Sometimes back I discovered watching Malaysia news is possible at NTV7 website, and now I found 1 of our favourite Singapore talent show (SUPERSTAR) is now available in 8TV (Malaysia version). All I need is a broadband connection at home.
Cambridge-based Velocix has secured a contract to provide MediaCorp, a national broadcaster in Singapore, with live broadcast streaming services via its Digital Asset Delivery Network.
MediaCorp’s viewers will receive live, on-line, bi-weekly episodes of talent search program, Star Search, and international game show, Deal or No Deal, with Velocix’s delivery technology providing multiple live video feeds from both stage and backstage areas.
The service provided by Velocix will help MediaCorp cope with a substantial increase in demand from viewers watching live on-line episodes of its TV programs, together with an increase in subscriptions to its VOD service MOBTV (MediaCorp On-line Broadband TV).
Velocix is offering 1 month free trial. For MediaCorp contents, only Star Search and Deal or No Deal are available.
You can now watch broadcasted Malaysia News Edition online at NTV7 website and catchup up to 1 month of broadcasted news.
The News Channel that deliver most Asia News come within reach. Singapore's ChannelNewsAsia is now on trial at TVUplayer & Saya Tv.
I've not watch any yet, but I'll soon have a show to watch. This morning when I logged in, the owner of recorded simpson episode has allowed to lent me his show.
Ay, caramba! I can watch The Simpson now!
As for the storage, for an hour show, it will take up 60MB and you have 30 days to watch it.
Update 15/2: Understand TVCatchup has been shutdown with some legal question with the content provider. Read more here. It is a matter of time as BBC would not let such technology exist while they'd invested £ in their iplayer. If you go to TVCatchup website, below is what you see. What a shame that such wonderful technology need to go.
Variety Channels I picked
Sky+ box for £49 instead of £99
16mb for £10 pending on BT line connection
This is the combo I would take if I have a BT landline, paying extra £50 for Sky+
The reason I picked Sky instead of Sky Pay Once Watch Forever deal I bought from Dixons is the combine calculation that make Sky the winner. First of all, BT is charging me £124.99 BT connection for new home and line rental is £10.5 per month with 12 months compulsory contract (exit contract need to pay £70 penalty) . This spoilt my intention to take Tiscali £14.99 8mb plan with free Bt line rental. Therefore I'll be paying £25.49 with BT with Tiscali for broadband. But with Sky 16mb unlimited, I will save £4.99 each month. As for Sky Pay Once £70.5/12 month = £5.875 vs £16 Sky contract, this is justified by £124.99 BT connection cashback and Sky+ box at £49.9. If I can get the box for free, then there is no different in term of payment, but a greater deal.
Clearly Sky package is slightly cheaper and on top of that, I have not include £50 voucher from Sky. This calculation only correct if you are a new home owner that you need to pay BT Connection fee.
Update 5/2: I called Sky 3 times, 1st time was on hold for >5min, 2nd time the guy was straightforward and wanting to cancel my package, but I told him i'll reconsider and 3rd time I make an excuse and told the guy Virgin is giving V+ box for free. But the sales advisor told me Sky+ box will not be given for free. Ok, tough luck but at least I tried.
I was shocked when I just come to realise there is no TV antenna installed on new houses in UK. Because of that, I just signed up Sky Pay Once What Forever instead of waiting for a Freesat box as mentioned in my previous post.
Based on my 12 months calculation for cheapest phone line rental, broadband and TV, option 1 below is the cheapest compare to Sky package.
Option 1: £70.5(Sky Pay Once with 4 months 4 TV packages free trials)+£30(Tiscali installation)+£14.99*12 (Tiscali 8mb unlimited broadband with BT line rental) = £280.38
Option 2: £30 + [£16 (Sky Digital with 1 package)+ £10 (16mb unlimited broadband) + £10 (BT line rental)]*12 =£462
Update 18/1: Went to Maplin store and saw a digital TV aerial kit cost £39.99. With £30.5 extra, I'm getting Sky Pay Once and it is clearly a better deal.
At Currys store, Sky HD Box is half price when purchase a HDTV. This promo run until end of Jan.
BT is not the first to offer MediaRoom XBOX360 set top box for their IPTV service, Singtel is offering it too. Interesting strategy.
Of course if you signup for SyncTV, you don't need to have this set top box.
