IceTV iPhone app – perfect TV Guide for the iPhone 3GS

June 26th, 2009

Apple are launching the new iPhone 3GS in retail stores across Australia today and with a new version of IceTV Interactive scheduled for release next week, now is the perfect time to see why IceTV’s iPhone app is the best TV Guide in Australia for iPhone users.

(Please Note: IceTV have lodged a new version of the IceTV iPhone app to address some known issues with version 3.0 and are awaiting approval from Apple).

The next version of IceTV Interactive will give IceTV iPhone app users even greater freedom and control over their digital free-to-air TV (Freeview™) viewing. Including being able to create ‘Keyword’ based Series Recordings & ‘Keyword Favourites’ using their iPhone, so they never miss an episode of their favourite show again.

For IceTV users with a compatible device at home such as a Mac Mini with an Elgato TV Tuner running EyeTV or a Topfield PVR, you will be able to set ‘Keyword’ based Series Recordings using your iPhone starting next week.

Create a ‘Keyword Recording’ by simply searching the IceTV Guide using any word you like (such as your favourite actor’s name, football team or general keyword like ’surfing’). Click on the ‘Add a Keyword Recording’ option at the top and IceTV’s iPhone app will continuously search the IceTV Guide for you, making sure your device at home records anything that matches. You have the option of creating a ‘Keyword Recording’ that searches only the ‘title’ of a show, or by ‘title & description’.

For example, creating a ‘Keyword Recording’ for ‘masterchef’ using your iPhone is now quick and easy. Never miss another episode. If your show disappears for 6 weeks and then comes back, IceTV will ensure your device at home picks up where it left off. Create a ‘Keyword Recording’ for the ‘Wallabies’ to make sure you don’t miss any of the action this season.

For Free IceTV iPhone users that don’t have a compatible device at home (or not yet anyway), you can create a ‘Keyword Favourite’ by following the same steps. If there is a show that matches, you will be notified within the ‘Upcoming’ section of the IceTV iPhone app.

Download the IceTV iPhone app for free via iTunes and see for yourself why IceTV’s iPhone app is the perfect TV Guide for your iPhone 3G or new iPhone 3GS.

Already have an iPhone?
Register here for a Free IceTV iPhone Account (note: free accounts do not include remote recording).

Already have an iPhone and a compatible device at home?
Register here a 30-day free trial account to IceTV’s full service .

Create series recordings, see what the Most Popular shows are, create your own personalised TV Guide for the week ahead and get Recommendations on shows we think you may like.

With the new version of Interactive, the IceTV iPhone app will not be the only application in our arsenal to be improved. Those using our mini remote recording website on a mobile phone will also be able to enjoy features such as ‘Keyword Recording’, ‘Series Recording’ and more following the release.

Stay tuned for the announcement regarding the new version of IceTV Interactive!

Refer your friends to IceTV and receive extra subscription time! Click here to find out more.

IceTV – Seriously Cool.

Posted in IceTV EPG, IceTV Remote, Interactive, Service Announcement, Software Release, iPhone |

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Help spread the word by referring your friends to IceTV.

June 18th, 2009

IceTV users automatically receive free subscription time added on to their existing account every time they refer a friend to IceTV.

As a small Aussie company in a land of media giants, we often get pushed around and overshadowed by the bigger boys as most people know.

We might not have the endless resources that our competitors have in order to get our message out there, but we like to think that we’re blessed with loyal users that we can depend on to help spread the word about IceTV.

Together, we can take on the bigger boys & beat them at their own game!

As a way to thank those that refer their friends to IceTV, we’re giving away a bonus 1 or 3 month subscription for every friend of theirs that joins the IceTV community (by purchasing a 3 or 12 month subscription or compatible hardware product), respectively.

It’s really easy. Your friends just need to successfully enter in your IceTV User ID (Username) in the ‘Refer a Friend’ field provided on the “Order Summary” page when purchasing their first IceTV subscription or compatible hardware product from our IceTV Shop (see picture below).

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in IceTV Subscriptions, IceTV's Online Store, Promotions, Service Announcement |

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OneHD in regional NSW, QLD, VIC & ACT on July 2nd.

June 16th, 2009

The Macquarie Media Group (MMG) today have announced that regional viewers of Southern Cross Ten who receive their high definition (HD) service in New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria and the ACT will get access to OneHD on July 2nd.

Please click on the following to see today’s Media Release.

