Nine attempts to crack IceTV
By Adam TURNER
Forget digital television or even hard drive recorders, an Electronic Program Guide like IceTV is the key to the digital lounge room revolution - which is why the Nine Network wants to crush it.
An EPG lets you call up the TV guide on your television screen, browse through the next week's schedule and select programs you want to record. This lets you watch what you want, when you want it - which is obviously a massive threat to the Packer Family's Nine Network which wants you to play by its rules and sit through all its boring ads. Nine's pathetic response is to take IceTV to court next week over copyright infringement of it's program guide - a simple list of TV shows that Nine gives away to pretty much anyone else who wants it. You can't copyright simple facts, such as the fact Star Trek starts at 11pm, or is it 11.30? Or 12? Nine has deep pockets to pay fast talking lawyers and, if they win, TV watchers will be the big losers.
Nine's contempt for its viewers has reached a new low with its fight against IceTV - and that's pretty low when you look at Nine's track record, just ask any Star Trek or West Wing fan. This is a text book example of an old world media company pathetically trying to stop the tide with a broom. Change is coming whether the TV Tsars like it or not and, when the revolution comes, Nine will be first against the wall.
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5 comments
I don't think the stations are trying to stop the technology: I reckon this is more about establishing that they are entitled to charge IceTV for the use of the schedules.
If TV stations made full use of over-the-air program guides, we wouldn't need services such as IceTV. But they don't - possibly because there's no mechanism for charging for OTA guides.
The Foxtel Digital EPG includes Nine's schedule so people can easily record Nine shows on the iQ.
Foxtel EPG good (Foxtel is 25% owned by PBL, Nine's parent); IceTV EPG bad (PBL has no stake in IceTV, as far as I know).
People are going to continue to time-shift shows, especially when programs with devoted followings such as The Sopranos and Enterprise are shown in late-night slots. They're not going to do it more just because it's easier with an EPG, they'll merely be less annoyed at the stations for screening their favourite shows at awkward times.
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The digital lounge room is Adam Turner's office and it's also becoming the new battle ground for the hearts, minds and wallets of the masses. Reporting from the front line where PC converges with AV, Adam offers a view from the couch of everything from digital television and hard drive recorders to piracy and digital rights management.
