ABC iview

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ABC iview
ABC iView Logo.gif
Developer(s) Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Initial release 24 July 2008
Development status Active
Operating system Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, Android, iOS, Apple TV, Linux, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox one, Sony Bravia, Samsung, LG TVs
Platform Adobe Flash or Native Applications
Available in English
Type Catch up / Internet Television
License Proprietary
Website iview.abc.net.au

ABC iview is a video on demand and catch up TV service run by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. After running for several months in beta form under the name "ABC Playback", the service became available as a Flash website on 24 July 2008.[1] This was the next step after the podcasting of TV programs since July 2006. Currently iview video content can only be viewed by users in Australia.[1] The iview website streams video at up to 650kbit/s in the H.264 format, and uses the HDS protocol, which makes it accessible to web browsers installed with Adobe Flash. iview is also available through native apps for iOS and Android smartphones, tablets, games consoles, as well as on some brands of internet-connected TVs.

Unmetering

In late 2008 the iview player was updated to allow for unmetering (zero-rating) by several Australian ISPs through network peering arrangements. The ISPs included Internode,[2] iPrimus,[3] Westnet, Apex Internet and Adam Internet. iiNet was able to offer iview unmetered without the peering upgrade. In addition, AARNet, Cinenet, and Comcen since offer unmetered access to iview.[4] The ABC News 24 live stream and content not streamed using Adobe Flash (i.e. through the iPad and Internet connected TVs) is currently not unmetered, however this may change in the future.[5] Some shows may premiere on iview before they feature on broadcast television, such as Rake.[6]

Access

iOS devices

  • The ABC iview app for iPad was launched in December 2010.[7]
  • The ABC iview app for iPhone and iPod Touch devices was launched in June 2012.[7]

Android devices

  • An iview Android app supporting Android 4.0.3 and above was released on 18 December 2013.[8]
  • Android devices with a web browser that supports Adobe Flash 11.7 or above can view iview directly via the iview website.[9]

Internet-connected TVs and Blu-ray players

  • Sony Bravia TVs and Blu-ray players offer an Internet Video Service which includes iview.[10]
  • Samsung TV and Blu-ray devices with the internet@TV/SMARTtv can install an iview app as of June 2011.[11]
  • Panasonic Viera TVs provide an ABC iview app.[12]
  • LGE Smart TVs have access to iview via an official app
  • FreeviewPlus certified HbbTV devices have access to iview since 2014

Games consoles

Other media streaming devices

  • iview was made available as a tvOS based app on the 4th Generation Apple TV in May 2016
  • Telstra TV launched an iview app in late 2015[14]
  • Fetch TV has included iview since 2013

Offline viewing

Unlike the ABC's podcasts, programs on the iview service are not officially downloadable and are only available to watch for a short time after the program has aired on the ABC. However, some individuals have been able to reverse-engineer the method that the Flash application uses to request videos from the media streaming servers[15] to allow programs such as rtmpdump or flvstreamer to download the videos for offline playing[16] or watch them in another RTMP-supporting client (such as XBMC).[17]

In 2012 the ABC sent a legal notice to the author of an open source program called Python-iView which enabled users to download videos from the ABC.[18]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ABC iview FAQs
  6. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. 7.0 7.1 ABC iview for iPad
  8. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. Sony strengthens its IPTV offering in Australia
  11. ABC message board discussion: Samsung internet@TV widget.
  12. http://panasonic.net/avc/viera/global/connect_apps/detail/73
  13. Nic Healey. ABC iview and Plus7 now available on PS4, cnet.com, 18 December 2014.
  14. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. Andy Botting's blog post on using ABC iview with XBMC
  16. GUI Applications for downloading iview videos at Wikia
  17. https://code.google.com/p/xbmc-boxee-iview/
  18. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links