For those that don’t know, OneHD provides high definition coverage of both local and international sporting events – 24 hours a day!

(Note: OneHD will officially replace Southern Cross Ten HD and there will no longer be any high definition broadcast of Southern Cross Ten’s regular programming available).

Depending on whether Southern Cross Ten change their name to OneHD, this change may affect some Media Centers customers in those regional areas. If you notice a problem following the launch of OneHD in your area, you may need to rescan your channels to ensure this change is picked up.

Please read the setup guide for your recorder for instructions on how to rescan channels.

IceTV will closely monitor the launch of OneHD in these regional areas following July 2nd and will start to provide our own listings within the IceTV EPG for each guide region as soon as we possible can.

Regards,

IceTV

Posted in Freeview, Service Announcement, Windows Vista, Windows XP |

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IceTV & Quickflix Free DVD Rental offer.

May 19th, 2009

Quickflix are offering IceTV users 1 more chance to try online DVD rental for free, with 10 FREE DVD rentals.

Quickflix has over 36,000 DVD titles available for rent. It works by you creating a list of the movies you want to see, in the order you’d like to watch them in (this is called the Quickflix Queue).

After you have made your list, Quickflix sends you your DVD rentals. There’s free delivery both ways (all DVDs are sent with a reply paid envelope in which to return your DVDs).

After you have watched your DVDs you return them in the reply paid envelope and Quickflix then sends you your next DVD rentals. Because there are no late fees, you can watch your DVDs when you want and send them back when you want.

For a limited time you can try Quickflix with 10 FREE DVD RENTALS! Simply click on the image below to take advantage of this offer.

Posted in Promotions, Uncategorized |

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We’re giving back to say thanks.

May 12th, 2009

Please Note: This $69 special 12 month subscription promotion has now officially ended. Congratulations to those that were able to take advantage of the offer and thank you all for providing such fantastic and well received feedback to our team.

To celebrate IceTV’s historic victory in the High Court last month against the Nine Network, we’d like to offer everyone a big discount on a yearly subscription to our service.

We realise we couldn’t have won without the continued support from all our customers, so as a token of our appreciation… we would like to give back!

So whether you are a long standing and loyal subscriber, new to IceTV or a returning customer… we would like to give you the opportunity to get a yearly subscription to IceTV… for more than 30% less.

If you’re interested in taking advantage of this limited offer, simply click on the link below and add the time to your existing account or join IceTV today and experience the IceTV difference with your compatible device at home. (Hurry! offer ends midnight 22/5/2009).

We would also love to hear any suggestions you may have. This will help our team decide what new features to release and when. Please send feedback via our Contact Us page.

Once again, we thank everyone for their continued support and we now look forward to giving you even more freedom of choice in what, when and how you enjoy your favourite shows on digital TV.

Regards,

IceTV Team

Posted in Retail, Uncategorized |

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Nine begin break-away programming on NineHD

May 5th, 2009

Without any warning, it looks like the Nine Network have begun broadcasting different content on their high definition channel (9HD), breaking away from what they broadcast on their regular standard definition channel (Ch9). Our good friends over at TVTonight have also reported this sudden development.

Beginning this week, Nine have been showing reruns of “Just Shot Me” & “Seinfeld” in the morning following their normal programming of “Mornings with Kerri-Anne” and the “Today” show (seen on both Ch9 & 9HD). They are then continuing the break-away content with a ‘midday movie’ of sorts and are finishing the afternoon off with some delightful episodes of “Bewitched” and “I Dream of Jeannie”, before returning to regular Ch9 programming with the afternoon edition of “National Nine News”.

Could this be the beginning of their second standard definition channel and signs of things to come? Who knows. One thing is for sure, information about the sudden change in programming on 9HD and what Nine’s plans are for their second channel (due to be launched later this year), is very scarce.

If what was reported to be said by Nine’s CEO David Gyngell less than two months ago about their new standard definition channel being a ‘general entertainment channel’ is anything to go by, then it would be a pretty safe bet to assume that Nine are using their high definition channel to test the waters.

Earlier this year, the media were reportedly told that it “could look like a cross between general entertainment pay-TV channels TV1 and Fox8″ as well as “include re-runs of old sit-coms… plus some lifestyle programming”, when referring to Nine’s new channel. This could sum up what we are suddenly seeing so far this week on 9HD.

