Guest shadamehr Posted May 19, 2005 Report Posted May 19, 2005 Apologies for the text only nature of this post folks - I can't find anything decent on it, on the Orange website (though I have no doubt the story is genuine), and even sites like the Register aren't running it yet. So, from Yahoo UK news, the following article: LONDON (Reuters) - Orange, the mobile phone company controlled by France Telecom, is launching nine television channels in Britain next week to allow customers to watch news, sport and entertainment programmes on their phones. The service, which will only be available to customers within Orange's high-speed third-generation (3G) network coverage area, will include news from ITN and CNN television, cartoons and extreme sports programmes. Orange's UK TV service will initially only be available on the Nokia 6680 handset. Customers can download the application for free and will then be charged 10 pounds per month to watch the channels, which gives them about 20 hours of viewing time. Orange is already offering 23 TV channels over mobile phones in France, and other companies such as Telecom Italia, Hong Kong conglomerate Hutchison Whampoa's "3" units and Vodafone Group Plc also sell selected live TV by streaming the channels over their 3G networks. However, rival O2 Plc has said video-streaming over 3G networks is only ideal for on-demand, niche TV services. It is one of the many companies trialling rival distribution technologies for unlimited TV mobile users and usage. One of the most keenly watched technologies in Europe is DVB-H, or the Digital Video Broadcast-Handheld standard, which by-passes mobile phone networks and broadcasts directly to handsets from TV masts. But mobile operators are awaiting new radio frequencies for the service. Orange has said it will trial DVB-H in France this year, while O2 plans its trial in the summer. Current text only source: Yahoo UK News
Guest nforsans Posted May 19, 2005 Report Posted May 19, 2005 The info is official - check Orange Group's web site for the press release at http://www.orange.com/English/media/pressarticle.asp?id=148 Below is the text of the press release - note they announced the launch today, which does not mean the service has been launched altready - in fact, it is nowhere near launcg, since the Nokia 6680 is the only device to be compatible with the new service (with "more devices to come throughout the year"). The N6680 is not for sale yet on the Orange UK website (a "coming soon" device). So yes, today the've announced they would do it, although no launch date has been announced yet. Nicolas Press release follows below. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- London 19 May 2005 ORANGE UK LAUNCHES TV ON THE MOBILE • Orange TV – featuring 9 channels – launches next week • Launch channels include ITN News, CNN, Cartoon Network and extreme sports as well as dedicated Big Brother and Celebrity Love Island channels • Easy-to-understand tariff: £10 monthly subscription for access to all channels Orange today announced the launch of the UK’s first TV-on-the-mobile service – Orange TV – allowing customers to watch news, sport and entertainment programmes on their phone. Running over Orange’s high-speed 3G network, the service – which will be available from next week – has an initial line-up of 9 channels including ITN News, CNN, Cartoon Network and extreme sports. Special Big Brother and Celebrity Love Island channels have also been developed. All of the channels will be streamed over the Orange 3G network and are available through the new Orange TV section on Orange World. Customers need to be in 3G coverage to use the service. Orange TV will initially be available on the Nokia 6680 from Orange, with further handsets to follow throughout the year. Customers simply download the TV application for free from Orange World, then pay a subscription of £10 per month to watch the channels. Alexis Dormandy, Chief Marketing Officer for Orange, said: “Our customers will be the first in the UK to watch TV on their mobiles, be that CNN or 24 hour coverage of the Big Brother house. This signals the start of a huge new opportunity for our customers, broadcasters, handset manufacturers and production companies.” “We’ve partnered with some of the most respected broadcasters in the industry to ensure we offer a compelling and diverse selection of launch channels that match our equally diverse customer base. We’re talking to broadcasters about new, exciting content and we’re looking forward to adding more great Orange TV channels in the near future.” The full channel list available on launch is: ITN News, CNN, Big Brother, Celebrity Love Island, Comedy Time, Cartoon Network, Toon World, Fashion TV and extreme sports. Further channels will be available in the coming weeks. Customers wanting to see Orange TV in action should visit Orange Retail stores for a 3G Phone Trainer demonstration from next week. Orange TV comes as part of the Orange 3G package on the Nokia 6680, which gives customers the chance to try new services for free. New 3G customers can watch the Orange TV channels free for three months and they can access the service using their free 1GB-per month Try data bundle. After 3 months, customers sign up to a £10-per month subscription which gives them access to the Orange TV channels. The subscription includes 1GB of data exclusively for use with the TV service. (1GB gives customers about 20 hours of viewing time.) For more information, please contact the Orange Media Centre on 0207 984 2000 or 07973 201 911
Guest mavisdavis Posted May 19, 2005 Report Posted May 19, 2005 The second they start to stream Corrie and Eastenaders My wife will go for one... as if she don't spend enough time on the bloody phone.lol
Guest MorphFx Posted May 21, 2005 Report Posted May 21, 2005 PLEASE I HOPE AND WISH that some company out there releases a mobile with integrated DVB decoder for free view TV! The signals for watching digital tv are there and are free - I dont like Orange's idea of charging 10 pounds to watch what is basically free to view digital tv, all because they retransmit it on their 3g network - disgusting really. About as sick as the BBC TV license really! About time BBC scramble their content and let people pay for decryptors - BBC TV Licenses go against human rights surely - forcing people to pay for a service that they might not even want , just because they bought a device that can view its transmissions, about time they encrypt it and survive on a commercial standing like Sky I say!. You can't even buy a telly without filling in a declaration! :x Well nuff of the ranting - but watch out of BBC TV License requirements on mobile phones that can pick-up any form of TV transmission !!!!
