Freeview MHEG5 services

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sbiddle

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#727028 4-Dec-2012 18:59

Jaxson: Just thinking some more about this, if the MHEG5 bit just selects the items but the content is streamed to the set top box via the internet, then really why couldn't this be deployed via satellite?

No reason, other than MHEG5 apps requiring bandwidth, and that's in pretty scarce supply over satellite.

mikerussellnz

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#727354 5-Dec-2012 12:02

I would think the apps would be quite small, they are sort of like an html type language with a few images. I seem to remember freeview claiming that the reason for the lack of EIT data on DVB-T is it took too much bandwidth and that the MHEG EPG was more efficient (probably just an excuse though?)

mm1352000

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#727932 6-Dec-2012 10:50

mikerussellnz: probably just an excuse though?

I think so. Maybe even just to make it more difficult for the HTPC software to record HD.

benneg

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#728498 7-Dec-2012 12:59

freitasm: I am told Quickflix is just the first one. There's another one to be announced soon.

It will be interesting to see if Quickflix lasts long enough for this ever to get off the ground? Still no funding to see them out of there recent financial issues. They simply have a lack of content to be a viable long term option.

http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/business/a/-/tech/15544992/quickflix-plunges-as-funding-deal-disappears/

Netflix is not an option for Freeview as I do not believe they would have enough content rights to cover the market down here?

Will be interesting to see who else joins; but due to the lack of content I cannnot see any other provider being that successful.

Most people will go under the radar and sign for services elsewhere if they wish to get a reasonable amount of content for a decent price; bypassing any such services here until they can breakout from the Sky dominated content restrictions that seem to be in place.

Nil Einne

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#730098 11-Dec-2012 07:28

freitasm:
Interesting thing to note here is that these kinds of services won't run on Windows Media Center and won't run on TiVo. Neither support MHEG5.

I can't see this as being a big deal on most HTPC setups. Well it could be on WMC, that seems to be a real 'my way or the highway' system with limited extensibility (although it's also a resonable target so could be something targetted by an official app). But with most HTPC PVR software, you could surely implement this as a plugin, bypassing MHEG-5 and Freeview completely. From what has been said, it doesn't sound like it's providing much more then a UI and a system for interaction with the STB/PVR to access the content. I assume Quickflix would be willing to provide a way for an unoffiicial plugin to connect with their content (they want to sell their content after all). Worst case scenario you could scrape it from the web or from wherever one of the other official apps gets its.

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