One thing is for sure: we will be watching what Nine does on its high definition channel very carefully over the next few weeks. As soon as we are able to establish a consistent line-up with Nine’s new programming on 9HD and whether they plan to offer the same content on their new standard definition channel, we will make the necessary adjustments within our IceTV EPG. This process can take up to 2-3 weeks and we thank all our users in advance for remaining patient during this time.

For more information on Nine’s reported plans for its second standard definition channel please refer to our previous news story “Nine announces initial plans for 2nd digital channel”.

Cheers,
IceTV

Posted in Freeview, IceTV EPG |

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IceTV wins High Court decision – freezes Nine!

April 22nd, 2009

The High Court of Australia has today ruled in favour of IceTV in what has been an epic three year legal battle with the Nine Network.

Six months after the appeal was heard by the High Court and 3 years since the case originally began the High Court has today in Canberra, allowed IceTV’s appeal from the decision of the Full Court of the Federal Court. A comment as to the High Court findings will follow shortly.

In an official statement made immediately following today’s judgment, IceTV’s Chairman and major investor, Mr. Colin O’Brien said the following;

“I would like to thank all our shareholders, our staff, our customers and our business partners. Without their support during the last three years IceTV would not have survived. IceTV now looks forward to a successful future bringing both Free-To-Air TV and content via various partners to viewers in a way that satisfies viewer demand, whilst embracing the future of digital Free-To-Air television in Australia.”

Since it’s incorporation in 2005 IceTV has had one aim: To give TV viewers the freedom to record and manage their TV shows as they choose. To record what they want, skip what they want and watch it at a time that suits them. No longer do viewers have to watch their chosen shows when the Networks tell them or to watch content they would rather skip through. IceTV gives them this choice.

This win today is also a win for our many subscribers who enjoy the benefits of simpler, smarter TV viewing.

IceTV’s General Manager, Mr. Matt Kossatz made the following comment after the High Court’s decision;

“Today’s decision is the news that we (IceTV), our staff and our loyal users have waited 3 long years and worked very hard for. With everything happening with digital television in Australia at the moment, the timing is ripe and almost worth the wait. We are seeing more and more content coming to both free-to-air TV and via the web and as an independent company (not a TV Network), we will always have the ability to put the interest’s of the consumer first in terms of features we offer”.

For more information, please read our following Press Release.

A copy of the High Court’s Judgment is expected to be made publicly available later this week. A copy of the High Court’s Summary of Findings will be made available via IceTV’s website as soon as possible.

Regards,
IceTV

Update: The High Court Full Ruling is now available: http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/cases/cth/high_ct/2009/14.html

Posted in Corporate, Press Release |

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IceTV vs. Nine – High Court judgment tomorrow

April 21st, 2009

The long awaited judgment from the High Court of Australia in the three year legal battle between IceTV and the Nine Network will be handed down in Canberra tomorrow morning (Wednesday 22 April at 10:15), almost six months after the case was brought by IceTV in front of the full bench of the Hight Court.

The decision in this landmark case, once dubbed the battle between ‘David and Goliath’, will be of great interest to many in the industry and to all IceTV users and supporters.

IceTV successfully defended the Nine Network’s allegations including having costs awarded in a judgment handed down in August 2007 by her Honour Justice Bennett in the Federal Court after some eight months of deliberation. The Federal Court found that IceTV did not and does not in any way breach Nine’s copyright in creating its IceTV Guide, which is an “independent compilation” built using IceTV’s own proprietary methodology and software applications.

The Nine Network then appealed the decision and the matter was heard by the Full Court of the Federal Court in February, 2008. In May 2008, the ruling made by Justice Bennett was overturned by the Full Court.

IceTV immediately complied with the Court ruling, modifying its compilation practices as required and has continued to provide its innovative EPG service to users, including scheduling information for Channel Nine.

IceTV immediately sought and was granted special leave to appeal to the High Court of Australia and the appeal was heard in Canberra in October 2008. Immediately following the High Court’s decision tomorrow, IceTV will issue a public statement via the IceTV website and send an email out to all IceTV users.

From the incorporation of IceTV in February 2005, IceTV has had one aim: To give our customers freedom of choice in everything they watch on their TV: To record what they want, skip what they want and watch it at a time that suits them.

We thank our subscribers and IceTV Partners for their continued support and we look forward to putting the matter behind us and getting back to implementing new and exciting features for everyone to enjoy.

Regards,

IceTV

Posted in Corporate, Press Release |