epg
Entertainment
1:14PM Nick Broughall | Digital Products Group, the company behind Beyonwiz, Homecast and now Slingbox being in Australia, have announced that their Beyonwiz and Homecast products will be co-branded with Freeview from May 1. More »
Freeview Coming To A Beyonwiz DVR Near You
1:14PM Nick Broughall | Digital Products Group, the company behind Beyonwiz, Homecast and now Slingbox being in Australia, have announced that their Beyonwiz and Homecast products will be co-branded with Freeview from May 1. More »
Deals
12:47PM Nick Broughall | Those guys at IceTV seem to love Christmas time – on top of selling a whole heap of PVRs cheap the other week, they’re now letting current customers (either paid, free trial or returning) to renew their IceTv subscription for just $49, which is about half price (and works out at less than $1 a week). You’ll need to be one of the first 500 customers to enter the code: “santascoming” when you select the “top up my existing account” option. So if you’re an IceTV user, either for your PVR or your computer, make sure you get in fast to save some dollars this Xmas…
[IceTV] More »
Dealzmodo: Renew Your IceTV Subscription For 12 Months For $49
12:47PM Nick Broughall | Those guys at IceTV seem to love Christmas time – on top of selling a whole heap of PVRs cheap the other week, they’re now letting current customers (either paid, free trial or returning) to renew their IceTv subscription for just $49, which is about half price (and works out at less than $1 a week). You’ll need to be one of the first 500 customers to enter the code: “santascoming” when you select the “top up my existing account” option. So if you’re an IceTV user, either for your PVR or your computer, make sure you get in fast to save some dollars this Xmas…
[IceTV] More »
Deals
3:40PM Nick Broughall | With only 24 more sleeps until Christmas, I guess it makes a lot of sense for companies to start offering discounts. IceTV today joined the discount party, offering some pretty decent savings through their online store, including up to $200 off the top of the line Beyonwiz PVR with a bonus 12 month subscription to the IceTV EPG. You can also pick up a Media Center PC from $399, or save $50 on a HDTV tuner for your PC or Mac. Check out the IceTV store for all the available discounts and remember that if you order by December 15, you’ll get everything delivered in time for Christmas.
[IceTV] More »
Dealzmodo: IceTV Brings The PVR Savings
3:40PM Nick Broughall | With only 24 more sleeps until Christmas, I guess it makes a lot of sense for companies to start offering discounts. IceTV today joined the discount party, offering some pretty decent savings through their online store, including up to $200 off the top of the line Beyonwiz PVR with a bonus 12 month subscription to the IceTV EPG. You can also pick up a Media Center PC from $399, or save $50 on a HDTV tuner for your PC or Mac. Check out the IceTV store for all the available discounts and remember that if you order by December 15, you’ll get everything delivered in time for Christmas.
[IceTV] More »
Online
7:27AM Nick Broughall | For the multitude of people out there who use IceTV as their EPG of choice, you’ll be happy to know that you can now network your watching opinions through Facebook. By downloading the IceTV Facebook App, you can rate TV shows, comment, see what TV shows are popular among your friends, what shows are in your schedule to record and more.
The software’s in Beta at the moment, and they’ve got a forum page dedicated to getting feedback on the Facebook App. But if this sounds like something you could use, let us know how it goes in comments.
[IceTV Facebook App] More »
IceTV Facebook App Lets You Rate And Discuss TV
7:27AM Nick Broughall | For the multitude of people out there who use IceTV as their EPG of choice, you’ll be happy to know that you can now network your watching opinions through Facebook. By downloading the IceTV Facebook App, you can rate TV shows, comment, see what TV shows are popular among your friends, what shows are in your schedule to record and more.
The software’s in Beta at the moment, and they’ve got a forum page dedicated to getting feedback on the Facebook App. But if this sounds like something you could use, let us know how it goes in comments.
[IceTV Facebook App] More »
Press
10:59AM Nick Broughall | Why on earth is this still going on? I thought it was finished last year.
Here’s an idea Channel 9: Pull your fucking head out of your ass and stop wasting precious resources trying to screw over IceTV in the courts, and instead focus that money on some more quality programming.
According to the IceTV blog:
Chief Justice Black, Justice Lindgren, Justice Sackville have together ruled against IceTV and the Federal Court’s previous judgment in the case originally brought against IceTV in May 2006, by the Nine Network regarding an alleged breach of Nine’s copyright.
Forgive my cynicism, but it’s almost like these judges must want this to just keep going on so they can collect their million dollar salaries and buy themselves a third 72-foot yacht each.
Why The System Is F%^ked – Channel 9 Wins Appeal Against IceTV
10:59AM Nick Broughall | Why on earth is this still going on? I thought it was finished last year.
Here’s an idea Channel 9: Pull your fucking head out of your ass and stop wasting precious resources trying to screw over IceTV in the courts, and instead focus that money on some more quality programming.
According to the IceTV blog:
Chief Justice Black, Justice Lindgren, Justice Sackville have together ruled against IceTV and the Federal Court’s previous judgment in the case originally brought against IceTV in May 2006, by the Nine Network regarding an alleged breach of Nine’s copyright.
Forgive my cynicism, but it’s almost like these judges must want this to just keep going on so they can collect their million dollar salaries and buy themselves a third 72-foot yacht each.
Entertainment
3:11PM Nick Broughall | A war is brewing. The war for your television viewing habits.
