Finally! ABC to re-launch iView with Android app

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abc-iview-iphone

blog Regular readers of Delimiter will be aware that we’ve long had a beef with the ABC over the public broadcaster’s lack of an iView app for the popular (some would say dominant) Android platform. Well, the ABC looks set to finally rectify that issue, making several announcements relating to Android and the iView more platform generally. The excellent TV Tonight blog tells us (we recommend you click here for the full article):

“We’re relaunching iview in December with a great new interface, and a long-awaited Android application as well,” [the ABC’s director of television] said.

Only time will tell whether the app will be initially limited to end users using certain handsets. Similarly publicly funded broadcaster SBS launched a highly anticipated Android version of its on-demand Internet TV viewing platform in August his year, but limited the launch to those Australians with Samsung devices, in a move stimulated by a co-development effort with the Korean manufacturer. It is as of yet unclear whether the ABC is also pursuing a co-development effort or whether it is going it alone with the Android app.

My opinion on this issue has been clear for a long time. As I wrote when device manufacturer Huawei complained about the lack of an ABC Android app in August:

“I understand that the issue with iView on Android is that the ABC is seeking to redevelop its iView platform in HTML5, which will make it much easier for it to deploy across all mobile platforms and do simultaneous upgrades. However, I think it’s clear that the broadcaster has significantly underestimated how much effort that will take, and that it should have just taken a quick punt on a basic Android app quite a while ago, given the popularity of the mobile operating system. Failing to have an app on the now-dominant mobile platform is not a good look for our national broadcaster, and I like that Huawei, as a device manufacturer, is calling the ABC on this one. It’s time.”

It would also be nice if we could get iView in HD …

Image credit: ABC

11 COMMENTS

  1. DRM turns catchup TV into a nightmare.

    Last night I wanted to catch up on something on Channel 7, and watch it through my TV.

    The PLUS7 site said it worked with my TV. Went to the LG app store as they instructed. They were lying.

    Next attempt was to plug the TV into the HDMI on my laptop and watch in using their flash player. It didn’t start. To I turned off my home proxy – and it started. Apparently it wants to surreptitiously phone hone. But we got to the 1st ad and the player froze. My guess Flash on my Debian Laptop isn’t compatible with Channel 7.

    Next stop – my phone. It has MHL, which allows the phone to produce HDMI via it’ used port. Works wonderfully. But when I tried to load the Android PLUS7 app – it said wasn’t compatible with my Android 4.3 device.

    Next step – wife’s phone, a Galaxy S4. This time PLUS7 loaded onto it fine. But it didn’t recognise the MHL adaptor – so the TV could not see it. I have no idea why – Samsung pioneered MHL, and it’s a Samsung adapter.

    Yet they still have to gall to blame the consumer for piracy.

    • you need a specific adapter for galaxy devices, not just any random one, it’s annoying. My s2 hdmi adapter doesn’t work on my s3, I need to get an s3 hdmi adapter….

    • I had a similar lack of success with Plus7 (I think it was on the PS3 a couple of years back).

      A friend’s business had a segment on Better Homes and Gardens, so I thought I’d look it up. Attempting to fast forward through the show resulting with the show getting to an ad break, playing ads at normal speed, and then crashing. Had to restart the app (or browser, can’t remember) before I could try again. Repeat about three times. Give up in the end.

      I love that ABC iView and SBS On Demand are available built in to Fetch – my kids are watching ABC4Kids as we speak. I hardly ever watch free-to-air TV any more.

  2. At last – I’ll be glad to get an “official” iView app for my Kogan TV. aView does the job but is a little bit flaky!

  3. “It would also be nice if we could get iView in HD …”

    Even just an upgrade to standard definition (720×576) would be a start! iView is 640×360 at an average bit-rate of 661kbps. Marginally better than VHS, but still a long way off the quality of an SD DVD.

    • We have a Liberal Government in not they will not spend money on making iView better EVER

  4. Oooh launching soon in December!
    I look forward to this imminent Christmas 2018 release.

  5. Stop complaining fools, there are better uses for your taxes as I was telling Barnaby at a wedding last week … appiness is never far away. Then he went to the bar.

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