Internet Television in Australia
Encyclopedia
Internet television
in Australia consists of five major PPV providers, in addition to several niche television streaming offerings. Australia's five major networks all offer previously broadcast content to watch via the Internet or via podcasts - drawing on both domestic and foreign content.
Downloads from the Internet are counted in Australia, with ISPs offering download quotas which limit the amount of downloads permitted. Video files are large. Some ISPs offer quota free options for partnered television services, which is known as "unmetered" content.
iiNet launched the service in July 2010. Internode also launched an Early Adopters Trial program for a select number of customers in September 2010 with plans to release to the general public late 2010/early 2011 and Adam Internet announced their plans to launch the service only days after the Internode trial had begun. Note that FetchTV is NOT related to FetchTV UK.
rental (PPV) service using progressive download
, meaning that the video is downloaded (rather than streamed) and viewers can commence watching once enough of the download is completed that they can view the program uninterrupted to its finish.
The service offers movies for rental and for purchase, as well as purchasing of TV shows from some networks. Content is viewable on Windows PCs.
Australia launch a movie rental service in November 2009 for Xbox 360
owners, via the Australian Zune Video Marketplace. Movies are available in standard or high definition, and can be streamed or downloaded.
Content is provided via the iTunes Australia Store and is viewable on iTunes on Windows or Mac, as well as on the Apple TV (a set top box), iPhone
s, & video capable iPods.
is a Digital Video Recorder for Free-to-Air television. It also offers Internet features.
set top box owners in Australia, and offered in partnership with the Seven network
. TiVo discontinued its Blockbuster service on 5 March 2010.
customers can access IPTV channels like Bloomberg TV, Al Jazeera and Russia Today. It is the only ISP to offer streaming
subscription TV channels direct to its subscribers. This is currently a free trial, and channels are sent unencrypted and viewed on customer's computers. It is only available to select TPG Soul exchanges.
, the free-to-air broadcasters have signed a new initiative for an industry-wide video hub - details of what content will be carried is unknown. ABC's iview
technology is the frontrunner to deliver the service. The FTA broadcasters currently offer some independent services, all of which use IP Address Geolocation
to ensure only Australian users can view the content and Adobe Flash
(except Nine's FixPlay which uses Silverlight). All videos do not stay on the service permanently and do "expire", after which they cannot be seen via the service.
Internet television
Internet television is the digital distribution of television content via the Internet...
in Australia consists of five major PPV providers, in addition to several niche television streaming offerings. Australia's five major networks all offer previously broadcast content to watch via the Internet or via podcasts - drawing on both domestic and foreign content.
Downloads from the Internet are counted in Australia, with ISPs offering download quotas which limit the amount of downloads permitted. Video files are large. Some ISPs offer quota free options for partnered television services, which is known as "unmetered" content.
Fetch TV
FetchTV launched a cable-like subscription service in 2010, offering English and foreign-language pay-TV channels, some on-demand content and the functionality of a personal video recorder at a cost of about $20 to $30. The ABC has also held talks regarding its on-demand "iview" content being shown on Fetch TV.iiNet launched the service in July 2010. Internode also launched an Early Adopters Trial program for a select number of customers in September 2010 with plans to release to the general public late 2010/early 2011 and Adam Internet announced their plans to launch the service only days after the Internode trial had begun. Note that FetchTV is NOT related to FetchTV UK.
- ISP iiNetIiNetiiNet Limited is Australia's second largest internet service provider with over 1.3 million customers as of 15th August 2011. Their focus is primarily on ADSL-based Internet access, using their own ADSL2+ infrastructure, and reselling Telstra ADSL1. iiNet also provides dial-up and voice...
announced an IPTV partnership with FetchTV in April 2010 to offer unmetered free-to-air and subscription channels along with a move library and pay-per-view service. It has also indicated it is researching Internet Television offerings, in addition to possible FetchTV and TiVo deals.
Telstra T-Box
- Telstra have released their "T-Box" in mid 2010, initially to Melbourne Bigpond Cable customers. It is a Digital Video Recorder with Internet Television functionality - they have not specified whether this will be downloads or streaming.
