Dan Warne06 June 2006, 2:12 AM
Wireless ISP Unwired will start offering movie and TV downloads to its 50,000 customers using a Linux-based set-top box, or software which will be available for PC or Mac. The set-top box will also offer digital TV PVR capabilities, a function the company's content partner Reeltime hopes will provide more value for the pricetag.
Sydney and Melbourne wireless ISP Unwired will start offering its 50,000 customers new release movies via IPTV wireless download by the end of October.
The service will be offered in partnership with content provider Reeltime, which will offer movies and TV shows from Sony Pictures, TriStar, Columbia, MGM, Palace Films, Granada, Icon Entertainment and others.
Reeltime chief John Karantzis said Reeltime was able to offer TV series on an individual episode basis, part series or full series. "These are the big US series, not local series one-offs or 'catchup' downloads available for a limited time after screening," Karantzis told APC.
Unwired says pricing for the downloads will be comparable with video stores, without the inconvenience of having to pick up or return DVDs, and with the new releases you want always available. However, Unwired's head of media relations, Amanda Wallace, conceded pricing was more likely to be competitive with a "big Video Ezy" rather than a small suburban video store.
Customers who want the service will have to buy a Reeltime set-top box for their TV, or run software on their PC, in order to cache the downloads.
Unwired admits its Reeltime download service won't be "real time", but rather that movies will be trickled down to customers at times of low network usage.
Unwired has attracted some criticism from customers for having network slowdowns related to P2P users tying up airtime, forcing the company to impose speed limits on those activities.
But Reeltime boss John Karantzis says it's not about that. “Network speed is not the issue for IPTV via ReelTime’s push system - it’s all about having large amounts of low-cost capacity - and this made Unwired a logical choice for us. It has a robust IP-based network, a growing customer base and, most importantly, large amounts of network capacity across Australia."
Unwired's Wallace agrees, saying, "the whole thing about this service is that it's a trickle-down system, that means we can use our network at off-peak times, basically. We will get better and more consistent use out of the network at quiet times."
Wallace could not confirm definitely how data usage for the movie service would be bundled, however. "We will treat this traffic quite differently from how we would treat normal traffic on plans. [Unwired CEO] David Spence is saying at the moment that, no, data won't be counted as part of our regular plans, but probably what we will do is offer a different type of plan for this. We haven't finalised all those details at this stage, but will do so before the service is introduced in October."
Above: the Reeltime "EPG"
Reeltime says its set-top boxes will range from "sub-$500 to $800, depending on the options ordered." However, it is confident consumers won't be scared off by the high price tag, because it expects Unwired will make the box available at a low up-front cost with an ongoing monthly service price, "like a mobile phone contract."
"We are running with our own PowerPC-based set-top box. The base model provides IPTV only and comes with an 80GB drive and goes all the way up to a 320GB drive which doubles as a free-to-air PVR with a digital tuner. That capability is de-coupled from the IPTV service and also has optional VoIP add-ons.
"Basically, it's a Linux-based PC with our DRM and delivery software loaded on it," he said.
Kararantzis said the SecureMedia DRM being used was Hollywood-approved for both downloading to set-top boxes and PCs. "So unlike the Windows Media software which is only approved for download to PCs, we can offer downloads for TV," he said.
Reeltime's service - through Unwired or any other partner - would be pay-as-you-use, Karantzis said. He ruled out "all you can watch" monthly plans, due to "some interesting regulatory issues." He also ruled out TV channels being delivered via the service. "If we offer channels, you need a broadcasting licence. However, if you offer discreen content for download by users, it's IPTV, which we can offer."
Customers who didn't want to buy the set-top box could use PC software, with a Mac version available in the first quarter of 2007.
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