Thanks to OPENhulu and TV Paradise, you can skip the "hulu private invitation only" to watch US shows as new as just broadcasted. However, this doesn't mean you can watch it outside the State.
not able to view the show as not a US person
I just downloaded Hotspot Shield, a free program which creates a virtual private network between your computer and a wireless router. While its focus is mainly on protecting your private information from hackers, it keeps hulu from recognizing that you are outside the State to overcome this problem. I just tried and it works!
If you are not in US and had installed Hotspot Shield, try to watch Simpsons Treehouse of Horror XVIII below. The show might not be as smooth as watching YouTube.
Closer to home, BBC is offering iPlayer for you to catchup the past 7 days shows. This mean you will never miss Top Gear again. :)
I'd tried once with ITV Video Player on ITV3 when it was showing a football match, unfortunately it wasn't smooth and I didn't use it since.
Channel4 has very good tv shows, and it is offering 4OD (On Demand). I didn't tried it but one of this day I will (when bittorent is ban).
And lastly, SyncTV was announced in CES 2008. It is a per channel subscription base service that allow HD content to download and watch using HDTV. The different between this service with 4OD is the content is High definition. I'd subscribed to their beta list and let's see how it turn up.
Update 11/1 - Miro is another streaming player that direct compete with Joost. It promised to offer more channels than Joost, by allowing anyone to create their own channel. If you into offering your own content, you might want to give it a go.
Most of the new TV selling in the UK retail shops are able to receive freeview (DVB-T) digital signal on top of the normal analog (DVB) signal. Freeview has more than 20 free channels. Although not all channels are available as it is location based, but starting mid 2008 the digital switch off will take place, meaning analog signal transmitter tower will be replaced by phases and Swindon will be completely digital by 2010.
Well, Freeview is receive via aerial antenna, there is also satellite free channels. Most retailers are offering Sky Pay Once Watch Forever for £75. By installing a satellite dish with a satellite receiver box, you can enjoy 20+ more channels for free.
Now, what about High Definition (HD) signal? Most LCD/Plasma TV comes with HD Ready but how often one benefit from such expensive investment? While I was in Singapore, HD signal was only in testing phase for none cable resident, and Starhub CableTV is the only content provider with HD service. You need to get a HD set top box in order to decode the HD signal. Here in UK, only Virgin Media V+ and Sky HD are offering HD. My requirement is to view all available channels, if needed be, pay 1 time charge for the set top box without subscription. Without a HD subscription, viewer can watch BBC HD, ITV HD and possible Channel4HD for free. Look likes the best option is "Sky Pay Once Watch Forever" (that's why in Dixon 10% discount I picked it) until I discover freesat.
From the website, it said freesat will be available by spring 2008 and HD signal is available. This set top box will be available at major retailer by then. I'm holding my horse and ready to get this one. Perhaps by mid 2008, most TV will be able to accept HD signal without a set top box, just like it is able to support Freeview now.
If you guy love cook show, you will like the Big Food Fight. This show will feature cookshow celebrity Jamie Oliver, Gordon Ramsey and .... (I have no idea who he is as I didn't watch his show) and the trailer showed they never get along. We love to watch Gordon Ramsey's Kitchen Nightmare, F-Word, Hell Kitchen shows, Same goes to Jamie's Jamie at Home. Very nice.
Alright, straight to the point. It wasn't due to the poor tv shows on the 5 UK channels (minus Freeview, minus SKY) but it is the reality shows (US version) accompanying me for a few years (Amazing Race, Project Runway, Apprentice, American Next Top Model, Survivor) that I missed the most. Perhaps SkyOne is showing more US shows, the 5 UK channels (BBC1&2, ITV1,Channel 4,Five) are lacking US shows. There are a few good UK shows I like as they are original: Top Gear, GadgetShow, Dragonsden, F Word, Property ladder, Jamie At Home, and Hotel Inspector. UK version of Apprentice is suck. X-Factor, UK version of American Idol is pretty ok, yesterday Leon walked away as a winner. On top of this, Big Brother is aonther interesting show I watched not long after I landed in Swindon.
Every week until today, I download the latest show of Amazing Race s12, Survivor S15, Project Runway S4, American Next Top Model S9, Heroes S2, Prison Break S3, Taiwanese singing competition MillionStars S2, Anime Gundam 00, Amazing Race Asia S2. I'm pretty up-to-date with the shows most people watching in Asia.
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