Bigpond Movies & TV
In Feb 2006, Bigpond Movies was launched. This is a Video on demandVideo on demand
Video on Demand or Audio and Video On Demand are systems which allow users to select and watch/listen to video or audio content on demand...
rental (PPV) service using progressive download
Progressive download
Progressive download is a term used to describe the transfer of digital media files from a server to a client, typically using the HTTP protocol when initiated from a computer. The consumer may begin playback of the media before the download is complete...
, meaning that the video is downloaded (rather than streamed) and viewers can commence watching once enough of the download is completed that they can view the program uninterrupted to its finish.
The service offers movies for rental and for purchase, as well as purchasing of TV shows from some networks. Content is viewable on Windows PCs.
- BigpondBigPondBigPond is an Australian Internet service provider and is a product of Telstra. BigPond is Australia's largest ISP and based in Melbourne.- Internet :...
offers Bigpond Movies (& Bigpond TV) quota free to Bigpond customers, but not other Australian Internet users.
Foxtel
Foxtel launched an on-demand full-length internet download service in September 2009, as well as free "catch up TV" service, to Foxtel subscribers (broadband-only subscriptions are under consideration). Customers can only download content from the channels they subscribe to as part of their Foxtel subscription. They will also offer streaming video beginning when they show the Olympics.Xbox 360
MicrosoftMicrosoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
Australia launch a movie rental service in November 2009 for Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
owners, via the Australian Zune Video Marketplace. Movies are available in standard or high definition, and can be streamed or downloaded.
iTunes Australia
In August 2008, Apple Inc. computer began offering movies for rental and for purchase, as well as purchasing of TV show titles from ABC in the US, ABC Australia, the Disney Channel, MTV, and Channel 9.Content is provided via the iTunes Australia Store and is viewable on iTunes on Windows or Mac, as well as on the Apple TV (a set top box), iPhone
IPhone
The iPhone is a line of Internet and multimedia-enabled smartphones marketed by Apple Inc. The first iPhone was unveiled by Steve Jobs, then CEO of Apple, on January 9, 2007, and released on June 29, 2007...
s, & video capable iPods.
- iiNetIiNetiiNet Limited is Australia's second largest internet service provider with over 1.3 million customers as of 15th August 2011. Their focus is primarily on ADSL-based Internet access, using their own ADSL2+ infrastructure, and reselling Telstra ADSL1. iiNet also provides dial-up and voice...
and its subsidiary WestnetWestnetWestnet is a Perth-based Australian telecommunications company providing broadband ADSL, broadband ADSL2+, satellite broadband, dialup Internet, telephony and web-hosting services to homes and businesses across Australia.See also Internet in Australia...
offer iTunes content quota free.
TiVo
TiVoTiVo
TiVo is a digital video recorder developed and marketed by TiVo, Inc. and introduced in 1999. TiVo provides an on-screen guide of scheduled broadcast programming television programs, whose features include "Season Pass" schedules which record every new episode of a series, and "WishList"...
is a Digital Video Recorder for Free-to-Air television. It also offers Internet features.
- InternodeInternode SystemsInternode, founded on 8 May 1991 by Managing Director Simon Hackett, is an Australian Internet Service Provider . The company focuses primarily on ADSL-based Internet access, but also provides business-class access , web hosting, co-location, Voice over IP, and a variety of related...
is a TiVo reseller and offers TiVo content quota free. - iiNetIiNetiiNet Limited is Australia's second largest internet service provider with over 1.3 million customers as of 15th August 2011. Their focus is primarily on ADSL-based Internet access, using their own ADSL2+ infrastructure, and reselling Telstra ADSL1. iiNet also provides dial-up and voice...
, iPrimus, Adam InternetAdam Internet-Background:Originally founded in 1986 as the Adelaide Amiga club, Adam Internet grew out of the original bulletin board system of the Adelaide Amiga User Group. The bulletin board was set up in 1987 and was originally run by the user group, but was co-opted by its sysop, Greg Hicks...
and Apex Internet also offer TiVo content quota free.
Blockbuster on TiVo
Blockbuster Australia was due to commence online movie rentals in March 2009. This was delayed, and launched at the end of April. This service was available to TiVoTiVo
TiVo is a digital video recorder developed and marketed by TiVo, Inc. and introduced in 1999. TiVo provides an on-screen guide of scheduled broadcast programming television programs, whose features include "Season Pass" schedules which record every new episode of a series, and "WishList"...
set top box owners in Australia, and offered in partnership with the Seven network
Seven Network
The Seven Network is an Australian television network owned by Seven West Media Limited. It dates back to 4 November 1956, when the first stations on the VHF7 frequency were established in Melbourne and Sydney.It is currently the second largest network in the country in terms of population reach...
