Eleven more countries: Google launches Chromecast in Europe and Canada
Well, hello there: Chromecast is now available in 10 European countries as well as Canada, and the BBC and some other big publishers are ready to cast.
BBC threatens to take BBC3 off the air, make it online-only
The BBC says it will take BB3 off the air and only stream it online. But will the broadcaster really follow through?
The whole world is watching: Australia eyes an end to geo-blocking
Under a Parliamentary committee’s recommendations, consumers in Australia would legally be able to access content that has not been licensed in that territory.
Roku adds BBC iPlayer to bolster UK launch
Roku has filled a vital gap in its lineup by announcing the addition of a channel for the BBC’s popular iPlayer service, just as it starts shipping its media streaming boxes to Britain for the first time.
Netflix is about to discover that Britain bites back
Netflix wants to recover from a disastrous few months by launching in the U.K. and Ireland — but the company will have to overcome many obstacles to achieve success, not least competition from broadcasters who have very different priorities from their American counterparts.
Share and Share Alike: BBC iPlayer Gets More Social
The BBC is adding new ways for iPlayer viewers to share what they’re watching with their friends and social networks, with a new share button. In addition to standard networks like Facebook and Twitter, iPlayer users can now send videos to Delicious, Digg, Reddit and StumbleUpon.
BBC iPlayer Users Can Now Record An Entire Series
The BBC announced a new feature called “Series Record” to its iPlayer today. With the new feature, iPlayer users will be able to sign up once to record their favorite shows and catch up on that programming for up to a month after episodes air.
Devices Do Matter, As BBC iPlayer Sets New Records
Connected devices are now the fastest growing portion of the BBC iPlayer’s viewership, as the public broadcaster continues to post record numbers. In fact, there’s been a 10-fold increase in viewership on connected TVs, Blu-ray players, hybrid set-top boxes and game consoles since last June.
BBC iPlayer App Coming to the iPad This Week
The BBC could introduce an iPad app for its iPlayer catch-up service later this week, according to an employee. The app, available only to UK residents, will enable viewers to stream programs on Wi-Fi networks and could lead to a paid U.S. version later this year.
Vid-Biz: Comcast-NBCU, YouTube Mobile, BBC iPlayer
Today on the Net: Comcast may need to make some concessions about online video to get its NBCU transaction approved, YouTube brings ads to videos on its Android mobile app and the BBC will refuse to create bespoke versions of the iPlayer unless compensated for them.