Set-top boxes are identifiable to YouView’s back-end in the cloud, enabling the platform to make the visibility of recordings on the set-top available on phones and other devices that have the YouView app.
The mini-guide that appears at the bottom of the screen now includes thumbnail pictures of programmes that are playing.
Recordings are now visible in a mosaic format. Other new features include the introduction of MyTV as the place where DVR recordings are stored, now “an important hub for people to find and discover content”, said Halton. “There are a few touches we have added, such as allowing channel and programme names to extend ,” he said. Apps such as iPlayer now load more quickly, said Halton. YouView has kept many of the features of the existing interface, with the simple visual design of the EPG remaining in place, though the guide is now transparent. These simple bits of looking after the consumer are essential,” he said. It is important we take people with us, so you will keep everything you have bought and recorded safe. Halton said that all YouView homes, including those with legacy boxes, would be upgraded with the new user experience. He said that YouView had hired cloud services engineers, HTML developers and others to develop the platform. He said the new platform was focused on enabling users to navigate an “exploding” range of content available on the service. Halton said that work had been ongoing on the project for the last 18 months. “The HTML journey should help leverage those other content partners, but this next-generation should better bet thought of as improving the navigation experience,” he said. However, he emphasized that the next-generation platform launch was more focused on the experience and navigation rather than new content, pointing out that it is designed to enable viewers to better discover what they want to watch among the 70,000 on-demand titles available through the service. He pointed out that many new linear services had been added to the platform, but added that VOD services would also be added in the future. Halton said that there was “a pipeline of new content partners” that would be brought on board over the next few months. With the move from an Adobe Flash-based platform to one that is HTML-5-based, which has been ongoing for some time, YouView has become more open with third-party content providers such as Netflix finding it easier to join. “It is still an aggressively growing platform,” he said. Halton said that there were now 2.5 million YouView connected devices. “The partnership we now have with BT and TalkTalk is now extraordinarily strong,” he said. He said that the primary distribution of YouView devices was via BT and TalkTalk. The existing shareholder agreement runs until 2019, and Halton said there were no plans to change the existing ownership structure ahead of that. “They are still equal equity partners in the business,” he said. Halton said that public service broadcasters had been “intimately involved” in the development of the platform, with their content remaining prominent. YouView is jointly owned by the UK public service broadcasters, BT, TalkTalk and Arqiva. Halton played down speculation that YouView could see a change in ownership following reports that BT was keen to buy out its partners in the consortium.
TALKTALK YOUVIEW LAUNCH UPGRADE
TalkTalk, which is first to launch, rolling out the upgrade in phases from next Monday, will include a TalkTalk TV Planner app that sets reminders or enables recordings of live TV from mobile phones, along with a new More TV area to highlight TalkTalk’s own sports, kids and entertainment ‘Boost’ packages. This is something you will really see as BT and TalkTalk roll out their services over the coming weeks,” said Halton. “One aspect of this was to enable the ISPs to really own and develop their services. The new platform will also enable the two operators to prioritise some aspects of the overall experience to highlight their own content. TalkTalk and BT will use the new platform to launch own-branded versions of YouView, highlighting their own brand on the home screen, with the YouView brand relegated to a subsidiary position. “Even now, in the week before we go live we are still developing new features,” said Richard Halton, CEO of YouView at a press event to mark the launch.
TALKTALK YOUVIEW LAUNCH TRIAL
The service has been in Beta trial for some time, with updates being delivered every two weeks. UK connected TV platform YouView has unveiled the next-generation version of its platform, which UK broadband service provider TalkTalk has announced will roll out from next week.
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