. TiVo discontinued its Blockbuster service on 5 March 2010.
CASPA on TiVo
In December 2009, TiVo launched a new service for downloading TV shows and movies to TiVo subscribers, named CASPATPG IPTV
TPGTotal Peripherals Group
TPG Telecom is the fourth largest Australian ISP and IT company. The company was formed from the merger between Total Peripherals Group and SP Telemedia...
customers can access IPTV channels like Bloomberg TV, Al Jazeera and Russia Today. It is the only ISP to offer streaming
Streaming media
Streaming media is multimedia that is constantly received by and presented to an end-user while being delivered by a streaming provider.The term "presented" is used in this article in a general sense that includes audio or video playback. The name refers to the delivery method of the medium rather...
subscription TV channels direct to its subscribers. This is currently a free trial, and channels are sent unencrypted and viewed on customer's computers. It is only available to select TPG Soul exchanges.
Freeview (FTA) Catch up TV
Through FreeviewFreeview (Australia)
Freeview is the brand given to the digital terrestrial television platform in Australia. It is intended to bring all of the free-to-air broadcasters on to a consistent marketing platform to compete against subscription television, in particular Foxtel, and coincides with the expansion to 3 digital...
, the free-to-air broadcasters have signed a new initiative for an industry-wide video hub - details of what content will be carried is unknown. ABC's iview
ABC iView
ABC iview is a video on demand and Catch up TV service run by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. The service became available on 24 July 2008. This was the next step after the podcasting of programmes since July 2006. Currently, this site is only viewable to users in Australia. The site...
technology is the frontrunner to deliver the service. The FTA broadcasters currently offer some independent services, all of which use IP Address Geolocation
Geolocation
Geolocation is the identification of the real-world geographic location of an object, such as a radar, mobile phone or an Internet-connected computer terminal...
to ensure only Australian users can view the content and Adobe Flash
Adobe Flash
Adobe Flash is a multimedia platform used to add animation, video, and interactivity to web pages. Flash is frequently used for advertisements, games and flash animations for broadcast...
(except Nine's FixPlay which uses Silverlight). All videos do not stay on the service permanently and do "expire", after which they cannot be seen via the service.
- The Australian Broadcasting CorporationAustralian Broadcasting CorporationThe Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
streams "catch up TV" and other content via its iviewABC iViewABC iview is a video on demand and Catch up TV service run by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. The service became available on 24 July 2008. This was the next step after the podcasting of programmes since July 2006. Currently, this site is only viewable to users in Australia. The site...
service to Australian PCs, Sony and Samsung internet connected TVs, and the iPadIPadThe iPad is a line of tablet computers designed, developed and marketed by Apple Inc., primarily as a platform for audio-visual media including books, periodicals, movies, music, games, and web content. The iPad was introduced on January 27, 2010 by Apple's then-CEO Steve Jobs. Its size and...
, showing earlier episodes of foreign and ABC produced content (quota free on AdamAdam Internet-Background:Originally founded in 1986 as the Adelaide Amiga club, Adam Internet grew out of the original bulletin board system of the Adelaide Amiga User Group. The bulletin board was set up in 1987 and was originally run by the user group, but was co-opted by its sysop, Greg Hicks...
, iiNetIiNetiiNet Limited is Australia's second largest internet service provider with over 1.3 million customers as of 15th August 2011. Their focus is primarily on ADSL-based Internet access, using their own ADSL2+ infrastructure, and reselling Telstra ADSL1. iiNet also provides dial-up and voice...
