgin's decided it's high time for a significant redesign (with TiVo doing much of the legwork), and it'll begin hitting several thousand set-top boxes next week, with a wider rollout starting late October. We were treated to a preview of the update today, and the visual differences are immediately obvious. The red background has been ousted by a new "plum" colour (that's purple, to you and me), and is joined by a new font and minimalist logo that's part of Virgin Media's ongoing rebrand. The whole menu system is displayed in a higher-resolution than before, too, but it's not just a reskin, and should be quicker and slicker to navigate.
BT Sports now available on Virgin TV: free for some, £15 per month for others
BT is swiftly becoming a sports broadcasting force in the UK after acquiring ESPN UK and Ireland in February, then launching two of its own channels at the beginning of August. It's now found a teammate in Virgin Media, and a newly inked, three-year deal will see BT Sport 1, 2, ESPN and their HD counterparts available through Sir Richard's cable TV service. From today, all those channels go free for subscribers of the TV XL package, or can be added to other tiers for £15 per month. Watching through Virgin's TV Anywhere app is currently not supported but will be "soon," letting you gasp, shout and throw obscenities at even more screens.
TiVo TV Anywhere app, multi-room streaming launch for Virgin Media viewers
British TiVo owners with Virgin Media have sometimes had to watch as their American counterparts get first crack at the latest extras, not the least of which have been the mobile apps. The UK has just caught up, and then some, now that Virgin has rolled out a finished TV Anywhere app for iOS, Macs and Windows PCs. While the software has the obligatory DVR queuing and remote controls, the "anywhere" portion comes through a selection of as many as 45 live TV channels accessible from most any broadband internet connection. Reinforcing that connected vibe is fresh multi-room streaming to share recorded shows with that TiVo in the basement. TV Anywhere and multi-room support are both gratis parts of a subscription, so Virgin customers have every excuse to liberate their TV viewing. [Thanks, Stuart]
AT&T relaunches streaming video site as U-verse Online
U-verse Online is now live, a refreshed version of last year's AT&T Entertainment site with aggregated streaming video for all and an eye towards premium exclusive content for the U-verse subscriber set later. The press release also remembers to mention features we're waiting for like that sweet U-Verse Mobile app and its "later this year" release date, but for now all they have to offer on the TV Anywhere-style sit is an apparently expanded set of content partners. The account options U-verse subs used to find on the uconnect.att.com site have been moved to the new site as well just in case promises of what's to come weren't enough to earn it a spot in your bookmarks.
Comcast TV Everywhere launch details: December, free for existing subs, really goes anywhere
Comcast's Amy Banse just hit the stage at NewTeeVee Live and announced key details about the company's new On Demand Online launch. If you can't check out the video (embedded after the break) here's the important stuff: It will be available at no additional cost to existing subscribers and allow the authorization of up to 3 devices per household. Log in once from home to Comcast.net or Fancast.com, download the Move Networks powered player to authorize your PC and proceed to stream from the very healthy library of VOD, whether at home or anywhere else, despite previous rumors to the contrary. The bad news? Yes, this does still count against the 250GB monthly cap if used at home and still no word on HD streaming, but within the concept of making content available to subscribers wherever they want to view it, this seems like a good first step. [Via Media Experiences 2 Go]
Comcast On Demand Online rolls out fully this year, but stops at the front door
Following the 5,000 person beta already ongoing, Comcast is apparently ready to deliver the On Demand Online experience to all of its customers by the end of the year, with a few rather significant caveats. At launch one the much hyped placeshifting element of the service will not be live, for the time being you'll need internet and TV service, and it will only work at home. Still, if queuing up last night's ep of Mad Men on your laptop is all you're looking for there should be a decent library of content to choose from with 24 cable networks signed on, and a $0 additional cost for the service. Our excitement level depends mostly on how quickly HD streaming and on the go access becomes a part of the package.
AT&T gives U-verse a streaming video portal without joining the TV Anywhere party
Not wanting to let it's cable and fiber competitors run away with all the streaming fun, AT&T has launched its own streaming video site in the vein of Sling.com and the various TV Anywhere related projects. Currently anyone who checks out the site can view all the content, including some provided by Hulu and CBS Interactive, but the plan is to include some walled off premium video for U-verse subscribers in the future.
Poll: Will you ever use On Demand Online?
Comcast , Time Warner and assorted partners are throwing a big push behind the upcoming On Demand Online / TV Anywhere trial, clearly attempting to preserve their business model and keep customers signed up for cable. You've heard our thoughts so far in video, audio and text, now it's your turn to speak up. So, are you just not that impressed by watching TV on your computer, or do you think on demand place shifting could be the next big thing and a big reason to keep / switch to cable? Pick a response and let us know in the comments below.%Poll-31984%
DirecTV shows interest in internet TV initiative, TWC chief gets even more serious
We heard that the cable industry (or at least TWC and Comcast) could begin offering up a lot of pay-TV content to subscribers via the web by this summer, but frankly, we didn't believe it. But thanks to new quotes from Time Warner chief executive Jeff Bewkes and DirecTV CEO Chase Carey, you can safely put us in the "believer" camp. Reportedly, TWC is looking to provide pay-TV content via the internet and even on mobile devices for no extra charge. Bewkes even noted that "everything on television should become available to [customers] on broadband for free," which is pretty amazing for a cable guy to say. DirecTV also seems kosher with the idea of giving in before customers simply jump ship, with its head honcho intelligently stating that "in the past, when a company tries to stop or block something from happening, it's usually failed." Oh, and this whole regime could totally be the shot in the arm mobile TV providers have been yearning for.Read - TWC names TV-by-internet offeringRead - DirecTV following suit