Freeview offering derided by digital industry
Leaders of the interactive media industry have expressed extreme scepticism about whether Freeview will work.
According to a video survey carried out by recrutiment firm La Volta in its Digital Bullets series of interviews, few are convinced the attempts to get consumers to switch to digital TV will be a success.
- Media commentator Martin Dalgleish: “I think the free to airs have got the Freeview model quite wrong. The consumers are far too savvy to not have the brand promise fulfilled.”
- The Project Factory’s Guy Gadney: “If there’s just enough content to get it over the line, it could be something Australians want to take up.”
- Steve Fanale, MassMedia: “It will depend on the content.”
- Hannah Schwarz, RSVP: “I don’t think there’s a clear consumer benefit.”
- Tony Faure, digital investor: “Extremely unlikely.”
- Lee Stephens, Aegis: The concept is a great idea but where are they going to get the content?”
- Adam Dunne, Aura Interactive: “TV is not the medium to be involved with these days.”
- Paul Fisher, Interactive Advertising Bureau: “It’s a complete white elephant. It provides consumers with nothing new.”
- Domenic Carosa: “Freeview is just another way traditional media companies are clutching at straws trying to extend the life of a dying platform.”
- Jennifer Wilson, The Project Factory: “If all they are offering is a set top box with no benefit, why are you going to get it?”
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the question should have been around the category – ie IQ and Freeview and Tivo and IPTV – not just one operator.
rich words from dom carosa – i guess he’d know about dying platforms though.
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Freeview works very well in the UK! whats all this fuss about? Viewers who can’t afford the high costs of SKY/FOX love having something to choose from other than the usual terrestrial channels
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Echo Ben’s sentiments. After destra, Dom would know about clutching at straws for a dying (and now dead) platform.
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The only similarity between Freeview in Australia and UK’s Freeview is in the brand name. In the UK, Freeview has not tried to control the functionality of the box and actually promotes PVR devices (like Topfield) that have a 30-second skip button. Freeview here is a completely different kettle of fish. They are trying to bolt onto the digital switch-over plans of the government and use it to promote only boxes that they have control over. They are even going to the extent of suggesting that only “Freeview branded” devices will guarantee future-proofing for the consumer. They should have just stuck to the mass-marketing campaign against PayTV to which it was originally designed to be, instead of trying to control or limit the features available. Australia consumers are not that stupid and neither is the industry.
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Freeview will work… its the level of what you call “successful” that will be the interesting part. With Tivo (or another PVR) the more content the better.
The challenge will be the content
The ABC’s kids channel will be a huge boon. A dedicated movie channel, and another youth channel will make it much more interesting.
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Watching this, i wonder how the digital experts would take it if a bunch of know all, self appointed TV or press experts got together and bashed the web as a medium this relentlessly … I’m sure they’d have a good old whinge and moan.
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Not sure why there’s so much Freeview bashing going on. There will be more channels available, why is this a bad thing?
There is a difference between Digital TV and the “Digital Industry”.
The commentators above are a mix of mobile industry charlatans and online losers. Why bother asking them about Television?
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Freeview in Au is very disappointing. The extra channels are
– One – only good for baseball, motor racing, IPL and very very delayed coverage of AFL. Is not in the electronic program guide so no idea what is on when
– Nine in HD – who cares, whether or not 20-1 is in HD
– Ten in HD – ditto for Idol
– 7 in HD – OK…maybe Heroes in HD is worth it
Only benefit is being able to see top ABC shows like Greun, Australian story, Media watch, four corners, spicks and specs at a different time on ABC 2.
What is missing is true digital capabilities. Where are the interactive features, where are the specialist channels (sci fi, documentary), where are the delayed telecasts? The results are nothing like the marketing. it is back to buying series DVDs from JB hi fi and waiting for on demand internet streaming for me
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Hi Ben
In answer to your earlier remark about the question being broader…
We’ll shoot another bullet in a couple of weeks to address this.
Will Australia get a true IPTV industry like others parts of the world? Why? Why not? When? What will it look like?
So hope you enjoy it and cheers for your comment.
and I particularly enjoyed the comment from anon. Who are you, where do you live 🙂
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This latest development from Foxtel won’t help Freeview – fastracking of movie releases to their OnDemand platform, that coincide with the DVD release date.
Benjamin Button starts screening tomorrow – http://twitpic.com/6fde1 – same day as the DVD comes out.
Will be interesting to see if it’s going to be a regular thing or not.
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