Live Internet Television

Hello, I have learned about ivi TV on newteevee, where a few questions were posted:

1) How are you guys planning on acquiring attractive content, and what type of content will you be offering to end consumers?

2) Will I be able to watch professional TV content such as ABC, CBS and NBC on my computer, or will you focus more on niche or even user-generated content?

3) How will you differentiate yourself against other established live TV players, such as UUSee, PPLive, Livestation or Zattoo? (granted, they are currently not present in the US, but may be one day, as their offerings are very popular in their respective home markets).

Michael,

Thanks for writing. It’s a pleasure to have such good questions to answer! Are you sure we didn’t hire you as a shill? ;-)

1) How are you guys planning on acquiring attractive content, and what type of content will you be offering to end consumers?

Our goal is to make more and better live online TV available FREE in a way that works best for content providers and viewers alike.

We have a unique model which offers the top-tier content producer a way to grow a new audience on a new platform by bringing live broadcast programming online without fear of piracy and with a flexible revenue model. Ivi provides easy plug-and-play functionality with maximum revenue capture.

We are currently working on partner agreements based on the following criteria: Broadcasters must own all their own content, insert all their own advertising, be interested in Live Internet TV, and have a strong web presence.

These criteria give us a fat tranche of high-quality programming that is made wider by a growing openness to third-party online models by cable companies (http://adage.com/mediaworks/article?article_id=...)

2) Will I be able to watch professional TV content such as ABC, CBS and NBC on my computer, or will you focus more on niche or even user-generated content?

ivi has a LONG roadmap, which at this phase focuses on event-driven professionally-produced broadcast content that is looking for ways to go online. ABC, NBC, and CBS have existing archived content partnerships which are still proving themselves during this many-moving-parts period. To add a live online broadcast partnership would present daunting messaging and contractual challenges at this time.

ivi’s roadmap calls for an initial focus on proving ourselves on the shorter sales in order to enter the market strongly and attract the attention of the giants; on launch we'll offer desirable professional content that is real-time-oriented and offers breaking regional news, cable content, live and legal sports coverage, etc.

So, to be more concise: all things in their time! :-)

3) How will you differentiate yourself against other established live TV players, such as UUSee, PPLive, Livestation or Zattoo? (granted, they are currently not present in the US, but may be one day, as their offerings are very popular in their respective home markets).

The companies you mention will have significant barriers to entry into the US market, and some of them combine illegal user feeds of content. They are interesting companies, to be sure, but none combine safety/encryption, scalability (P2P + broadband), aggregation, global access, and an easy plug-and-play revenue model the way ivi does.

ivi is patenting software solutions that allow it to smash barriers to legal, piracy/privacy encrypted Internet distribution of real-time television signals. We provide a flexible revenue-capture model, protection for the broadcaster and the consumer, and single point-of-access aggregation of live content.

Dear Abigail,

I am sorry to bother you.
Do you mind if ask you a question?

I am a US-based Dutch TV-producer.
Currently I am working on several TV-formats that require active, online viewer involvement.

Mass-convergence of TV and Internet may still be far fetched.
But what about an in-between phase?

Do you know about examples of live, Internet based participation of TV-viewers (voting, feedback, answering questions)?
It might attract and immerse the young, 'multi-screen' generation.
Right?

Is see a lot of Red Button - applications and 1-800 call-ins, but not truly webbased TV-interactivity.

Why isn't this done more often?
Or am I missing something?
Where to look?

Www.eyeworks.tv (based both in Holland and LA) is one of the production companies I am doing work for.

I would truly appreciate your input or tips where to search.

Thanks,

Charles Groenhuijsen
Bethesda, MD
202 - 422 . 4229

Dear Abigail,

I am sorry to bother you.

Do you mind if ask you a question?

I am a US-based Dutch TV-producer.
Currently I am working on several TV-formats that require active, online viewer involvement.

Mass-cinvergence of TV and Internet may still be far getched.
But what about an in-between phase?

Do you know about examples of live, Internet based participation of TV-viewers (voting, feedback, answering questions)?
It would attract the young 'multi-screen' generation.
Right?

Is see a lot of Red Button - applications and 1-800 call-ins, but not truly webbased interactivity.

Why isn't this done more often?
Or am I missing something?
Where to look?

Www.eyeworks.tv (based both in Holland and LA) is one of the production companies I am doing work for.

I would truly appreciate your input of tips where to search.

Thanks,

Charles Groenhuijsen
Bethesda, MD
202 - 422 . 4229

Charles,

Thanks for the Tweet the other day. I guess I didn't answer your question? Let me know again what you are looking for and I will clarify or try to do better. :-)

Charles —

Thanks for writing. The Social Viewing Room format (An example: CBS http://www.cbs.com/socialroom/) might be an example of some interactivity you are talking about. I am not sure if there is anyone partnering with professional content producers to provide a platform for this interactivity an ongoing way, but Conviva http://www.conviva.com/ does good live/interactive event stuff. Also maybe look at Uploaded.tv? A lot of User-Generated stuff, so it may or may not be relevant to your plan. — A