Archive for the ‘BBC’ Category

BBC and Virgin Media have struck a new deal which will further enhance the user’s experience of the TiVo service.

An enhanced Red Button service offering extra interactive features, on demand video streams and BBC Online content will become available to Virgin Media TiVo customers in 2012, along with the BBC Sport and BBC News apps.

Viewers will be able to experience improved, varied and more detailed content during the major sporting events of 2012, including the London 2012 Olympics, Euro 2012, Wimbledon and the new F1 season.

The deal between the two heavyweights follows the successful addition of BBC iPlayer to Virgin Media’s TiVo service, which already offers a wealth of eye-catching features such as the ‘thumbs up, thumbs down’ option allowing you to rate shows you watch, and the impressive TiVo Search.

Jane Weedon, Controller of Business Development, BBC Future Media, said: “With its pioneering BBC iPlayer service now available on more than 300 different internet-connected TV devices, the BBC has successfully taken catch-up TV beyond the PC and into the living room.”

“Having partnered with Virgin Media to bring BBC iPlayer to TV back in 2008, we have since brought a vastly-improved, fully-integrated experience of BBC iPlayer to Virgin Media’s TiVo Service. With the addition of the BBC News app and enhanced BBC Sport services – all accessible via the Red Button – we plan to build on this partnership and continue to innovate in connected TV through 2012.”

New and existing Virgin Media customers can get TiVo, with current offers including free activation on the 500GB box. A 1TB box is also available, which can store around 500 hours of recorded standard definition content.

An agreement has been reached between digital TV heavyweights Sky and Virgin Media, which will see customers of the latter offered access to on demand service Sky Anytime.

Sky Anytime was originally available exclusively to Sky customers, but this deal will extend the service to Virgin Media viewers. With Sky Anytime, you can pick and choose content that is in line with your current subscription, and watch it at a time that suits you.

Virgin Media already boasts a huge on demand library of its own, including access to BBC iPlayer and 4OD, as well as a range classic and contemporary movies and TV shows. With the addition of Sky Anytime, Virgin Media customers subscribing to the full Sky Movies package will have access to an extra 500 titles. Combined with the titles available through FilmFlex, PictureBox and Virgin Media Player, that brings the total to over 1,000 on demand movies.

Virgin Media customers with the full Sky Sports package will also be able to view on demand sports highlights from the channels, including Barclays Premier League and UEFA Champions League football.

(more…)

Die-hard fans of The Doctor may need medical assistance when they find out that the Master (or the BBC) has called time on the show’s spin-off Doctor Who Confidential.

The behind-the-scenes show follows Doctor Who episode premieres every Saturday, with shorter repeats airing Sundays and Fridays. The programme offers filming footage and interviews, with the preceding Doctor Who episode usually providing the main talking points.

The Guardian has reported today that cost-cutting is responsible for the show’s axe, which follows a spate of culls which has included one-time favourite Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps, as well as Coming of Age, Ideal and Hotter Than My Daughter.

BBC Controller Zai Bennett is believed to be looking at concentrating on new investment, whilst also balancing a rumoured 20% budget cut across all output.

A spokeswoman for the BBC said: “Doctor Who Confidential has been a great show for BBC3 over the years but our priority now is to build on original British commissions, unique to the channel.”

The final episode of Doctor Who Confidential will air on BBC Three this Saturday at 8.35, after the Doctor Who series finale at 7.05 on BBC One.

Channel 4 has tweaked its 4OD catch-up service, and officially launched the revamp today.

4OD can be accessed at any time online, but now users can activate ‘My 4OD’, giving them the option of adding programme preferences and creating personalised playlists. This new aspect of the website will send reminders to users of ‘My 4OD’, letting them know that their favourites are due to air.

In order to activate ‘My 4OD’, users will need to register various details including date of birth.

The revamp also includes improved full-page viewing and search, as well as a recommendation service.
Sarah Milton, Head of VoD at Channel 4, said: “We have refined and optimised the design to ensure viewers get the best experience from the wealth of content Channel 4 has to offer.”

“We have over 5,000 hours of archive programming available on the Channel4.com 4oD service, and the redesign makes it even easier for users to browse our offering.”

According to The Telegraph, Channel 4 is hoping to tailor the advert selection for particular demographics by utilising the information from ‘My 4OD’.

4OD is still operating in the shadow of BBC iPlayer, although The Guardian reports impressive viewing figures of 3.4m for Channel 4’s service, which offers on demand episodes of popular shows such as Hollyoaks, 8 Out Of 10 Cats and The I.T. Crowd. 4OD, like its BBC rival, can be accessed on TV at home through Virgin Media and BT Vision packages.

Investigative organisation the Competition Commission has today announced its preliminary findings regarding Sky and its dominance over pay-TV movies.

The public body, which acts as a competition regulator, has provisionally ruled that Sky is restricting UK competition, and therefore directly causing higher prices and reduced choice, because of agreements with Hollywood studios to show films first on the Sky Movies channels.

The six major Hollywood studios are Warner Bros., Paramount, 20th Century Fox, Walt Disney/Touchstone, Columbia and Universal, and Sky has deals with each one for film rights. According to the BBC, Sky also has twice as many pay-TV subscribers as all the other rivals combined.

Laura Carstensen, chairman of the Competition Commission’s movies on pay-TV investigation, said: “Sky has had control of recent movie content on pay-TV for many years.”

“At the heart of the problem is Sky’s strong position in the pay-TV market, with twice as many subscribers to pay TV as all other traditional pay-TV retailers put together.

“This provides Sky with a great advantage when it comes to bidding for movie rights, which no rival bidder has yet been able to overcome - and, if things stay as they are, we see no likely prospect of change.

