MobiTV Inc. is expanding beyond wireless carriers with a turnkey TV Everywhere service tailored for cable multi system operators (MSOs,) telco and satellite TV service providers.
MobiTV's intention is to adapt its existing cloud-based video distribution platform so that authenticated pay-TV providers can deliver live and on-demand programming to customers via an array of IP-connected mobile devices, including tablets, smartphones and PCs.
What? In short MobitTV wants to be the platform that drives your television viewing regardless of where you are and what manufacturers device you're using.
It's a new approach for MobiTV, which historically has sold subscription video services on mobile phones via its partnerships with several major wireless operators, including AT&T, Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile. Under the TV Everywhere approach, MobiTV plans to help MSOs offer a broader set of services to consumers who are already subscribing to traditional pay-TV packages.
MobiTV believes it can remove much of the complexity and cost of such services for MSOs by selling them a pre-packaged yet customizable system comprising content encoding and ingestion, device integration (MobiTV supports about 375 devices today) and digital rights management (DRM) support. MobiTV also believes it has already overcome the major challenge for many MSOs — delivering TV Everywhere services to a diverse base of mobile service operators and devices.
“You can't stop at the iPhone,” MobiTV Co-founder and President Paul Scanlon tells Light Reading Cable, noting the importance of MSOs reaching Android, Blackberry and Brew-based devices as well. “PCs and tablets … are really a much easier part of our business. We've been building this for eight years. They [MSOs] are just taking on a different customer base.”
MobiTV's TV Everywhere product is ready to go, but it will look to its operator customers to secure the content rights. “We know there are rights limitations, but not device limitations,” Scanlon says.
According to a report in LightReadingCable, Scanlon declined to say whether MobiTV has any TV Everywhere deployments or trials underway, because the company is in the process of going public, but he did acknowledge that his company has already been holding talks with service providers.
What's next for MobiTV – maybe an IPO? Time will tell.
DISH customers do not need to have MobiTV to get access to DISH’s live TV channels, because they already get that with DISH’s sling technology! DISH uses the sling adapter to give their customer’s access to their TV and DV R content on Smartphone’s, Tablets, iPhones, Laptops, iPads and Blackberry’s. I work for DISH and I can tell you that we are the only TV provider that allows customer’s access to both live TV and DVR content. I do like that MobiTV allows customer’s access to their satellite company’s programming on 375 devices but it does not specifically tell which ones. Another great benefit of having TV on the go with DISH is having access to their free app that allows me to manage my DVR recordings. DISH gives their customers awesome options and I’m totally happy with the service that I’m receiving.
@Connan thanks for your comment. I agree both Dish and MobiTV offer great products.
I used to work with Mobi on helping them design some cloud computing based solutions. But at home, I’ve been a Dish customer for years, and yes I am also using the Sling Adapter and loving the place-shifting functions.
I do want to see the Hoppy multi-room DVR when it finally starts rolling out though. Any insight or review units you have access to?
The Hopper comes with three client boxes called Joeys and it delivers customers with full DVR functions in all four rooms! I like that the Hopper has a remote finder button and a new TruVolume feature that prevents customers from dealing with annoying volume fluctuations. The Hopper is the fastest satellite receiver in the industry, and it has the largest hard drive in the industry with 2 terabytes! The Hopper has a unique PrimeTime Anytime feature that allows it too automatically record networks CBS, FOX, ABC and NBC in HD during prime time hours only! The Hopper can record 2 additional programs during these times; giving it the ability to record up to six shows at once. Here’s a link that will give you more information about the Hopper http://press.dishnetwork.com/.
DISH customers do not need to have MobiTV to get access to DISH’s live TV channels, because they already get that with DISH’s sling technology! DISH uses the sling adapter to give their customer’s access to their TV and DV R content on Smartphone’s, Tablets, iPhones, Laptops, iPads and Blackberry’s. I work for DISH and I can tell you that we are the only TV provider that allows customer’s access to both live TV and DVR content. I do like that MobiTV allows customer’s access to their satellite company’s programming on 375 devices but it does not specifically tell which ones. Another great benefit of having TV on the go with DISH is having access to their free app that allows me to manage my DVR recordings. DISH gives their customers awesome options and I’m totally happy with the service that I’m receiving.
@Connan thanks for your comment. I agree both Dish and MobiTV offer great products.
I used to work with Mobi on helping them design some cloud computing based solutions. But at home, I’ve been a Dish customer for years, and yes I am also using the Sling Adapter and loving the place-shifting functions.
I do want to see the Hoppy multi-room DVR when it finally starts rolling out though. Any insight or review units you have access to?
The Hopper comes with three client boxes called Joeys and it delivers customers with full DVR functions in all four rooms! I like that the Hopper has a remote finder button and a new TruVolume feature that prevents customers from dealing with annoying volume fluctuations. The Hopper is the fastest satellite receiver in the industry, and it has the largest hard drive in the industry with 2 terabytes! The Hopper has a unique PrimeTime Anytime feature that allows it too automatically record networks CBS, FOX, ABC and NBC in HD during prime time hours only! The Hopper can record 2 additional programs during these times; giving it the ability to record up to six shows at once. Here’s a link that will give you more information about the Hopper http://press.dishnetwork.com/.