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iView to trial PlayStation

The ABC keeps upping the ante on iView, set to trial the service through the Sony PlayStation.

iviewThe ABC keeps upping the ante on iView features. Now it will trial the the Sony PlayStation as a platform.

When the trial launches later this year, it will mean people in Australia who have a PS3 will be able to watch ABC iView  on their TV via the PlayStation.

ABC’s Director of Television, Kim Dalton, says the trial is the first in a series of developments to extend ABC iView to a wider audience. “We want to make our content as accessible as possible to our audience. Increasingly, that means extending our online reach so Australians can watch what they want, when they want it.

“Today’s gaming consoles, televisions and DVD players all have internet capability and we’re excited to be able to team up with Sony PlayStation, as the first step in integrating ABC TV content into new online platforms and technologies.”

ABC TV is also in discussion with other companies about making ABC iView accessible on other platforms.

Thank heavens for the ABC Charter. That’s where it tells the broadcaster they have to keep pushing their content to as many Aussies as possible as well as exploring new technology to achieve this.

17 Responses

  1. New 120GB PS3 Slim officially announced yesterday. Looking pretty swish, smaller, lighter, uses less power, is quieter, $200 cheaper and makes you more attractive to the opposite sex.

    I bloody used my Rudd money on mine just a few weeks ago!

  2. Turns out this is actually a Sony initiative – they’re adding TV streaming to the next Playstation 3 firmware update (due any time now) and have done deals with the BBC for their iPlayer, the ABC for iView, and several European networks. Each of course will be country-specific – we’ll only see iView on the PS3 here, for instance.

    What I’m curious about is whether it’ll use the ABC’s usual servers. If so, unmetered (for those on decent ISPs, anyway). If not, it’ll be a bigger bandwidth thief than the recent PS3 music video add-on “Vidzone”.
    .

  3. Even though they’re still called the Australian *Broadcasting* Corporation, their massive leaps into Internet & mobile programming along with digital television & radio demonstrates ABC’s business model is adaptable to any new medium.

    As for the commercial networks, I think some people here need to realise the unique challenges these new technologies pose to their business models. As ABC sees new avenues to distribute their content, the commercial networks feel threatened by these same technologies. We shouldn’t be angry at them because it’s not really their fault…

  4. Great idea – I tried watching Good Game on my PS3 via iView the other day and it was painfully slow so I abandoned and just hooked my laptop to my TV instead, but to go through the PS3 with a seamless stream would be the best idea since an Australian Idol genocide.

  5. What a good idea, I don’t have a playstation but if I did, I would definately use this service- the main thing that stops me from using iView at the moment, is the hassel of connecting my laptop to the tv, making sure it has enough juice to last a show. The download limit doesn’t concern me because we get unmetered access to iView

  6. Someone in the IT area at the ABC is really into pushing boundaries. Big props to them.

    I’ll get this unmetered, too, since I’m with iPrimus. Awesome!

    A request for the ABC people developing this: the PS3 is, more often than not, connected to a HD display. Please, please do separate video encodes for the PS3 version at a higher resolution than that used for iView on the web and make it an option. Needless to say, those of us with fast ADSL2+ and unmetered iView downloads will love you for it!

    Oh, and ABC people: if you run into the person who developed the ABC iPhone app, slap ’em for me and remind ’em that everyone else’s radio station apps have real-time radio streaming. Thanks 😉

  7. Man, ABC is so damned kickass and progressive. I love them. Best use of taxypayer funds IMO.

    FTA commercial channels reallllllllly need to pull their heads in and develop their online presence or face becoming completely irrelevant come NBN (if not sooner).

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