So What Does Today's News About Network Supplied Guide Data Mean?

Started by amandaandjustin, July 06, 2007, 01:17:09 PM

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amandaandjustin


Matt at IceTV

At this stage it is far too early to tell what will eventuate from the recent announcement made by Free TV Australia.

http://www.freetv.com.au/media/News-Media_Release/2007-0174_MED_FREE_TV_NETWORKS_USHER_IN_NEW_ERA_OF_DIGITAL_TV_040707.pdf

Mentioned in the Press Release is that the TV guide listings will be made available to "EPG providers" and manufacturers if they meet certain criteria and/or requirements, which are still yet to be disclosed to IceTV or the public.

"Following our announcement today, any EPG service provider will be able to receive our data and
make it available on a range of retail consumer equipment."


Rest assured we are looking into the situation and assessing our options, but more importantly putting our current IceTV subscriber's and the 'average consumer' first when making any decision.

We have tried to put the IceTV name into the mix... and offered our help in any group discussions moving forward, as a company with vast technical experience in delivering EPG data as well as having additional features such as remote recording functionality & 'series' record to several types of devices across many platforms already. It is now up to the commercial networks and Free TV Australia to decide if they want our help or not, but they have openly admitted their lack of expertise in this area.

If the cons outweigh the pros for the end user in terms of experience and functionality... then we will continue to offer the feature packed service that we offer today as always and remain the leading independant EPG provider in Australia.

Currently we are not included in any of the discussions, so we are finding things out as soon as everyone else is, we will endeavour to keep everyone updated with any developments we hear of as they come to hand ... so stay tuned!

Cheers,

IceTV

General Manager
IceTV Pty
1300 654 803

sputnikmeister

This announcement doesn't look like good news for Ice TV customers or PVR owners in general. It probably means new hardware, plus the technology will make it easy for the networks to lock out EPG providers they don't like;

Australia strikes EPG deal, but most TV watchers still screwed
http://www.itwire.com.au/content/view/13354/1085

When you read the fine print of Free TV Australia's announcement, the EPG data will only be made available to service providers "provided the equipment displaying the EPG complies with some base level requirements designed to protect copyright, protect the integrity of the program information and facilitate collection of ratings information"...

Flynn conceded that equipment currently on the shelves is very unlikely to meet such requirements - even though most are perfectly capable of handing an EPG. They new system will require manufacturers to alter their equipment for the Australian market. She couldn't point to any overseas deployments of the technology so it looks like once again we're going it on our own, expecting global consumer electronics giants to customise their equipment just for the tiny Australian market.

So if you've already spent hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars on a digital video recorder - too bad. Australia's television networks insist you buy a new recorder compatible with their unique protection system to stop people stealing their precious EPG data - even though they're giving the data away for free.

<snip>

tick007

Quote from: sputnikmeister on July 07, 2007, 04:26:35 PM
This announcement doesn't look like good news for Ice TV customers or PVR owners in general. It probably means new hardware, plus the technology will make it easy for the networks to lock out EPG providers they don't like;

Australia strikes EPG deal, but most TV watchers still screwed
http://www.itwire.com.au/content/view/13354/1085

This is interesting.  I tend to see it as more of a race to see who gets critical mass first.  As the itwire.com.au article points out, this all depends on overseas manufacturers willingness to build and maintain special Oz-only versions of their hardware that supports the encryption and other features that FreeTV are demanding.  Whether they do this will be purely a business decision based on whether they think they can sell more units and generate more profits by doing so.

From a home user point of view, simplicity is going to win at the end of the day.  If you can plug it in and go with the minimum of hassle, you'll buy the unit.  Or perhaps if you've got lots of friends/family who can help you out (that's why critical mass is so important.)  So if the current market of PVRs and providers of EPGs can get stuff working so that it's almost as easy as just plugging in one of the "FreeTV units", the other features they can provide (as well as the privacy benefits) will probably tip things in their favour.  Products like the IceBox obviously are a big step in the right direction.

All of this obviously then depends a lot on the increasing penetration of computers and the Internet into ordinary Australian homes.  And the increasing penetration of digital TV and devices like PVRs.  Once enough people get to the point where it's quite popular to have something like an IceBox or having their PC drive their PVR (and it's not viewed as technically hard to do - administer the "grandmother test" here  ;) ), then the door will be shut to FreeTV.  It just won't be in the manufacturer's interests to modify their units.  Sales people in places like Harvey Norman would just end up explaining the FreeTV units as "really just more expensive versions of the stock model that also track your viewing habits."  ;)

So it will be a very interesting "race" indeed.  :)

philzgr8

From my reading of the announcement the issue here is about whether the particular equipment permits skipping of commercials. I believe that the networks have no problem with fast forwarding provided the speed is limited to a point where the advertising content is still visible. For the current crop of EPG users such a scenario is unlikely to be particularly attractive IMHO but for the largely untapped market out there of Mr and Mrs Average such a restriction will not necessarily be seen in too negative a light. Lets face it, just the ability to schedule recordings based on a set of programmable rules based on regular or variable screening times will for most be a huge step forward and will, IMHO be incentive enough.

From my perspective I cannot see how all of this would significantly lessen the demand for a product like IceTV as it currently stands however commercial considerations may force priorities to change and bring enormous pressure to bear on a small enterprise like Ice.

mtb

One little gem that I picked up in one article I read (about the TiVo I think, sorry can't find again) was the wonderful benefit that all this might bring to free TV, namely the free commercial channels might finally have to start sticking to their published schedules at long last.

If a larger number of people do embrace this new technology and then find the shabby scheduling lets it all down, the offenders might finally get the necessary pressure put on them to improve... and that's good for us all.
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Paul55

You're assuming they care.
Any time I've complained about over-running the time slot (usually channel 10) the response has been quite aggressive rather than apologetic.
Remember, the commercial networks are about ratings and profits from cheap to produce programs. So, as long as the great unwashed continue to lap up drivel like 'reality' TV, more discerning viewers will be welcome to take a long walk on a short jetty.
There was a bit of an outcry when the last episode of Big Brother ran 50 min late and many viewers were disappointed to miss Torchwood. Channel 10's solution - move Torchwood to midnight.

mtb

True, but channel seven will at least since they are "sponsoring" the TiVo.  Once the others realise that there is potential in this they'll be forced to follow suit I believe.

Fortunately I had padded my Toppy with an hour at the end for all Torchwood so I didn't miss it - as the numbers grow of annoyed viewers grow, they'll have to take notice... eventually.
Beyonwiz DP-P2, Epson EH-TW5500, Pioneer VSXLX52 & BDP-320, Screen Technics 100” screen, WD Live TV x2, 6Tb NAS (Linux)
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Jason W

Quoteany EPG service provider will be able to receive our data and
make it available on a range of retail consumer equipment.

This certainly does not sound like freely available guide data, let alone available via EIT.

Quoteprovided the equipment displaying the EPG
complies with some base level requirements designed to protect copyright, protect the integrity of
the program information and facilitate collection of ratings information.

DRM, DRM, and Spyware? This doesn't sound at all compatible with my MythTV rig.

IceTV should be safe for a while yet I'd imagine.