Seattle-based digital entertainment services provider Widevine is teaming up with Australian telco Telstra to deliver linear broadcast television channels over the Internet.
Telstra's BigPond TV service already offers seven channels of television content, but will integrate Widevine's live adaptive streaming, virtual DVD experience and digital rights management platform to help ensure that consumers will have a higher quality viewing experience. Telstra says the service will be available on a range of devices including TVs and Blu-ray players from LG Electronics and Samsung from later this year and from Telstra's T-Box set top box in 2011.
"If 2010 was the year when IPTV became a mainstream reality in Australia, then the year ahead will be one where the quality they have come to expect from the service will transform from an Internet standard to a true broadcast standard," Telstra's Head of IPTV Ben Kinealy said. "It will ensure that customers watching BigPond TV will enjoy the same high-quality experience as customers have come to expect from traditional broadcast TV and Telstra is delighted to be the first in the world to offer this."
In May, DISH Network announced it was partnering with digital solutions provider Widevine to enter the TVEverywhere scramble. Widevine is providing DISH (NASDAQ: DISH) with adaptive streaming, virtual DVD and digital rights management services.
Telstra provides more than 8.6 million Australian fixed line and 10.5 million mobile services, including 8.2 million 3G services.
Widevine, meanwhile, provides digital media solutions for the delivery of digital entertainment to any device. Widevine is a privately held corporation; investors include Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: CSCO), Charter Ventures, Constellation Ventures, Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd (DNP), Liberty Global (NASDAQ: LBTYA), PaceSetter Capital Group, Phoenix Partners, Samsung Ventures America, TELUS (NYSE: TU), and VantagePoint Venture Partners.
For more:
- see this release
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