The iPad app for the ABC’s much-loved iView catch-up service came out on the iPad a year ago. Now it looks like we’ll be getting an iPhone version of the same app before too long.
Mumbrella reports that ABC boss Mark Scott reported the imminent launch at the Walkleys conference in Brisbane last week:
This summer, when iView comes to the iPhone, so many more people will have a choice of 500 of our programs to watch on the bus.
We wouldn’t actually advise using iView extensively on the bus, since you’ll chew through your data allowance fairly quickly. It’s a welcome development nonetheless.
The same post at Mumbrella also mentions that Foxtel is planning a full free catch-up TV service for subscribers via their existing set-top boxes, which will launch around March next year. That’s an interesting development we’ll keep an eye on as well, but the ABC announcement has us more excited, in large part because it’s a free service.
Foxtel to launch catch-up TV service as ABC boss laments inability of free networks to work together on Aussie Hulu [Mumbrella]
Republished from Lifehacker
Ben Evans
Tuesday, November 29, 2011 at 9:46 AMBrilliant, I watch ABC iView all the time. If you are reading this Mr ABC person, please can you add limited download functionality like BBC iPlayer has? That way I can have a couple of shown on my phone/iPad on the bus without having to buffer every 30 seconds. Thanks!
Also, Mr SBS…..WTF? launch your catch up service for mobile already.
Matt
Tuesday, November 29, 2011 at 12:52 PM+1 vote for a ‘download now, watch later’ functionality.
Adz
Tuesday, November 29, 2011 at 10:12 AMI’ve been doing this on my Android for ages, but just using the browser.
Oh yeah…requires Flash.
Glenn
Tuesday, November 29, 2011 at 11:11 AMWow arn’t you just great.
Ozoneocean
Tuesday, November 29, 2011 at 4:40 PMYep, ABC iview works absolutely perfectly in Flash. Have been watching iview on my Android phones and tablet for over a year…
But that also probably means that they’ll take ages and ages to ever bother releasing an Android app for it.
Cam
Tuesday, November 29, 2011 at 10:30 AMDoes this mean that we’ll get streaming over 3G on the ipad as well?
Steve
Tuesday, November 29, 2011 at 10:54 AMI would love for them to fix the problem with not being able to watch iview without being in a wifi area.
woodsdog
Tuesday, November 29, 2011 at 11:09 AMchew through the data.. I have 3GB to get througha and lucky to 100Mb a month… I’m sure I’m not alone… as long as optus can keep up with the stream, I will be happy… keen as mustard for this one…
Ozoneocean
Tuesday, November 29, 2011 at 4:44 PMEach 22 minute show on ABC iview is about 125 meg, so that’d be 24 episodes for the month for you… Those are their smallest ordinary shows though, so the number is a bit different with others.
jonny
Tuesday, November 29, 2011 at 2:18 PMAngus, Alex – Is it getting a little nepotistic up there at the giz offices?
Sam Timmins
Tuesday, November 29, 2011 at 8:08 PMMeh, just get iViewNapper and watch ANYTHING at your own pace later. Even sucks out the subtitle files.