TORONTO – Independent ISP and IPTV service provider VMedia launched its brand new VCloudTV PVR on Wednesday which it said (and we’re pretty certain it’s true) is Canada's first cloud-based TV distribution technology. For the first time, Canadians will be able to record and enjoy their favourite TV shows without expensive hardware in their homes.
VMedia, whose services are available throughout Ontario, marked the first anniversary of the launch of its TV service at an event Wednesday afternoon at Brassaii Restaurant in Toronto with the introduction of the new cloud-based DVR, what the company is billing as a “solution which allows VMedia subscribers to watch their favourite TV shows at anytime without any costly PVR machines, or complicated recording and retrieval process.”
The lightweight, inexpensive ($74.95) Android operating system boxes will soon be on sale at kiosks within Canada Computers locations in Ontario (and online through VMedia’s web site) and will allow customers – who must also be Vmedia ISP customers in order to take advantage of the Internet-delivered TV services – to set up their system so that up to 17 conventional over-the-air channels can be recorded, at all times. That means never missing a show again, or being able to back up and see the start of a program you joined late. Programming self-deletes after seven days, however. Click here to see the rest of VMedia’s Internet and TV pricing.
"We're at a very difficult crossroads in our business. Everyone knows that,” said George Burger, director, Vmedia. “The mainstream television distribution industry is facing tremendous challenges from all sides… and it is essential we facilitate access to the content people want to watch, whatever its legitimate source, in the most affordable and technologically superior way possible."
Vmedia CEO Alexei Tchernobrivets also demonstrated the various other features of the box which will let customers (about 7,000 strong now with plans to more than double that to 15,000-18,000 subs in the next 12 months) access all sorts of web video and audio programming as well, various social media portals – basically any app or online service can be brought up onto a customer’s TV screen. Youtube, Netflix, Twitter, Skype, Instagram, Angry Birds, can all be delivered to the TV through the Vmedia box.
Initially, VCloudTV's DVR solution will access only 17 local over the air channels, including CTV, CBC, Global, CityTV, NBC, CBS, ABC, FOX, PBS as well as TVO, CHCH, CTS, CTV2Barrie, OMNI1, OMNI2, CBC French and SRC. Company officials also noted it will seek to negotiate the rights to offer network DVR services with specialty channel providers. Burger told Cartt.ca that since the service was tightly under wraps prior to launch (in fact, the boxes at the launch event only arrived the night before), the company hasn’t approached any specialty channel owners about the network DVR option just yet.
