As competition for video services continues to grow in Europe operators will offer high definition VOD as a means of standing out from the crowd.
That’s acccording to a report from analysts ABI Research, which says the move from near-VOD to true VOD dramatically increases buy rates.
It believes the next step will be to differentiate even further with HD VOD and greater content choice.
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Just three months after going live in New Zealand, the free-to-air digital television and radio service Freeview has reported an impressive response to its new high def offering.
Since its launch in April, 7,594 HD enabled homes have taken the Freeview HD service
Steve Browning, Freeview’s general manager, admitted that he hadn’t expected uptake to be “quite this fast”.
To those not converted to fishing, just the prospect of watching the sport on TV – let alone in high def – would be enough to have them rushing for the remote control.
Yet for converts – and there are millions out there – fishing programmes in HD are a huge draw.
Now soaring ratings for high definition fishing programmes has led the Outdoor Channel to add to its angling schedule.
Sony has signed up the major studios, including Fox, Disney and Warner, to offer HD movies on its US download service.
The downloads can be transferred from the console to the Play Station Portable handheld device.
This latest development follows Microsoft’s announcement that it will add a NetFlix movie streaming service to its XBox 360 video game console.
The continuing rivalry between the console makers is good news for consumers.
Warner Home Video is to launch aggressive pricing initiatives for the fourth quarter of 2008, including its most comprehensive Blu-ray Disc promotion yet.
From September and continuing into the first-quarter of 2009, Warner will offer a Blu-ray point-of-sale rebate programme in which retailers will be able to order participating catalogue titles for around US$11.
The strategy could result in Blu-ray discs at retail being on a par with current DVD prices.
Eurosport could be returning to UK screens after a three year gap if negotiations currently being held with Sky are succesful.
The sports network is expected to add its HD channel to the Sky HD platform within the next few days.
It is understood to be currently testing at 28 degrees East alongside Eurosport News.
A Eurosport spokesman said: “We’ve been negotiating with Sky and are very keen to launch our service in the UK.”
New York-based cable operator Cablevision is to add mainstream HD channels including Discovery, Viacom Inc’s Nickelodeon, FX, FOX News, AMC and The Weather Channel to its line-up in an increasingly competitive market.
The addition of 15 more channels brings its HD offering up to 60 channels.
Cablevision says that more than 1.1 million of its digital cable subscribers have at least one high-definition TV and HD-enabled set-top box.
The opening of Apple’s online App Store to coincide with the launch of the new iPhone could herald seismic changes in the mobile phone market.
At least that’s what Steve Jobs, the Apple founder, is hoping.
He sees the online applications store as an attempt to do for mobile applications – games, reference guides and other software – what Apple’s iTunes Store has done for music.
While rivals may bristle at his comments, Jobs is clear about his goal.
Rhythm NewMedia, a leader in mobile video, has announced the availability of the free vSNAX Videos native iPhone application on the Apple App Store.
vSNAX Videos promises to deliver mobile video clips to iPhone and iPod touch users from more than 20 premium media partners including AccuWeather.com, Ford Models, Ripe TV, and MTV Networks’ VH1, Spike and GameTrailers.
Emmerdale has become the British network ITV’s first soap production to be recorded in high def.
It joins Channel 4’s Hollyoaks and the BBC’s Doctors, while the long-running Coronation Street is expected to make the change from SD shortly.
The show’s stars were reportedly concerned about the transition, worried that the new HD video would draw attention to facial wrinkles.