Guest Confucious Posted May 21, 2005 Report Posted May 21, 2005 PLEASE I HOPE AND WISH that some company out there releases a mobile with integrated DVB decoder for free view TV! The signals for watching digital tv are there and are free - I dont like Orange's idea of charging 10 pounds to watch what is basically free to view digital tv, all because they retransmit it on their 3g network - disgusting really. If you want a phone that's as big as a DVB box that's up to you. I don't. And I'm quite happy paying my TV licence fee - it's a lot cheeper than my Sky fee and better programs most of the time too ;)
Guest MorphFx Posted May 24, 2005 Report Posted May 24, 2005 If you want a phone that's as big as a DVB box that's up to you. I don't. And I'm quite happy paying my TV licence fee - it's a lot cheeper than my Sky fee and better programs most of the time too ;) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Hey, you can get DVB decoders on a USB module that is is the size of a mobile phone (albeit from the early 90s hehe), but it won't be long before the whole thing will be able to fit onto a typical footprint like a USB memory device.
Guest mirkins Posted May 27, 2005 Report Posted May 27, 2005 I think this is a great idea if your are running late you can turn on and still watch the match ;)
Guest TigerNet Posted June 3, 2005 Report Posted June 3, 2005 ...just installed this on an Orange Nokia 6680 and it works!!! Telly on my mobile... Cheers Nick
Guest Pagemakers Posted June 3, 2005 Report Posted June 3, 2005 ...just installed this on an Orange Nokia 6680 and it works!!! Telly on my mobile... Cheers Nick <{POST_SNAPBACK}> How well does it work? Does it stream hours and hours of TV endlessly or does it take xx mins to download xx mins of footage? What's the quality like? What do you think of the 6680?
Guest Monolithix [MVP] Posted June 5, 2005 Report Posted June 5, 2005 The tv is streamed endlessly from what i've seen of it. When the bundle is launched you get about 20 hours of telly for your £10 monthly sub (1GB data, TV only though). 6680 is good from the limited time i've played with it, not massive differences from the 6630 though.
Guest ajb3000 Posted June 5, 2005 Report Posted June 5, 2005 I have a PCMCIA card that decodes both Freeview and Analogue TV, so they could probably fit a freeview tuner in a (large) phone quite easily. The problem is reception, TV signals are designed to be received by large roof top aerials, a mobile phone aerial would not cut it.
Guest Monolithix [MVP] Posted June 5, 2005 Report Posted June 5, 2005 Yes thats true, however Orange are not using "normal" TV broadcasting, nor even the new DVB-H (handheld) spec like O2 are in Oxford. It's basically encoding and streaming live TV over their 3G network, like any other streaming media you can get.
Guest dolphinsmile Posted June 5, 2005 Report Posted June 5, 2005 If you want a phone that's as big as a DVB box that's up to you. I don't. And I'm quite happy paying my TV licence fee - it's a lot cheeper than my Sky fee and better programs most of the time too ;) <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Id pay double for just the BBC. Its the best.
Guest TigerNet Posted June 6, 2005 Report Posted June 6, 2005 How well does it work? Does it stream hours and hours of TV endlessly or does it take xx mins to download xx mins of footage? What's the quality like? What do you think of the 6680? From what I have seen so far, it's pretty good - and good 'pub cool' value...I haven't had too much time to play with it so far, but it does seem to be an excellent phone...plenty of features and third party software (including MobiLuck and Papyrus!!!) If you have any specific questions, let me know and I'll try to answer them... Cheers Nick
Guest schmeegle Posted June 8, 2005 Report Posted June 8, 2005 PLEASE I HOPE AND WISH that some company out there releases a mobile with integrated DVB decoder for free view TV! The signals for watching digital tv are there and are free - I dont like Orange's idea of charging 10 pounds to watch what is basically free to view digital tv, all because they retransmit it on their 3g network - disgusting really. About as sick as the BBC TV license really! About time BBC scramble their content and let people pay for decryptors - BBC TV Licenses go against human rights surely - forcing people to pay for a service that they might not even want , just because they bought a device that can view its transmissions, about time they encrypt it and survive on a commercial standing like Sky I say!. You can't even buy a telly without filling in a declaration! :x Well nuff of the ranting - but watch out of BBC TV License requirements on mobile phones that can pick-up any form of TV transmission !!!! <{POST_SNAPBACK}> I agree, I think the TV licence is a joke. And why should it cost about 4 times more just because you have a colour set??
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