, Internode, Primus, and a number of other providers if streamed through using Flash - i.e. excludes internet connected TVs and iPad). They also podcast some of their content on program-specific websites. - SBSSpecial Broadcasting ServiceThe Special Broadcasting Service is a hybrid-funded Australian public broadcasting radio and television network. The stated purpose of SBS is "to provide multilingual and multicultural radio and television services that inform, educate and entertain all Australians and, in doing so, reflect...
streams "catch up TV" and other content via its Catch Up TV website. - The Seven NetworkSeven NetworkThe Seven Network is an Australian television network owned by Seven West Media Limited. It dates back to 4 November 1956, when the first stations on the VHF7 frequency were established in Melbourne and Sydney.It is currently the second largest network in the country in terms of population reach...
streams "catch up TV" content via its Plus7 service. - The Nine NetworkNine NetworkThe Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
streams "catch up TV" content via its FixPlay service, which launched in April 2010. - The Network TenNetwork TenNetwork Ten , is one of Australia's three major commercial television networks. Owned-and-operated stations can be found in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, while affiliates extend the network to cover most of the country...
streams "catch up TV" content via its Catch Up TV website.
- Freeview plans a free web based offering mid 2010, for all the FTA TV channels.
Other
- Traditional subscription television providers also offer non-Internet based PPV - FoxtelFoxtelFoxtel is an Australian pay television company, operating cable, direct broadcast satellite television and IPTV services. It was formed in 1995 through a joint venture established between Telstra and News Corporation....
, AustarAustarAustar is an Australian telecommunications company. Its main business activity is Subscription Television but it is also involved with internet access and mobile phones...
, OptusOptus TelevisionOptus Television is the cable television division of Australian telecommunications company Optus.-History:Its immediate predecessor was Optus Vision, a joint venture between, Optus and Continental Cablevision with small shareholdings by media companies Publishing and Broadcasting Limited and Seven...
, and TransACTTransACTTransACT Capital Communications is an Australian telecommunications company based in Canberra which provides broadband internet access, fixed telephony, cable television services, and mobile phone services in Canberra and a subset of these services in Queanbeyan, throughout South-east New South... - Reeltime.tvReeltime.tvReelTime Media Ltd or ReelTime.tv was an Internet-based video on demand and electronic sell-through provider located in Melbourne, Australia...
was setting up a movie rental service to its own set top boxes. It was placed in receivership in early 2008, and its assets purchased by EzyDVDEzydvdEzyDVD, founded in Adelaide, Australia in 1999 by Jim Zavos, is Australia's largest online and off-line specialist DVD retailer. As of 2007 EzyDVD had 59 retail stores across Australia, around half being franchise stores...
to form their EzyDownload movie rental service. EzyDVD was placed into receivership at the end of 2008. - Samsung confirmed in November 2009 that it would launch its own internet-delivered TV service to Samsung TV sets in Australia by the March quarter of 2010, featuring video content negotiated globally by Samsung and with local partners such as Channel Nine and ninemsn. In April 2010, Samsung announced a content deal with Telstra's Bigpond TV, as did LG. In June 2011 Samsung TVs with the internet@TV/SMARTtv can install the ABC TVs iview app.
- Sony launched its Bravia Internet TV in February, offering access to Network Seven's Plus7 Catch Up TV service, with plans to offer movie rentals. In April 2010 Sony announced that the ABC iviewABC iViewABC iview is a video on demand and Catch up TV service run by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. The service became available on 24 July 2008. This was the next step after the podcasting of programmes since July 2006. Currently, this site is only viewable to users in Australia. The site...
would also be available via Bravia Internet TV, and the Bravia Internet TV would be incorporated into Sony's upcoming S370 Blu-ray player - although access to ABC's iview will not be unmetered even for customers of ISPs which offer unmetered browser-based iview access. Sony is also in discussions with TV networks to feature their programming along with Sony's international content deals. In addition, both services are currently available though Sony's Playstation 3PlayStation 3The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
video game console. - iiNetIiNetiiNet Limited is Australia's second largest internet service provider with over 1.3 million customers as of 15th August 2011. Their focus is primarily on ADSL-based Internet access, using their own ADSL2+ infrastructure, and reselling Telstra ADSL1. iiNet also provides dial-up and voice...
offer streamed content such as NASA TV via their iiNet Freezone to customer computers
See also
- Television in Australia
- Digital television in AustraliaDigital television in AustraliaDigital television in Australia comes in many forms:* Australian digital terrestrial television, branded as Freeview* VAST, a free-to-view satellite service, replacing Optus Aurora....
- Internet in AustraliaInternet in AustraliaInternet access was first available in Australia to universities via AARNet in 1989. The first commercial dial-up ISPs appeared in capital cities soon after and by the mid-1990s almost the entire country had a wide choice of dial-up Internet access providers...
- Australian Interactive Media Industry Association