(more…)

Today has seen a landmark move in the world of F1, with Sky successfully purchasing the live broadcast rights to every single race from the 2012 season up to 2018.

This deal will put the globally popular, high-octane motor sport on UK pay-TV for the first time in its history, and is sure to ruffle a few feathers amongst licence-fee payers.

The BBC will still have joint rights to show half of the season’s races, qualifying laps and practice sessions, and the free-to-air channel will include live coverage of the renowned races at Silverstone and Monaco. The BBC will also have highlights of the races that are exclusively on Sky.

Undoubtedly Sky will consider this a major coup, and whilst the BBC still has some live coverage, F1 fanatics will certainly be tempted by Sky Sports, in light of this surprising news.

Barbara Slater, director of BBC Sport, was upbeat despite the loss of live coverage, saying: “We are absolutely delighted that F1 will remain on the BBC.”

“The sport has never been more popular with TV audiences at a 10-year high and the BBC has always stated its commitment to the big national sporting moments.”

“With this new deal not only have we delivered significant savings but we have also ensured that through our live and extended highlights coverage all the action continues to be available to licence-fee payers.”

(more…)

The hugely popular on demand catch-up service BBC iPlayer is now available in full to BT Vision customers.

Back in November last year, the BBC announced plans to bring the iPlayer to BT Vision, and TechRadar has confirmed the news that the complete service is now active. Some BBC content was already available through BT Vision’s TV Replay, but now the IPTV provider’s customers can access over 400 hours of BBC TV and 1,000 hours of BBC radio.

BT Retail’s chief exec of TV and online services said: “The launch of BBC iPlayer on BT Vision adds to the enormous range of quality entertainment already available to our customers.”

“We are really excited to be partnering with the BBC to bring BBC iPlayer to our customers.”

BBC iPlayer gives UK viewers the chance to watch the latest episodes of popular BBC shows such as Eastenders, Have I Got News For You, The Apprentice and Top Gear, as well as UK radio favourites including The Chris Moyles Show.

BT Vision provides digital TV through a BT Broadband connection in the home, and offers a wide range of Freeview channels, as well as the option to pay for movies and sport, and the catch-up service now includes programmes from the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5.

The BBC has formally announced plans to air the Wimbledon singles finals live in 3D this year. This marks the broadcaster’s first foray into the technology that is riding a wave of reignited popularity.

The women’s and men’s singles finals at Wimbledon are due to take place on Saturday 2nd July and Sunday 3rd July respectively, and are considered a highlight in the tennis calendar. Wimbledon is one of the four Grand Slam tournaments, and the only one played on the über-quick grass surface, with many players considering it to be the ultimate prize in the sport.

With breathtaking competitors such as six-time French Open winner and current world no.1 Rafael Nadal, Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic and sixteen-time Grand Slam winner Roger Federer, as well as Brit hopeful Andy Murray, all taking part, Wimbledon 2011 has the makings of a classic, and seeing it in 3D for the first time will be a big draw for spectators.

BBC’s head of HD and 3D, Danielle Nagler, said: “We’re bringing audiences a new way of getting close to the action.”

“I’m sure that 3D will only add to the drama as the world’s greatest players compete for the championship.”

BBC’s executive sport producer, Paul Davies, added: “This unique 3D transmission is the latest innovation to bring to life all the tension, drama and excitement on one of the most iconic sporting arenas in the world.”

The coverage will cross BBC One, BBC Two, the BBC website and the red button, and the 3D coverage will be available to those with a 3D-ready TV as well as access to BBC HD.

(more…)

Satellite giant Sky has hinted at an unexpected U-turn regarding proposed on-demand TV service YouView.

YouView, formerly known as Project Canvas, will be an internet-connected TV service, offering the last 7 days of content at the touch of a button. It has officially been in the pipeline since late 2008, and collaborators have been welcomed.

Whilst BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Five have all been firmly on board as owners/shareholders, the potential participation of Sky seemed dead in the water when the digital TV broadcaster tried to block the project in October of last year.

However, a Sky spokesman has now suggested that involvement may still be an option: “We already distribute Sky content across a wide range of platforms.”

“It makes sense for us to continue to explore new ways of reaching customers, but it’s too early to say at this stage whether we’ll offer a service over YouView.”

This non-committal, but intriguing, quote is the latest development in a complicated history for YouView, as the project was also publicly opposed by Virgin Media, whilst 3View managing director John Donovan expressed concerns about the market impact.

(more…)

The new Formula 1 season is approaching in fittingly rapid fashion, and the BBC has announced that the whole season will air in crisp, clear, glorious HD.

The 2010 F1 season was arguably the best, with a classic, pulse-pounding, adrenalin-fuelled ride for drivers and fans alike, right up until the finish and Ferrari’s tactical error that gave Vettel the decisive advantage.

The young German driver took the title for the first time, in one of the most entertaining F1 scraps in memory, whilst the dubious return of Michael Schumacher, Mark Webber’s utterly insane crash complete with cockpit camera view of the sky and Ferrari’s not-so-subtle team orders were all huge talking points.

With Red Bull setting a new standard for consistent pace and power, their competitors, particularly McLaren and Ferrari, will have been working hard to build new cars capable of wrestling the championship title from the clutches of Sebastian Vettel. The stage is set for a stunning 2011 season, and the HD coverage will provide the perfect picture quality for Formula 1 fanatics.

The BBC coverage will continue to be ably anchored by Jake Humphrey, with Eddie Jordan providing expert analysis, whilst former McLaren and Red Bull racer David Coulthard will join Martin Brundle in the commentary box.

(more…)