It started with TiVo. Channel 7 wants to take over your lounge room with a decent PVR, full of cool functions like SeasonPass and IP Video. Then Foxtel decided to crank it up a notch with the iQ2 – adding HD to their already impressive digital box. The other day, Sony decided to join the fray by announcing the PlayTV add-on for the PS3, turning your console into a PVR.
So many warriors. Such a large battle looming. And on the side, slightly out of sight but no less a threat to the other champions, is IceTV.
Before the battle begins, they’ve launched their first wave of attacks – adding functionality to their EPG service to give and device running their software even more features. The biggest of which is IceTV Recommendations.
IceTV Tries To Give TiVo The Finger With New Features
3:11PM Nick Broughall | A war is brewing. The war for your television viewing habits.
It started with TiVo. Channel 7 wants to take over your lounge room with a decent PVR, full of cool functions like SeasonPass and IP Video. Then Foxtel decided to crank it up a notch with the iQ2 – adding HD to their already impressive digital box. The other day, Sony decided to join the fray by announcing the PlayTV add-on for the PS3, turning your console into a PVR.
So many warriors. Such a large battle looming. And on the side, slightly out of sight but no less a threat to the other champions, is IceTV.
Before the battle begins, they’ve launched their first wave of attacks – adding functionality to their EPG service to give and device running their software even more features. The biggest of which is IceTV Recommendations.
Entertainment
11:10AM Seamus Byrne | Some more EPG/TV news: SMH reports the Channel Nine and Ten EPGs began broadcasting this week, while the Channel Seven EPG is the one that won’t go live until January 1st.
IceTV also reports that with the multi-channel programming about to launch on the HD channels of the commercial networks, IceTV remains on the outer, so it will take them 2-3 weeks “after the start of full strength programming” to get this new section of the EPG operational. More »
More news on Australian EPGs
11:10AM Seamus Byrne | Some more EPG/TV news: SMH reports the Channel Nine and Ten EPGs began broadcasting this week, while the Channel Seven EPG is the one that won’t go live until January 1st.
IceTV also reports that with the multi-channel programming about to launch on the HD channels of the commercial networks, IceTV remains on the outer, so it will take them 2-3 weeks “after the start of full strength programming” to get this new section of the EPG operational. More »
Entertainment
10:50AM Seamus Byrne | Our latest instalment in the long running “they just don’t get it” series, the electronic program guide that has been coming together (slowly) from the free-to-air networks via FreeTV Australia is now looking to lock out any players that allow 30-second jumps or fast forward speeds of 60x or more. If you don’t agree to modify your DVR to meet this requirement, you can’t have their EPG.
IceTV is breathing a lot easier with this news, because (a) almost no international DVR manufacturer (which pretty much means ALL DVR manufacturers) will be changing their systems just to suit a not-so-open EPG and (b) if they do, users will still have plenty of reason to buy into IceTV’s offering.
IceTV expressed their opinion in a letter to subscribers, giving a nod to the fact FreeTV’s EPG will be good for people viewing digital through an integrated tuner or on a basic set-top box while emphasising that their position is all about the consumer hippie free love “do what you wanna do, be what you wanna be” thang.
How the FreeTV EPG will block such usage is anyone’s guess. If it is a free over-the-air 7-day EPG, will they try and sue anyone using it who offers slip / fast forward features? That’ll be tough to police. [FreeTV, IceTV]
More »
FreeTV Australia EPG from Jan 1, wants to block ad skip / fast forward
10:50AM Seamus Byrne | Our latest instalment in the long running “they just don’t get it” series, the electronic program guide that has been coming together (slowly) from the free-to-air networks via FreeTV Australia is now looking to lock out any players that allow 30-second jumps or fast forward speeds of 60x or more. If you don’t agree to modify your DVR to meet this requirement, you can’t have their EPG.
IceTV is breathing a lot easier with this news, because (a) almost no international DVR manufacturer (which pretty much means ALL DVR manufacturers) will be changing their systems just to suit a not-so-open EPG and (b) if they do, users will still have plenty of reason to buy into IceTV’s offering.
IceTV expressed their opinion in a letter to subscribers, giving a nod to the fact FreeTV’s EPG will be good for people viewing digital through an integrated tuner or on a basic set-top box while emphasising that their position is all about the consumer hippie free love “do what you wanna do, be what you wanna be” thang.
How the FreeTV EPG will block such usage is anyone’s guess. If it is a free over-the-air 7-day EPG, will they try and sue anyone using it who offers slip / fast forward features? That’ll be tough to police. [FreeTV, IceTV]
More » 
TEN joins the Foxtel EPG, Seven still sulking
9:08AM Seamus Byrne | Quietly over the weekend (far as I can tell), Network TEN has joined the Foxtel EPG. It’s been a long running ‘negotation’, but finally Foxtel users, and iQ users in particular, gain the benefit of actually seeing the stations programming in the schedule. Can any satellite users out there tell us whether this means you’re now receiving TEN on your box?
UPDATE (10:44): Confirmed by Giz readers that satellite subscribers are now receiving TEN too. Thanks folks!
So it’s now just Channel Seven still holding out on Foxtel. Not sure whether the bad blood over the C7 sport court case is going to cloud their judgment on the value of being part of the system, but if their TiVo deal is going to get a universal EPG I wouldn’t be surprised if they turn up on there sometime soon as well. Let’s hope, anyway. -Seamus Byrne More » 